Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu

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Baka to Test was one of the first light novels I read, when I first got into animes and fan translated LNs. Its been a long way since then, and I've moved on to mangas, but this series will always stay in my heart.
First and foremost, Baka to Test is FUNNY. The premise is ridiculous and the characters are idiots, Akihisa being the biggest Baka, but this is what makes this series work. There are running gags like Himeji's cooking and Hideyoshi which always manages to make you laugh at the right time.
Honestly its been very long since I've read this, and I've basically ... forgotten most of it, but I highly recommend it. Its quite under-appreciated for some reason, even though there are 2 anime seasons out, but oh well, read this, you'll have a blast.

“I want to prove to the world that grades aren’t everything.”
- Yuuji Sakamoto, leader of class 2-F

In a high school where the equipment you get, the amount of respect you receive, and the destruction power of your summoning beast are strictly divided according to your academic skills, this seems to be a foolishly ambitious claim. However, if it is those “idiots” in class 2-F, I believe they can definitely do it.

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu is a popular, 17-volume (5 side stories volumes) light novel series that has been since adapted into anime (2 seasons) and manga. Ironically, this series is perhaps most prominent for ... introducing the idea of FFF brigade, an organization that is dedicated to torturing the happy, fulfilled individuals (male) that have received affection from the opposite sex. This notion is frequently cited by the anime community in China (and other countries), as far as I know, even by those who have never watched or read this series.

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu is a completed (12 main story volumes, with 5 volumes of side stories) light novel series by Inoue Kenji. It tells the story of Yoshii Akihisa, an utter idiot, in multiple contexts, and his daily adventures with his group of friends from Class 2-F. His high school uses the exclusive Exam Summoning Battle (ESB) system, where each student has the ability to summon with its power depending on individual’s academic performance, and each class is separated by their overall academic performance. Facilities are also given to each class based on performance, such that Class 2-A gets high-tech stuff, while Class 2-F gets a run-down classroom.

- - - Story - - -
Frankly, the story didn’t appeal to me at first. The set-up seems clichéd. Of course, we’ve seen it hundreds and hundreds of times. The protagonist is a slow-witted guy, surrounded by a couple girls who seem to be romantically interested in him, as well as by a bunch of other male friends. There is some sort of injustice happening around the protagonist, and the group of friends strive to change that. Every volume is just going to be fillers that repeat the same things over and over again with no real plot development!

…is what I wanted to say at the beginning, a perception that I soon dismissed.

Following class 2-F’s leader Yuuji Sakamoto’s lead, the idiotic and “weak” class 2-F manages to out-smart their opponents no matter how strong they might be. Some of their ploys are quite genius, and each volume provides an entertaining and dramatic plot, with outcomes that are difficult to predict. Even the side stories volumes are not entirely fillers. They provide important flash-back chapters that adds to the character development.

The story is written in a hilarious style. Readers will constantly laugh, because of funny and idiosyncratic dialogues between characters. Actually, some of the funniest contents can be found in the beginning of each chapter, for which a question is assigned to several main characters in the story, and each character answers it, along with the teacher’s feedback. This not only allows readers to get to know the characters better, it also sets the mood for each chapter, sometimes even foreshadows what is to come in the future.

I’d recommend reading this novel one volume per day and take it in slowly (don’t skip the opening question at the start of each chapter). Just remember to keep reading even if some of the volumes disappoint you a bit, because the ending is certainly perfect for baka to test to shoukanjuu, that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

- - - Art - - -
Like any other light novel, there isn’t really much to say about the art. I’d say that the art in this series goes for the cute style where the characters’ heads are slightly larger than normal, as opposed to the ecchi style that is found in most other novels. Overall, the art provides a solid illustrations of the characters, and make the dramatic scenes that much more so.

- - - Character - - -
The students of 2-F are idiots. They are completely, undoubtedly, irreversibly idiots. Perhaps it is precisely because they are idiots that they are able to grasp something more fundamental and basic about human’s emotions.

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu certainly resembles a shounen title in that it features a large cast, each having his or her own distinctive features or quirks. This by no means signify that characters are flat. In fact, the main characters undergo significant character development, through their trials of fighting in the summoning war.

The character dynamics between the main characters are amazing! Class 2-F is such a place where friends could lie, steal from, and stab each other in the back without blinking an eye. However, when grave situation calls for and the display of manliness is required, each is willing to sacrifice and give heartening encouragement to their precious friends who need it. They would place their trust in each other and achieve the victory together. They are the best kind of comrade that you would trust your back with.

- - - Enjoyment - - -
It is not a masterpiece, and some volumes may seem slightly repetitive. Still, it will make you laugh; it will give you feels; it will deliver to you an unforgettable cast of idiots.

- - - Overall - - -
Baka to test to Shoukanjuu is a story that follows the tale of the biggest idiots Akihisa Yoshii and his friends. It has some brilliant plot execution with well-placed foreshadowing, a nicely stitched together cast of characters, and has forever left its mark on the anime community with its (horrifying) idea of FFF brigade, dedicated to burning every happy and fulfilled couple on this planet.
8.5/10

Novel Review No.1
Baka to Test to Shokanjuu/Fools and Tests and Summoned Beings

"The story centers around the protagonist named Akihisa Yoshii, the 'baka' of the title. His academy rigidly divides up the student body into classes based on the results of tests. The prodigies are in the A class with reclining seats complete with air conditioning, but Akihisa is in Class 2-F, the lowest rung of the school ladder which is furnished only with low, decrepit tables and worn-out straw tatami mats. A girl named Mizuki Himeji is actually one of the smartest girls in Akihisa's sophomore year, but she had a fever on test day ... and was pigeonholed into the Class 2-F. Besides Mizuki (whom Akihisa secretly adores), the Class 2-F also has Yuuji Sakamoto, the class president who has been Akihisa's friend and partner-in-crime since the freshman year.

The school happened to have developed experiments to summon fantasy creatures, and Akihisa decided to rally Class 2-F to take on the higher-tiered classes and to seize their perks. The Class 2-F used the summoned creatures in an all-out battle for school supremacy."

- Story Synopsis for "Baka to Test to Shokanjuu" Light Novel via kuzuryu's file.

As of this point, while my favorite genres in generally any medium are science fiction (in anime, there is Nitroplus'/Jukki Hanada's "Steins;Gate"), fantasy/supernatural (in anime, there is Yusuke Kishi's "Shinsekai yori/From The New World") and tragedy (in anime, there is Gen Urobuchi's "Fate/Zero"), I do enjoy reading/watching several romantic comedy series (especially those Japanese light novels, as well as their anime adaptations). Although I had become fully concerned on how much

In terms of those I had already read/watched, Some series stood out because of the focus on its compelling drama while retaining good comedic situations fitting to the personalities of its characters like ongoing Wataru Watari's "Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru./My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" and Naoshi Arakawa's "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso/Your Lie In April". Granted, these series fall under the genre of drama.

Some series stood out due to their focus on exploration of personalities of their characters through their backgrounds and interesting history outside of the usual acts of those characters like the light novel Nisio Isin's "Monogatari Series".

And then, there are some series that started on somewhat interesting premises only to be ended up becoming just as ordinary romantic comedy as it could be, where I can say their only aims to illicit laughter from the audience through entertaining stories and characters, just like any comedy storyline. Although it does not mean it is bad or something... Just in the middle of the road in the very long run...

...And as of this point, Kenji Inoue's "Baka to Test to Shokanjuu" is one of those series.

While "Baka to Test to Shokanjuu" is really an enjoyable series, the series did prove nothing about the premise other than achieving what the author aimed to happen which is never a bad thing though, but it does make the story excelling at something in it either way.

The series' initial premise is to show that intelligence is never a basis on defining a person's good aspects in terms of learning oneself. For that matter, from the outsider's perspective, in a school with multiple sections per year level, those students who are on the top sections will often be called the 'cream of the crop', being able to compete to certain contests focusing on subjects that aren't focused on either one among sports, music, art or livelihood programs, where students in the middle-to-low sections are the usual competitors for the most part (in this series, most of the sports-minded second year students of Fumizuki Academy joined Class 2-E). Of course, because of the Exam Summoning Battle system (or that one thing that made this series unique among the plethora of high-school setting light novels), students in the lower section classes (especially Class 2-F) can be able to combat those in the higher section classes (especially Class 2-A) for a chance to get the equipment of that class.

Except... it turned out that this is an excuse to create build-ups just for the sake of the series being a romantic comedy as time goes by (and the series will always subtly reminded us that this is a romantic comedy through its characters' actions and the story focused more on being character-driven instead of plot-driven with little development at all in terms of either of the characters or of their relationships with one another). It is quite disappointing since this is one of the first light novel series that I ever read in Baka-Tsuki website some time after watching its anime adaptations, along with "To Aru Majutsu no Index" (in the latter's case, I read all twenty-two volumes before the light novel had been published in English). Granted, I already have some Japanese novels and light novels in my bookshelves for novels that I had personally read since several years ago via delivery from certain relatives abroad like "The Woman in the Dunes", "The Doctor's Wife", "Battle Royale", "Spice and Wolf"(I finished this one quite recently) and "Fate/Zero" to name a few so they are the exceptions.

In terms of plot set-up, the Class 2-F led by its dynamic duo of Yuuji Sakamoto, the Class Representative, and Akihisa Yoshii, the Class Ambassador, aimed to prove themselves and to others including the readers that grades don't mean anything when it comes to reality and strategy through battles. Granted, like what the synopsis will tell us, the class had Mizuki Himeji, the second most intelligent second year student in Fumizuki Academy (I will assume I will leave things at that since the story really does not bother about intelligence or wisdom of its students or the intrigue behind the Exam Summoning Battle system (like answering a certain thought about which of either Mizuki or Toshimitsu Kubo is the second most intelligent second year student in that school, in which in all reality it does not matter) but rather about the story being a romantic comedy) who can definitely able to defeat just about every student one-on-one as well as Akihisa's summoned being can able to evade attacks more efficiently than everyone else's summoned being (but one just because the plot needed a final villain) thanks to his status as the Punishment Inspector, so luck is on their side somehow only to ended up with some hilarious situations and some heartwarming moments (if one can call really as such especially regarding Mizuki being one of the two main heroines of the series).

As a side note, the Class 2-F themselves often win some of the school events other than the Exam Summoning Battles so I do not bother about those. However, it is very notable that the volumes that focused on these events (namely the Cool Summer Festival in the second volume, the Test of Courage in the sixth volume, and the Sports Meeting in the seventh volume) have foreshadowing as for what will be going to happen in the future volumes of the series especially these volumes already give emphasis to Mizuki's problems concerning her studies in the academy since she fell in Class 2-F. With that, these volumes can be worth of re-read after finishing everything about the series.

However, there is a good reason why I said 'I assume I will leave things at that since the story really does not bother about the intelligence or the wisdom of its students or the intrigue behind the Exam Summoning Battle system but rather about the story being a romantic comedy'. After all, some time after being defeated by Class 2-A, Class 2-F especially both Akihisa and Yuuji still ended up studying in order to improve themselves on the upcoming Exam Summoning Battles especially the class itself aimed for a revenge to Class 2-A once the six-month restriction is up. Oddly enough, despite being called idiots, they worked better in strategies moreso than the other classes thanks to their experiences in ESB.

Furthermore, through their backstories especially the ones that focused on the relationship between two certain characters, specifically anything with either Akihisa or Yuuji (both of which are intelligent in their elementary days as it turned out, especially Yuuji who is a child prodigy and arguably the smartest one among second year students) in each relationship-focused backstory, the initial aim of Class 2-F that grades do not really matter is only a farce thanks to Akihisa and Yuuji's aim to delving themselves each to be in a romantic relationship with specific girls in their lives (namely Mizuki and Class 2-A's Class Representative Shouko Kirishima) which is the actual aim of the entire series thanks to the last two of the twelve main volumes of this series which focuses on the battle between the second year students and the third year students.

Of course, since this is a romantic comedy, the conclusion should be hilarious but with the realization in mind as for why it needed to happen, regardless of whether it is a logical approach or it is just for the sake of the story to happen. It is also notably hilarious since second year students win that battle, by the time they become third year students the following school year at the end of the very final volume of the series (12.5), they will be going to stay to the Old Building instead of the New Building that the entire second year student body aimed yet again... Good logic.

Perhaps, one of my main gripes about the series is really the characters. While they can performed good enough because they fit for a romantic comedy storyline in general, that is really not enough to make them interesting characters as a whole especially when I considered the characters of most other romantic comedy storylines around this series. Each of the characters has a pre-established personality so one can not be at a loss about their identifications, like Akihisa being an idiot with a good heart, Yuuji being the lazy but brilliant student, Mizuki being an all-around (read: truly random when the story needed to do so) ill girl, Minami Shimada being a straight-up tsundere but with slightly interesting backstory since it is natural that she will have a hard time doing so in that situation she encountered (but I considered it 'slightly interesting' than 'interesting' because it easily made her to be part of Akihisa's harem [there are eight of them by the end of the series]), Shouko being a straight-up yandere but also with justification as for why she did that thanks to her and Yuuji's backstory and many more. For that matter, the series only created situations that will only rely on their pre-established personalities rather than their worldviews, which can be pretty either hilarious or tricky at one point but it never really last that much because of its reliance on establishing gags and conversations revolving only on those personalities that the character had, such as Mizuki's cooking, Kouta 'Muttsulini' Tsuchiya's and Aiko Kudou's perverted antics and conversations about Hideyoshi's gender.

Ironically, the only character that I actually found to be interesting in this series is Class 2-A's Class Ambassador Yuuko Kinoshita (not to be confused with Yukino Yukinoshita of "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU"), who, despite having the least screentime among the major characters (as well as not appearing at all on some volumes when she is badly needed there [Volume 7 and Volume 12.5 to name a few]), has a superiority complex personality thanks to her intelligence being part of Class 2-A as well as excelling on anything else except anything that her younger twin brother Hideyoshi Kinoshita (who is clearly the author's favorite character) did better than her, like acting or singing, which can potentially result to hilarious yet heartwarming conversations between her and the other major Class 2-F characters especially her and Akihisa (Akihisa, while not suspicious on her, is actually aware of her actions especially on some few parts of the later two volumes, where she is guaranteed to make more conversation with him than with the other major Class 2-F students even with her younger twin brother. Granted, she is the last person to actually join his harem (which consists of a shy girl (Mizuki), a tsundere (Minami), an obligatory token mini-moe (Minami's younger sister Hazuki Shimada), an obligatory older sister (Akira Yoshii), a slightly obligatory straight gay (Toshimitsu), a slightly obligatory trap (Hideyoshi), a girl who fell in love with his genderbent counterpart (Miki Tamano) and an obligatory true foil to the main guy (Yuuko)) as well as the only character in the series that has an actual character development outside of the backstory events.

To be frank, this is one of many stories I read where a side character is the most interesting character (like, Toradora! has Ami Kawashima). In this series' case, this is mainly because I always thought Yuuko comes off as an odd one out (read: closest one for a complex character in the series) among the plethora of characters with easily distinguishable personalities considering the lack of student government body in the series (which was only been implemented only at the very end of the series) and as someone who can be considered as someone who can make a good pairing with Akihisa without the reliance of relationship backstories thanks to their opposing personalities and viewpoints with one another... if only she really had more screentime than this series gave to her.

Now that I think about it, this kind of set-up reminded me of "Sword Art Online" light novel in which the first eight volumes of the series (which contained almost everything the two seasons of its anime adaptation covered) are merely set-ups for the sake of the overarching storyline of Alicization Arc that covered all of the other volumes that followed as of this point. In this series' case, it was done in a way one will not expect that the first three-fourths of the mainstream volumes (Volumes 1 to 9) were all foreshadowing for the events of the last one-fourth of those volumes (Volumes 10 to 12), which is considered worth re-read like I said before because each of the situations within those nine volumes will become fully realized by the latter three ones.

And speaking of Yuuko, it is pretty hilarious that the "Sword Art Online" anime also picked her as one of its characters (or rather, her persona was used in the anime, right to her personal facial features and the battle equipment SAO's Griselda/Yuuko wield in "Sword Art Online" game resembled that closely of this series' Yuuko and her summoned being). Yuuko's dead in the anime (or in the first story of the eighth volume of the light novel series) though thanks to Grimlock's jealousy.

Go figure anyway through this website: https://www.tumblr.com/search/i%20swear%20this%20is%20the%20first%20thing%20that%20came%20into%20my%20mind%20when%20i%20found%20out%20griselda's%20real%20name

Of course, my other main gripe about the series is how painfully situational and contrived most of the situations happened on the latter two volumes really are. Regardless of whether those situations are hilarious or not and whether I like the idiosyncratic writing style Kenji Inoue or not (I do like it for as long as it aimed for hilarity over everything), for that matter, I always really thought why Kenji Inoue needed a lot of build-up for the sake of executing the actual story where the characters had to make conversations based on their pre-established personalities once again, regardless of the backstories provided by the series. I, as a reader, do not have an idea about the reason behind Mizuki's parents' motives behind the decision to make the girl study abroad other than to make her having a good future behind her and they did that twice in the series. We do not even meet Akihisa's parents at all making the story, especially the plot, more questionable. I do not even know the idea behind the Exam Summoning Battle system other than being utilized for enjoyable battles (only enjoyable in the long run). The lack of worldview among the characters especially the antagonists made the entirety of the last two volumes only utilized for the romantic relationships to happen and take the romantic comedy by its definition at the end.

Perhaps, having Yuuko in the series is really a big troublesome for the author considering how interesting she really is as a character in a series that relied only on character's pre-established personalities rather than that and worldviews, to the point that removing her (or replacing her with Aiko by Volume 3) can just make the story still hilarious but it looked okay in the long run (or to the point that adding her can just make Minami and Mizuki pushed towards the background with their relationship with Akihisa since Yuuko was the only other same-age female character to actually straight up liking him among his harem [Miki loved his genderbent counterpart but hated his true self]).

Sure, it does make the story not to be taken care seriously unlike most other works around, for as long as I, as the reader, am aimed for enjoyable plotlines rather than engaging plotlines, just like the author wanted to tell us. Otherwise, I can only go to other romantic comedy storylines mostly because characters engaged more with meaningful conversations, regardless of success of its endings ("Toradora!" and "Clannad" (and both "Clannad: After Story" and "Clannad: Tomoyo After") in my book) or not ("Haganai" and "Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo" in my book).

Back to the plot. If the only aim of the author was to make specific characters ended up together and of course, create a situation that resulted to the definition of the term romantic comedy through idiocy (after all, it is in the title of the series), the book can just become offensive and forgettable by everyone else.

That being said, the book definitely succeed at being an enjoyable romantic comedy but to be honest, utilizing only the character's personalities in most situations is really not enough to make the entire series truly memorable. I will probably still remember some of the characters in the series like Akihisa and Yuuko partly because their personalities can just make "Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works"' Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka relationship to happen if it happened. But truthfully, it is not enough.

Three orange boxes out of five (6/10)