Having read the entirety of Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru.'s first volume, I can say that I really appreciate this series for being metaficton--this kind of appreciation runs deeper than the sort I found in Bakuman or Shirobako; while the latter is still a very good show, I can only appreciate the insight into the industry it grants me from a trivia perspective. The fact of the matter is that I don't aspire to be involved in anime creation, and even if I did, it would be a long road ahead. On the other hand, I don't have any artistic skill, and I don't really want to draw manga, either.
This is where Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. draws a line in the sand--anyone can write, even if they can't write particularly well. I aspire to write lots of stuff--from fiction to non-fiction--it feels like this light novel was designed precisely for people like me. That is, to say, this light novel is designed for aspiring writers.
Keiichi Sigsawa's musings about writing are scrambled all over the pages of Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru., and sometimes it even bleeds into tangents on voice-acting and anime. The writing process is incredibly messy, even with all of this structure we use to try and bring it to order, and that's exactly what Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. exemplifies: it's Keiichi Sigsawa's musings about the writing process, messy, raw and unfiltered. There is a loose set-up, of course, but it's nothing like Shirobako or Bakuman--in Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru., the setting is just a reason for Keiichi to talk about writing through the eyes of his main character.
But that's not all Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. has going for it--it's also something of a character study on Keiichi Sigsawa. The protagonist is undoubtedly a reflection--though, as he says himself, glorified--of the author himself. We get to learn about his childhood, what he was like growing up, and the mindset of a writer. Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. keeps coming back to this idea about 'delusions'. For the protagonist, 'delusions' are his writing inspiration. They are his expression of his creativity, and basically revolve around switching up your perspective and seeing things a certain way. I loved this concept of 'delusions', because while I certainly don't feel it as strongly or in as much capacity as the protagonist (Keiichi Sigsawa), I've definitely felt that before.
What I got out of Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. was some interesting commentary about the industry, some insight into the writing process and some loose exploration of what sparks creativity and how it works. It was a really interesting read, and I would certainly love to read more of Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. (particularly volume 2), but I think I'll give myself a break for now and let some of this stuff sink in. I personally feel that every aspiring writer should at least give this a once-over; Danshi Koukousei de Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate de Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru. has cemented itself a spot in my favourites. |