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安達としまむら、クリスマスを前にふたりの関係がちょっとだけ動き出す。
入間人間がおくるほのぼの女子高生コメディ。
入間人間がおくるほのぼの女子高生コメディ。
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 13, 2023
Lighthearted and cute! I hate the way same-sex couples are viewed in Japan, it makes me sad.
August 21, 2020
I almost gave this 5 stars just based on how many improvements have been made compared to the first novel. Rather than a Shimamura-heavy narrative focus, this book splits the time evenly between our two leads along with little interludes highlighting the secondary characters.
These in-between chapter sections are also the only time you see Yashiro, who was a total boat anchor in the last book. She even works pretty well here when they pair her up with Shimamura’s younger sister, who is closer to her in terms of goofball energy, and her redemption is a testament to how good the writing is.
But the real stars of the show are, of course, our titular Adachi and Shimamura. Adachi is one of my favourite yuri protagonists ever - she’s drowning in the depths of her massive crush on Shimamura plus wrestling with the dim view those around her would likely take of it plus trying to cope with her social anxiety. She feels so very real and you can’t help but cheer whenever she overcomes an obstacle.
Meanwhile, Shimamura is as insular as ever, but there are cracks starting to show and they’re a welcome touch because she was way too passive in the first book. There’s also a lot going on inside her right now - she clearly has some inkling of what’s brewing beneath the surface with Adachi but is willfully trying to ignore it.
At the same time, the way she is coming to care for Adachi (even if that is sometimes as basic as not being a jerk and trampling on their friendship) is slowly starting to show more and more. Adachi is very direct (if she has the courage) while Shimamura is very subtle, possibly subconsciously, with the way she acts. It’s a fun contrast.
This book is largely focused on Christmas and New Year’s and it ends exactly where it should, with Adachi stewing in her own angst. There’s also a lot of side stuff with Hino and Nagafuji, who get some interesting development. The way Nagafuji accidentally helps Shimamura reconnect with herself is one of my favourite scenes in the book.
Yeah, this is a good book and if the series stays on this level it will be fantastic. I do think Shimamura is written a bit too erudite for her age at times, but that’s really my biggest complaint. Quite the turnaround.
These in-between chapter sections are also the only time you see Yashiro, who was a total boat anchor in the last book. She even works pretty well here when they pair her up with Shimamura’s younger sister, who is closer to her in terms of goofball energy, and her redemption is a testament to how good the writing is.
But the real stars of the show are, of course, our titular Adachi and Shimamura. Adachi is one of my favourite yuri protagonists ever - she’s drowning in the depths of her massive crush on Shimamura plus wrestling with the dim view those around her would likely take of it plus trying to cope with her social anxiety. She feels so very real and you can’t help but cheer whenever she overcomes an obstacle.
Meanwhile, Shimamura is as insular as ever, but there are cracks starting to show and they’re a welcome touch because she was way too passive in the first book. There’s also a lot going on inside her right now - she clearly has some inkling of what’s brewing beneath the surface with Adachi but is willfully trying to ignore it.
At the same time, the way she is coming to care for Adachi (even if that is sometimes as basic as not being a jerk and trampling on their friendship) is slowly starting to show more and more. Adachi is very direct (if she has the courage) while Shimamura is very subtle, possibly subconsciously, with the way she acts. It’s a fun contrast.
This book is largely focused on Christmas and New Year’s and it ends exactly where it should, with Adachi stewing in her own angst. There’s also a lot of side stuff with Hino and Nagafuji, who get some interesting development. The way Nagafuji accidentally helps Shimamura reconnect with herself is one of my favourite scenes in the book.
Yeah, this is a good book and if the series stays on this level it will be fantastic. I do think Shimamura is written a bit too erudite for her age at times, but that’s really my biggest complaint. Quite the turnaround.
April 5, 2021
This volume of AdaShima helps flesh out more of Hino and Nagafuji's relationship, further introduces the mothers of Adachi and Shimamura, and gives our little alien mascot a new friend (Yashiro x Imouto Adachi). The same awkward atmosphere of the first novel is present here, as the two leads take baby steps towards realizing their affection for one another in a world that still mostly is heteronormative.
The big centered event in the volume is Christmas, and how Adachi wants to desperately ask Shima out for the event. As Adachi struggles to plan out and ask out Shima, her struggles and conversations drag Shimamura and Hino + Nagafuji into questions about their own past experiences with friends (Shimamura being reminded of dragging her old 1st grade friend around until they drifted apart when switching classes after a grade; Hino and Nagafuji remembering their gift giving as children, their promises to be friends for life, and just the general sense that their relationship hasn't changed much in the decade since they met... But a hint that Nagafuji and Hino may both want it to change in the romantic direction).
Adachi's awkward fumblings may be infuriating for some to watch. I still kinda like it as someone that was as awkward as these two in highschool. A lot of their school life and anxieties I kinda relate to, even Adachi's whole "White Christmas" date event where she says she'll remember the feeling of the event but not the actions as it was overwhelming. I think we all had those emotional moments, good or bad, that just kind of wash over you later and you bury in your memories. There's a lot of allegory about memories of the past and hopes for the future in this one. Some characters just outright bring up ideas of drifting apart after highschool, and so the time is now to build permanent bonds that their future diverging career paths can't break. The clock is ticking, but it's still a very slow clock. We're on Christmas of their first year still, so we got two more Christmas' to go before we can close the book on their time.
Again, Yashiro and Little Adachi serve as some mild comic relief in the middle of the book with three small interludes. Yashiro, the alien, doesn't really factor in to the rest of the plot too much this volume (she gets mentioned as a potential mascot for Nagafuji's parent's butcher shop as she frequents the place for their croquettes). Yashiro bonds with Little Adachi with her croquettes, and then Little Adachi is challenged by Yashiro to unlock her "secret" (she ties a piece of her blue hair to little Adachi's finger and says it'll come off if she guesses something about the creation of her? Something like that; she curiously says her parents "invented" her hair, and that they themselves were bald, plus she's over 600, and that's about all the hints you'll get about her alien life here).
I'm still pretty happy overall with the movement of the plot. In volume 1, Adachi and Shimamura moved from acquaintances to friends. In volume 2, Adachi is attempting to make them move from friends to "best friends" (though her heart yearns for more). By volume 3 or 4, I wouldn't surprised if Shima has finally accepted Adachi as her best friend or more. And there were a lot of close contact affectionate scenes in this one, even if the relationships are still "platonic". Adachi remains very much in denial about her romantic desire, while Shimamura remains very much unsure of if she's putting in enough effort. Their reluctance to truly talk things out is a problem, but I don't know that it'll be solved so easily (each of them are scared of chasing the other one off). We'll just have to watch these two going forward.
The big centered event in the volume is Christmas, and how Adachi wants to desperately ask Shima out for the event. As Adachi struggles to plan out and ask out Shima, her struggles and conversations drag Shimamura and Hino + Nagafuji into questions about their own past experiences with friends (Shimamura being reminded of dragging her old 1st grade friend around until they drifted apart when switching classes after a grade; Hino and Nagafuji remembering their gift giving as children, their promises to be friends for life, and just the general sense that their relationship hasn't changed much in the decade since they met... But a hint that Nagafuji and Hino may both want it to change in the romantic direction).
Adachi's awkward fumblings may be infuriating for some to watch. I still kinda like it as someone that was as awkward as these two in highschool. A lot of their school life and anxieties I kinda relate to, even Adachi's whole "White Christmas" date event where she says she'll remember the feeling of the event but not the actions as it was overwhelming. I think we all had those emotional moments, good or bad, that just kind of wash over you later and you bury in your memories. There's a lot of allegory about memories of the past and hopes for the future in this one. Some characters just outright bring up ideas of drifting apart after highschool, and so the time is now to build permanent bonds that their future diverging career paths can't break. The clock is ticking, but it's still a very slow clock. We're on Christmas of their first year still, so we got two more Christmas' to go before we can close the book on their time.
Again, Yashiro and Little Adachi serve as some mild comic relief in the middle of the book with three small interludes. Yashiro, the alien, doesn't really factor in to the rest of the plot too much this volume (she gets mentioned as a potential mascot for Nagafuji's parent's butcher shop as she frequents the place for their croquettes). Yashiro bonds with Little Adachi with her croquettes, and then Little Adachi is challenged by Yashiro to unlock her "secret" (she ties a piece of her blue hair to little Adachi's finger and says it'll come off if she guesses something about the creation of her? Something like that; she curiously says her parents "invented" her hair, and that they themselves were bald, plus she's over 600, and that's about all the hints you'll get about her alien life here).
I'm still pretty happy overall with the movement of the plot. In volume 1, Adachi and Shimamura moved from acquaintances to friends. In volume 2, Adachi is attempting to make them move from friends to "best friends" (though her heart yearns for more). By volume 3 or 4, I wouldn't surprised if Shima has finally accepted Adachi as her best friend or more. And there were a lot of close contact affectionate scenes in this one, even if the relationships are still "platonic". Adachi remains very much in denial about her romantic desire, while Shimamura remains very much unsure of if she's putting in enough effort. Their reluctance to truly talk things out is a problem, but I don't know that it'll be solved so easily (each of them are scared of chasing the other one off). We'll just have to watch these two going forward.
October 22, 2020
More gay panic attacks in rural Japan.
The awkward plucking and prying of emotion that defines two girls' pseudo-relationship continues its rocky and uneven progress toward . . . what? Shimamura's nonchalant predilection for simply enduring her teenage years is perhaps the only constant worthy of mention, whereas for Adachi, the girl's slow-burn affection for her best friend spills over and into other facets of her otherwise dull life. ADACHI AND SHIMAMURA #2 is more personable than the previous volume, more efficacious in its voice and tone, and thankfully dumps much of the novel series' mild fascination with magical realism.
Few readers will be surprised to learn that little happens in this novel beyond the worrying and querying of friendship and almost-romance at the prickly fingertips of overly cautious and uncertain youths. This novel series isn't about overt expressions of joy or thanks and it isn't about conscious and deliberate behaviors whose romantic inclinations are obvious at a glance. Nope. ADACHI AND SHIMAMURA #2 is about the unease of knowing just how much is unknown and about raising expectations higher than need be (so that when those expectations are fatefully dashed, the failed accomplishment is easier to accept). This novel is low-key anxiety, from cover to cover.
Less the part-time truants they once were and now the serious-but-not-quite teenagers typical of their station, Shimamura and Adachi approach the year's end with a shrugged shoulder and an arched eyebrow.
Adachi, however, is slowly going out of her mind upon realizing she's sinking deeper and deeper in love with her best buddy. She blushes horribly whenever there is the slightest physical contact. She mumbles her words whenever Shimamura asks her a direct question. She agonizes over sending an email, making a phone call, or responding to an off-topic joke. Adachi spends much of this novel fretting ("Here in the dark, recklessness looked an awful lot like courage, and as a result, I frequently made an ass of myself," p. 76). But Adachi makes good on her internal locus' new love. The question isn't whether she can get closer to Shimamura, the question is whether this newfound closeness will produce the intimacy she so desperately craves.
The narrative split is more balanced in this novel, and as such, readers drift further away from Shimamura's aloofness and more toward Adachi's nervousness in terms of the story's primary guidepost. Splinter plots involving the relationship between their classmates, Nagafuji and Hino, are clever, but ultimately distracting. Overall, ADACHI AND SHIMAMURA #2 is a step-up from the previous installment, containing a stronger emphasis on characterization and a firmer grasp of agency. Here, there are far more idiosyncratic thoughts and behaviors pushing the story forward than in the previous volume.
For example, Adachi is a nervous mess throughout the book ("a flustered little chicken," p. 106), but the author spends more quality time with discerning how and why she's a nervous mess. The girl's home situation is fragile and her reluctance to acknowledge her homoerotic attraction, thankfully, are not taken for granted; readers will appreciate this sentiment.
Further, the author's treatment of Shimamura as unsympathetic but flexible is a slight but acceptable recasting of character. The girl's tendency to go with the flow is articulated as a deliberate act of tolerance rather than an offshoot of latent warm-heartedness. This shift means Shimamura comes off as indifferent and somewhat cold, as opposed to simply lazy. The author's subtle recasting is a peculiar but welcomed adjustment. Now, Shimamura and Adachi's voices and personalities are further apart by a more significant and therefore exploitable margin. Differentiation was a burden of the previous novel, but it appears the author has finagled away around this problem in its entirety.
The awkward plucking and prying of emotion that defines two girls' pseudo-relationship continues its rocky and uneven progress toward . . . what? Shimamura's nonchalant predilection for simply enduring her teenage years is perhaps the only constant worthy of mention, whereas for Adachi, the girl's slow-burn affection for her best friend spills over and into other facets of her otherwise dull life. ADACHI AND SHIMAMURA #2 is more personable than the previous volume, more efficacious in its voice and tone, and thankfully dumps much of the novel series' mild fascination with magical realism.
Few readers will be surprised to learn that little happens in this novel beyond the worrying and querying of friendship and almost-romance at the prickly fingertips of overly cautious and uncertain youths. This novel series isn't about overt expressions of joy or thanks and it isn't about conscious and deliberate behaviors whose romantic inclinations are obvious at a glance. Nope. ADACHI AND SHIMAMURA #2 is about the unease of knowing just how much is unknown and about raising expectations higher than need be (so that when those expectations are fatefully dashed, the failed accomplishment is easier to accept). This novel is low-key anxiety, from cover to cover.
Less the part-time truants they once were and now the serious-but-not-quite teenagers typical of their station, Shimamura and Adachi approach the year's end with a shrugged shoulder and an arched eyebrow.
Adachi, however, is slowly going out of her mind upon realizing she's sinking deeper and deeper in love with her best buddy. She blushes horribly whenever there is the slightest physical contact. She mumbles her words whenever Shimamura asks her a direct question. She agonizes over sending an email, making a phone call, or responding to an off-topic joke. Adachi spends much of this novel fretting ("Here in the dark, recklessness looked an awful lot like courage, and as a result, I frequently made an ass of myself," p. 76). But Adachi makes good on her internal locus' new love. The question isn't whether she can get closer to Shimamura, the question is whether this newfound closeness will produce the intimacy she so desperately craves.
The narrative split is more balanced in this novel, and as such, readers drift further away from Shimamura's aloofness and more toward Adachi's nervousness in terms of the story's primary guidepost. Splinter plots involving the relationship between their classmates, Nagafuji and Hino, are clever, but ultimately distracting. Overall, ADACHI AND SHIMAMURA #2 is a step-up from the previous installment, containing a stronger emphasis on characterization and a firmer grasp of agency. Here, there are far more idiosyncratic thoughts and behaviors pushing the story forward than in the previous volume.
For example, Adachi is a nervous mess throughout the book ("a flustered little chicken," p. 106), but the author spends more quality time with discerning how and why she's a nervous mess. The girl's home situation is fragile and her reluctance to acknowledge her homoerotic attraction, thankfully, are not taken for granted; readers will appreciate this sentiment.
Further, the author's treatment of Shimamura as unsympathetic but flexible is a slight but acceptable recasting of character. The girl's tendency to go with the flow is articulated as a deliberate act of tolerance rather than an offshoot of latent warm-heartedness. This shift means Shimamura comes off as indifferent and somewhat cold, as opposed to simply lazy. The author's subtle recasting is a peculiar but welcomed adjustment. Now, Shimamura and Adachi's voices and personalities are further apart by a more significant and therefore exploitable margin. Differentiation was a burden of the previous novel, but it appears the author has finagled away around this problem in its entirety.
December 13, 2025
An enjoyable, quick, cozy—and coincidentally perfect—read for the month of December 🎅🏻🎄 ho ho ho!
I read this with the audiobook, and the narrator (I believe her name is Analise Scarpaci) did such an amazing job with all the characters that I cannot imagine anyone else voicing them. I totally recommend checking it out, especially if you’re someone like me who gets distracted easily while reading.
Anyway, story-wise, I like it way better than the first book from this series. I still don’t like Adachi as much as I like Shimamura, though. Shimamura is low-key funny, and she’s so nonchalant and easygoing that it’s hard to dislike her. Mild spoiler: Like the random fucking boomerang as a Christmas present??? And the fact that she tested it out first???? Plssss 🤣 It becomes funnier the more I think about it.
Adachi, on the other hand… eh. She’s growing on me, but like really, really—we’re talking snail-pace—slowly here. She’s obsessive (and I get she's a teenager and it's her first love and crush blah blah blah ) but I don't know, I just don’t like how she's (somewhat) taking advantage of Shimamura’s tolerance and kindness and then labelling it as "best friend" stuffs—knowing damn well they are heading for the scissors city 😂
She's also hypocritical and jealous of Hino and Nagafuji—for absolutely no reason at all—even though they've been nothing but kind and welcoming towards her. I hope her character grows on me soon.
Overall, I still had fun reading it and probably will read volume 3.
I read this with the audiobook, and the narrator (I believe her name is Analise Scarpaci) did such an amazing job with all the characters that I cannot imagine anyone else voicing them. I totally recommend checking it out, especially if you’re someone like me who gets distracted easily while reading.
Anyway, story-wise, I like it way better than the first book from this series. I still don’t like Adachi as much as I like Shimamura, though. Shimamura is low-key funny, and she’s so nonchalant and easygoing that it’s hard to dislike her. Mild spoiler: Like the random fucking boomerang as a Christmas present??? And the fact that she tested it out first???? Plssss 🤣 It becomes funnier the more I think about it.
Adachi, on the other hand… eh. She’s growing on me, but like really, really—we’re talking snail-pace—slowly here. She’s obsessive (and I get she's a teenager and it's her first love and crush blah blah blah ) but I don't know, I just don’t like how she's (somewhat) taking advantage of Shimamura’s tolerance and kindness and then labelling it as "best friend" stuffs—knowing damn well they are heading for the scissors city 😂
She's also hypocritical and jealous of Hino and Nagafuji—for absolutely no reason at all—even though they've been nothing but kind and welcoming towards her. I hope her character grows on me soon.
Overall, I still had fun reading it and probably will read volume 3.
January 4, 2022
I was really hoping to finish this before the end of the year so I could watch the anime but that's okay.
I think I enjoyed this more for this first novel. Adachi tendency to overthink reminds me of myself even a decade out of high school though I don't think it was over the same things.
It took until this novel for me to be able to tell who was who talking. I kept mixing up Adachi and Shimamura based on the picture of the cover.
The Christmas 'date' was cute and so was Shimamura talking to Adachi's Mom in the beginning of the novel. I had second hand embarrassment while reading but it turns out it did not go as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The ending with Adachi overthinking if she wants to see Shimamura boobs! I don't know why but it kinda made me laugh. What a way to start the year! XD
I am happy that I have more volumes to look forward to while I am catching up.
I think I enjoyed this more for this first novel. Adachi tendency to overthink reminds me of myself even a decade out of high school though I don't think it was over the same things.
It took until this novel for me to be able to tell who was who talking. I kept mixing up Adachi and Shimamura based on the picture of the cover.
The Christmas 'date' was cute and so was Shimamura talking to Adachi's Mom in the beginning of the novel. I had second hand embarrassment while reading but it turns out it did not go as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The ending with Adachi overthinking if she wants to see Shimamura boobs! I don't know why but it kinda made me laugh. What a way to start the year! XD
I am happy that I have more volumes to look forward to while I am catching up.
December 24, 2022
I enjoy this light novel series with its consistent, low rumbling of overarching themes (fate, coming-of-age, queer identity, and platonic love vs. romantic love) -- all while guiding readers through the humdrum of day-to-day high school life. To Adachi and Shimamura, the small things are big and the big things are small. This particular volume pairs peace with anxiety, centered largely around the Christmas season. In all, Adachi and Shimamura kept me engaged but never on the edge of my seat. "Light" novel, indeed.
June 11, 2021
Sigue el ritmo de la primera entrega. Es muy simple pero también muy natural y real. Iruma sigue siendo especialista en escribir relaciones adolescentes con mucho cariño y una naturalidad apasionante. Adoro no gire todo en el hecho (de forma social, vaya) de que sean dos chicas, sino que simplemente es parte de la obra. Me parece súper cuqui todo lo que hace.
May 29, 2022
Oh just reading the neurosis and panic of being a teen weirdo (queer-do?) in the late 90s, early 2000s... ha ha. Who could relate? Ha ha.
Reading this reminded me of how some things were. I wonder if isolation and panic have reduced in the times of rainbow capitalism prevalence?
Anyway, a very quick and easy read. The slow burn is heating up.
Reading this reminded me of how some things were. I wonder if isolation and panic have reduced in the times of rainbow capitalism prevalence?
Anyway, a very quick and easy read. The slow burn is heating up.
June 27, 2022
Four stars for best improved second volume. Some change of scenery, fleshing out supporting characters, learn more about our mains (such as who is into breasts and who's all about thighs), and a minor formatting switch all make for a better reading experience.
Also, Adachi is like a mirror into my middle school queer questioning self. I am in this picture and I'm kinda okay with it?
Also, Adachi is like a mirror into my middle school queer questioning self. I am in this picture and I'm kinda okay with it?
March 3, 2024
4 stars. The light novels are so much better than the manga. The romance that’s developing doesn’t feel so one sided in the LN’s which I appreciate greatly. Both girls seem to be equally crushing and having gay panic moments. In the manga it was definitely more on Adachi and Shimamura seemed to only tolerate her. I’m enjoying these so much so far and I can’t wait to continue on.
January 3, 2020
Shimamura meets Adachi's mother, and Adachi and Shimamura go on a date for Christmas. Told from the perspectives of both girls about equally, unlike the first book. Hino and Nagafuji each have short sections as well. Yashiro befriends Shimamura's sister along the way. All in all, very satisfying.
October 11, 2023
I took a break midway through reading this one, so I was surprised how easy it was to get back into! I really enjoy this series, however, shimamuras character just seems kind of 'weird' to me? I don't really know how to explain it.
Anyway, adachi goated fr
Anyway, adachi goated fr
March 16, 2020
入間真的很碎碎念...
難怪我電波女與青春男看不下去
安達越來越病嬌啦~
下一集會病大於嬌嗎???
情感很單純
思緒卻很糾結
這是屬於少年的特權啊!!
難怪我電波女與青春男看不下去
安達越來越病嬌啦~
下一集會病大於嬌嗎???
情感很單純
思緒卻很糾結
這是屬於少年的特權啊!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2022
Pierde bastante el foco de la historia y acaban siendo más interesantes las historias paralelas.
August 31, 2023
This series is so cute
March 5, 2024
Really good, also finished it in like a day. I wish Shimamura was a *little* more expressive but maybe that will change as their relationship changes.
April 7, 2024
adachi is so cute
August 19, 2025
i liked this one significantly less but the side stories were sweet
November 6, 2025
i read a review of book 1 where someone called adachi a "disaster lesbian". as a disaster lesbian myself, i loved this book.
June 28, 2022
Christmas is coming and Adachi puts into action her convoluted plan to not only ensure Shimamura gets her gift but also to ensure that the day is a perfect chance to spend with her. This volume finally breaks the Shimamura monopoly on the narrative that caused the first volume to drag more than necessary; Yashiro, that weird astronaut girl, is confined to the interlude chapters and doesn’t dominate the story as in the first volume. For these two reasons alone, the second volume is already better than the first.
Adachi and Shimamura are the star attractions of this story, especially Adachi who continues to drown in her own angst and feelings towards Shimamura. She has to deal with her own social anxiety, the traditional views of small-town Japan that would likely disapprove of her and Shimamura, and Shimamura herself, who, despite improve from the last volume, is still insular and passive. Though, she’s slowly making progress and coming to care for Adachi in her own way.
Gay panic attacks in small-town Japan continue and the novel ends perfectly on Adachi and her unresolved feelings. Such an improvement over the first volume – the series can only get better if it maintains this style and level of writing.
Adachi and Shimamura are the star attractions of this story, especially Adachi who continues to drown in her own angst and feelings towards Shimamura. She has to deal with her own social anxiety, the traditional views of small-town Japan that would likely disapprove of her and Shimamura, and Shimamura herself, who, despite improve from the last volume, is still insular and passive. Though, she’s slowly making progress and coming to care for Adachi in her own way.
Gay panic attacks in small-town Japan continue and the novel ends perfectly on Adachi and her unresolved feelings. Such an improvement over the first volume – the series can only get better if it maintains this style and level of writing.
November 8, 2022
yesss gay people!!!
December 25, 2025
Adachi is too gay to function and Shimamura is too gay to realize she's gay, or something.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews