Sep 1, 2022
If you enjoyed the original series, then these three novels are a must-read.
Regarding Saeki Sayaka is a realistic slice-of-life that follows ordinary events in Sayaka's life: She falls in love, she goes to high school, she joins the student council, she goes to college, she has lunch together with a friend. Despite how normal the story seems, Hitoma Iruma delves into every last detail about Sayaka's thoughts on her surroundings and feelings, and the result is an engaging and thoughtful product of Sayaka's perspective on her romantic experiences, which are explained in YagaKimi on a surface level.
Saeki Sayaka is a deeply unique protagonist who is
...
wonderfully characterized by Iruma. She's observative and serious. She gives off a mature and collected aura, but she doesn't think that of herself. At a first glance, the winter-cool type image seems to suit her perfectly. However, we can see at certain moments in the anime and manga that just like anyone else, Sayaka has her own flaws that one might not expect, yet she's vastly different from other characters with this archetype. By laying all of her thoughts bare, the author takes us much further into her personality; every tidbit and opinion; by the time I finished the novels, I realized that I had never before encountered a character like Sayaka anywhere else. The sheer complexity, yet simultaneously the simplicity of Sayaka's character, is what makes this book so interesting.
Furthermore, Sayaka's coming-of-age experiences are ordinary, yet inspiring. Romance and selfish desires, sexuality and homophobia, moving forward and becoming an adult; numerous motifs are tackled in this story. As the story progresses, Sayaka grows older, which means that the themes also become more mature and are able to appeal to more people; however, the core of her character remains the same, and all three novels are enjoyable experiences.
Iruma's writing style suits the original series fairly well. It's like taking the dialogue out of the manga, and adding monologues from Sayaka in between them. He also implements some symbolic elements that make the ordinary scenes feel a little more special, and it'll last in your memories a lot longer. The pacing is difficult to pinpoint due to the sheer amount of inner monologues there are, but it will definitely feel comfortable.
Saeki Sayaka is a great character. This series is not extraordinary in every way, but it does exactly as the title says: "Regarding Saeki Sayaka." This alone will provide you a truly one-of-a-kind experience, and many valuable lessons.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
