LightNovel.org

Title: Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (Idiots, Tests and Summoned Beings)
Author: Kenji Inoue
Illustrator: Yui Haga
Publisher: Enterbrain
Label: Famitsu Bunko

Reviewed by: yivyn

Available for reading online at Baka-Tsuki.

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu or Idiots, Tests and Summoned Beings (as I’ll refer to it as), is a light novel series written by Kenji Inoue with illustrations by Yui Haga. The story takes place in Fumizuki Academy, a school where the faculty sorts students into classes based on the results of their tests. (i.e. Class A has the smartest students/highest scoring students, whereas Class F is full of low scoring students and bakas.) However, Fumizuki Academy’s students all have the ability to summon... well, Summoned Beings, who draw power from their summoner’s grades, and are used for battles by the students between classes.

Just before the placement test, an intelligent girl by the name of Mizuki Himeji succumbs to a fever. As a result, Mizuki doesn’t finish her test and is shafted into the F Class together with Akihisa Yoshii – the baka of the title – who decides to raise the name of Class F up the ranks of the school by starting a Summoned Being War, both for Mizuki and to get more special privileges for himself.

If you’re anything like me, reading the summary probably made you think of the story as some sort of backwards Pokemon Academy (but I don’t think Ash would be in Class F... well, maybe...). Aside from the cliché-sounding plot, the story itself was actually pretty quirky and enjoyable.

The story is told from the point-of-view of the baka, Akihisa Yoshii, who shows up late for class as everyone receives their test grades, and Yoshii, who doesn’t believe, but hopes he’ll be in D, or at least C class, opens his envelope to reveal that he’ll be put into Class F. With the teacher tacking on a delightful “You really are an idiot...”, Yoshii’s ‘sorrowful school life’ begins.

Of course, there’s definitely a huge difference between reading professionally translated light novels, original Japanese light novels, and fan-translated light novels (of which I only had access to at the time). Needless to say, Kenji Inoue’s writing style was as quirky as his overall story. Each chapter opened up with a question, and individual answers from various members of Class F –including Yoshii, followed by the teacher’s comment.

Each chapter is very episodic. Chapter 1 starts off with Yoshii being late, and ends with him being in Class F. Chapter 2 starts off with Yoshii checking out the Class A classroom, and ends with the Class F representative Sakamoto Yuuji declaring a Summoned Being War on Class A. But Class F doesn’t attack Class A straight away. Their strategy: start from the bottom and work their way up by starting with D Class.

Aside from the writing, the illustrated inserts done by Yui Haga were a lot better than I had first expected, and really helpful given the lack of character description from the author. Aside from the actual characters and scene illustrations, it was nice to have pictures of these Summoned Beings – which I thought in all honesty were going to be badass demons and dragons instead of little chibi guys with animal ears and tails.

Story & Writing Grade: 80%
Art Grade: 85%
Overall Grade: 83%

Pros:

• Quirky characters.
• Quite funny at times.
• Great art.
• Unique writing style.

Cons:

• Cliché story (I think the whole magical people at a magical school plot is a little overused).
• Cliché characters (Although characters were quirky and interesting, they still lacked a bit of 3-dimensionality that would’ve made them stand out from similar anime/light novel characters).

Remember though, folks – cliché doesn’t always mean bad. If you’re up to read something original, you’re best to look elsewhere.

An official site has opened for PHP Institute's super-light new dimension light novel label "Smash Bunko" at this link. The light novels will be packed with illustrations, sold at a reasonable price, and will focus on three major themes: "Friendship", "Love", and "Happiness".

The label's advertising slogan is: "Miracle Shot of Love and Friendship".

A Smash Bunko youtube video can be watched here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yPUqZAqrVc

The label is scheduled to start on March 10th, 2010 with the release of two light novel titles, which can be seen here.

Three more light novel titles are scheduled for release in April and May 2010:

April 2010 release:

Hakouji Neruno to Daten Ressha Jiken

• Author: Kido Minori
• Illustrator: Yamamoto Keiji

May 2010 releases:

Uchi no Maid wa Futei-kei

• Author: Shizukawa Tatsusou
• Original Concept: Morise Ryou
• Illustrator: Ayakura Juu (The illustrator of the Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Kōshinryou) light novel series)

Chouritsu no Majo

• Author: Shouda Miwa
• Illustrator: Nanakusa (The illustrator of the Ballad of a Shinigami (Shinigami no Ballad) light novel series)