Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: I Don't Have Many Friends, I Can't Make Friends, Haganai, Bokutomo

Japanese: 僕は友達が少ない

Information

Type: Light Novel

Volumes: 11

Chapters: 145

Status: Finished

Published: Aug 25, 2009 to Aug 26, 2015

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Themes: Harem, School

Serialization: None

Authors: Buriki (Art), Hirasaka, Yomi (Story)

Statistics

Score: 7.51¹ (scored by 2,960 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2847²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1659

Members: 12,000

Favorites: 291

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7.51

Ranked #2847Popularity #1659Members 12,000

Light NovelBuriki (Art), Hirasaka, Yomi (Story)

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Volumes: /11

Chapters: /145

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Synopsis

Hasegawa Kodaka has transferred schools, and he's having a hard time making friends. It doesn't help that his blond hair tends to make people think he's a delinquent. One day, he runs into his bad-tempered solitary classmate Yozora while she's talking animatedly to her imaginary friend Tomo. Realizing that neither of them have any actual friends, they decide that the best way to alter this situation is to form a club and start recruiting.

That is how "Rinjin-bu" was formed, a club specifically designed for people who don't have very many friends. As other lonely classmates slowly join their little club, they'll try to learn how to build friendships through cooking together, playing games, and other group activities. But will this group of relationship-challenged misfits really be able to get along?

(Source: MU)

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Background

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai appeared on the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! ranking under Best Light Novel category twice; 2nd place in 2011 and 6th place in 2012. It was adapted into a live-action film which was released in Japan on February 1, 2014.

The series has been published in Italian as Haganai: I have few friends by Edizioni BD under the J-POP imprint since February 28, 2013.

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Related Manga

Alternative version:	Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
Side story:	Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Connect
Adaptation:	Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next

More characters
Characters

Kashiwazaki, Sena

Main

Mikazuki, Yozora

Main

Hasegawa, Kodaka

Main

Hasegawa, Kobato

Supporting

Shiguma, Rika

Supporting

Takayama, Maria

Supporting

Kusunoki, Yukimura

Supporting

Takayama, Kate

Supporting

Yusa, Aoi

Supporting

Kashiwazaki, Pegasus

Supporting

Reviews

Jul 6, 2022

SomeoneRandooum

Recommended

This book reminded me a lot about the rom-com genre as a whole. It can be just so infuriating at times but it still somehow manages to spin grip me and get me invested in the world. The funny thing is… even though rom-coms are generally supposed to be a new world with new characters, somehow every single rom-com feels the same at the start. The pacing, the plot point, the jokes, the tension, the problems, the solutions, and even the ending. It is very rare that you see a rom-com doing something new, without failing. This novel did just that.

At first, you will feel ... that everything is the same, the same old cliché protagonist who has no interesting qualities, and his harem. At times, this novel felt like that but I bet you, it’s not. It is something that you probably have read or seen before but with a new perspective with realistic features. The MC doesn’t feel like a jackass nor does he feel like an overly powerful person who knows everything but tries to hide it. Nope. None of that shit. Our MC has some good points and some bad points which he tries to fix to get some friends. The novel covers his journey to get friends with other people who are there alongside him, people who also want friends. Every single character who is in the ‘main squad’ is really deeply explored but not over-explored. It doesn’t feel that you don’t know anything about the characters but it doesn’t feel boring to see the characters again. Everything isn’t spoon-fed to the reader and some things are just hinted at. It doesn’t feel that a character is being very hugely emphasized. One character gets highlighted in a volume and then in the later volumes, characters are developed together. It’s really beautiful the way the author chose the routes that the story progresses throughout all the volumes. The way the characters are developed, the choices that are taken by them, the things they do, their goal, every single thing was really well thought of and I loved this beautiful lore of students struggling to get some friends and live a ‘normal’ student life.

Talking about the main thing- romance, well yea… it was at best, good. Every girl was given their time to shine, and every girl despite having some-or-the-other flaws, really made you forget about them for some time… This is the first novel where I am satisfied with the ending despite the MC not ending up with the ‘best girl’ for me.

All of this doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. The novel had some seriously major flaws in it. Sometimes what the MC or the other characters did were seriously either very badly explained, or just straight-up rubbish i.e., way out of their personality. This was particularly visible in the last few volumes where characters were developing faster than the speed of light. It felt refreshing but felt a little too abrupt for my liking. I have mixed feelings on this topic. This novel would be a 9/10 if not for the weird last volume. The rushing in the last volume could be felt deep into my core while I was reading through it. I felt as if some things could be explored a little more but I understood that there was just not enough time to do so. I felt seriously weird about it. A few characters felt a little hypocritic at what they preached compared to their actions but well that is normal if the characters are tried to be kept as humane as possible.

The artwork in this novel is just… NOICE. I have no comments on the artwork because I feel that they couldn’t have been better. They fit the theme of the novel perfectly.

Conclusion: Read it if you like slice-of-life and rom-com. Wouldn’t recommend it if you like something high-paced as this novel is one of the slower ones I have read until now.

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Sep 6, 2012

123321tb

Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/145 eps)

I generally enjoy the typical love comedy harem type of anime, manga and light novels. For Haganai, however, not only did I simply like it, I absolutely LOVE it.

The characters in the novel are interesting, and slightly unique in their own ways. I love how the members of the neighbours' club converses amongst themselves, throwing in a whole lot of insults and unwholesome things all over the place. Take for Mikazuki Yozora,whom probably has the best choice of words I have ever seen in any manga, anime or light novel. Its not just simple insulting and swearing. Its an ... infinite chain of words that would completely, utterly, entirely pwn you, as she has clearly demonstrated on Sena, leaving poor ole meat with absolutely no room for any comebacks whatsoever. Sena, may appear to be the typical proud all-rounder, good in grades and athletics and such, but what I like is how she goes about, conveying and proclaiming her pride, demonstrating her superiority. This is especially so when she describes other girls beside her, stating that "there are two kinds of girls in this world, those that get along with me and the other bitches that don't". I absolutely love all the trash talking they do. Their conversations and choice of words are unique and frankly, rather witty, and the author does not hold back in using any foul language, which I greatly appreciate.

One other thing that I found in this novel, that I am rather fond of, is the author's precise and well-timed manipulation of words. When the characters are shouting some ridiculous nonsense, the font tends to be enlarged. You may not notice this, but it truly adds to the effect of the speech or conversation. The author, at times, would also reduce the font size, creating an effect of meekness, subtlety and shyness. All of this play around in your head very well, creating extremely vivd and vibrant imagery in the readers' minds. The author has one of the more engaging styles of descriptive writing there is. This is perhaps one of the things that draw me to Haganai so much, the fact that you can very vividly, accurately, precisely imagine what is going on in the novel, completely grabbing my attention and interest.

The art, is rather interesting. The hair highlights are different from what can be typically depicted in other manga/anime/light novels, and gives the characters an entirely different aura. The art can create a "standing out" effect upon the characters, giving them a more complete, vital, and a somewhat angelic presence. The only shortcoming about the art, is that at certain times when the characters are shouting and displaying great and strong emotions, the art does not do justice to the words that have just been said, the manner of conversation which had transpired, by half-heartedly conveying and illustrating the characters' emotions, giving a reduced and weaker effect of the characters' strong, overwhelming emotions. Other than that, the artwork is spectacular.

The theme of friendship is unconventional, but still extremely well-conveyed, in this novel. Most shounen manga/anime that I have watched, often have friendship being depicted as doing the right things together, accomplishing the same goals, with united spirit and purpose of mind. Haganai, on the other hand, depicts friendship as, being comfortable and relaxed, being who you really are in front of those whom you call your friends, that is the rendition of friendship I have garnered in this novel. Far from those thematic friendship stereotypes, Haganai often has the members of the neighbours' club waging constant war and conflict amongst themselves, all in the good sense. Friendship is in this unconventional sense, but it is well conveyed, nonetheless, to see even this other perspective, of comfort, and unpretentiousness amongst those whom you call your friends. One of the best lines, or quotes about friendship that I have seen in any manga/anime, was said by Yozora, about that of true friends. Many other shounen manga/anime that I have come across do not depict this at all, making Haganai unique in its rendition of friendship.

The plot itself(I realised I had completely left this out), is rather simple and generic.It is not too different from other works out there. However, maybe due to my own ignorance and inability to think, I had never thought that this was going to be a harem story. The characters do not show any particular, strong interest in Kodaka at the start, but would gradually show and expose their feelings. Before, I had only thought that it was just a regular club, going about in their slice-of-life activities. Then, the love interest starts coming out, and before I knew it, the story became that of a harem. Perhaps this is also another selling point of Haganai, the gradual, inconspicuous development of a harem.

Overall, I completely enjoyed myself throughout the read, from start to end(please don't end yet though). Never once did I find myself not smiling while reading the novel, and at times rolling on my bed in sheer laughter. There was never a boring bit to the novel, and this novel is probably one of the best there is of the genre. Of all things that I have read/watched, the manga/anime of the same genre of love, comedy, harem and friendship of such, at most I would say that I like it. Haganai, on the other hand, is absolute LOVE.

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Apr 6, 2021

mardieg

Mixed Feelings

First of all HAGANAI is not the classic harem maybe fits better the definition of Harem deconstruction and school growth, besides that four things, explain this work for me and maybe fits well as light summary

FIRST: Mixed feelings
SECOND: perfect example of how a battle between the author and editor can destroy a work.
THIRD : writing two pieces at the same time especially the end of one while you are starting another is not a good idea
FOURTH: good ideas bad execution at the end

First, I have to say that I first watched the anime then I started de LN from the beginning
The anime ...

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Still Want Friends? Aarronin - Apr 11, 2016	1 replies	by aurora_yuuki »» Nov 7, 2022 5:01 AM
Difference between this and the manga XqlucivE - Aug 20, 2020	3 replies	by Rowd »» May 19, 2022 11:40 PM
Volume 11 spoilers ( 1 2 ) Kirigaro92 - Aug 24, 2015	58 replies	by goldfishluke »» Sep 1, 2021 1:36 PM
Volume 10 of light novel in English? DeamonLordZack - Jun 12, 2016	0 replies	by DeamonLordZack »» Jun 12, 2016 8:05 PM
Hagani Novel from Vol.1 to Vol.10 Man4life - May 29, 2016	0 replies	by Man4life »» May 29, 2016 11:49 PM

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