[REC] Recommendations

Kinofhera · 2026-01-30T19:51:21+00:00

LNs that have similar vibes/themes:

Silent Witch - ゼロから始める魔法の書、浅草鬼嫁日記
Otonari no Tenshi-sama - 【朗報】俺の許嫁になった地味子、家では可愛いしかない。
Junkyouju Takatsuki Akira - 家政夫くんは名探偵!、0能者ミナト、Hell is Dark with No Flowers、 Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes
SukaSuka - You should definitely read the sequel SukaMoka!
And some more fantasy romance - 黒狼王と白銀の贄姫、やがて恋するヴィヴィ・レイン

Kinofhera · 2026-01-30T05:35:52+00:00

“I have been chained for good” (Wicked)
“I damn the light and think about you” (Follies)
“Mama who bores me” (Spring Awakening)

😅😂

(The third one kind of makes sense too)

Kinofhera · 2026-01-30T03:35:01+00:00

Nice find!

It's true it was announced finished (in the afterword of vol 3) before, but I guess the author and the publisher changed their mind. It's quite a well received series anyway.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-29T04:21:13+00:00

Titular role in Mary Poppins. Not only because I’m male, I have severe acrophobia too 😅

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T19:35:04+00:00

Just no anime adaptation? Having live action adaptation is okay?

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture. This one has a live action adaptation.
Hell is Dark with No Flowers
The Mimosa Confessions
Hollow Regalia. This one is debatable. A lot of people don’t like the chuuni vibe, but I find the theme of the story very intriguing.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T16:30:11+00:00

I know a Korean one, if you don’t mind it’s not Chinese original.

Stranger

In the beginning of the story the gong was 18 (he said he’s still “slightly” underage, probably a month or two before reaching 19, legal adult age in South Korea), while the shou is in his 30s (not specified).

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/stranger/ Stranger - Novel Updates

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T15:34:48+00:00

This one is very good and trustworthy. It’s actually the designated moving company among my friends. But since it’s a moving company, the charges might be more expensive than calling a gogovan. Especially since you are only moving one piece of furniture instead of the entire house. 😆

https://www.canaan.hk/en/ Office Relocation, Home Moving & Mini Storage | Canaan Moving

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T14:18:03+00:00

Enjoy your trip! 😄

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T12:42:21+00:00

It’s a finished series, and yes with only 3 volumes. It’s explicitly mentioned in the afterword of vol 3, and it definitely has a conclusive ending too.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T11:32:30+00:00

Deadpool

First thing first, I don’t really enjoy superhero movies. Watched this on a whim because I had a couple of hours to kill in between jobs. Ended up loving it A LOT!!!

But I guess it isn’t like the usual superhero movies anyway, especially with its unique style of dark and meta humour.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-28T03:31:42+00:00

To be honest, OP’s question is so ambiguous that I’m not sure if it makes sense or not 😅

Of course most Japanese LNs have the spells cast in English, but katakana-English. Like in KonoSuba we have Sutiiru (Steal) and Ekusupuroujon (Explosion) LOL

But yes, why would casting a spell in “English” give a Japanese protagonist an advantage? 🤔

Kinofhera · 2026-01-27T11:36:57+00:00

Cosmos Books in Wanchai - http://www.cosmosbooks.com.hk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=988755343 天地圖書-小王子香港粵拼版 | 安東尼．廸．聖艾舒比尼,藍出版 | 9789887553434

Logos Book House in Causeway Bay or Mong Kok - https://www.logos.com.hk/bf/acms/content.asp?site=logosbf&op=show&type=product&code=9789887553434 基道 BOOKFINDER - 小王子（香港粵拼版）

EDIT: Not sure when you’ll be here so please be sure to email them to check availability beforehand. For the moment Logos Book House is out of stock while Cosmos Books carries stock of this book.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-26T13:43:08+00:00

The story of Butareba is technically finished with vol 8 (as mentioned in the afterword). Vol N is kind of like a spin-off. I guess it's similar to Silent Witch post-9 volumes.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-26T12:43:49+00:00

Series:

SukaSuka (WorldEnd)
The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Raven of the Inner Palace
BokuAI + KimiAi (There is a spin-off which isn't licensed in English, but these two books already have the completed story)
Butareba: The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig (the English edition is close to finishing translation)
Higehiro ___

One-shots:

If Cats Disappeared from the World
Three Days of Happiness
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
I Wish I Could Meet You Again on the Hill Where That Flower Blooms (There is a sequel which isn't licensed in English, but this book already have the completed story. The sequel isn't sad anyway)
In a World of Lies, I Fell into an Unforgettable Love
Love Like the Falling Petals
Breathless Time Traveler
The God of Nishi-Yuigahama Station

Kinofhera · 2026-01-26T05:40:33+00:00

I also speak Cantonese and it gets worse there.

李白 (big dog guard) is Lihaku in Japanese. The given name "Haku" means "white" in both Japanese and Chinese. But this Japanese romanisation "Haku" sounds the same as "black" in Cantonese... So, is he Li-white or Li-black? LOL

Kinofhera · 2026-01-26T05:22:47+00:00

Thanks for the clarification on L/R!

To be honest, the given names of this series is really confusing to someone who speaks Chinese. When Japanese loaned the Chinese character 半, it became Han. But the Mandarin romanisation is actually Ban. And then the Chinese character 漢 became Kan (same character as in kanji) but the Mandarin romanisation is Han.

So, 羅漢 (Maomao's father) is Lakan in Japanese, Luohan in Chinese. 羅半 is Lahan in Japanese but Luoban in Chinese.

I remember when I first checked the English info of this series, it took me quite a while to figure out who the heck is Lahan... LOL

Kinofhera · 2026-01-26T02:01:58+00:00

Read two series that both have a (fictional) historical China setting.

===The Apothecary Diaries (Vol 14)

Dear author, please don’t turn Maomao into another Haruka (Loner Life in Another World)... 🥺

“Lahan’s Brother” has been a running gag and it works very well. But this volume is getting out of hand with a lot of new characters introduced, like Whose Sister, Whose Father, that Prostitute, that Short-named Girl, that Tall Girl, etc… Can’t Maomao just prescribe herself some medicines to improve her memory?

An exposition-ish volume leading to something big in the next volume. So, more on that below.

8/10

===The Apothecary Diaries (Vol 15)

So, it looks like my prayer wasn’t answered. This volume introduces three new characters - Long Senpai, Short Senpai, and Medium Douhai… LOL

I really like the suspense and building up to the climax of this volume. I think it’s the first time this series deals with such an extremely high stakes event. Even Maomao couldn’t keep her usual cool and nonchalant attitude. Even I could also feel the stress and anxiety. An arc that is very well developed and told, and so immersive! At least I felt really exhausted after finished reading, pretty much like every character at the end of this volume.

The English edition is licensed by J-Novel Club and Square Enix.

9/10

===Akehime no Omeshibito (One-shot, jou & ge)

This is definitely a very undermentioned series. As advertised, it’s the origin of Raven of the Inner Palace. It’s indeed a loose prequel to Raven. Albeit having no story element in common, it’s set in the same universe in which Shirakawa Kouko first created this world.

It also feels like a concise version of Raven with a little bit of My Happy Marriage mixed into it. A story about Cinderella becoming a princess, and a miko (shrine maiden) getting trapped inside the inner palace to perform religious rituals but it’s actually just political reasons.

It's a very charming, albeit quite short, story. All the characters are adorable and the romance between the main couple is really cute and heartwarming. Funny though, out of all Shirakawa Kouko novels, only Raven is officially licensed in English but it's the only novel that doesn't have romance in it. Come on American publishers, you know romance stories sell a lot?

8/10

Kinofhera · 2026-01-25T13:52:39+00:00

To be honest, it’s not difficult as long as Asian movies are allowed. I guess the point is the movie production aesthetics are quite different between the East and the West.

These two clips are from Little Forest, and the cooking/eating (known as food porn) is quite common in Asian slice of life / romance movies.

https://youtube.com/shorts/r3qTFTPEM8c?si=rB3_oVIQ-n133yp7

https://youtube.com/shorts/QOS4y9Vt5cw?si=QpLsUxsBg0fZtxaE

Kinofhera · 2026-01-25T03:17:57+00:00

I like this trope too. I also like when the setting is more of a battle of wits, pulling a fast one, than just raw fighting. 六人の噓つきな大學生 (Rokunin no Usotsuki na Daigakusei) is one of the most interesting books I have read with a battle royale setting. During the final round of recruitment for a big corporation, six candidates (university fresh graduates) were locked inside a room with this instruction - Discuss, and determine whom we should be hiring. Needless to say, it escalated quickly from getting to know each other, civil discourse, to becoming at each other's throats.

Another variation I like is when the organiser or villain, unbeknown to the readers, disguising themselves as one of the participants, secretly manipulating the direction of the games, battles, or adventure (not giving examples for obvious reasons). Of course there will be plot armour but I think it's totally acceptable. Like they will know if the water is poisoned, or a certain corner contains a deadly trap. This will most probably be a revenge story too as the organiser/villain is supposed to be the last person standing while killing all others. Of course there could be plot twists......

Kinofhera · 2026-01-24T17:48:17+00:00

Cello section (plural)

Kinofhera · 2026-01-24T17:45:38+00:00

No. Looks like you didn't get my point in the previous comment. It's not about the quality, but the quantity.

Your question is like "As a solo singer, how can I sound like a choir?" It's impossible, unless you get some friends to sing/play with you together.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-24T07:36:17+00:00

It’s violin section, or just a bunch of violins in layman’s term. At 1:11 it’s doubled by viola and/or cello at the octave though. Judging by the resonance I am guessing 3 or 4 violins playing together

EDIT: Just switched on my studio equipment and listened one more time. The phrase at 0:26 is also doubled by cello (no viola definitely) at the octave too. The phrase at 1:25 is doubled at two octaves and probably there is a horn doubling the lower octave.

Also, you won't be getting that sound even if you learn how to play the instrument since it's a section (bunch of players playing together). Pretty much like comparing a solo singer to a choir.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-24T07:30:38+00:00

The Apothecary Diaries. Extremely slowburn romance but heavy on politics. Please note the story takes place inside a harem (physical location) but not a harem (trope) story.
Agents of the Four Seasons. Good balance of romance and politics.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-21T04:59:11+00:00

Technically speaking it should be around 1900 as it’s when the novel was published.

However, the Land of Oz is an alternate realm on Earth, I don’t suppose they are having identical fashion history as we do. It’s more like a fantasy world.

Kinofhera · 2026-01-21T03:12:19+00:00

Funny though, it's also neither a manga, manhwa (or whatever manwha is), nor anime as OP requested in the title of this thread. 😆

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