Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

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How did you find reading Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive) ?

It was good! Please do more!
18
75%
It was interesting.
5
21%
Not as good as I thought.
1
4%
Boring. Not touching it again.
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 24

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[Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

Post by Doraneko »

This is the feed back thread for Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive) at http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... resumptive

Title: Suitei Shoujo / 推定少女
Author: Kazuki Sakuraba / 桜庭一樹
Publisher/Label:
Famitsu Bunko (light novel version)
Kadokawa Bunko (conventional literature version)

Sakuraba is an award-winning novel writer who commands high respect in the conventional literature scene. Unfortunately anime fans only know her through Gosick, arguably a rather bland piece of work in her impressive line-up.

The main characteristic of her writing is a great focus on the psychological aspects of teenage girls in the darker side of the Japanese society, without shying away from the controversies and taboos (torturing, incest, parricides, prostitution, etc) that ordinary Japanese are reluctant to go deep into.

I picked up this series for teaser translation only because the first few pages are both coolly and beautifully written. Since I have yet to read the entirety of it, don't ask me anything about the plot ^^.

Btw the Japanese wiki commented it as "the first time the author emphasized on the frustrations of teenage girls living in remote towns - a theme that she is the most skilful in handling".
I was about to pull up the heavy metallic cover of the garbage chute, but there was a weird steam puffing out. A steam that almost seemed to be a mixture of the unpleasant smell of a variety of things like rubbish in fermentation, ink of old magazines, wet soil and alcohol. I really hated to do so, but I had to open the chute.

I was being chased after.

It was the only downtown area of this backwater town. You might have never seen this district, but it was almost like a miniature version of the dangerous zones and red-light districts in movies or TV dramas. Within this town, it was the only area that owned the real, authentic night.

Swarms of patrol cars were zooming around this night district while ringing their sirens. When it seemed like they were about to come from one direction, another group also rushed in in from the opposite side. They were apparently searching for something.

They must be looking for Girl A - Kana Sugomori (15), I anxiously thought. In fact Kana Sugomori, or me, was being chased after by the police. The alleged charge against me was undoubtedly manslaughter or attempted manslaughter.

I must escape.

ーー I almost broke into tears.

I was only a 15-year-old girl. While I was running, I tried my best to scrape off onto my jeans my stepfather's blood which stuck on one of my hands. Eventually I lost my way in a back alley and found a gigantic garbage chute that looked almost like a coffin.

The garbage chute was located next to the back entrance of a large multi-tenant building, with a rectangular chute that allowed rubbish from each floor to fall onto the garbage tank on the ground. It was the final destination of garbage - the best place to hide myself - even if it was smelly. I put in all my strength and pulled up the metallic cover.

There was already a visitor earlier than me.

Amidst the smell of fermented garbage and steam with the colour of soil, there lied a naked body with pure white, or more accurately snowy white skin. With her eyelids closed and her long hair spread on top of the garbage, she looked like a modern, poor-taste version of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty from the fairy tales. It was difficult to imagine the spotlessly clean skin of this naked body was in fact the same type of human skin I had seen for so many times in the changing area in school or during school trips. Almost like belonging to an alien creature, the texture was incredibly fine, and even without touching it one could tell it was icy cold. There was a steam of cold air rising from it, chilling everything around. Even the old magazines. Even the bitten apple skins and cores. Even the bottles of German beer that were thrown away before their owners had finished drinking them

Was this... a dead body?

Of a girl?

ーー Her long hair was reddish-brown in colour. Her face - it was hard to tell with her eyelids closed, but it was a delicately and naturally gorgeous face like those on Japanese dolls. The facial structure was as perfect as a complex mathematical formula. A face that was too beautiful - so beautiful that no one could feel the slightest emotion of anger or jealousy against it. The protuberances on her chest were humble in size. Even the incredibly slim waist did not stand out, thanks to the soft and fragile bulges on her chest and buttocks.

This earlier visitor was holding an object.

A black, tiny object.

ーーA pistol.

On her stomach, a flat white belly that was like a small mountain base silently covered by snow, abruptly lied the shiny black, rugged pistol. The girl was holding the pistol with her tiny hands. As if ready to shoot at a certain someone, she grasped the pistol tightly. In contrast with her calm and peaceful face, the whole picture was completely out of balance.

ーーThe noise of the sirens from far away was coming nearer and nearer. With chilly winter gusts blowing through the buildings, despite wearing a thick coat I could not stop shivering.
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo

Post by rock96 »

First, I looked at the picture before reading teaser :lol: . Then went 'Wow, must be worth reading' and read teaser.
It was interesting enough for looking forward to translation of this novel. I have hope 'cause many projects were picked up lately.
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo

Post by Cosmic Eagle »

Alright...I'm defintely hooked...

EDIT: Oh my...checking the description on Kino....sounds like quite a thriller...
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――罨――
阿謨伽尾盧左曩 摩訶母捺囉摩抳 鉢納摩 人嚩攞 鉢囉韈哆野吽
地・水・火・風・空に偏在する金剛界尊よ
今ぞ遍く光に滅相し奉る!
天地玄妙神辺変通力離――
卍曼荼羅ァ――無量大数ゥ!
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo

Post by Doraneko »

rock96 wrote:First, I looked at the picture before reading teaser :lol: . Then went 'Wow, must be worth reading' and read teaser.
It was interesting enough for looking forward to translation of this novel. I have hope 'cause many projects were picked up lately.
Lol that's why I included the illustration. This illustration alone makes it worthwhile to pay an extra 52 yen to get the light novel version. :lol:
Cosmic Eagle wrote:Alright...I'm defintely hooked...

EDIT: Oh my...checking the description on Kino....sounds like quite a thriller...
Yea it does sound really interesting. I also wouldn't mind some yuri actions to spice up the story. :mrgreen:
とある事情から逃亡者となった“ぼく”こと巣篭カナは、逃げ込んだダストシュートの中で全裸の美少女・白雪を発見する。黒く大きな銃を持ち、記憶喪失を自称する白雪と、疑いつつも彼女に惹かれるカナ。2人は街を抜け出し、東京・秋葉原を目指すが…直木賞作家のブレイク前夜に書かれた、清冽でファニーな成長小説。
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo

Post by rock96 »

Doraneko wrote:
rock96 wrote:First, I looked at the picture before reading teaser :lol: . Then went 'Wow, must be worth reading' and read teaser.
It was interesting enough for looking forward to translation of this novel. I have hope 'cause many projects were picked up lately.
Lol that's why I included the illustration. This illustration alone makes it worthwhile to pay an extra 52 yen to get the light novel version. :lol:
And this was the right decision :lol:
I absolutely agree.
And yeah, is it one-shot or series of novels?
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo

Post by Doraneko »

rock96 wrote:And this was the right decision :lol:
I absolutely agree.
And yeah, is it one-shot or series of novels?
Except Gosick and one other short series, Sakuraba is specialized in writing one-shots.

I don't really like reading stories that drag on for dozens of volumes anyway. On top of that one-shots are more gentle to my wallet, so to me this is a plus. :mrgreen:

There is however a loose categorization of 地方都市シリーズ recognized by the fandom that includes a great majority of her lineup. The only linkage among all titles in this "series" is that they deal with the growing pains of girls living in remote towns in the countryside.
Spoiler! :
地方都市シリーズ

桜庭一樹著の、『推定少女』に始まる一連の小説作品の仮称。正式名称不明。

いずれも『地方都市』という閉塞した環境に住む少女たちの葛藤と成長、挫折を描いている。また「親と娘との対立」もしくは「親から娘へ受け継がれるもの」を描いた作品が多い。

「ファミ通文庫」「富士見ミステリー文庫」という、いわゆるライトノベルレーベル内で始まったが、後に一般小説の体裁でも発表され、著者がライトノベルから一般小説へと活動の場を広げていく過程を描く作品群ともなった。

7人の女の子をめぐる7つの物語
『推定少女』や『砂糖菓子~』の路線は「書いてみませんか」というお話をいただいてるので、自分としては合計で7本やりたいと思っています。

 女の子のキャラクターを7人作っていて、それをめぐってさまざまな物語が展開するという感じですね。

(中略)

興味ある方はぜひ7冊全部コンプリートしていただけると嬉しいです。

「このライトノベル作家がすごい!」 110ページ asin:4796645578
と著者はインタビューで答えており、7部作の構想であることが明らかになっている。

作品

インタビュー等で7部作に含まれることが確定している作品


『推定少女』(ファミ通文庫)asin:4757719957/(角川文庫) asin:4044281033
『砂糖菓子の弾丸は撃ちぬけない』(富士見ミステリー文庫) asin:4829162767/(富士見書房) asin:4829176342
『荒野の恋』シリーズ(ファミ通文庫)asin:4757722893/(文藝春秋) asin:416327040X


内容から、7部作に含まれることがほぼ間違いない作品

『少女には向かない職業』(ミステリ・フロンティア) asin:4488017193/(創元推理文庫) asin:448847201X
『少女七竈と七人の可愛そうな大人』(角川書店) asin:4048737007


内容から、7部作に含まれる可能性があると考えられる作品

『ブルースカイ』(ハヤカワ文庫JA) asin:4150308209
『赤朽葉家の伝説』(東京創元社) asin:4488023932
『私の男』(文藝春秋) asin:4163264302
『ファミリーポートレイト』(講談社) asin:9784062151320
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo

Post by rock96 »

Doraneko wrote:Except Gosick, Sakuraba is specialized in writing one-shots.

I don't really like reading stories that drag on for dozens of volumes anyway. On top of that one-shots are more gentle to my wallet, so to me this is a plus. :mrgreen:

There is however a loose categorization of 地方都市シリーズ recognized by the fandom that includes a great majority of her lineup. The only linkage among all titles in this "series" is that they deal with the growing pains of girls living in remote towns in the countryside.
So that's how it is, huh.

He-he. But still, if the story can be developed more without harming quality of work or must be developed through more volumes, then I'd prefer sequel of novel.

Heck, now I want to learn Japanese even more than before. I'm missing so many masterpieces...
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

Post by j112 »

looks like an interesting book i hope it gets picked up
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

Post by Darklor »

Will you create a teaser for that? :mrgreen:
Please don't mind my bad english since I'm german.

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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

Post by Doraneko »

Too bad that not too many are interested in this series...

Anyway here is the teaser page:
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... resumptive
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Re: [Kazuki Sakuraba] Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

Post by Darklor »

Doraneko wrote:Too bad that not too many are interested in this series...
yeah, too bad... - but maybe you will get some more with the pic ;)
Doraneko wrote:Anyway here is the teaser page:
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... resumptive
Ah, great!

Hm, but is it really Girl Presumptive and not Presumptive Girl?
Please don't mind my bad english since I'm german.

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Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive)

Post by Darklor »

This is the feed back thread for Suitei Shoujo (Girl Presumptive) at http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... resumptive
Please tell us what you think of it.
Please don't mind my bad english since I'm german.

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