Kimi tte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandesho?
You Like Me, Don't You?

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

"The weight of compliments."

"I want you to dye everything in my heart with your own color." - Shiramori

If the synopsis didn't grab you, please read this.
This brings spoilers for a theme it deals with in the main plot.

This novel at first glance looks like just a romantic comedy, it's not really, it's a romance that deals with the theme of, one person can change everything, the weight of false compliments and so on.
Kuroya is an asocial boy and he tried to enter the world of novel writing, he had a corrupt editor who did not check his work and only praised him to ... keep him working, in the end, his first novel sold almost nothing, his editor disappeared from his sight, a novel written by a beginner should receive several corrections, but he did not receive one ever, he was only praised again and again to keep him writing, then, his work in the end was useless, his work was not worth it, he received comments of praise from other people, but he didn't believe them anymore, the false compliments he got didn't help him grow, it made him close himself in a bubble, he didn't want to believe in the compliments of others, until he met a person, he met her, having a person in front of you, who likes your work, and even if you tell him that those compliments are false and that person keeps insisting that he found your work interesting, that he liked your work, no matter if the author himself thinks it is a mediocre work, it doesn't matter, why?
Because you are the reader, and no matter how much the author thinks it is a "masterpiece" if you find it boring, it will simply be a mediocre work for you, and also the other way around, no matter when the author says his work is a failure, if the reader finds it interesting, there is nothing to do.
Listening again and again to the same person deny your thoughts, that your work is boring, helped him too much, he found that person who helped him to take a step forward, to believe more in himself, she was the light that made the darkness disappear in his life.

In addition to this, it is a nice romance, the couple as the synopsis says are together from the beginning, this gives way to many beautiful romantic moments that in other stories happen much later, it is a story of romance in which they learn to live.
It's a very nice and funny romance, it focuses at the beginning on the two of them, that makes it very enjoyable.

Sorry for the spelling, I am not an English speaker and I have never written a "review" before, I didn't know how to write this, I just wanted to write something about this novel that I read recently and I really liked it, and about the plot issue that the synopsis can't show.

"Kimi tte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandesho?" is a heartwarming and refreshing romantic comedy light novel. The story begins with Yuu, an introverted high school student, who has a crush on his classmate Natsuki, a bubbly and outgoing girl who is also his childhood friend. However, Yuu is unable to confess his feelings to her, and their relationship remains platonic. One day, Yuu is given a magical charm that allows him to read Natsuki's mind. This leads to hilarious and heartwarming situations as Yuu discovers Natsuki's innermost thoughts and feelings.

The characters are well-developed and likable, and the author does an excellent job of portraying their ... unique personalities and quirks. Natsuki is an energetic and outgoing girl who loves to have fun, while Yuu is introverted and reserved. The two characters complement each other perfectly, and their interactions are a joy to read. The author also explores the themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery, making the light novel a wholesome and enjoyable read.

One of the strengths of "Kimi tte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandesho?" is its light and easy-to-read writing style. The author uses simple language and employs humor to keep the readers engaged. The pacing of the story is excellent, and the plot is well-structured, with several subplots that add depth to the story.

The romance between the two main characters is also a highlight of the light novel. The author does an excellent job of building up the romantic tension between Yuu and Natsuki, and their relationship progresses naturally throughout the story. The romance is not rushed, and the author takes the time to explore the emotions and feelings of the characters.

The light novel also has its share of emotional moments, and the author does an excellent job of conveying the characters' feelings. The author explores the characters' past and how it has influenced their personalities and relationships. The light novel also deals with themes of self-doubt and insecurity, making it a relatable and touching read.

The world-building in "Kimi tte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandesho?" is also well-done. The author creates a believable and immersive world that is both familiar and unique. The story takes place in a high school setting, but the author does an excellent job of creating a unique atmosphere that sets it apart from other similar stories.

"Kimi tte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandesho?" is a delightful and heartwarming light novel that is sure to capture the hearts of readers. The well-developed characters, engaging plot, and relatable themes make it a must-read for fans of the romantic comedy genre.

The difference between this book and other books is that this is not a book. A book has an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. More importantly, a book has a plot that's centered on some sort of conflict. This light novel is just a series of words. There is no conflict, there is no climax (and so no rising and falling action), and therefore there is no resolution. There are events, and those events happen in some order, but that isn't enough.

Plot
Let's start with the plot. The book is 143 pages long, and the gist of the plot is two people who ... like each other get together, play Reversi, go on a date, and briefly visit the main character's home. Nothing else happens. That's not a plot. That's just 4 events, somehow stretched over 143 pages. In most books that would be a chapter. What's the central tension? What's the conflict?

Consider another short book, just for comparison: "A Wizard of Earthsea" at 183 pages. (major spoilers) In that book, we are introduced to a main character and a fantasy world. One of his first acts is to accidentally release a magical catastrophe on the world. The rest of the book centers around the protagonist trying to fix his mistake. Many other settings, characters, and events happen in that story (definitely more than 4), but the point is that there exists a central tension, it builds to a climax, and it's ultimately resolved. Even in a short book, it's more than possible to do.

Characters
Soukichi Kuroya is among the worst protagonists I have ever encountered in a work of fiction. He's just so exceptionally unlikable that I don't understand how anyone can root for him, tolerate him, or have a conversation with him. It's no surprise he has no friends. And there's no hidden depths to his character. Beneath his 6th grader cringe is just more cringe. Let's illustrate with examples:

(a) His girlfriend waves to him, and he hides behind his friend. How old would you guess he is? He's supposed to be 15-16. I would have guessed 7.

(b) He can't sit across from his girlfriend at a table and look her in the eye. That's not normal teenage awkwardness, that's a social disorder.

(c) He keeps talking about "his pride as a man", which makes me want to change my gender just to not be associated with him. No one talks like this. No one thinks like this.

Some characters do start out terrible, but work hard to be better. Soukichi though not only starts worse than basically any character in any manga or anime I've read, he also doesn't ever try to improve. He's comfortable to wallow in his swimming pool of self-pity, and not even his wish-fulfillment perfect smokeshow girlfriend can pull him out.

On the other hand, there is the mystery of Tokiya Shimokura. He's portrayed as a high school boy who regularly sleeps with and stays over at the homes of adult women. In the book, it's played for laughs, but in actuality that's really disturbing and likely a crime. It seems that his close friend Kuroya knows about him spending nights with a 27 year old woman and doesn't think this is a problem. And that's a problem!

Writing
The basic structure of any dialog between our MC and fMC goes like this:

girlfriend: "Do you do X because you like me?"

MC: "No definitely not. It's not because I like you at all baka"

MC's internal dialog: I am just a pathetic loner please don't tease me

girlfriend: [is upset]

MC: "Fine I admit it I like you"

girlfriend: [happy]

MC's internal dialog: My pride as a man is wounded

Since it got so formulaic, I started counting how many times this exact formula was reused in the book after I noticed it around chapter 3. I counted 9 times. I'm not sure if this book had an editor, but if it did, he was at least as incompetent as Atsugi (the editor mentioned in the book), because this is definitely something that he should have caught and told the author to fix.

Conclusion
Unlike the book, I want my review to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. To conclude, what is this book *about*? What is its theme? What is its message? I couldn't find one, except maybe it's that anyone can publish a book, and there will always be a few unfortunate souls who like it despite its quality.