Sep 5, 2022
I have been waiting to read this book for a while now, and since I stumbled upon vgperson's translation, I have read it and will write a review for you all.
In this reviewer's favorite book, The Picture of Dorian Gray, this reviewer's favorite writer, Oscar Wilde, characterized literature in his characteristically glib manner: "A book is good because it is well written. Nothing more and nothing less."
I'll start out with the positives: Miaki-sensei (by way of vgperson) is a wonderful writer!
Parasites in Love isn't as good as Three Days of Happiness. It reads like an exceptionally fluid C-tier romance novel. The plot is so predictable
...
that it borders on fanservice. Where Mikkakan no Koufuku surprises and intrigues, Koisuru Kiseichuu bores and annoys. The draw of these stories is in how they present a romance, and more broadly an interpersonal connection, that is genuinely unexpected or unlikely -- star-crossed, if you will. This one is anything but, and its predictability was nearly to the point where, once the two main characters meet, I could have written it myself. Lonely mentally-ill NEET is asked to befriend misanthropic alt-JK? And they fall in love? WHAAAAT??!! The central plot device, which I won't reveal, is extremely neat and cool but I'm pretty sure I've actually seen this specific device used better on at least one occasion.
The milquetoast plot belies very engaging characters. The main character, Kousaka, is a fascinating specimen and I would love to see him in another setting. Sanagi is another interesting character but she would be much more interesting if her quirks (scopophobia, hobbies, literary interests, fashion) were SPOILER innate instead of learned /SPOILER. The supporting characters are lame.
What made Three Days of Happiness so brilliant was that, in addition to the romance aspect, the major questions surrounding the value of life are inextricably connected to the human experience. The central motif of Parasites in Love? Not so much. While the fundamental questions are pretty profound in themselves, they cannot really be explored in the context of a romance novel. This would have had real potential as a science fiction/psychological horror novel.
That being said, Subaru Miaki-sensei is a wonderful writer! It's hard to tell how much of the prose is lost in translation (vgperson did an amazing job and would probably be a great writer in their own right) but his books are always a joy to read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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