What do you think?
Rate this book
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Light Novel #18
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 18
A TASTE OF HOME
When Yuna stops by Talgwei, the mythical floating island that roams the world, she discovers a new, unfamiliar land across the sea. It turns out to be a dream come true and soon, Yuna arrives in the Land of Wa! There, she can finally get her fill of her beloved Japanese cuisine and take a dip in the hot springs. But not everything is peaceful in her fantasy home away from home. Soon, a mysterious ninja girl appears before her, and Yuna learns that the Land of Wa is in great peril. What new adventures will unfold in this foreign, yet familiar land?
When Yuna stops by Talgwei, the mythical floating island that roams the world, she discovers a new, unfamiliar land across the sea. It turns out to be a dream come true and soon, Yuna arrives in the Land of Wa! There, she can finally get her fill of her beloved Japanese cuisine and take a dip in the hot springs. But not everything is peaceful in her fantasy home away from home. Soon, a mysterious ninja girl appears before her, and Yuna learns that the Land of Wa is in great peril. What new adventures will unfold in this foreign, yet familiar land?
- GenresLight NovelFantasy
338 pages, Paperback
First published December 25, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 14, 2024
This was… so gay!? Unexpectedly, delightfully gay.
So, to start - I have long believed Yuna to be asexual & aromantic. This book strengthens that belief to the nth degree. Like - there were *so* many moments… She just wants to be left alone with her found family of children that she takes care of. No romance here, no siree.
That said, I also believe that there is some comp-het elements there, and also some potential sapphic leanings.
At no point in this entire series has Yuna found a male at all attractive or described them as such. At best, she finds them irrelevant, at worst she seems actively repulsed. 10/10, gold star.
However, this is actively different when she describes women and girls her own age. Putting aside the issue of her insecurities (she has a small chest and is painfully insecure about it), she is complimentary & favourable in her description of women, made more obvious in direct contrast of her internal dialogue re: men.
That all aside, I now bring us to the secondary (and main) reason this volume reads as so incredibly queer: Shinobu.
Shinobu is a girl Yuna’s age (a notable rarity given that most people Yuna encounters are children or adults; Yuna is 16 as of the start of the series) who she encounters shortly after entering the Kingdom of Wa. To put it shortly: the text reads (heavily implies) that Shinobu is both into women and half in love with Yuna specifically. This is laughed off for the most part (also where the comp-het elements really start to shine) but obvious even in the dialogue alone - in both Yuna’s POV as well as Shinobu’s POV.
Very much gives the vibes of first girl crush that you don’t fully realise is a crush until you look back on it years later and go “ohhhhhhhh, yeah that makes a *lot* of sense…”
To clarify: it really doesn’t seem like Yuna reciprocates these feelings, and I’m not entirely sure Shinobu realises that she herself is romantically interested in Yuna, but from an outside point of view it is incredibly obvious. At first I was like “surely not…?” but then it *kept* *happening*. I have so many notes and highlighted passages I could pull out to support this but quite frankly I can’t be bothered so you’re going to have to believe me on this one.
All that is to say: another fun adventure. Loved the unexpected queer stuff, can’t wait to read more!
So, to start - I have long believed Yuna to be asexual & aromantic. This book strengthens that belief to the nth degree. Like - there were *so* many moments… She just wants to be left alone with her found family of children that she takes care of. No romance here, no siree.
That said, I also believe that there is some comp-het elements there, and also some potential sapphic leanings.
At no point in this entire series has Yuna found a male at all attractive or described them as such. At best, she finds them irrelevant, at worst she seems actively repulsed. 10/10, gold star.
However, this is actively different when she describes women and girls her own age. Putting aside the issue of her insecurities (she has a small chest and is painfully insecure about it), she is complimentary & favourable in her description of women, made more obvious in direct contrast of her internal dialogue re: men.
That all aside, I now bring us to the secondary (and main) reason this volume reads as so incredibly queer: Shinobu.
Shinobu is a girl Yuna’s age (a notable rarity given that most people Yuna encounters are children or adults; Yuna is 16 as of the start of the series) who she encounters shortly after entering the Kingdom of Wa. To put it shortly: the text reads (heavily implies) that Shinobu is both into women and half in love with Yuna specifically. This is laughed off for the most part (also where the comp-het elements really start to shine) but obvious even in the dialogue alone - in both Yuna’s POV as well as Shinobu’s POV.
Very much gives the vibes of first girl crush that you don’t fully realise is a crush until you look back on it years later and go “ohhhhhhhh, yeah that makes a *lot* of sense…”
To clarify: it really doesn’t seem like Yuna reciprocates these feelings, and I’m not entirely sure Shinobu realises that she herself is romantically interested in Yuna, but from an outside point of view it is incredibly obvious. At first I was like “surely not…?” but then it *kept* *happening*. I have so many notes and highlighted passages I could pull out to support this but quite frankly I can’t be bothered so you’re going to have to believe me on this one.
All that is to say: another fun adventure. Loved the unexpected queer stuff, can’t wait to read more!
April 14, 2024
Another exciting start to adventure
I was excited to read this, and three or so hours later, I think that excitement was justified, to a point. This book is not the adventure in itself, but it is the lead up to what sounds like a doozy of a time in volume 19.
Wa sounds like what Yuna was hoping/thinking it would be ever since finding out about it way back in Mileela several volumes ago. Rice, tatami, soy sauce, eels, and other Japanese-style things are the norm there. We do spend a lot of the book farting about with a ninja-like girl named Shinobu who feels like a tangent, but there is a point to her presence. Kumamakyu and Kumayuru (spelling?) seem to be expanding their personalities a lot, which is fun and makes them seem less like stuffed animals and a little less ‘flat’. So that was great :)
Really looking forward to volume 19 and the adventure Kumanano set up here :)
I was excited to read this, and three or so hours later, I think that excitement was justified, to a point. This book is not the adventure in itself, but it is the lead up to what sounds like a doozy of a time in volume 19.
Wa sounds like what Yuna was hoping/thinking it would be ever since finding out about it way back in Mileela several volumes ago. Rice, tatami, soy sauce, eels, and other Japanese-style things are the norm there. We do spend a lot of the book farting about with a ninja-like girl named Shinobu who feels like a tangent, but there is a point to her presence. Kumamakyu and Kumayuru (spelling?) seem to be expanding their personalities a lot, which is fun and makes them seem less like stuffed animals and a little less ‘flat’. So that was great :)
Really looking forward to volume 19 and the adventure Kumanano set up here :)
April 11, 2024
Another issue of a guilty pleasure
A.cliffhanger? A CLIFFHANGER!. WHAT TH'WHAT?!! A.vile underhanded cash grab of an ending!! Gaah! Gaaaaah! What a low shabby thing to do. Makes me want to wash my hands just thinking about it!If the author's a no talent penny a word hack.that's one thing but this writer obviously is better than that.I'll expect better next time🤔
A.cliffhanger? A CLIFFHANGER!. WHAT TH'WHAT?!! A.vile underhanded cash grab of an ending!! Gaah! Gaaaaah! What a low shabby thing to do. Makes me want to wash my hands just thinking about it!If the author's a no talent penny a word hack.that's one thing but this writer obviously is better than that.I'll expect better next time🤔
Read
April 19, 2024This one was a lot of fun and makes me wish that there were more isekai stories set in an ancient Japan rather than western medieval
July 13, 2024
Can't wait for the next
December 26, 2024
Still amazing, but this one got a four because personally I find misunderstandings and distrust a hugely frustrating read.
March 18, 2026
Yuna arrives in Wu (Japan) and meets Shinobu the shinobi, and gets pulled into local issues.
I like these books.. yes kinda short, really, but fun.
I like these books.. yes kinda short, really, but fun.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews