Gakkou wo Deyou!

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"Escape from School!" ("学校を出よう"; "Gakkou wo Deyou!") is a light novel written by Nagaru Tanigawa (谷川流), illustrated by Maao Aou (蒼魚真青), and serialized in Dengeki Bunko (電撃文庫).

Introduction

A slapstick story that takes place in The Third EMP Academy (第三EMP学園), one of the academies for mandated custody of people (mainly teenagers) possessing superpowers called EMP. Basically the story is narrated in first-person perspective, but the narrator is not fixed.

There are currently six volumes published under the series, but rumor has it that the series would be suspended for the moment after Volume 6. Whether this is officialized is not clear, but there has been no sequel to the series since Oct 25 2004.

However, in the author's comments at the end of "Boku no Sekai wo Mamoru Hito" Vol 1, the author has expressed that he is still thinking about the storyline, so there are many fans who anticipate a sequel to the series.

Titles

  • Escape from The School
  • I-My-Me
  • The Laughing Bootleg
  • Final Destination
  • NOT DEAD OR NOT ALIVE
  • VAMPIRE SYNDROME

Key Terms

  • EMP
Superpowers discovered among teenagers.
Power usage and effect vary greatly, and there is no common way of discovering EMP.
It is only recognized in Japan, and specifics are still not clear about such physics-defying phenomenon, the mechanism for discovery, and the exact span before EMP disappears.
It has been around 30 years since the first case was discovered, and the percentage increase rises over the years. By the time the story occurs, there has already been several thousand cases of EMP.
On average EMP is detected at the age of 14, and disappears at the age of 18. EMP holders above junior school are to be isolated in the Public EMP Academy, which includes high school and university, until the powers disappear.
Due to information manipulation from government agencies, EMP's existence is unknown to all but those whose direct relatives are EMP holders.
  • EMP Academy
Public schools to bring children with growing EMP powers under custody. There are three schools, from the First to the Third.
Children whose EMP powers were discovered would spend their school life there until the powers disappear.
There are the junior high section, the senior high section and and the university section, among which the senior high has the most students, as EMP powers are discovered during high school on average.
There is a lack of teachers (either former EMP holders or avid educators), so lessons are basically long-distance learning using monitors.
The dorms are fully equipped and leaves are rarely permitted, so on the outside they look like isolated facilities.
After the powers have disappeared, the students take exams of normal schools according to their grades at the Academy, and return to society.
First EMP Academy
The first EMP academy to be established. The atmosphere is "conservative to their majestic roots."
Second EMP Academy
The second EMP academy to be established. The atmosphere is "ambitious and striving for excellence." Mainly involved in events after Volume 4.
Third EMP Academy
The EMP academy where the story takes place. The atmosphere is "like a gathering of weak bubble-like second fiddles."
The campus is very big, because a hill is leveled for its location.
Student numbers have grown beyond original expectation, and the cafeteria turns into chaos during lunchtime.
There are more happenings of sounentai compared to the First or Second EMP Academy.
  • Sounentai(想念体, Materialized Willpower)
Existence generated by residual energy radiated from EMP holders unnoticingly.
Such existence rarely shows human intelligence in actions, and their actions are mostly antagonistic against humans.
To prevent damage, the Student Association Security Department Operations Unit is responsible for subduing Sounentai.
Physical attacks inflicts no damage on Sounentai, and Sounentai must to offset by EMP holder's willpower.
However, as Sounentai is willpower residing on some physical cores, physical interference from Sounentai have powerful impacts.
  • PSY Network
The common name for psychic network, and was short-formed PSYNet.
It connects and gathers consciousness of all EMP holders, and is the mutual-help structure that fosters absolute objectivity.
Also, as Hibiki explained, "Haruna could exist as a phantom by utilizing the energy source from PSYNet."
Because of this, distortion was introduced to PSYNet, and that was claimed to be the reason behind the world's modulation.
The specifics are unclear, but a parallel world seems to exist, in which PSYNet functions normally.

Characters

  • Yoshiyuki Takasaki(高崎佳由季)
Grade 11 student in Senior High Section of the Third EMP Academy. Dorm master of boy's dorm Block B. Aged 17.
He is the only one without EMP powers within the Third EMP Academy except the teachers.
He is possessed by his sister Haruna, an EMP holder, and was enrolled in the Third EMP Academy when he entered junior high.
He himself would want to get out of the Third EMP Academy.
After the incident six years ago, his life has never turned normal again, and it is said he has shed off most of the humane emotions and desires.
He is popular as the dorm master, but normal students keep a distance from him in fear of Haruna.
  • Haruna Takasaki(高崎春奈)
Younger sister of Yoshiyuki Takasaki, and twin sister of Wakana.
She had passed away from a traffic accident six years ago, but she possesses Yoshiyuki as a phantom.
Her EMP powers are mainly on establishing a inpenetratable invisible barrier, and psychokinesis normally referred to as "poltergeist."
The defensive barrier is not as strong as that of Wakana, whose barrier was of the strongest level within the Academy, and she was powerless in front of Makoto, who is responsible for Yoshiyuki's psychological defense.
She was able to possess Wakana's physical body, but it turns impossible when psychological defense is enforced.
She can read a little of Yoshiyuki's thoughts. She can converse via willpower to Yoshiyuki, and Wakana when the twins are syncronized.
Her physical appearance grows, but her mental age has stopped, and she loves small pranks.
If she were alive she should be Grade 10, but for some reason she always appears in sailor uniform used in the junior high near their home.
She does not exist upon a physical core, so she cannot touch or make sounds. Her body and clothes are translucent, and give a dim glow in the dark. She is capable to become completely invisible.
She is quite jealous, and never allows any girls except Wakana and Makoto to approach Yoshiyuki.


  • Wakana Takasaki(高崎若菜)
Grade 11 student in Senior High Section of the Third EMP Academy. Younger sister of Yoshiyuki Takasaki, and twin sister of Haruna.
Her EMP power enables her to surround herself with the strongest invisible barrier, inpenetratable to physical and psychological attacks.
Her defense power is stronger than Haruna, but she cannot make any attacks, and she says "Barrier--" during summoning.
She is cheerful and pure, and never hides anything.
She is roommate with Maiko Koumyouji in the dorm.


  • Makoto Shimase(縞瀬真琴)
Student Council Secretary at High School Section, the Third Academy. Representative President after Hibiki disappeared. She was also the dorm mistress of girl's dorm Block A.
She has very strong EMP power at telepathy.
She not only can read the target's mind, but also can control the target's body, depending on the target's psychological state.
She behaves like a nymphomanic every single time, but most of the time she plays the supporting but indispensible role.
Her disastrous behavior and exceeding power scared off nromal students, but from close friends like Yoshiyuki and Maiko she enjoys unfailing trust.
The younger sister of Yuuya Nugimizu, she was once called by the codename "Apocalypse."


  • Maiko Koumyouji(光明寺茉衣子)
Grade 10 student in Senior High Section of the Third EMP Academy. Member of the Student Association Security Department Operations Unit and Yougekibu (妖撃部, Phatom Guerilla Unit). Class Riyou (理容).
Her EMP power generates fireballs like fireflies that gets shoot and explodes at targets (only effective against Sounentai.)
Her power is specialized for destruction, so she was enlisted in Operations Unit, and always gets commanded around by her partner Miyano.
Instead of a uniform, she wears black Gothic-lolita styled costume, and uses very old-fashioned words.
She believes she is always right, and wills to do it her way even if her actions are unreasonable.
She is roommate with Wakana Takasaki in the dorm.


  • Syusaku Miyano(宮野秀策)
Grade 11 student in Senior High Section of the Third EMP Academy. Member of the Student Association Security Department Operations Unit and Kokumudan (黒夢団, Dark Dream Group).
His EMP powers summons powerful existence, and can capture targets using chain-like existence summoned with a magic circle.
His power is specialized in capturing, so he was enlisted in Operations Unit, and was also class monitor.
At the Operations Unit he partners with Maiko, and commands everybody around, including Maiko.
He always wear white outfit over his school uniform, and speaks pompously.
He has absolute confidence in himself, and his thinking pattern bends other's malicious intents into good intents.
Trouble occurs every time he pursues what he thinks is interesting, but his insatiable curiosity and ambitions reaches the very framework of the world.
His Kokumudan is a circle researching on suspicious black magic.


  • Tomohisa Hibiki(日比木朋久)
Student Council President at High School Section, the Third Academy.
He is the collection of subconsciousness from all students within the Third EMP Academy, born from the PSYNet.
Because of that he acts in unpredicable ways that gives no impression of personal characters.
He materialized using Makoto's power, but at the end of Volume 1 he lost his materialized form due to PSYNet's disappearance, and got reduced to the level of residual willpower.


  • Yuuya Nukimizu(抜水優弥)
A stray EMP holder not belonging to any EMP Academy. Makoto's elder brother. The two appear to be in bad relationship.
He belongs to an illegal EMP organization, holds the title of "Mercurius Syndrome," and behaves like an instructor.
The organization fights for EMP holders' freedom and social status, and resist governmental management.
His EMP abilities is comparable to Makoto's, and appears in various forms like psychological manipulation and fire attacks.
A clownlike character, he often shows up unexpectedly in front of Yoshiyuki, revealing his thought experiments that apparently has nothing to do with the storyline, and speaks in a misanthropic, decadent tone.

Gakkou wo Deyou! by Nagaru Tanigawa

Teaser

Forum translation done by EusthEnoptEron

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Reader Comments

Another piece of work by Nagaru Tanikawa, which successfully runs in parallel with Kadokawa Sneaker's "the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi." In my personal opinion, it is one of the Best 3 light novels that I like.

The personalities of characters are even more contrasting than Haruhi. The story is about common days within a superpower academy. In the first volume the protagonist speaks in first person, but from the second volume onwards the first person changes from viewpoint to viewpoint.

I would like to compare it against Haruhi, but the unique toughness among the characters even surpasses that of Haruhi. Opinions towards the series will be even more separated than Haruhi. I belong to the slightly strange type that starts reading "the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi" after "Escape from School!"

The tagging phantom sis with extreme brother complex and burning jealousy... If you are moe towards such situations, this book is recommended. The best characters to me is the combination of Miyano and Maiko. For me, Maiko is the protagonist in the dark.

My ratings (out of 5): Character - 4; Story - 3; Scenario - 3; Storytelling - 3; Overall - 3+.

-- ナルカミさん



The Dengeki-side debut of Nagaru Tanikawa, the author behind "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi." The ratings are low, and for a moment I decided against buying it. However, I ran out of books to read, so I just bought it for a try. --Then.

Wow! Splendid Young-Sis novel~~ Well, life with your younger sis 24 hours a day. And, that younger sis is burning with jealousy, and such a baby. Great! Too great! And top it all by multiplying by two!! Well, regarding the twins, if the author did not just spend time on Haruna but gave Wakana more airtime, it would improve both the moe and the story structure. Too bad. Anyway, not just the twins but also the subcharacters are a star alliance. Great line of characters!

But, well, not enough when compared to "Haruhi." The tempo is bad, and story is just not interesting. The characters are fun when they are busy doing nothing, but when the story is to start, it suddenly turns boring. Do something about that! The development has a lot of air, and the ending should be polished a little more. Well, I would also not praise to the structure of "Haruhi," but in this case, the characters are doing nothing from start to end! Humm, Nagaru Tanikawa, you might be top class in making characters busy doing nothing, but the story structure still needs practice.

And, it would be just fine if the story ends at Volume 1. But hey, the second volume is to be sold next month! ... The development looks like the story will continue to be written like this... Wouldn't that be boring? I doubt if I will buy the second book. Well, if I put the storytelling aside, such character setting still have its great appeal.

-- いちせさん



The book is quite attractive in its own ways: Young-Sis-Moe element in the form of the protagonist possessed by his sister's phantom; background setting of an academy for superpowers; traditional Shojo Manga styled illustrations which is quite rare within Bunko Dengeki. The characters are sometimes too eccentric themselves (esp. Makoto), but well it is still within acceptable limits.

However, even under such a array of elements, the story just does not run smooth, spending too much time but stumbling in making the story develop. I also find it hard to get into the protagonist, who just gives a cold shoulder to the girls and the situation he is in. It sets itself as sci-fi, and at some point there are places that feels good reading, but it feels like the Sci-Fi elements clashes with the moe elements. What a pity! How about getting more into the shoes of the protagonist and his sisters by overlaping the brother-sister episodes? Compared to ""The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi" which is sold at the same time, the balance is not well controlled. Well, there might be good reviews from people whose preference of abundant weirdo characters get satisfied, or that the story gets a condensed shot of SF gadgets, but this is my two cents.

-- リッパーさん

References

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