UlasanAnime.com – In September, I acquired a PSP with the intention of playing a couple of desired games. However, it became apparent that completing a game like Valkyria Chronicles 2 requires significantly more than just a few hours. This has regrettably impacted my progress on finishing books from my backlog.
Prior to this, I found myself struggling to get through Haikasoru’s published titles. Currently, I have two books lined up, with a third if Loups-Gaoru is included, in addition to a few other non-Viz releases. If I had dedicated my time to reading instead of playing VC2, I estimate I would have finished all of them within one to two months. This pace aligns with their publication schedule.
Despite this, I don’t feel I’m missing out on much. In the 12 months preceding my immersion in VC2, my success rate in finding enjoyable books was not particularly impressive. The Haruhi series, for instance, was largely disappointing until the “Disappearance” volume. Unless one is an exceptionally forgiving reader of science fiction, Haikasoru’s offerings often proved to be either too weak or too mundane. While they frequently possessed interesting flavors, the lingering impression wasn’t always satisfying.
Furthermore, I generally avoided their non-science fiction selections due to genre preference. However, I did manage to read a few non-SF titles this year. The faster turnaround time for reading a book compared to a 40-hour video game allowed me to consume a larger quantity, leading me to discover some genuinely interesting works. This is perhaps also attributable to the fact that Japanese science fiction is a considerably vast genre.
Approaching it without prior knowledge is not the most effective strategy, much like delving into Japanese animation without any background. I was particularly pleased to have read “Harmony” and “Yukikaze” this year, as I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. I am hopeful that I can complete VC2 soon and return to my reading, as spending 40 hours on a single endeavor, much like with books, is a significant time commitment.
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