Slum Online by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Originally released in America by Viz Media/Haika Soru, 2010. Approx. 203 pages.
After watching this book languish on my shelf for countless years; I finally decided to pick it up and give it a shot. An interesting bit of history behind it; as, in a way, it is something of an artifact by today's standards...somewhat obsolete.
These days, you can peruse large volumes of light novels on Amazon and at your local bookstore. There was a time this was not the case. Before the explosion of popularity in the novels predicated upon SAO's performance, the niche market for Japanese fiction was rather small. Agreed upon classics, or new releases from top bestsellers were present, but that was about it. Many of us jumped on the original release of Battle Royale in novel form, only to be stymied by horrendously stiff translation.
Later, Sakurazaka's 'All You Need Is Kill" started making some waves (before being adapted into the film Edge of Tomorrow). Picking that up, I found myself drawn in by the cover on this book. Can't exactly say what it is, but I love the aesthetic of it.
So, what exactly is "Slum Online"? I'll post the synopsis in a moment, but in a nutshell, it's about a disenfranchised young Tokyo man who spends the bulk of his time fighting to be the top dog in a popular MMO fighting game. However, the difference is that, unlike in modern light novels, it isn't an isekai work, in which the protagonist is transported or reincarnated into the game world. Also, the protagonist isn't a full-blown, anti-social NEET type. No, Slum Online has elements of a gaming novel, and a love story, all told with a nice cinematic flair by an accomplished author (bolstered by a strong translation by Joseph Reeder).
Here's the synopsis:
"Etsuro Sakagami is a college freshman who feels uncomfortable in reality, but when he logs onto the combat MMO Versus Town, he assumes the personality of "Tetsuo," a karate champ on his way towards becoming the most powerful martial artist around. While his relationship with new classmate Fumiko goes nowhere, he spends his days and nights online in search of the invincible fighter Ganker Jack. Floating in between real and virtual, at last, Etsuro finds himself face to face with his most powerful opponent..."
The writing style in Slum Online is strong and engaging. Sakurazaka draws the reader in with vivid depictions of areas dotting the Tokyo panorama; we feel transported into the quirky areas of Shinjuku, etc.. Our moods are swayed by weather patterns swaying from oppressive heat to melancholic rainfall. We feel ourselves languishing along with Etsuro in tedious university classes which he cannot bring himself to become personally invested in.
The characters here are strong as well. Etsuro is a hard sell, but Sakurazaka does it. The young man, as mentioned, is not anti-social, but he is also not proficient at social interactions. He possesses the acute logic to dissect and succeed at the games which are his passion, and he applies the same pragmatic skills of deduction to everyday life.
Etsuro finds himself a bit stymied by his developing relationship with responsible classmate Fumiko. Their budding love is the best part of this gaming novel. Where he might not have the capacity for the 'right' way to verbally communicate; we can see the endearing manner in which he regards her (case in point, the 'hamburger shop smile').
In fact, one might argue that the weakest aspects of the novel are those which revolve around Versus Town, the game with which Etsuro is obsessed. The online fighter is conceptually sound; and conceivably immersive.
However, the fight scenes (and there are quite a few), aren't always engaging. Kudos goes to Sakurazaka for doing blow by blow descriptions of the matches. The thing is; it boils down to a lot of "buffered this, dashed in, canceled out, did the lightest punch, etc.". Throughout the novel; Fumiko compares Etsuro to Newman's character in The Hustler. Imagine reading a book about a critical pool match; and it read in such a manner: "then he adjusted the stick 45 degrees, striking the cue ball on the upper left hemispherical region, etc." It just isn't that catchy. The thing is; it is understandable because that is how Etsuro's mind works (the story is told in a first-person manner). He isn't focused on the lithe animations of the snake boxers, or the stumbling-yet-lethal meanderings of the drunken boxers. His mind focusing on the mechanics of the game; and matching attacks and counters to the motions of his prey.
There is also some slight jarring in regards to the first-person narration. During the fight scenes, we are told what Tetsuo (Etsuro's character's name) is doing in the third-person. Yet, during these moments, it also switches out to first-person, if telling how Etsuro is manipulating the controls. It's not bad; just awkward at times.
Other than that; there is one minor, specific complaint that I have. This is in regards to one instance in the translation (again, the translation itself in general is extremely strong). When Etsuro meets Fumiko, he has trouble reading the kanji of her last name, Nagihara. This implies that the spelling of it (hence, the kanji used in constructing it) is uncommon. Which also implies that there might be a specific meaning behind the kanji which is used. The thing is, we are never shown her name the way her name is written. I had wanted to take it and ask my wife (who is also named Fumiko) to translate it for me. So, if anyone out there has the Japanese version of the novel, or can find a pic of it online, please throw it in the comments. Greatly appreciated.
And there you have it. A short review of an enjoyable, short read. Like previously mentioned, it is conceptually a dinosaur in the age of isekai and LITRPG works, but it is still endearing. Also, enjoy the 20 page short story, "BONUS ROUND", also included in the book (Slum Online was originally published in Japan in 2005, and BONUS ROUND 5 years later).
Check it out.
Cover:
As mentioned earlier, this cover snagged me from the get-go. Better yet, it beautifully captures one of the more endearing scenes from the novel. While not as intricate, or bright, as many other light novel/manga covers, this cover oozes emotion, and works as a great companion for the book itself. Makes you wish that the artist, toi8, had done some interior pieces as well.