iearar

I'm fairly new to the world of web novels. Over the last month or so, I've read a lot of stories, big and small. This is the only one I've considered worth reviewing. I started reading KamiKowa before it was even called KamiKowa, on a whim, because I thought it would be ridiculous, and I didn't know any better. I was simply reading to read, exploring WebNovel as a platform. I balked at the 'strawberry line', for it too was ridiculous. But I kept reading, and I was right — this novel was ridiculous, but I was hooked. Of everything I've read (or tried to read) thus far, this is really the only thing that has caught and kept my interest. I made this account to keep reading this silly story, if that tells you how much I enjoy it. KamiKowa's premise is not special — the writing is. I find myself struggling to want to keep reading other titles because the writing is just... bad. This story does not present the same issue. Don't take this as an insult to other writers, but testament to Wisteria's credit. I could nitpick about the repetitive hair descriptors (CASCADING). Xavier's ability is explained a bit clumsily, many, many times. I've seen some criticize the pacing, but I only find it to be an issue for the first 5-10 chapters; I like slice of life, and I'm getting my fill before the stakes are heightened. I consider these, among other minor faults, as unimportant. I think a web novel's charm comes from its imperfections; it's a much more intimate connection between author and reader than what a traditional novel can provide, for better or worse. This isn't even the sort of story I would go out of my way to find, let alone keep up with, day after day. I'm dense enough, even with a certain system of Xavier's, to have overlooked the fact that this is a harem plot until I'd read maybe 30 or so chapters in. I enjoy it so much that I don't particularly care. Apart from the establishing chapters (pre-transmigration), each character has a personality and a presence — some more than others, obviously. Characters tend to play into their defined cliché(s), but in a way that works. They're memorable. To focus on the story of Xavier and Calypso, you do sacrifice depth elsewhere... but again, this is a web novel, and Wisteria has managed to flesh out twenty-something characters better than I've seen some authors handle ten. Or five. Am I glazing too much? Oh well. I'll summarize my rambling as follows: KamiKowa is cliché, silly, evocative, and very entertaining. It's fun. The inspirations for the story are quite obvious, but are woven together into something new and fresh. I was prepared to hate this novel just a few chapters in, but I can happily say that I've been won over. If you, reader of this review, are considering adding this to your library, give it a shot. It surprised me. I envy you, Wisteria. Thank you for being brave enough to put your writing out into the world, and I wish you the absolute best going forward. o7