Upon enrolling in the local middle school, Kokoro loses the courage to actually attend. While isolating herself in her room, her bedroom mirror begins to glow, allowing her access to the mirror castle, where she meets six other children who are supposed to be in school and a younger girl in a wolf mask.
Yashiro sits next to new girl Yoshikawa in class and looks forward to seeing her every day. Although he seems to be completely content with their very platonic classroom relationship of him picking up her dropped eraser once and them occasionally doing partner exercises together in class, he eventually asks her out to enjoy the summer festival's fireworks with him...
If you are interested in Japanese linguistics or want to have a bit more insight into how Japanese works, this series of short articles for upper intermediate learners is absolutely invaluable.
Renako desperately wants to have a best friend (親友(しんゆう)) when she enters high school, and her popular classmate Mai seems like the perfect match. Renako's plan seems doomed to failure, however, because Mai confesses her love to her shortly afterwards and would much rather be her girlfriend (恋人(こいびと)). After a short discussion, the two make… Continue reading [N2] わたしが恋人になれるわけないじゃん、ムリムリ!
By pure chance, Hasegawa comes into possession of a can of coffee one particular morning. Since he has no use for it, he simply gives it away when he has a chance. And that's how his story unfolds. This is a story in which the protagonist gives away his possessions to receive something else in… Continue reading [N2] コーヒーでも飲みながら
A nameless protagonist accidentally comes across the diary of his classmate Sakura and discovers that she suffers from an incurable pancreatic disease. From that point on, the two teenagers, who consider themselves polar opposites, are linked by this secret and decide on spending more time together. Already in the prologue, the narrative reveals how Sakura's… Continue reading [N2] 君の膵臓（すいぞう）をたべたい
This is the novelisation of the 20th Detective Conan movie The Darkest Nightmare by Mizuki Shima. The plot takes place in the Tōto Aquarium, which is built like a theme park. While on a trip there with Professor Agasa, Conan and the Detective Boys discover a confused woman who has lost her memory. However, she… Continue reading [N2] 名探偵コナン 純黒（じゅんこく）の悪夢 （ナイトメア）
The day after his 30th birthday, virgin Adachi Kiyoshi suddenly possesses the ability to hear another person's thoughts when he touches them. After some accidental contact with his charming colleague Kurosawa Yuichi, Adachi learns of the passionate feelings Kurosawa has for him. This manga series by Toyota Yuu is also known as 「チェリまほ」/ "Cherry Magic"… Continue reading [N2] ３０歳まで童貞（どうてい）だと魔法使いになれるらしい
Umino Nagiko is a teacher at a Japanese language school and shares through comic essays some anecdotes from her everyday teaching life while answering questions on Japanese language and culture posed in her classes. There are both comic parts and essay parts for each chapter. When I read this first book, I mostly read it… Continue reading [N2] 日本人の知らない日本語 #I
Tōka, 14 years old, is quiet and expresses herself mainly through pictures in the art club. When Ai, also 14, transfers to her school, she feels drawn to him. He lacks memories and the two are connected by the colour indigo (藍) and a strange, recurring dream. This light novel for young middle school children… Continue reading [N2] ぜんぶ、藍色（あいいろ）だった。
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