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Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts #1
バカとテストと召喚獣 1 [Baka to Tesuto to Shoukanjuu]
Machine translated description:
"This classroom hate Ja there !!" Aho of Akihisa cried. Here Fumizuki school, it is strictly classified in the results of the promotion test. A class that smart ass gather's Air-Conditioned in reclining seat, but only tatami lowest F class of equipment is rotten and undue profits Table in his Ile. Akihisa because of the brave girl, Mizuki that yearn secretly, start Yuji the pair fueled class war of the assembled representatives. It will use the test summon the school was developed, was a dangerous gamble that take away the top of the classroom!? 8th Entertainment Award editorial department special prize winners.
Original:
「こんな教室は嫌じゃああっ!!」アホの明久は叫んだ。ここ文月学園では、進級テストの成績で厳しくクラス分けされる。秀才が集まるAクラスはリクライニングシートに冷暖房完備だが、彼のいる最低Fクラスの備品はボロい卓袱台と腐った畳だけ。明久は密かに憧れる健気な少女・瑞希の為、組代表の雄二をたきつけ対クラス戦争を始める。それは学園が開発した試験召喚獣を使い、上位の教室を奪うという危険な賭けだった!?第8回えんため大賞編集部特別賞受賞作。
"This classroom hate Ja there !!" Aho of Akihisa cried. Here Fumizuki school, it is strictly classified in the results of the promotion test. A class that smart ass gather's Air-Conditioned in reclining seat, but only tatami lowest F class of equipment is rotten and undue profits Table in his Ile. Akihisa because of the brave girl, Mizuki that yearn secretly, start Yuji the pair fueled class war of the assembled representatives. It will use the test summon the school was developed, was a dangerous gamble that take away the top of the classroom!? 8th Entertainment Award editorial department special prize winners.
Original:
「こんな教室は嫌じゃああっ!!」アホの明久は叫んだ。ここ文月学園では、進級テストの成績で厳しくクラス分けされる。秀才が集まるAクラスはリクライニングシートに冷暖房完備だが、彼のいる最低Fクラスの備品はボロい卓袱台と腐った畳だけ。明久は密かに憧れる健気な少女・瑞希の為、組代表の雄二をたきつけ対クラス戦争を始める。それは学園が開発した試験召喚獣を使い、上位の教室を奪うという危険な賭けだった!?第8回えんため大賞編集部特別賞受賞作。
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 15, 2011
So the English title for this is "Idiots, Tests and Summoned Beasts" (though the anime adaptation is being distributed in the US as "Baka and Test: Summoned Beasts," because leaving random words in the title untranslated makes it look cool -- or something).
I'm going to pretend that this novel is actually a satire of the Japanese education system, because the idea that someone wrote a book this silly for no purpose doesn't bear countenance. The plot -- and I will try to explain this with a straight face -- concerns a school where students are segregated by test scores: the best and brightest go to Class A, while the idiots are put in Class F. Okay, fairly standard stuff, not too different from the career-track system employed by most First World education systems (the US excepted).
But here's where it gets screwy: classes are allocated resources based upon test results. Class A is completely computerized, video screens everywhere, and the chairs are something the Spanish Inquisition would use. Class F by contrast gets cardboard boxes for desks. And not even sturdy ones. This is all part of a Darwinian experiment by the school. And of course Darwinism requires competition. So the school allows for "wars" between classes, with the victors getting to loot the loser's classroom.
The "wars" consist of battles between avatars -- miniature sized representations of the students that function like characters in martial arts video games, with HP determined by the player's test scores. But don't get the idea that the wars are just students sitting around playing video games. No, the avatars exist in the real world and are implied to be magical in nature.
Still with me?
Now Class F may be filled with the lowest-ranked students in the school, but that doesn't mean they're all idiots. In fact, Mizuki Himeji is the second smartest girl in school, but she got stuck in Class F after becoming ill during finals the year before (the school doesn't believe in make up exams). Similarly, Minami Shimada would probably be in Class C or B except that she was raised overseas and has a weak grasp of kanji. Class President Yuuji Sakamoto is plenty smart but too much of a slacker for his own good, and Kouto "Silent Pervert" Tsuchiya has such high marks in PE that he can defeat even Class A students.
And then there's Our Alleged Hero, Akihisa Yoshii, who genuinely is an idiot -- he is in fact the lowest ranked person in Class F. How dumb is he? Well, his parents are living overseas and send him money each month to take care of himself. He spends it all on video games and manga while subsisting on water, sugar and salt(!)
Class F is none to pleased with their classroom, which is worse than some found in third world countries. Yuuji decides they should launch an assault on Class A and win all their good equipment. But even with the advantages listed above, they're in no condition to take on Class A in a straight fight. Luckily Yuuji proves to be a devious general, and he soon launches a complex stratagem to play the other classes against each other to Class F's advantage.
This has to be a satire of the Japanese education system, right? There must be some meaning to all this. There just has to be. But I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is.
I'm going to pretend that this novel is actually a satire of the Japanese education system, because the idea that someone wrote a book this silly for no purpose doesn't bear countenance. The plot -- and I will try to explain this with a straight face -- concerns a school where students are segregated by test scores: the best and brightest go to Class A, while the idiots are put in Class F. Okay, fairly standard stuff, not too different from the career-track system employed by most First World education systems (the US excepted).
But here's where it gets screwy: classes are allocated resources based upon test results. Class A is completely computerized, video screens everywhere, and the chairs are something the Spanish Inquisition would use. Class F by contrast gets cardboard boxes for desks. And not even sturdy ones. This is all part of a Darwinian experiment by the school. And of course Darwinism requires competition. So the school allows for "wars" between classes, with the victors getting to loot the loser's classroom.
The "wars" consist of battles between avatars -- miniature sized representations of the students that function like characters in martial arts video games, with HP determined by the player's test scores. But don't get the idea that the wars are just students sitting around playing video games. No, the avatars exist in the real world and are implied to be magical in nature.
Still with me?
Now Class F may be filled with the lowest-ranked students in the school, but that doesn't mean they're all idiots. In fact, Mizuki Himeji is the second smartest girl in school, but she got stuck in Class F after becoming ill during finals the year before (the school doesn't believe in make up exams). Similarly, Minami Shimada would probably be in Class C or B except that she was raised overseas and has a weak grasp of kanji. Class President Yuuji Sakamoto is plenty smart but too much of a slacker for his own good, and Kouto "Silent Pervert" Tsuchiya has such high marks in PE that he can defeat even Class A students.
And then there's Our Alleged Hero, Akihisa Yoshii, who genuinely is an idiot -- he is in fact the lowest ranked person in Class F. How dumb is he? Well, his parents are living overseas and send him money each month to take care of himself. He spends it all on video games and manga while subsisting on water, sugar and salt(!)
Class F is none to pleased with their classroom, which is worse than some found in third world countries. Yuuji decides they should launch an assault on Class A and win all their good equipment. But even with the advantages listed above, they're in no condition to take on Class A in a straight fight. Luckily Yuuji proves to be a devious general, and he soon launches a complex stratagem to play the other classes against each other to Class F's advantage.
This has to be a satire of the Japanese education system, right? There must be some meaning to all this. There just has to be. But I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is.
July 14, 2015
So I started reading this series purely based on the title which caught my attention.
Also the book description was pretty vague so I literally had no idea of what am I going to read right now.
I really liked the story. It was something new and refreshing. I was glad that this wasn't your typical harem/ecchi like story. I also hoped that the story wouldn't revolve around Yoshi's romantic life but alas I was mistaken. But at least the class president of the A class is not in love with him.
Also for the first time I must mention the pictures. They were simply stunning and very beautiful.
I enjoyed reading this novel and I recommend it to everyone looking for a light and funny read.
Also the book description was pretty vague so I literally had no idea of what am I going to read right now.
I really liked the story. It was something new and refreshing. I was glad that this wasn't your typical harem/ecchi like story. I also hoped that the story wouldn't revolve around Yoshi's romantic life but alas I was mistaken. But at least the class president of the A class is not in love with him.
Also for the first time I must mention the pictures. They were simply stunning and very beautiful.
I enjoyed reading this novel and I recommend it to everyone looking for a light and funny read.
October 18, 2017
Entertaining read.Light and funny. Watch the anime first, though.
December 15, 2016
3,5 sao
Đây sẽ là một món quà tuyệt vời dành cho những ai còn ngồi trên ghế nhà trường và đang cảm thấy chán nản về vấn đề học tập. Cuốn light novel này tất nhiên là nghiêng về tính giải trí, nhưng đến kết truyện nó cho mình cảm giác bất ngờ khi nói ra những lời khuyên răn hết sức thiết thực và dễ thấm mà không hề mang tính đao to búa lớn.
Cốt truyện đơn giản nhưng rất sáng tạo, nhân vật nào cũng có nét đặc trưng riêng thú vị. Nhịp truyện nhanh, giải quyết gọn, không câu kéo; lời văn, đối thoại giữa các nhân vật thì hết sức linh hoạt, nên khi đọc cũng cần có trí tưởng tượng phong phú 1 chút nếu không có khi lại không theo kịp :). Những điều này có thể vừa là ưu vừa là khuyết điểm, nhưng đối với các sách light novel thì mình không khắc khe cho lắm :).
Mình xem sơ thì thấy bộ này đã ra tới tập 12 rồi @_@, coi nội dung tập 2 thì hình như cũng theo mô tuýp như tập 1. Có lẽ sẽ không theo tiếp bộ này, nhưng mình thấy bản thân tập đầu đã là một cuốn sách hoàn chỉnh rồi, có thể không cần phần tiếp theo cũng đuợc.
Nói chung quyển này về phần ý nghĩa, nội dung, nhân vật, các trận đấu đều không có gì đặc biệt nổi trội hơn những cuốn cùng thể loại, nhưng tất cả các yếu tố đó đều quân bình nhau ở mức ổn chứ không trồi sụt như các cuốn khác, làm cho cuốn truyện trở nên dễ chịu, dễ đọc và mang đến tính giải trí cao. Đây sẽ là một lựa chọn không tồi nếu bạn thích đọc thể loại light novel :).
Đây sẽ là một món quà tuyệt vời dành cho những ai còn ngồi trên ghế nhà trường và đang cảm thấy chán nản về vấn đề học tập. Cuốn light novel này tất nhiên là nghiêng về tính giải trí, nhưng đến kết truyện nó cho mình cảm giác bất ngờ khi nói ra những lời khuyên răn hết sức thiết thực và dễ thấm mà không hề mang tính đao to búa lớn.
Cốt truyện đơn giản nhưng rất sáng tạo, nhân vật nào cũng có nét đặc trưng riêng thú vị. Nhịp truyện nhanh, giải quyết gọn, không câu kéo; lời văn, đối thoại giữa các nhân vật thì hết sức linh hoạt, nên khi đọc cũng cần có trí tưởng tượng phong phú 1 chút nếu không có khi lại không theo kịp :). Những điều này có thể vừa là ưu vừa là khuyết điểm, nhưng đối với các sách light novel thì mình không khắc khe cho lắm :).
Mình xem sơ thì thấy bộ này đã ra tới tập 12 rồi @_@, coi nội dung tập 2 thì hình như cũng theo mô tuýp như tập 1. Có lẽ sẽ không theo tiếp bộ này, nhưng mình thấy bản thân tập đầu đã là một cuốn sách hoàn chỉnh rồi, có thể không cần phần tiếp theo cũng đuợc.
Nói chung quyển này về phần ý nghĩa, nội dung, nhân vật, các trận đấu đều không có gì đặc biệt nổi trội hơn những cuốn cùng thể loại, nhưng tất cả các yếu tố đó đều quân bình nhau ở mức ổn chứ không trồi sụt như các cuốn khác, làm cho cuốn truyện trở nên dễ chịu, dễ đọc và mang đến tính giải trí cao. Đây sẽ là một lựa chọn không tồi nếu bạn thích đọc thể loại light novel :).
November 17, 2023
Dioses, tantas escenas graciosas.
Sí, también hay estrategias, luchas, juego sucio y esas cosas, pero lo más importante son las escenas graciosas (por ahora, al menos)
Siento que al fin puedo reírme del protagonista casi sin remordimiento alguno (acabo de salir directamente de Oregairu, nadie puede juzgarme por esto)
...
¡Además! Yoshii Akihisa es un idiota demasiado amable, y no me refiero únicamente a los estudios (por eso la vida te trata como te trata. Por favor, no cambies nunca —salvo en lo académico. Esfuérzate… más que solo un poco, hombre— y, ya que estamos, procura no destruir propiedad escolar otra vez) Himeji Mizuki no debería acercarse a una cocina en los próximos, no sé, siglos o algo así (no estoy bromeando. Yo no bromeo con la comida) Shimada Minami es aterradora (no, en serio. Esa mujer da miedo, miedo) y Sakamoto Yuuji… ay. Y pensar que lo estaba haciendo tan bien (te mereces que Kirishima te haya arrastrado a una cita, grandísimo…)
Sí, también hay estrategias, luchas, juego sucio y esas cosas, pero lo más importante son las escenas graciosas (por ahora, al menos)
Siento que al fin puedo reírme del protagonista casi sin remordimiento alguno (acabo de salir directamente de Oregairu, nadie puede juzgarme por esto)
...
¡Además! Yoshii Akihisa es un idiota demasiado amable, y no me refiero únicamente a los estudios (por eso la vida te trata como te trata. Por favor, no cambies nunca —salvo en lo académico. Esfuérzate… más que solo un poco, hombre— y, ya que estamos, procura no destruir propiedad escolar otra vez) Himeji Mizuki no debería acercarse a una cocina en los próximos, no sé, siglos o algo así (no estoy bromeando. Yo no bromeo con la comida) Shimada Minami es aterradora (no, en serio. Esa mujer da miedo, miedo) y Sakamoto Yuuji… ay. Y pensar que lo estaba haciendo tan bien (te mereces que Kirishima te haya arrastrado a una cita, grandísimo…)
June 14, 2021
An entertaining read, a lot better than western novels.
July 18, 2015
Silly. That's the best way to describe this "light novel" from Japan. "Light novel" is a gender in the Asian country, which would translate into some kind of Young Adult.
So, what do we have here? We have the worst students (male) in the second year of high school, which have been all put together in F class, with two girls to give some color (one that looks and behaves like a boy, and another which fell into F class because she was sick the day of the test, but who is very smart, and cute and innocent in the "typical Japanese way" (I'm sorry for the choice of words, but this is how Japanese female characters are like in manga, anime, etc...; in addition to that she's a horrible cook, another characteristic that these lovely female characters seem always to have). And they have been put in the worst premises of the school, with rotten tatami, no desks, a broken blackboard... while the smart ones of A class have all they want (personal air conditioner, fridge, reclining seats...; like heaven in school). But there's a catch: you can have some kind of competition with the other classes where, if you win, you can steal their appliances. Is the tournament some kind of race or test? No, is something called 召喚獣 (summoned beasts, which is actually a SD version of the characters of around 80 cm tall and which fights with katanas or similar against the others students' summoned beasts). This fights are based on the students level in the different subjects of school (mathematics, history, etc). Cue students running around school trying to be around the right teacher to fight the other class's students under the most favorable subject. Yeah, it sounds a little strange. And it is. Adding to that, there're some not very important side stories, like Akihisa (the protagonist) relationship with Himeji (the very smart, cute, innocent girl), etc etc, that pop up in all high school stories from Japan.
Strangely enough, the novel grows on you as it advances, even though you would never say it's high literature. The characters are prototypical, and not specially interesting, but are fun enough and the novel is short enough (around 280 pages) that is not a bad option for a hot summer day. On a side note, there seems to be an anime of this of which I don't know anything about, but which fans may like to check. Oh, and there are like 7 sequels to this novel.
Silly.
4,5
So, what do we have here? We have the worst students (male) in the second year of high school, which have been all put together in F class, with two girls to give some color (one that looks and behaves like a boy, and another which fell into F class because she was sick the day of the test, but who is very smart, and cute and innocent in the "typical Japanese way" (I'm sorry for the choice of words, but this is how Japanese female characters are like in manga, anime, etc...; in addition to that she's a horrible cook, another characteristic that these lovely female characters seem always to have). And they have been put in the worst premises of the school, with rotten tatami, no desks, a broken blackboard... while the smart ones of A class have all they want (personal air conditioner, fridge, reclining seats...; like heaven in school). But there's a catch: you can have some kind of competition with the other classes where, if you win, you can steal their appliances. Is the tournament some kind of race or test? No, is something called 召喚獣 (summoned beasts, which is actually a SD version of the characters of around 80 cm tall and which fights with katanas or similar against the others students' summoned beasts). This fights are based on the students level in the different subjects of school (mathematics, history, etc). Cue students running around school trying to be around the right teacher to fight the other class's students under the most favorable subject. Yeah, it sounds a little strange. And it is. Adding to that, there're some not very important side stories, like Akihisa (the protagonist) relationship with Himeji (the very smart, cute, innocent girl), etc etc, that pop up in all high school stories from Japan.
Strangely enough, the novel grows on you as it advances, even though you would never say it's high literature. The characters are prototypical, and not specially interesting, but are fun enough and the novel is short enough (around 280 pages) that is not a bad option for a hot summer day. On a side note, there seems to be an anime of this of which I don't know anything about, but which fans may like to check. Oh, and there are like 7 sequels to this novel.
Silly.
4,5
May 31, 2016
In Baka to Tesuto to Shoukanjuu, - Baka and Test - Akihisa Yoshi ends up in class F - the class for students with the lowest academic scores - and is genuinely shocked to see the brightest student in his year has ended up there. After discovering the cause, Yoshi is furious and makes it his mission to move her to class A. Yoshi and his friends battle it out with the rest of the school in order to complete this mission.
September 18, 2019
nó chỉ là một light novel bình thường thôi, không có kiểu viết như 5cm/s hay khu vườn ngôn từ như ông shinkai makoto đâu, viết cũng rất đời sống thôi nên mấy bạn nào mà quen đọc văn học rồi ấy thì đọc quyển này sẽ thấy nó tệ vl ra ý nhưng nếu đánh giá về mặt nội dung thì mình thấy khá hay và mới mẻ đấy!!!
September 12, 2012
I wasn't really sure how this would come across in written form as opposed to the adaption, but it was actually quite entertaining in it's own right and managed to stand up well enough on it's own. Looking forward to future volumes.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews