What do you think?
Rate this book
アクセル・ワールド / Accel World Light Novels #1
Accel World, Vol. 01: Kuroyukihime's Return
Even in the future, all the advances and innovation in the world can't change the dynamics of the school playground. And for Haruyuki Arita, a fat kid in junior high, that means he's destined to always be at the bottom of the food chain, prime pickings for the school bullies. But when he encounters the beautiful Kuroyukihime, an avatar in the virtual world where he relaxes, Haruyuki's life is turned on its head as he dives into Brain Burst, a mysterious computer program, and the Accelerated World with her help. And it's in the Accel World that Haruyuki casts off his depressing reality and takes hold of the chance to become a Burst Linker, a knight to protect his princess!
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2009
87 people are currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
Reki Kawahara
284 books914 followersKawahara Reki (川原礫) is the writer of Sword Art Online and Accel World. He also uses the pen name Kunori Fumio. His hobby is cycling.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
September 21, 2020
[ Re-read in 2020. ]
"You rescued me from hell. For me, that’s a life worth of happiness. I don’t need anything else. Nothing at all."
Haruyuki is a young kid that is bullied at school, he’s over weight and by his standars, “not good-looking”, so he loathes himself. But, you see? Haruyuki is quite smart and he’s great at videogames. His two childhood best friends, Chiyu and Taku, have always cared for him. It’s always been the three of them together.
That is until one of the most popular people in the school, Kuroyukihime, talks to him. She’s gorgeous in every way and her personality too, is what makes her unique. She sees throught his self-imposed barriers and sends him an app called Brain Burst after seeing him score a high number on a virtual game.
Now, this new app is basically, kind of like an RPG/battle game, where you can use your avatar and fight against other Burst Linkers. But with this, you can accelerate, so a few seconds IRL translate into minutes in the field –which can become addictive. All of the Burst Linkers have different skills and powers that determine the color and the range of the avatar; they also come from our combined fears and abilities.
The only rule: to fight against others to gain points, so when they reach level 10, they can talk to the creator. Long ago, Kuroyukihime, the Black King and her legion, tried to change the “peaceful pact” that all the other kings made when they got to level 9. Turns out that if you want to reach level 10, you have to defeat the other kings but if you lose, you’ll get the app deleted and your memory erased –and nobody wants that, of course.
Two years have passed since the Black King beheaded the red one, and she’s laid low, not connecting to the Global net, therefore, not fighting anyone. That is until Haruyuki gets into the picture. He has a new ability that nobody else has had before: wings. Wings that can truly fly and whose acceleration is faster than anyone.
Now, I might be biased by this, but I truly don’t care. I love Accel World so much. I love how Haruyuki grows into accepting and loving himself. He proves himself to his friends, to Kuroyuhime, but most importantly, to himself. He really has self-esteem problems but he’s the underdog you can’t help but to root for.
I absolutely adore the way Haru and Kuroyukihime become friends and eventually they develop a crush on each other. I loved the action scenes but also how slowly but surely the Nega Nebulus (Black Lotus’ legion) starts growing bit by bit.
I honestly can’t wait to read the next one!
"You rescued me from hell. For me, that’s a life worth of happiness. I don’t need anything else. Nothing at all."
Haruyuki is a young kid that is bullied at school, he’s over weight and by his standars, “not good-looking”, so he loathes himself. But, you see? Haruyuki is quite smart and he’s great at videogames. His two childhood best friends, Chiyu and Taku, have always cared for him. It’s always been the three of them together.
That is until one of the most popular people in the school, Kuroyukihime, talks to him. She’s gorgeous in every way and her personality too, is what makes her unique. She sees throught his self-imposed barriers and sends him an app called Brain Burst after seeing him score a high number on a virtual game.
Now, this new app is basically, kind of like an RPG/battle game, where you can use your avatar and fight against other Burst Linkers. But with this, you can accelerate, so a few seconds IRL translate into minutes in the field –which can become addictive. All of the Burst Linkers have different skills and powers that determine the color and the range of the avatar; they also come from our combined fears and abilities.
The only rule: to fight against others to gain points, so when they reach level 10, they can talk to the creator. Long ago, Kuroyukihime, the Black King and her legion, tried to change the “peaceful pact” that all the other kings made when they got to level 9. Turns out that if you want to reach level 10, you have to defeat the other kings but if you lose, you’ll get the app deleted and your memory erased –and nobody wants that, of course.
Two years have passed since the Black King beheaded the red one, and she’s laid low, not connecting to the Global net, therefore, not fighting anyone. That is until Haruyuki gets into the picture. He has a new ability that nobody else has had before: wings. Wings that can truly fly and whose acceleration is faster than anyone.
Now, I might be biased by this, but I truly don’t care. I love Accel World so much. I love how Haruyuki grows into accepting and loving himself. He proves himself to his friends, to Kuroyuhime, but most importantly, to himself. He really has self-esteem problems but he’s the underdog you can’t help but to root for.
I absolutely adore the way Haru and Kuroyukihime become friends and eventually they develop a crush on each other. I loved the action scenes but also how slowly but surely the Nega Nebulus (Black Lotus’ legion) starts growing bit by bit.
I honestly can’t wait to read the next one!
November 5, 2012
Futuristic. Mindfuck.
The concept is just amazing. A total virtual world. This reminds me of the following manga/anime -
Princess Resurrection v.1
Air Gear, Vol. 1
Because of the plot where it focus on being the strongest team. Another thing the effects brought to my mind a certain TV series Kamen Rider Ryuki. In that Kamen Rider series, they have this mirror world which equates to Accel World virtual world exclusively used by those who have the power of Burst Link.
However, I would be honest that I enjoyed SAO Vol. 1 more than Accel World. I have high expectations for this, because of reviews which talked about how much better this one compare to SAO series. I don't know maybe its just me.
I advise the readers to just go read and see for yourself.
The concept is just amazing. A total virtual world. This reminds me of the following manga/anime -
Princess Resurrection v.1
Air Gear, Vol. 1
Because of the plot where it focus on being the strongest team. Another thing the effects brought to my mind a certain TV series Kamen Rider Ryuki. In that Kamen Rider series, they have this mirror world which equates to Accel World virtual world exclusively used by those who have the power of Burst Link.
However, I would be honest that I enjoyed SAO Vol. 1 more than Accel World. I have high expectations for this, because of reviews which talked about how much better this one compare to SAO series. I don't know maybe its just me.
I advise the readers to just go read and see for yourself.
June 26, 2024
Well, on the negative-side: it’s all about thirteen year olds in high school, kinda annoying massive self-esteem issues in the MC, the teenage girls are a bit sexualised, the mechanism for the brain booster is complete fantasy. On the plus-side: fun action scenes, MC character development, wholesome friendships, intriguing as to where the story goes.
November 3, 2014
Accel World is from the same author as Sword Art Online, Reki Kawahara. The show takes place many years in the future where the youngest people, those aged fifteen years and younger, are implanted at birth with the ability to access a special virtual reality network. Information, games, they are all activities that are now done in cool and exciting new way.
But none of this can change human nature. There are still bullies everywhere you look. Our hero, Haruyuki, is the victim of one such bully. The little boy is overweight and has serious, and I mean serious, self-esteem issues. His whole life as an overweight, but really weak, boy has been of not daring to do better than anyone else but his two childhood friends. If he does do so, he will be tormented and beaten up by others as a sign to "learn his place". He has learned it, all too well.
Then one day, a beautiful upperclassman, a girl called Kuroyukihime in the school, befriends him and helps stop his bullying problem. She does so as she introduces him to a new world in the virtual network. A hidden world known only to a few. The Accelerated World of Brain Bursters.
Now introduced to this new world of great possibilities and freed from his tormentors, Haru determines to do whatever his princess needs and help her fulfill her dreams of reaching the highest levels of the Accel World.
This book was a fun, if difficult, read. It can be kinda cool to see this character grow, and his interactions with his friends is cool. At the same time, however, like with other books such as Mansfield Park and others, it is really difficult to watch the abuse he takes and to read of his devastated psyche. There are warning signs that his mother and him don't get along and it's just so sad. :(
Of course, the above just makes his victory and solving of some of his social problems at the end of the book, though not all of them by any extent, all the more satisfying.
My only problem was that there wasn't enough characterization given to the other main characters, such as Kuroyukihime, Chiyuri, and Takuma. Some for the latter two, especially Takuma, but not enough.
In all, a fun read and I can't wait until the next one is released from Yen On in 16 days. :D
But none of this can change human nature. There are still bullies everywhere you look. Our hero, Haruyuki, is the victim of one such bully. The little boy is overweight and has serious, and I mean serious, self-esteem issues. His whole life as an overweight, but really weak, boy has been of not daring to do better than anyone else but his two childhood friends. If he does do so, he will be tormented and beaten up by others as a sign to "learn his place". He has learned it, all too well.
Then one day, a beautiful upperclassman, a girl called Kuroyukihime in the school, befriends him and helps stop his bullying problem. She does so as she introduces him to a new world in the virtual network. A hidden world known only to a few. The Accelerated World of Brain Bursters.
Now introduced to this new world of great possibilities and freed from his tormentors, Haru determines to do whatever his princess needs and help her fulfill her dreams of reaching the highest levels of the Accel World.
This book was a fun, if difficult, read. It can be kinda cool to see this character grow, and his interactions with his friends is cool. At the same time, however, like with other books such as Mansfield Park and others, it is really difficult to watch the abuse he takes and to read of his devastated psyche. There are warning signs that his mother and him don't get along and it's just so sad. :(
Of course, the above just makes his victory and solving of some of his social problems at the end of the book, though not all of them by any extent, all the more satisfying.
My only problem was that there wasn't enough characterization given to the other main characters, such as Kuroyukihime, Chiyuri, and Takuma. Some for the latter two, especially Takuma, but not enough.
In all, a fun read and I can't wait until the next one is released from Yen On in 16 days. :D
April 14, 2015
Interesting concept, though the idea of "quantum brain signals" is hilariously bad technobabble. The author should have left out the quantum part. I dunno but that just bugged me.
I hope Kuroyukihime's character gets more development.
I hope Kuroyukihime's character gets more development.
December 23, 2019
After reading and being involved with Sword Art Online I was expecting to see something of similar impact but this series is so different the main character is something like shinji from Evangelion but the tech looks familiar and this is apparently in the future of SAO, I just can´t stop thinking about this one being in the same universe. As for the book is good but not great, there’s a great mystery a la Ready Player One that apparently it’s going to take them forever to achieve, the main character is showing progress and the black princess’s motivations are sometimes hard to understand.
December 3, 2024
Die Story und das Spielsystem, um das es in diesem Buch geht sind grundlegend solide. Allerdings sind mir die Charaktere zu einseitig und bedienen meist ein ganz bestimmtes Klischee. Da fehlt es mir einfach an Komplexität. Außerdem wird die Geschichte sehr langsam erzählt. Ich habe gesehen, dass es mittlerweile über 20 Bände dieser Light Novel Serie zu lesen gibt, aber für mich bleibt es bei diesem ersten Band.
February 22, 2015
This is a good book that starts off a great light novel series. The futuristic setting and focus on the overlap of the virtual and real world quickly pull in the reader, though I think at times the author got a little too focused on the virtual world plot and allowed it to taint some of the better real world scenes.
I'd like to praise the author for giving us an underdog main character who really seems like an underdog rather than the normal cliche light novel protagonist who, for an underdog, is inexplicably handsome and popular. However, what holds me back and what loses this book a few stars is that the author very clearly crosses the line a few times between 'setting up an underdog protagonist' and 'fat shaming'. EVERY TIME the main character sits on something the thing will creak or protest or groan or wobble or whatever. Every page we need to be reminded that Arita is fat and sweaty. In the anime things are a little better since it is implied that Arita is also afraid that he might hurt his friends in a rage since he has angry mood swings, which adds more balance to his self loathing. In the books, however, it's all about his body. He hates his fat. The author hates his fat. Everything sittable-on in the world hates his fat and complains loudly whenever he sits down. I get that this is written in and for Japan which is a very thin society, and I also get that the author is trying his best to set up a very trodden-down and self-loathing main character. But he takes it to the extreme which ruins some of the enjoyment.
I was also a little let down when some of the best conversations in the book (and these are some absolutely amazing bits of dialogue) are either interrupted by or sidelined for more virtual world stuff. I was honestly a lot more interested in the real world side of Arita's struggle with isolation, alienation with his friends, and confusion about his relationship with the heroine than I was about the online fighting game that forms the main crux of the story. I feel like this author has a lot of potential that he doesn't use since he has to make his story action-packed for his target audience. That said, just because they get played down a little doesn't mean his amazing conversations aren't amazing.
So. Minus one star for the fat-shaming, minus one for letting the premise overshadow the drama, but all in all a really solid book and it definitely makes me want to continue reading the series. Unlike many other light novels that take a more episodic approach, Accel World sets up an over-arching conflict and goal that make you actually want to finish the series. This is the first Light Novel I read that made me immediately want to pick up the 2nd book in the series rather than continue shopping around.
I'd like to praise the author for giving us an underdog main character who really seems like an underdog rather than the normal cliche light novel protagonist who, for an underdog, is inexplicably handsome and popular. However, what holds me back and what loses this book a few stars is that the author very clearly crosses the line a few times between 'setting up an underdog protagonist' and 'fat shaming'. EVERY TIME the main character sits on something the thing will creak or protest or groan or wobble or whatever. Every page we need to be reminded that Arita is fat and sweaty. In the anime things are a little better since it is implied that Arita is also afraid that he might hurt his friends in a rage since he has angry mood swings, which adds more balance to his self loathing. In the books, however, it's all about his body. He hates his fat. The author hates his fat. Everything sittable-on in the world hates his fat and complains loudly whenever he sits down. I get that this is written in and for Japan which is a very thin society, and I also get that the author is trying his best to set up a very trodden-down and self-loathing main character. But he takes it to the extreme which ruins some of the enjoyment.
I was also a little let down when some of the best conversations in the book (and these are some absolutely amazing bits of dialogue) are either interrupted by or sidelined for more virtual world stuff. I was honestly a lot more interested in the real world side of Arita's struggle with isolation, alienation with his friends, and confusion about his relationship with the heroine than I was about the online fighting game that forms the main crux of the story. I feel like this author has a lot of potential that he doesn't use since he has to make his story action-packed for his target audience. That said, just because they get played down a little doesn't mean his amazing conversations aren't amazing.
So. Minus one star for the fat-shaming, minus one for letting the premise overshadow the drama, but all in all a really solid book and it definitely makes me want to continue reading the series. Unlike many other light novels that take a more episodic approach, Accel World sets up an over-arching conflict and goal that make you actually want to finish the series. This is the first Light Novel I read that made me immediately want to pick up the 2nd book in the series rather than continue shopping around.
October 27, 2014
I got way too into this book, even though I'm not sure that it was actually all that good. The remarkably detailed sci-fi world that this novel builds is cut to size by a story about junior high kids playing video games, and Brain Burst, the fighting game that they play, has so many complicated rules that characters have to stand around and explain them for pages on end instead of actually moving the plot forward. Still, particularly in the book's second half, the first volume of Accel World was actually quite fun. The relationship drama was, though it still had some tangled bits, refreshingly straightforward, and Kuroyukihime is an arrogant enough heroine that reading about her, even when she's in bad situations, is very entertaining.
It's minor, but the short story at the end of the volume is also well worth noting, serving as what may well be the most realistic depiction of how a teenage boy would handle cyberpunk privileges ever written.
Right now, I'm not sure that Accel World is or will be my favorite light novel series. However, with all of the exposition out of the way here, I'm looking forward to the next volume.
It's minor, but the short story at the end of the volume is also well worth noting, serving as what may well be the most realistic depiction of how a teenage boy would handle cyberpunk privileges ever written.
Right now, I'm not sure that Accel World is or will be my favorite light novel series. However, with all of the exposition out of the way here, I'm looking forward to the next volume.
July 10, 2015
let's get this outta the way first: here's the big huge massive problem with LightNovels... the "author gets paid by the kanji" writing style!
There will be paragraphs full of redundant conversations & "how many low-level bargain-priced adjectives can we fit into this description"
In this novel Haruyuki's internal monologues & technobabble of Reverse-The-Polarity nonsense take up more space than they should... but once you get past this, the story is fun!
ok, and for once the artwork making everyone look too damn young is fitting, as the main cast are 13-year-olds. Suddenly Kuroyukihime's speeches both feeling too damn emo-angst hella self-important (yet laughable) make perfect sense!
There will be paragraphs full of redundant conversations & "how many low-level bargain-priced adjectives can we fit into this description"
In this novel Haruyuki's internal monologues & technobabble of Reverse-The-Polarity nonsense take up more space than they should... but once you get past this, the story is fun!
ok, and for once the artwork making everyone look too damn young is fitting, as the main cast are 13-year-olds. Suddenly Kuroyukihime's speeches both feeling too damn emo-angst hella self-important (yet laughable) make perfect sense!
September 19, 2012
An amazing series. It is a nice way to break out from a usual trend in most light novels. I also love the fact the main character, who is rather chubby, first starts off as a wimp but as the story goes on, he gains confidence.
A job well done by Reki Kawahara.
A job well done by Reki Kawahara.
November 3, 2021
Since I'm enjoying Kawahara's evolution as a writer on the Sword Art Online books, I'm curious to see if the same will hold true of the Accel World series. I saw the anime a few years ago, and again like how it finds interesting ways of exploring societal relationships in the era of full VR immersion, but was put off by its constant use of lolicon and fanservce. This first volume is a nice start. It's still awkward in its wish fulfillment of a socially awkward kid who finds himself bonded to the most beautiful girl in school, but it plays that relationship out in very interesting ways, with his awkwardness being pushed to a realistic level of being a fat, bullied kid almost completely incapable of talking to people (to which I can relate), and her being the literal main villain of this virtual world, one of its top players who turned on her peers, has been ostracized for her quest for the ultimate victory, and is now dealing with lingering regret for losing those she chased away. There's definitely a co-dependency to their relationship that isn't the most positive, as she uses his hapless infatuation to stay grounded, and him learning what he's really capable of comes solely through trying to appeal to her. And yet, the story so far is exploring it as a troubling relationship, where the two are getting something from each other, but it may not be the most healthy of things.
I like how this builds on Sword Art Online (I believe it's set in the same universe, but a few decade later) by adopting the technology to a tournament fighter formula, while also building on the idea of underground gaming with illegal modifications and having to break your systems in order to be a part of the game, to the point where players have to navigate an augmented reality world by turning off their gear when they hit the streets, or they'll just keep getting yanked into battle after battle. The accelerated brain burst is also an interesting concept, allowing for extended play without players giving up time in their lives, but also raising questions of lingering side effects and negative ways in which the tool can be used. It also allows for a young cast who acts more mature than they are because they've technically lived longer than their years in the world of the game. Which also unfortunately fuels the lolicon side, especially when it comes to the awful art inserts.
The mystery of Kuroyukihime's abusive stalker from the shadows is a decent portrayals f the negative side, but it's also a pretty blah story, and the characters of Haru's childhood friends (he has a crush on her, but she's dating the pretty boy) fall into a lot of sleezy friend zone writing, especially a scene where Haru is forced to crawl all over her during an awkward conversation where he's secretly sneaking into her system to check her files.
So not a bad pilot. I know it'll get ookier before long, but again, I'm curious if Kawahara will show that same ability to listen to his critics, challenging himself and growing as a writer, as he showed with SAO.
I like how this builds on Sword Art Online (I believe it's set in the same universe, but a few decade later) by adopting the technology to a tournament fighter formula, while also building on the idea of underground gaming with illegal modifications and having to break your systems in order to be a part of the game, to the point where players have to navigate an augmented reality world by turning off their gear when they hit the streets, or they'll just keep getting yanked into battle after battle. The accelerated brain burst is also an interesting concept, allowing for extended play without players giving up time in their lives, but also raising questions of lingering side effects and negative ways in which the tool can be used. It also allows for a young cast who acts more mature than they are because they've technically lived longer than their years in the world of the game. Which also unfortunately fuels the lolicon side, especially when it comes to the awful art inserts.
The mystery of Kuroyukihime's abusive stalker from the shadows is a decent portrayals f the negative side, but it's also a pretty blah story, and the characters of Haru's childhood friends (he has a crush on her, but she's dating the pretty boy) fall into a lot of sleezy friend zone writing, especially a scene where Haru is forced to crawl all over her during an awkward conversation where he's secretly sneaking into her system to check her files.
So not a bad pilot. I know it'll get ookier before long, but again, I'm curious if Kawahara will show that same ability to listen to his critics, challenging himself and growing as a writer, as he showed with SAO.
November 10, 2018
A middle high school student with zero confidence and a complex with his weight, becomes entangled in a mysterious world in a mysterious network with mysterious characters and a mysterious girl. "アクセル・ワールド 1 -黒雪姫の帰還-" is the first of a very long series of light novels by Reki Kawahara, better known for his "Sword Art Online" series (even if this came first; Internet says by two months, so not really important), that revolves around a network world that plays over the networks that exist for the regular people, a network where time gets stretched and half an hour can go by while in the real world only a couple of seconds have passed... A world that is...
used for levelling up and silly fights?
Yes, that is "アクセル・ワールド 1 -黒雪姫の帰還-" for you. Our hero is invited to this mysterious world by an older student, just so... We never get why she is so interested in him or why she chose him . There, instead of giving him information, she keeps things mysterious and shady and our 'hero' has to go around fighting and leveling up, while a 'bad character' is trying to get to our lady in distress in this mysterious network.
And that is just basically the whole plot of the first book. Our hero is invited to the network, he fights, you can see every plot development for a mile ago, and then... it is finished. Well, sorry, I forgot: .
The best: easy on the eye, words just flow past
The worst: this isn't really a novel: it is a short story overstretched; poor characters, poor story; does Kawahara really expects us to believe the ?; the weird 'sexual' moments that are close to crossing a very disturbing line...
Other options: not an expert on light novels (even if I am getting better), but the "Baccano!" one is way better than this. For sci-fi, or things with connections and all that, "Cryptonomycon" is for you.
4/10
(Original Japanese)
used for levelling up and silly fights?
Yes, that is "アクセル・ワールド 1 -黒雪姫の帰還-" for you. Our hero is invited to this mysterious world by an older student, just so... We never get why she is so interested in him or why she chose him . There, instead of giving him information, she keeps things mysterious and shady and our 'hero' has to go around fighting and leveling up, while a 'bad character' is trying to get to our lady in distress in this mysterious network.
And that is just basically the whole plot of the first book. Our hero is invited to the network, he fights, you can see every plot development for a mile ago, and then... it is finished. Well, sorry, I forgot: .
The best: easy on the eye, words just flow past
The worst: this isn't really a novel: it is a short story overstretched; poor characters, poor story; does Kawahara really expects us to believe the ?; the weird 'sexual' moments that are close to crossing a very disturbing line...
Other options: not an expert on light novels (even if I am getting better), but the "Baccano!" one is way better than this. For sci-fi, or things with connections and all that, "Cryptonomycon" is for you.
4/10
(Original Japanese)
June 5, 2019
What to say about this -- a very interesting concept about speeding up your time when everything around you is running at normal time so your half an hour is mere seconds to everyone else. And of course not everyone can do it making the ability somewhat exclusive gives credence to the reason why Kuroyukihime would consider Haruyuki.
For a system based around "duels" against others there are very few fights in this book, but as Haru is only introduced to the system that sort of makes sense.
I did get a bit tired of reading about how worthless he felt he was, but honestly, that may be because it brought up far too many memories of how I felt to some degree at that age. I certainly didn't have it anywhere near as badly as Haru, but was not part of an 'in' crowd and was something of a loner and bookworm who would rather be left alone so I appreciated that he'd find someplace to escape on his lunch breaks. That being said -- Haru is about the only one who gets a chance to grow in this book. The other leads, or at least strongest side characters, hardly have a chance. But it is a first book in a series and only a couple hundred pages so maybe others will in further volumes.
At the end is this "commentary" by Minoru Kawakami -- skip it. It really did not add anything except perhaps just a different take on the visuals of some of the characters but otherwise... not worth kicking this down to a 3-star review for, but certainly didn't help put it at the 4-star. I'll definitely be reading more.
Verdict -- An interesting premise that starts to come into its stride at the end leaving the reader wanting for more. Worth a look if the premise interests you. Do NOT go into this thinking it is SAO just because Kawahara wrote both.
For a system based around "duels" against others there are very few fights in this book, but as Haru is only introduced to the system that sort of makes sense.
I did get a bit tired of reading about how worthless he felt he was, but honestly, that may be because it brought up far too many memories of how I felt to some degree at that age. I certainly didn't have it anywhere near as badly as Haru, but was not part of an 'in' crowd and was something of a loner and bookworm who would rather be left alone so I appreciated that he'd find someplace to escape on his lunch breaks. That being said -- Haru is about the only one who gets a chance to grow in this book. The other leads, or at least strongest side characters, hardly have a chance. But it is a first book in a series and only a couple hundred pages so maybe others will in further volumes.
At the end is this "commentary" by Minoru Kawakami -- skip it. It really did not add anything except perhaps just a different take on the visuals of some of the characters but otherwise... not worth kicking this down to a 3-star review for, but certainly didn't help put it at the 4-star. I'll definitely be reading more.
Verdict -- An interesting premise that starts to come into its stride at the end leaving the reader wanting for more. Worth a look if the premise interests you. Do NOT go into this thinking it is SAO just because Kawahara wrote both.
May 9, 2023
So, i think the fact that i read this entire light novel in the same day is a good sign.
Stories' about a fat kid who becomes part of this online group that uses their brain abilities to effectively slow down time and fight in avatars in the not too distant future where everyone has Augmented reality and full dives.
Without giving too much away i'll just say the main female in the story takes him under her wing and shows him how to fight in the VR world.
I literally just picked this up because it was a light novel at a half price books, but i ended up enjoying it more than i thought i would. at this point i'm just looking for stories that aren't filled with Gary Stu's and are at least a little bit different and nicely enough, this one does have some different ideas.
The main character has no self esteem whatsoever and is pathetic in his self deprecation, but people still care about him which is cool. and it's not like he's a super attractive dude who hates himself for no reason, he's actually a fat kid who gets bullied so it actually makes sense he doesn't like himself.
The female side lead is all right. she's not perfect even though she appears that way on the outside, and having a flawed romantic interest is neat. I like the fact that they changed a few things so it wasn't like every anime ever.
It deals with his insecurities about himself while actually portraying himself as a likeable if not sad guy which i can appreciate.
All in all, i'm actually looking forward to volume 2 as i already ordered it online having finished this.
let's see where this goes. 3.5 out of 5 rounded up to a 4.
Stories' about a fat kid who becomes part of this online group that uses their brain abilities to effectively slow down time and fight in avatars in the not too distant future where everyone has Augmented reality and full dives.
Without giving too much away i'll just say the main female in the story takes him under her wing and shows him how to fight in the VR world.
I literally just picked this up because it was a light novel at a half price books, but i ended up enjoying it more than i thought i would. at this point i'm just looking for stories that aren't filled with Gary Stu's and are at least a little bit different and nicely enough, this one does have some different ideas.
The main character has no self esteem whatsoever and is pathetic in his self deprecation, but people still care about him which is cool. and it's not like he's a super attractive dude who hates himself for no reason, he's actually a fat kid who gets bullied so it actually makes sense he doesn't like himself.
The female side lead is all right. she's not perfect even though she appears that way on the outside, and having a flawed romantic interest is neat. I like the fact that they changed a few things so it wasn't like every anime ever.
It deals with his insecurities about himself while actually portraying himself as a likeable if not sad guy which i can appreciate.
All in all, i'm actually looking forward to volume 2 as i already ordered it online having finished this.
let's see where this goes. 3.5 out of 5 rounded up to a 4.
October 17, 2018
Being a big fan of the Sword Art Online series of course I had to try Accel World.
While I enjoyed Accel World, It also has a lot things that work against it, A lot of people find the technology of-putting because it doesn't make sense. And while that is true It didn't bother me, it is only mentioned once or twice so it is easy to ignore.
The thing that bothers me the most was the generalization of the characters. Our main hero is fat, ugly, bullied, friendless and his life is horrible. Our main Heroine is beautiful, smart, skinny, populair and is in the student council. We have a childhood friend, who loves the main hero and is energetic.
While that in itself is enough to make me lose some interest the fact that our main heroine falls for the main hero (Surprise) just didn't do it for me.
Fortunately the action is well written, and there is character development. the world-building is wel done and it is written in a way that makes you fly through the pages.
So if only the characters where unique or the interaction between the two more realistic I could have given it more stars but alas that was not the case.
While I enjoyed Accel World, It also has a lot things that work against it, A lot of people find the technology of-putting because it doesn't make sense. And while that is true It didn't bother me, it is only mentioned once or twice so it is easy to ignore.
The thing that bothers me the most was the generalization of the characters. Our main hero is fat, ugly, bullied, friendless and his life is horrible. Our main Heroine is beautiful, smart, skinny, populair and is in the student council. We have a childhood friend, who loves the main hero and is energetic.
While that in itself is enough to make me lose some interest the fact that our main heroine falls for the main hero (Surprise) just didn't do it for me.
Fortunately the action is well written, and there is character development. the world-building is wel done and it is written in a way that makes you fly through the pages.
So if only the characters where unique or the interaction between the two more realistic I could have given it more stars but alas that was not the case.
August 11, 2019
I realized in reading this, the Accel in the title is likely short for Accelerated. There is an interesting virtual world some of the characters can travel to which accelerates your brain waves. You battle other players and start with a set amount of points. If you loose a battle your points are transferred to the other player. Once you've lost all your points, the program uninstalls from the devise and can not be installed ever again.
We follow a high school student, who...I'm just going to leave it as, is not in the best of shape physically speaking. However, he is great mentally and is sought out by a girl on the student council for this acceleration world. She needs his help to find out who a person is from the acceleration world, in the real world since they have figured out who she is and are trying to assassinate her.
The character tracking her down ends up being someone I never saw as this person, but once revealed it totally makes sense. I liked how it all kind of works out for the characters and now need to get the next volume so I can continue reading.
We follow a high school student, who...I'm just going to leave it as, is not in the best of shape physically speaking. However, he is great mentally and is sought out by a girl on the student council for this acceleration world. She needs his help to find out who a person is from the acceleration world, in the real world since they have figured out who she is and are trying to assassinate her.
The character tracking her down ends up being someone I never saw as this person, but once revealed it totally makes sense. I liked how it all kind of works out for the characters and now need to get the next volume so I can continue reading.
February 9, 2017
Ceci est un bon tome introductif d’une série de passage à l’âge adulte, où le héros apprend à sortir de sa coquille et à voir au-delà d’un univers qui était devenu étriqué à cause de ses insécurités. Les fans de jeux vidéos mêlés au monde réel, ainsi que de technologie futuriste ne manqueront pas de l’apprécier. Mais, même si vous êtes comme moi et que ce n’est pas votre tasse de thé, laissez-lui sa chance, les choses sont tellement bien expliquées qu’il n’est nul besoin de s’y connaître !
L'intégralité de ma chronique
L'intégralité de ma chronique
January 10, 2023
Wow, I really powered through this one. Though I have some reservations about the protagonist, my thoughts on this story are primarily favorable. He's so full of self-doubt and self-loathing that it almost makes the story too depressing to read. However, some of the events in the story give the MC reasons to grow out of this very quickly, if the author doesn't ignore it as the story progresses in the next volume. The concept of an accelerated world does give some room for growth not just in the game world it's centered around, but in the MC's real world body as well, it harnessed correctly. We'll see where the story takes us, yes?
December 9, 2017
I finished this book sometime last year and I loved it!! (English edition) and I have yet to get and read Sword Art Online and The Isolator!!:) I love Reki Kawahara’s writing style!!:) Accel World Series is a must read!!:)
May 18, 2019
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I had started watching the anime series, but put it on hold awhile back. Now I feel like continuing again. The light novel really adds a lot by revealing the inner thoughts of the main character. That's what was missing from the anime series.
February 11, 2020
I finished reading this novel in English and have yet to read it in its original Japanese text! This was a good read and fun! I prefer the novels over the anime and manga adaptations! Highly recommend this novel to start off with as well as SAO (Sword Art Online:Aincard)!:)
September 29, 2021
I like this book a lot, it is a bit hard to follow, but the good plot definitely makes up for it. It follows a young boy who is bullied in school, who is taken to a whole new world of his amazement and meets someone who will change his life forever.
November 10, 2022
From the author of Sword Art Online and popular anime back then. Reading this book refresh my memory about this series. Well, quite a good series, hope the next volume would not be filled with filler 🤣
March 21, 2019
Reading LN/Manga and watching TV series trying to be in sync starting from LN->Manga->Anime
March 16, 2022
mặc dù là spin off của SAO thế nhưng cốt truyện vẫn lôi cuốn đến từng chi tiết sắc sảo trong từ lời kể nhân vật đa dạng có màu sắc riêng so 10/10
March 17, 2022
A pathetic loser otaku’s wet dream. So juvenile, way to go making everyone unlikable with their stupid teenage angst and drama.
October 27, 2025
Don't judge a book by it's cover. The story itself is miles better than my first impression of the cover.
The way the author crafts sentences is truly brilliant, and the way the self-esteem issues of the MC were portrayed was age-appropiate and convincing.
What was lacking however were the battles, and the finale especially was not satisfying at all. The conclusion seems rushed, like the author was trying to gloss over the entire build up of the story and pretend interpersonal relationships can change on a whim, just like that.
The way the author crafts sentences is truly brilliant, and the way the self-esteem issues of the MC were portrayed was age-appropiate and convincing.
What was lacking however were the battles, and the finale especially was not satisfying at all. The conclusion seems rushed, like the author was trying to gloss over the entire build up of the story and pretend interpersonal relationships can change on a whim, just like that.
Read
July 27, 2020Klappentext: Wie sehr sich unsere Welt auch weiterentwickelt, es wird immer Kinder geben, die von anderen gehänselt werden. Zu diesen zählt auch der dicke dreizehnjährige Haruyuki. Entspannung findet er in seinem Leben einzig und allein beim Squash spielen im lokalen Netzwerk seiner Schule. Dort verwandelt er sich in einen virtuellen Avatar und kann sich darauf konzentrieren, einfach möglichst schnell zu sein.
So verbringt er ganz wie gewohnt den Herbst, als er plötzlich Kuroyukihime begegnet, dem schönsten und erhabensten Mädchen der ganzen Schule. Und sein Leben ändert sich mit einem Schlag komplett. Kuroyukihime schickt ihm ein merkwürdiges Programm und führt ihn in eine »beschleunigte Welt« ein. Von dem Moment an ist der sonst stets verspottete Haruyuki ein »Burst Linker« und muss ritterhaft seine Prinzessin beschützen.
Cover: Wunderschön! Ich muss es mir ständig anschauen, weil es einfach perfekt ist. Das Mädchen darauf ist sicher Kuroyukihime, das "schwarze Schneewittchen". Allerdings frage ich mich, warum sie auf dem Cover blaue Haare hat, denn im Buch wird sie mit schwarzen Haaren beschrieben.
Meine Meinung: Auf den ersten Blick könnte man denken, es handelt sich bei "Accel World - Die Rückkehr des schwarzen Schneewittchens" um einen Manga, aber es ist ein "richtiges" Buch. Trotzdem müssen die Manga-Fans nicht enttäuscht sein, denn es gibt auch eine Manga-Version und einen Anime davon.
Eigentlich bin ich ja kein Science-Fiction-/Online-Game-Fan, aber dieses Buch hat mich wirklich begeistert.
Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und die Geschichte spannend und emotional. Ich konnte mir alle technischen Neuheiten, vom Schulnetzwerk über die Neuro Linker bis zu "Brain Burst" gut vorstellen.
Haruyuki ist ein ziemlich untypischer Protagonist: 13 Jahre alt, übergewichtig und deswegen ein Mobbingopfer. Um für kurze Zeit seinem echten Leben zu entfliehen spielt er im lokalen Netzwerk der Schule Squash. Dabei stellt er unglaubliche Rekorde auf, wodurch er Kuroyukihime auffällt. Sein Avatar im Schulnetzwerk ist ein pinkfarbenes Ferkel. Ich finde seinen Charakter ziemlich süß und er tut mir leid, weil er wirklich kein leichtes Leben hat.
Kuroyukihime geht in die 8. Klasse, ist stellvertretende Schulsprecherin und das hübscheste und beliebteste Mädchen der Schule. "Kuroyukihime" ist eigentlich nur ein Spitzname und bedeutet "schwarzes Schneewittchen", was auf ihr Aussehen anspielt. Man könnte meinen, sie hätte ein perfekte Leben, aber das stimmt nicht. Ich mochte sie unglaublich gern, weil sie so geheimnisvoll und Haruyuki ganz ohne irgendwelche Vorurteile hilft.
Meiner Meinung nach ist die Geschichte für beide Geschlechter gut geeignet, weil weder zu viel Liebe noch zu viel Action darin vorkommt.
Außerdem finden sich im Buch einige wunderschöne, farbige Manga-Zeichnungen von den Charakteren sowie einigen wichtigen Szenen.
Fazit: Ich liebe dieses Buch! Es hat außergewöhnliche Charaktere, eine spannende Geschichte, wunderschöne Zeichnungen und einen Cliffhanger der anderen Art, der einen sehnsüchtig auf den zweiten Band warten lässt. Ich könnte mir gut vorstellen, dass das Buch für Manga-Leser, die nicht viele "echte" Bücher lesen und Leute, die sich an Manga herantasten wollen, geeignet ist.
5 von 5 Sternen!
So verbringt er ganz wie gewohnt den Herbst, als er plötzlich Kuroyukihime begegnet, dem schönsten und erhabensten Mädchen der ganzen Schule. Und sein Leben ändert sich mit einem Schlag komplett. Kuroyukihime schickt ihm ein merkwürdiges Programm und führt ihn in eine »beschleunigte Welt« ein. Von dem Moment an ist der sonst stets verspottete Haruyuki ein »Burst Linker« und muss ritterhaft seine Prinzessin beschützen.
Cover: Wunderschön! Ich muss es mir ständig anschauen, weil es einfach perfekt ist. Das Mädchen darauf ist sicher Kuroyukihime, das "schwarze Schneewittchen". Allerdings frage ich mich, warum sie auf dem Cover blaue Haare hat, denn im Buch wird sie mit schwarzen Haaren beschrieben.
Meine Meinung: Auf den ersten Blick könnte man denken, es handelt sich bei "Accel World - Die Rückkehr des schwarzen Schneewittchens" um einen Manga, aber es ist ein "richtiges" Buch. Trotzdem müssen die Manga-Fans nicht enttäuscht sein, denn es gibt auch eine Manga-Version und einen Anime davon.
Eigentlich bin ich ja kein Science-Fiction-/Online-Game-Fan, aber dieses Buch hat mich wirklich begeistert.
Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und die Geschichte spannend und emotional. Ich konnte mir alle technischen Neuheiten, vom Schulnetzwerk über die Neuro Linker bis zu "Brain Burst" gut vorstellen.
Haruyuki ist ein ziemlich untypischer Protagonist: 13 Jahre alt, übergewichtig und deswegen ein Mobbingopfer. Um für kurze Zeit seinem echten Leben zu entfliehen spielt er im lokalen Netzwerk der Schule Squash. Dabei stellt er unglaubliche Rekorde auf, wodurch er Kuroyukihime auffällt. Sein Avatar im Schulnetzwerk ist ein pinkfarbenes Ferkel. Ich finde seinen Charakter ziemlich süß und er tut mir leid, weil er wirklich kein leichtes Leben hat.
Kuroyukihime geht in die 8. Klasse, ist stellvertretende Schulsprecherin und das hübscheste und beliebteste Mädchen der Schule. "Kuroyukihime" ist eigentlich nur ein Spitzname und bedeutet "schwarzes Schneewittchen", was auf ihr Aussehen anspielt. Man könnte meinen, sie hätte ein perfekte Leben, aber das stimmt nicht. Ich mochte sie unglaublich gern, weil sie so geheimnisvoll und Haruyuki ganz ohne irgendwelche Vorurteile hilft.
Meiner Meinung nach ist die Geschichte für beide Geschlechter gut geeignet, weil weder zu viel Liebe noch zu viel Action darin vorkommt.
Außerdem finden sich im Buch einige wunderschöne, farbige Manga-Zeichnungen von den Charakteren sowie einigen wichtigen Szenen.
Fazit: Ich liebe dieses Buch! Es hat außergewöhnliche Charaktere, eine spannende Geschichte, wunderschöne Zeichnungen und einen Cliffhanger der anderen Art, der einen sehnsüchtig auf den zweiten Band warten lässt. Ich könnte mir gut vorstellen, dass das Buch für Manga-Leser, die nicht viele "echte" Bücher lesen und Leute, die sich an Manga herantasten wollen, geeignet ist.
5 von 5 Sternen!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews