Having come off of Oregairu, I noticed the similarities in characters immediately(not helped by some of the character designs). You have your cynical protagonist, your unflappable, dark haired deuteragonist, and even an enthusiastic, light-hearted girl who has a crush on the protagonist. Though to be accurate, this light novel came out first(2010 to Oregairu's 2011). And it is certainly an amusing take on the clash between two twisted people.
One of the main draws of this light novel just the sheer amount of ambiguity involved. From start to finish, you are left wondering exactly what kind of person Tsukimori actually is. Nonomiya himself manages to accurately convey just the sheer amount of confusion you'd have in trying to interact with her. By the end, you feel like the protagonist; led by the nose to a conclusion you have no idea about.
If I have any flaws to note, it's really more connected to the strength oddly enough. In some instances, Nonomiya genuinely felt a bit too passive as a protagonist. On one hand, this served its purpose by letting the reader feel somewhat helpless as well. The fact that there are crafty characters in the form of Tsukimori and Konan adequately shows the level of difficulty in playing any sort of mind games. In story, his behavior is justified as he's a lazy cynic. At the same time, I am left wondering if the protagonist could've have accomplished more, delved more into the character of his opponents. In any case, it was fun seeing him try.
Literature A spectator into the psyche of twisted/quirky people
Having come off of Oregairu, I noticed the similarities in characters immediately(not helped by some of the character designs). You have your cynical protagonist, your unflappable, dark haired deuteragonist, and even an enthusiastic, light-hearted girl who has a crush on the protagonist. Though to be accurate, this light novel came out first(2010 to Oregairu's 2011). And it is certainly an amusing take on the clash between two twisted people.
One of the main draws of this light novel just the sheer amount of ambiguity involved. From start to finish, you are left wondering exactly what kind of person Tsukimori actually is. Nonomiya himself manages to accurately convey just the sheer amount of confusion you'd have in trying to interact with her. By the end, you feel like the protagonist; led by the nose to a conclusion you have no idea about.
If I have any flaws to note, it's really more connected to the strength oddly enough. In some instances, Nonomiya genuinely felt a bit too passive as a protagonist. On one hand, this served its purpose by letting the reader feel somewhat helpless as well. The fact that there are crafty characters in the form of Tsukimori and Konan adequately shows the level of difficulty in playing any sort of mind games. In story, his behavior is justified as he's a lazy cynic. At the same time, I am left wondering if the protagonist could've have accomplished more, delved more into the character of his opponents. In any case, it was fun seeing him try.