So I'm a Spider, So What?, Vol. 1

The other world genre is really exploding these days with the sub genre of being reborn in one. I’ve read a few of these, with some of my favorites being the Tanya the evil stories and Felicia’s second life. So I’m a spider, so what? (Siasow) is an interesting take, but even it isn’t alone in these genre. There have already been books about being reborn as a slime and other monstrous tales from indie authors and light novels alike. If you wish to dive into this pool, know it runs deep. Still, Okina Baba manages to carve a spot out of this crowded space with a fun romp through an otherworldly labyrinth.When first picking this book up you might be expecting light hearted humor and a quick and easy read. This expectation is remarkable since the book was originally written in Japanese and humor and style would need to cross the language and culture barrier, but it does so fantastically. There are some cultural sticking points, but for the most part there is nothing about this book that should give you any difficulty, or jokes that seem to fall flat. For the most part it felt like watching an anime (and in fact is being adapted as one). Okina’s easy style and a masterful translation results in a book that could have been written in the US and you might not know the difference.But, you say, spiders are ick, how could this possibly be fun to read. That is an excellent question and Okina does take a direct approach, going for the cute style rather than spending much time on the gross aspects of being a spider. Half of the book occurs in the human world, with a lot of time spent digesting the difference between this world and the one the characters came from, which is a rough approximation of our own. World building takes a shockingly large amount of time, even though politically and culturally you aren’t left with much. The actual world feels empty, but it is supposed to feel empty. The author was emulating something on purpose as part of the plot and she succeeds in doing so. I will not explain further as that might spoil something, but if you want to find out you’ll have to read it for yourself.Another similarity this book had which is enjoyable is to the Is it Wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon series. Both this book and that one take the role playing game aspects and incorporate it directly into the world. Which series does it better could probably span several pages of reddit arguments, so probably best to leave that alone, but it was still fun to see in this book. Geek culture takes center stage the entire time and lovingly pokes fun at itself. Since you’re reading a review for a light novel, you probably have seen a bit about geek culture yourself, so this should feel right at home.Culturally the book stands up pretty well, though it clearly occurs from a Japanese point of view, there are a few things that might seem a little off. For one, the notion that a boy who becomes a girl in a fantasy world is still a boy, despite having grown up as a girl. Were this told from an American author it might seem like a political statement, but here it seemed to be more an attempt at humor. Additionally, though this is a fantasy world, the notion of gender differences, despite the role playing game aspect, still play a role. Of course this could be on purpose too given the book is deliberately trying to make a play at fantasy worlds we have come up with which are typically kind of sexist. If the author was English speaking, I might of written to ask.In the end this book is one of my favorites and the second book is already on pre-order. The genre is getting crowded, but apparently that doesn’t prevent true gems from coming to the surface. If you’re on the fence then you should pick this book up and if you’ve read my review (You have to be to see this right?) then you need to pick this book up. You won’t regret your time spend in Okina’s fantastic world.

Volume one of this bizarre light novel series, penned by Okina Baba (illustrations by Tsukasa Kiryu) follows a nameless main character who has been reincarnated into a strange new world, in the body of spider no less. And not the usual spiders in our world. No, she’s come back as a Small Lesser Taratect, the weakest monster in what is known as the world largest dungeon. She has little to no skills (though this does change as the story progresses), and she’s on the verge of a panic attack more often than not. Though, to her credit, she does take being killed and reincarnated in another world pretty smoothly, all things considered. Still, to be able to come back with all your memories of your human life, but you’re forced to be stuck in the body of the weakest monster in a dungeon full of things looking to kill you? Talk about crappy luck.However, she does a good job of keeping things light, which is more than I would be able to do in her shoes. I mean, to have to constantly have your head on a swivel, where the smallest slip up could cost you your life? No thank you. I have a hard enough time staying alive as a human, so I know I wouldn’t make it as a Taratect. I’d be dead in a matter of days, if not sooner. I enjoy seeing how resourceful she is, given her low stats and abilities. Oh wait, I should probably tell you what I mean by that.So, in this new world, everything is set up like a video game, where you have stats (like speed, strength, defense, etc.) and skills. Her stats are…well, they’re trash. Her saving grace is her abnormally high speed stat, which helps her escape sure death quite a few times over the course of the novel. That, and her wits. It’s always interesting to see how she gets herself out of the tough spots she often finds herself in. Her commentary on the situations are oftentimes hilarious, as her age constantly shines through. And I mean that in a good way. Is it cringe? Maybe a little, but only sometimes, I promise! Hearing what she thinks about her circumstances and the small amount of skills she earns over the course of the book almost always brings a smile to my face. And it’s satisfying seeing her collection of skills grow too.This is an entertaining read, and we get to see the world through the eyes of some of the other kids from her class that were also reincarnated in this world. Admittedly, I’m more interested in our nameless main character than I am her classmates, so while I enjoy seeing other parts of the world, I prefer spending my time with our little spider the most. Strategy, comedy, life-or-death situations. What more can a guy ask for?

This series is a unique take on the fantasy genre of another world. The story revolves around a Japanese high school got reincarnated as a spider monster in a magical world that is like an RPG. Unlike other stories in this genre, our main character is neither a hero nor a villain. She is more like a jack. The series centers on the monologue of the MC. Occasionally, it switches to other characters' perspectives. It is important to read the story several times to get the full picture. Since the light series is adapted from the web series, I think the adaption is poor. I did check on the web series. There is virtually a little to no change comparing the two. Certain details felt out of place to me. However, I have no problem with grasping the picture if I read it once more. Unlike other series that I own, side stories in this one are very important. They do not only provide additional details regarding the main story, but they are also crucial to the plot.In term of the story, Vol.1 focuses on the MC's struggles. It's more action-driven comparing to the later volumes. Very little information is revealed regarding the new world. We won't see much of the plot until Vol.3. Every day, the MC has brushes with death several times. You will learn more about the MC more than anything else.PS: if you like the manga, the light novels have a much darker sense of humor. The MC is not nearly as likable as it's in the manga.

I read the web novel a while back and only got round to marathoning the 5 LN volumes currently released in English. The translation is a lot smoother to read, but I'm pretty gutted for the lack of "Nai wa!". I guess it's just one of those things that get butchered during the course of translation (I get quite annoyed with things like that, like how Youjo Senki's Tanya Degurechaff's alias is translated as "white silver" rather than what is should be as "argent"). A lot of content has been juggled around and new stuff added in so it's definitely worth checking out for fellow web and manga readers.The main character is an actual spider (finally!), not humanoid like Peter Parker or Fuji Alice. Who knew spiders could be so cute :-) not to mention menacing psychopaths! But I suppose you have to be if everything is out to kill ya. Just as though she were in an RPG, Kumo kills and eats to get stronger, but she's really weak to start with and is always on the verge of death. The tension is balanced out with black comedy and our heroine's kooky personality. Kumo is an imbecile basically, but a lovable one at that.Beware those of you who dislike anti-heros and villain protagonists. Our spider girl can be quite ruthless as the series goes on...

So, to clarify, this was my third light novel series and my first Isekai novel. I was never sold on the Isekai genre and so I did not have very high expectations, but I wanted to give it a shot.And wow, I was blown away.The plot is deep and intricate, with a sense of mystery pulling you in. In fact, I read five volumes over three days!The one point that I find most difficult to get into as a non-regular to the genre were the game-like elements which are prevalent throughout. However, you can pretty much gloss over them if they're uninteresting as I imagine they're designed to appeal to a large portion of the readerbase that I'm not in.Overall, if you're not an Isekai fan, this is a great introduction to the genre! Since I read this, I have devoured ReZero and Log Horizon however Kumo Desu Ga remains my favourite.

Why did you choose this rating? Because it was not an absolute stinking pile of toxic garbage that's what 6 starts mean yeah?What did you like our dislike?I like the hot with the spider.Who would you recommend this product to?People without a crippling fear of the word "spider". If you could read this review, you'll survive, I think.(for real though, book 1 is decent, but the story picks up a bit later, I would still suggest reading is at it will be quite confusing otherwise, and it's not like it's bad, just a bit too much whimping around.)

One of my absolute favourite takes on the Isekai format for the way that it actually takes advantage of its status as one later down the line. The protagonist's energetic thought processes translate into a very enjoyable account of her actions, conveyed through an entertaining flow of consciousness, while the nature of the world that she lives in and how it works is explored from the viewpoints of other characters who start off in more... fortunate and informed circumstances. The juxtaposition between the two sides of the story, makes for an enjoyable contrast.All in all, one of my favourite book series in recent years, with the light novel absolutely being the best way to experience this story instead of the manga.

A different take on the LitRPG standard. The protagonist along with her schoolmates is launched blindly into an unfamiliar environment. Where they end up reincarnated as humans, she finds herself returned as a spiderling. Forced to flee and hide from everything bigger than herself and hunt for sustainance in a dungeon network full of monsters that out number and out mass her, whilst she develops herself and her now human former classmate is sent to deal with a new monster growing in the dungeon