Aug 10, 2025
So far, this is easily one of the best written works in the competition imo but that's both a good and a bad thing. The first chapter was great and hooked me, but that's because of the kinds of books I like to read... which are usually not light novels. The last two chapters seem almost Capote-adjacent (I want to read/cry A Christmas Memory now) but they make me wonder if the elaborate (without being loquacious) prose and concept are what a weeb writing contest is looking for. We got writers like Kaisei with fantastic prose, but she has yet to win anything despite being a finalist twice...
Moreover, while I'm a big fan of the writing, it does seem to move at a glacial pace, not just for LNs but in general. The last two chapters feel like they could've been the same, bjt my guess is the cringe 1.5k soft limit was to blame.
I mentioned that it feels Capote adjacent at times, and I feel like that's because of how detached the protagonist seems. She's moreso a vehicle to the story rather than her own person, though she showed a ton of personality in Chapter 1. Case in point, Breakfast at Tiffany's MC doesn't even have a name. Hana does, but so does Fred (in the movie, and even that isn't actually his name).
If this is your intention, that's fine. The world and writing are goof enough that I don't mind the slow pace or window protagonist. Just pointing that out.