What do you think?
Rate this book
Occultic;Nine Light Novel #1
Occultic;Nine: Volume 1
Q: Do you believe in ghosts?
A: Of course not!
Yuta Gamon, a young boy who lives in Kichijoji, runs an occult blog called "Kirikiri Basara." He spends his days dreaming of making a fortune off his affiliate links. What starts off as a tiny feeling that something's wrong develops into a case that goes beyond imagining. Suddenly, Yuta brings together the fates of nine strangers.
Black magic, the afterlife, psychics, fortune-telling, other dimensions, prophecies, hypnosis, urban legends...
The world is filled with flim-flam!
This is first book in the Paranormal NVL Occultic;Nine series, from the mind behind Steins;Gate and Chaos;Child! Now a hit anime, too!
A: Of course not!
Yuta Gamon, a young boy who lives in Kichijoji, runs an occult blog called "Kirikiri Basara." He spends his days dreaming of making a fortune off his affiliate links. What starts off as a tiny feeling that something's wrong develops into a case that goes beyond imagining. Suddenly, Yuta brings together the fates of nine strangers.
Black magic, the afterlife, psychics, fortune-telling, other dimensions, prophecies, hypnosis, urban legends...
The world is filled with flim-flam!
This is first book in the Paranormal NVL Occultic;Nine series, from the mind behind Steins;Gate and Chaos;Child! Now a hit anime, too!
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2014
46 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 26, 2017
Excerpt from Author Afterword:
Now, how did you enjoy the first volume? […] To be honest, though I’m not satisfied with it at all! I mean, who wants a novel that ends like this? Man, I hated to end it this way. I could’ve gone on for 1,500 pages if they’d let me.
My stories are always incredibly long to begin with. All the descriptions are rambling, and a lot of it isn’t needed at all.
I realized when I was working on this that pro authors are a whole different breed, aren’t they? They write exactly what they need to and no more. Their stories are beautiful and polished, like a poem, and the scenes go naturally from one to another. My stories aren’t like that at all. I’m no good. No good at all.
[…]
Like I just said, the stories I write are really rambling. Most of the big reveals tend to take place in the second half, and I don’t reveal much about who’s really behind things. I always think that if some big villain shows up all of a sudden, it makes things feel fake and less real.
I thought about this problem up until the last minute for this book, and right before the deadline, I added in the scenes marked “MMG.”
In other words, they didn’t exist not that long ago, lol. I’m not sure if adding them was the right thing to do, but this work has a lot of information in it, and my goal this time was to keep that information from being tilted too much in any one direction. […]
Basically this isn’t a complete novel, it sets up plot points and introduces characters (but not all of them), as well as some back story, but nothing really concludes.
It seems like the author is doing that thing that TV shows keep doing, where they show something then go back a few days or hours before to show what led up to that scene. Just the author went from day 3/1 in chapter 1 to 2/11 in chapter 2, and by the end of the book he’s only at day 2/24. Looking at the excerpt for the next book, it ends on day 2/29. So maybe this is a trilogy? That’d be nice, not too dragged out.
Things finally start to come together and move near the end of the book, but just know that nothing is really resolved and this book mostly introduces potential story threads and characters.
Oh excluding the 3rd person POV chapters (aka MMG chapters) the author alternates between 1st person POV for each character. Which sucks, if you’re writing multiple character POVs just write in 3rd person POV, why use 1st person POV at all? But thankfully the author not only makes it clear in the title of the chapter whose POV it is, in the color illustrations the characters are shown, named, and even have their occupation written (ex/ Website Admin, Student; Out of Body Experiencer, Bill Collector). It really helps.
Again, it’s not clear what’s going on or where this story is going (other than towards a lake full of black bags that definitely contain bodies), possible storylines are shown (like hey make me a drawing of a child kidnapping box for reasons not specified) that could be important but also could not be. A man’s felt dragged out because it took so long to get there. All this happens in different chapters.
Basically a lot of time felt wasted on things and people that may or may not matter. So go in more to learn about the characters than for the story. Surely (?) it will all get tied up, just not in this book.
Also most of the characters are teenagers which might be why this book comes off as juvenile at times.
Final Thoughts: I don’t know if this is a good or bad book, but the fact the author clearly labeled each chapter so it’s easy to know who was narrating, and that he acknowledged his own faults in the afterward, make me feel hopeful for the next vol. I think I’ll buy the kindle version instead of the print one though. Less money and its already out so I’ll be able to read it before I forget everything.
Feels like my reviews end up rambling and can me shortened without losing anything. Should I work on that?
Now, how did you enjoy the first volume? […] To be honest, though I’m not satisfied with it at all! I mean, who wants a novel that ends like this? Man, I hated to end it this way. I could’ve gone on for 1,500 pages if they’d let me.
My stories are always incredibly long to begin with. All the descriptions are rambling, and a lot of it isn’t needed at all.
I realized when I was working on this that pro authors are a whole different breed, aren’t they? They write exactly what they need to and no more. Their stories are beautiful and polished, like a poem, and the scenes go naturally from one to another. My stories aren’t like that at all. I’m no good. No good at all.
[…]
Like I just said, the stories I write are really rambling. Most of the big reveals tend to take place in the second half, and I don’t reveal much about who’s really behind things. I always think that if some big villain shows up all of a sudden, it makes things feel fake and less real.
I thought about this problem up until the last minute for this book, and right before the deadline, I added in the scenes marked “MMG.”
In other words, they didn’t exist not that long ago, lol. I’m not sure if adding them was the right thing to do, but this work has a lot of information in it, and my goal this time was to keep that information from being tilted too much in any one direction. […]
Basically this isn’t a complete novel, it sets up plot points and introduces characters (but not all of them), as well as some back story, but nothing really concludes.
It seems like the author is doing that thing that TV shows keep doing, where they show something then go back a few days or hours before to show what led up to that scene. Just the author went from day 3/1 in chapter 1 to 2/11 in chapter 2, and by the end of the book he’s only at day 2/24. Looking at the excerpt for the next book, it ends on day 2/29. So maybe this is a trilogy? That’d be nice, not too dragged out.
Things finally start to come together and move near the end of the book, but just know that nothing is really resolved and this book mostly introduces potential story threads and characters.
Oh excluding the 3rd person POV chapters (aka MMG chapters) the author alternates between 1st person POV for each character. Which sucks, if you’re writing multiple character POVs just write in 3rd person POV, why use 1st person POV at all? But thankfully the author not only makes it clear in the title of the chapter whose POV it is, in the color illustrations the characters are shown, named, and even have their occupation written (ex/ Website Admin, Student; Out of Body Experiencer, Bill Collector). It really helps.
Again, it’s not clear what’s going on or where this story is going (other than towards a lake full of black bags that definitely contain bodies), possible storylines are shown (like hey make me a drawing of a child kidnapping box for reasons not specified) that could be important but also could not be. A man’s felt dragged out because it took so long to get there. All this happens in different chapters.
Basically a lot of time felt wasted on things and people that may or may not matter. So go in more to learn about the characters than for the story. Surely (?) it will all get tied up, just not in this book.
Also most of the characters are teenagers which might be why this book comes off as juvenile at times.
Final Thoughts: I don’t know if this is a good or bad book, but the fact the author clearly labeled each chapter so it’s easy to know who was narrating, and that he acknowledged his own faults in the afterward, make me feel hopeful for the next vol. I think I’ll buy the kindle version instead of the print one though. Less money and its already out so I’ll be able to read it before I forget everything.
Feels like my reviews end up rambling and can me shortened without losing anything. Should I work on that?
February 7, 2017
(For those interested in this book, it is officially available in English currently as a Digital-Only release (Kindle, iOS, etc). On July 4th, 2017 there will be a Print edition made available.)
Very pleased to come across another solid Japanese teen-novel once again. Occultic;Nine's English translation comes from J-Novel Club, who are among the various newcomers in Japanese "Light Novel" translation, and have proven to have a keener insight into the diversity of Japanese teen literature than other publishers out there. If you've become disenchanted with groups like Seven Seas whose sole interest lies in translating trope-splashed "Harem" series', then J-Novel Club provides a brief, refreshingly diverse selection.
[To clarify, Light Novels are not Teen/YA novels. LN refers solely to the complexity of kanji used in the Japanese original. That said, most LN being translated are Teen/YA novels, and there has been some confusion that one is also the other. They are not the same though.]
Occultic;Nine itself is a series I have personally been eager for. Author Chiyomaru Shikura is also the creator/writer of the Visual-Novel "Steins;Gate," which I find to be one of the most compelling and exciting science-fiction stories of the current century. Occultic;Nine, despite the name, is a sci-fi novel as well; while the story is indeed centered on the occult (and nine core protagonists), the way the occult is handled in the story is that it has been contested that there is a scientific-method available for assessing occult-related incidents, or things which cannot be explained by available scientific methods. The effect is that it provides, however fictitious it may be, a scientific-lens to things such as fortune-telling and ghosts, and inspires a more scientific quality rather than fantastic.
This initial entry in the series is similar to most other light-novels. The basic elements are introduced, and teases a more exciting, determined future installment. In the case of Occultic;Nine volume 1, the book is mostly a big stretch of character introductions on account of there being so many, all of which display the usual singularity of Japanese pop-media characters upon introduction. Gamon is the perverted main loner; Ryotasu is the big breasted imbecile; Sarai the oh-so-serious scientist, etc etc. If this sounds predictable that's because it is; it can safely be expected that each character will undergo appropriate adult-formation throughout, so Gamon will become confident and Sarai will stop being such a dick, etc.
This lack of originality aside, the intrigue I feel for the series lies in the core premise of scientific occult studies, and how this will eventually come about to shape the plot into something remarkably complex and strange. The first volume begins with a foreshadow of what is to come: more than 200 people drown themselves at once in a lake. Why is this? As volume 1 introduces its set of realities, that fortune telling and ghosts and general oddity can indeed be real and even validated through certain "magnetic" sciences, how this is going to fit in and shape the eventual arrival of the drowning scene (and whatever comes after) is strange and exciting.
Yes, it's another Japanese teen-novel that leans far too heavily on established conventions, but it's one that I do believe will reach stronger, more original plateau than others, if only because of the author's excellent work with his Steins;Gate series. If you're on the fence I'd suggest waiting just a month longer; Volume 2 of Occultic;Nine is being translated into English in late February (digital-only again), and from there it will be easier to gauge whether this series is something special, or just another trivial trope-wash.
And for those familiar with English light-novel translations, be assured that Occultic;Nine is handled well. Not to say that it's poetic or bears even remote concentrations of skillful or original language usage, but that it is translated, at the very least, functionally and cleanly. Whatever shortcomings there are lie probably with the author's design rather than with the translation.
Very pleased to come across another solid Japanese teen-novel once again. Occultic;Nine's English translation comes from J-Novel Club, who are among the various newcomers in Japanese "Light Novel" translation, and have proven to have a keener insight into the diversity of Japanese teen literature than other publishers out there. If you've become disenchanted with groups like Seven Seas whose sole interest lies in translating trope-splashed "Harem" series', then J-Novel Club provides a brief, refreshingly diverse selection.
[To clarify, Light Novels are not Teen/YA novels. LN refers solely to the complexity of kanji used in the Japanese original. That said, most LN being translated are Teen/YA novels, and there has been some confusion that one is also the other. They are not the same though.]
Occultic;Nine itself is a series I have personally been eager for. Author Chiyomaru Shikura is also the creator/writer of the Visual-Novel "Steins;Gate," which I find to be one of the most compelling and exciting science-fiction stories of the current century. Occultic;Nine, despite the name, is a sci-fi novel as well; while the story is indeed centered on the occult (and nine core protagonists), the way the occult is handled in the story is that it has been contested that there is a scientific-method available for assessing occult-related incidents, or things which cannot be explained by available scientific methods. The effect is that it provides, however fictitious it may be, a scientific-lens to things such as fortune-telling and ghosts, and inspires a more scientific quality rather than fantastic.
This initial entry in the series is similar to most other light-novels. The basic elements are introduced, and teases a more exciting, determined future installment. In the case of Occultic;Nine volume 1, the book is mostly a big stretch of character introductions on account of there being so many, all of which display the usual singularity of Japanese pop-media characters upon introduction. Gamon is the perverted main loner; Ryotasu is the big breasted imbecile; Sarai the oh-so-serious scientist, etc etc. If this sounds predictable that's because it is; it can safely be expected that each character will undergo appropriate adult-formation throughout, so Gamon will become confident and Sarai will stop being such a dick, etc.
This lack of originality aside, the intrigue I feel for the series lies in the core premise of scientific occult studies, and how this will eventually come about to shape the plot into something remarkably complex and strange. The first volume begins with a foreshadow of what is to come: more than 200 people drown themselves at once in a lake. Why is this? As volume 1 introduces its set of realities, that fortune telling and ghosts and general oddity can indeed be real and even validated through certain "magnetic" sciences, how this is going to fit in and shape the eventual arrival of the drowning scene (and whatever comes after) is strange and exciting.
Yes, it's another Japanese teen-novel that leans far too heavily on established conventions, but it's one that I do believe will reach stronger, more original plateau than others, if only because of the author's excellent work with his Steins;Gate series. If you're on the fence I'd suggest waiting just a month longer; Volume 2 of Occultic;Nine is being translated into English in late February (digital-only again), and from there it will be easier to gauge whether this series is something special, or just another trivial trope-wash.
And for those familiar with English light-novel translations, be assured that Occultic;Nine is handled well. Not to say that it's poetic or bears even remote concentrations of skillful or original language usage, but that it is translated, at the very least, functionally and cleanly. Whatever shortcomings there are lie probably with the author's design rather than with the translation.
January 31, 2022
Occultic;Nine could be so much more than it is. I like the plot and how interconnected every character is without even knowing it. Really, the foundation of the series is strong; the author seemed to have done plenty of research and planning. However, I found that certain topics and descriptions in this volume really detracted from the relatively grim subject matter. It's a light novel, of course, so I don't know what else I expected. But it was disappointing nonetheless.
I am seriously beyond tired of middle aged male writers using their obnoxious self-insert otaku characters as excuses to say horrible things. The sheer misogyny, homophobia, and overall pervertedness in this light novel was quite painful to read and even more painful when one realizes that the author almost certainly agrees with the opinions he presents in his works. Shocking, right? My biggest complaint with this book are the descriptions of Narusawa Ryoka, who the main character Gamon Yuta introduces by saying, and I quote, "...damned if her boobs weren't bouncing! Her gigantic, watermelon-sized boobs!"
This is a high school aged girl. There is no possible way to defend this.
Anyway, I only finished this novel because I liked the anime when I was younger. On top of that, it was a very quick read. It's such a shame that genuinely good premises are destroyed by inane prose and disgusting, unnecessary language.
I am seriously beyond tired of middle aged male writers using their obnoxious self-insert otaku characters as excuses to say horrible things. The sheer misogyny, homophobia, and overall pervertedness in this light novel was quite painful to read and even more painful when one realizes that the author almost certainly agrees with the opinions he presents in his works. Shocking, right? My biggest complaint with this book are the descriptions of Narusawa Ryoka, who the main character Gamon Yuta introduces by saying, and I quote, "...damned if her boobs weren't bouncing! Her gigantic, watermelon-sized boobs!"
This is a high school aged girl. There is no possible way to defend this.
Anyway, I only finished this novel because I liked the anime when I was younger. On top of that, it was a very quick read. It's such a shame that genuinely good premises are destroyed by inane prose and disgusting, unnecessary language.
February 26, 2017
Occultic Nine, one of J-Novel Club's few light novels that has a separate anime edition (the other being Grimgar), this version of the same story adds more context that the faster paced TV version lacked. This isn't your average light novel in that it has a lot of shifting perspectives, similar to a Baccano or Durarara, and it is fairly long for an LN. The focus is on the Occult, as to be expected from the title. If anyone can be said to be our main character, it is Yuta Gamon (Gamotan), a runner of an anti-Occult web blog that serves to bring together Twitter and 4Chan trolls to attack news stories about hearsay rumors.
The opening novel serves to introduce us to our cast, and there is some work to be done by the reader to put together connections between characters and events, though the mystery elements aren't too major yet, and the book will often clue you in later about connections afterwards.
This series has gotten some criticism that I think is valid in terms of its representation of a certain female character in Ryuton, the large chested dunce character. Other than her, there are some other questionable contents, like cursing, unhealthy love of a brother (not necessarily sexualized, but more crazed attachment), and an extremely brief doujinishi perverted manga description. It's not something I would recommend for younger audiences basically.
The opening novel serves to introduce us to our cast, and there is some work to be done by the reader to put together connections between characters and events, though the mystery elements aren't too major yet, and the book will often clue you in later about connections afterwards.
This series has gotten some criticism that I think is valid in terms of its representation of a certain female character in Ryuton, the large chested dunce character. Other than her, there are some other questionable contents, like cursing, unhealthy love of a brother (not necessarily sexualized, but more crazed attachment), and an extremely brief doujinishi perverted manga description. It's not something I would recommend for younger audiences basically.
December 6, 2016
Occultic;Nine is quickly becoming not only my favorite light novel series but also my new obsession. It has very much the same feel as the Steins;Gate visual novel, so if you enjoyed that then definitely give this book at try.
November 19, 2017
Occultic;Nine was written by the same author that brought us Steins;Gate, one of the best stories ever. If you're familiar with it, you know it's got super weird characters, looks goofy but has a super serious plot running in the background and is quite complex.
So, does that work on a Light Novel format. Nope. It does not! However, if you read it as "Part 1" of a long story, it works beautifully. Will that resonate with most Light Novel fans? Probably not.
I for one quite liked it! Would have given it a 5 star if it was longer, I was itching for more when I finished the book. Will definitely be picking up the 2nd volume, I'm really curious to see what follows!
So, does that work on a Light Novel format. Nope. It does not! However, if you read it as "Part 1" of a long story, it works beautifully. Will that resonate with most Light Novel fans? Probably not.
I for one quite liked it! Would have given it a 5 star if it was longer, I was itching for more when I finished the book. Will definitely be picking up the 2nd volume, I'm really curious to see what follows!
September 22, 2018
I enjoyed the book except when it was from Yuta’s perspective, this character together with Ryoka can be quite obnoxious so, I’m glad the rest of the cast is far more interesting. I like it when stories are based on science and there seems to be an intriguing plot going on. This book leaves you with a feeling that the story has been laid out and all the cards are about to be played. I want to know more about the other characters!
September 8, 2017
The story starts slowly but the end of the first volume leaves you with an ending that will want you to get the second one. Cant wait fort it. =)
Read
October 22, 2023Yuta Gamon é dono de um blog sobre supostos casos sobrenaturais. O que começa como uma tentativa de ganhar dinheiro na internet o atira no meio de uma intriga que envolve assassinatos, magia negra e uma série de outros mistérios.
Occultic;Nine é a primeira série de livros do escritor Chiyomaru Shikura, mais conhecido pelo seu trabalho em Steins;Gate e outros jogos do estilo visual novel. Neste primeiro volume, desde o primeiro capítulo o autor faz uso de sua habilidade de criar personagens marcantes e situações inusitadas que despertam a curiosidade.
O foco dos capítulos se alterna entre um grupo de personagens – Yuta Gamon, blogueiro e estudante do ensino médio; Sarai Hashigami, cientista e estudante; Aria Kurenaino, usuária de magia negra que faz serviços por encomenda; Myuu Aikawa, vidente e celebridade online; Shun Moritsuka, detetive; Todo Sumikaze, escritora de uma revista; e Ririka Nishizono, desenhista de mangás eróticos. Cada capítulo é escrito em primeira pessoa e traz os pontos de vista dos personagens em situações a princípio isoladas, que tem como elemento em comum o fato de passarem no bairro de Kichijoji, um distrito de Tóquio que é uma área repleta de acontecimentos insólitos na história. Pouco a pouco as atividades e buscas dos personagens de conectam, e o livro prepara o cenário para acontecimentos futuros de maneira instigante.
O texto é dinâmico no estabelecimento dos mistérios e no desenvolvimento do cenário de fantasia urbana, e as ilustrações de Pako são vibrantes e complementam perfeitamente a energia da história. Os personagens são pitorescos e, mesmo que caiam em alguns clichês, possuem vozes distintas e aspectos memoráveis. Algumas poucas partes da prosa tendem ao juvenil, principalmente nos capítulos de Yuta Gamon, um NEET declarado que atenta frequentemente aos peitos de sua amiga, a enigmática Ryoka Narusawa. Apesar de compatíveis com a personalidade do personagem, tais observações acabam sendo maçantes em alguns momentos pelo fato de ocorrerem em excesso na primeira parte da história.
A crítica mais significativa cabe ao final do livro: não há uma conclusão propriamente dita, mas sim uma pausa no enredo após uma intensa reviravolta na trama (o próprio autor expressa frustração com esse aspecto no posfácio, explicando que não teve escolha no acordo com a editora). Mesmo sendo uma série, a falta de qualquer tipo de conclusão é um fator significativo que pode incomodar. Porém, contanto que o leitor esteja preparado para tal e propenso a ler o volume seguinte, não é um ponto que faça tanta diferença ou que diminua a qualidade intrínseca do texto.
Occultic;Nine é a primeira série de livros do escritor Chiyomaru Shikura, mais conhecido pelo seu trabalho em Steins;Gate e outros jogos do estilo visual novel. Neste primeiro volume, desde o primeiro capítulo o autor faz uso de sua habilidade de criar personagens marcantes e situações inusitadas que despertam a curiosidade.
O foco dos capítulos se alterna entre um grupo de personagens – Yuta Gamon, blogueiro e estudante do ensino médio; Sarai Hashigami, cientista e estudante; Aria Kurenaino, usuária de magia negra que faz serviços por encomenda; Myuu Aikawa, vidente e celebridade online; Shun Moritsuka, detetive; Todo Sumikaze, escritora de uma revista; e Ririka Nishizono, desenhista de mangás eróticos. Cada capítulo é escrito em primeira pessoa e traz os pontos de vista dos personagens em situações a princípio isoladas, que tem como elemento em comum o fato de passarem no bairro de Kichijoji, um distrito de Tóquio que é uma área repleta de acontecimentos insólitos na história. Pouco a pouco as atividades e buscas dos personagens de conectam, e o livro prepara o cenário para acontecimentos futuros de maneira instigante.
O texto é dinâmico no estabelecimento dos mistérios e no desenvolvimento do cenário de fantasia urbana, e as ilustrações de Pako são vibrantes e complementam perfeitamente a energia da história. Os personagens são pitorescos e, mesmo que caiam em alguns clichês, possuem vozes distintas e aspectos memoráveis. Algumas poucas partes da prosa tendem ao juvenil, principalmente nos capítulos de Yuta Gamon, um NEET declarado que atenta frequentemente aos peitos de sua amiga, a enigmática Ryoka Narusawa. Apesar de compatíveis com a personalidade do personagem, tais observações acabam sendo maçantes em alguns momentos pelo fato de ocorrerem em excesso na primeira parte da história.
A crítica mais significativa cabe ao final do livro: não há uma conclusão propriamente dita, mas sim uma pausa no enredo após uma intensa reviravolta na trama (o próprio autor expressa frustração com esse aspecto no posfácio, explicando que não teve escolha no acordo com a editora). Mesmo sendo uma série, a falta de qualquer tipo de conclusão é um fator significativo que pode incomodar. Porém, contanto que o leitor esteja preparado para tal e propenso a ler o volume seguinte, não é um ponto que faça tanta diferença ou que diminua a qualidade intrínseca do texto.
July 20, 2018
"There is no such thing as the 'Occult' - it can all be disproved with Science. Only those who have accepted the everything have the right to know the Truth..." (Tagline)
Occultic;Nine is a brand new story by Chiyomaru Shikura, best known as the creator of "Steins;Gate" though this story isn't a part of the shared universe of Shikura's previous works. It's modern day Tokyo and the plot centres on nine individuals all connected to the Occult Blog "Kirikiri Basara" which seeks to investigate and debunk urban legends, horror stories and the like. But otherworldly incidents are occurring throughout the city - strangers committing mass suicides, a witch who curses people for the right price and a demon that stalks the night. These aberrant mysteries threaten to swallow the heroes' lives and shatter their sense of common sense forever. This first Volume was a fantastic start to this exciting new series. The characters are diverse and well rounded, the plot is dark but still humorous and there are many clues allowing you to put together the pieces to the mysteries if you're clever enough (or just re-read it enough times like me). I'd definitely recommend this series for anyone who has enjoyed Shikura's previous works or just wants a suspenseful thriller with a Sci-Fi bend.
(As a side note, I'd recommend starting the novels before tackling the anime as for as much as I liked it, the anime cut out a lot of stuff from the novels and the pacing can reach ridiculous levels that turned many people away.)
Occultic;Nine is a brand new story by Chiyomaru Shikura, best known as the creator of "Steins;Gate" though this story isn't a part of the shared universe of Shikura's previous works. It's modern day Tokyo and the plot centres on nine individuals all connected to the Occult Blog "Kirikiri Basara" which seeks to investigate and debunk urban legends, horror stories and the like. But otherworldly incidents are occurring throughout the city - strangers committing mass suicides, a witch who curses people for the right price and a demon that stalks the night. These aberrant mysteries threaten to swallow the heroes' lives and shatter their sense of common sense forever. This first Volume was a fantastic start to this exciting new series. The characters are diverse and well rounded, the plot is dark but still humorous and there are many clues allowing you to put together the pieces to the mysteries if you're clever enough (or just re-read it enough times like me). I'd definitely recommend this series for anyone who has enjoyed Shikura's previous works or just wants a suspenseful thriller with a Sci-Fi bend.
(As a side note, I'd recommend starting the novels before tackling the anime as for as much as I liked it, the anime cut out a lot of stuff from the novels and the pacing can reach ridiculous levels that turned many people away.)
February 14, 2024
I’ve watched the anime a long, LONG time ago and never finished it. But I found the light novel at a Half Price Books not too long ago, and finally decided to give it a shot.
Given it’s been years since the release of the simulcast anime, everything was a hazy fog when it came to remembering key plot points and twists. Some of the writing is a bit… hokey(?) to say the least, especially when it comes to the net speak and some heavy use of the F Slur. The first half is interesting but not as fun as the latter half. I do wish that they quit focusing on the body of one of the main characters (they seriously mention her breast size at least 6 times, like it’s a character trait to be proud of), but other than that, the cast of characters and their POVs lay down a good outline for the later volumes. Hopefully when I track down Volume 2, some of these issues will have resolved. Who knows? Not me lol
Given it’s been years since the release of the simulcast anime, everything was a hazy fog when it came to remembering key plot points and twists. Some of the writing is a bit… hokey(?) to say the least, especially when it comes to the net speak and some heavy use of the F Slur. The first half is interesting but not as fun as the latter half. I do wish that they quit focusing on the body of one of the main characters (they seriously mention her breast size at least 6 times, like it’s a character trait to be proud of), but other than that, the cast of characters and their POVs lay down a good outline for the later volumes. Hopefully when I track down Volume 2, some of these issues will have resolved. Who knows? Not me lol
January 3, 2019
The light novel Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura is a story about the occult, urban legends, and belief versus science and cold facts. Half a dozen very different people’s lives begin to intertwine in different, unexpected ways. All the while, there is a question that begs to be answered – is the occult real, and can science prove its existence?
The narrative follows several characters, all very different and from different walks of life – a teenage psychic with an online show, an anti-occult blog runner, the owner of a shop that specializes in curses, and a scientist trying to prove the soul is real, among others. Each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, the narrative jumping from one person to another as the story unfolds. At first, the only connection between these characters is the fact that they all live or work in roughly the same area, and they are all somehow connected to the occult. These seemingly separate narratives slowly begin to entwine. Stakes are raised, slowly at first but with a frantic, panicked state towards the end of the volume, resulting in a truly suspenseful cliffhanger of a conclusion.
Each character’s voice is incredibly distinct. Even without the identifying information at the opening of each chapter it is quite easy to differentiate one character from another. This is partially due to the following of conventional character tropes, at least to a point. Gamon is the pervy teenage boy, Ryotasu is a bit of an airhead with a large chest. But if these characters follow the sort of conventions we expect, the plot certainly doesn’t. Some of the characters I liked more than others, which is to be expected. Gamon I found annoying, especially at first. But as the story progresses and we are able to see him through the eyes of other characters, I didn’t find myself feeling quite the same way anymore. If Gamon rubs you the wrong way, stick the first chapter out. There are a lot of other voices within this light novel, and you won’t be hearing solely from this character.
Much of the first part of the book is devoted to setting the stage. We meet one character after another, establishing their personalities, backgrounds, and stances on the occult. Whispers of larger happenings are also introduced – 200 people have drowned in a certain lake, for example, and no one knows why. The sort of urban legends every city has come up with more frequency, and the unexplainable begins to occur. These odd happenings begin having a more direct effect on the characters, and enter the narrative in a bit more direct way.
It is towards the second half of the novel that the real plot begins to form. Character’s lives between to intertwine in interesting, if foreseeable, ways. Stakes rise, slowly at first, but with growing intensity. By the end it is a truly suspenseful read, one that had be on the edge of my seat and very thankful I already had the second the volume.
I think it’s important to note that this light novel is written by the creator of Steins;Gate. It is easy to see the plot turning into the sort of large, sweeping thing that Steins;Gate is. However, this translates a bit rockily into a light novel format, something the author himself admits in an afterword. Much of the first part of the book is devoted to setting up characters and plot, and the ending has one of the most intense cliffhangers I’ve come across in quite some time. This is a very good story, one I enjoyed immensely, but the story arc doesn’t conclude in one volume, as many light novels do. Readers should be prepared to purchase or borrow a copy of the second volume upon finishing the first (as long as you’ve been enjoying the story, that is).
I would highly recommend picking up a copy of Occultic;Nine Vol 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura. I truly loved this light novel. It was a ‘stay up until 4am so I can finish this’ read of the sort I haven’t come across in some time. I’ve already moved on to the second volume. I cannot wait to see where the story will take me.
This review and more can be found at Looking Glass Reads.
I received a copy of this light novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2017
This book doesn't have a lot of plot, and reads more like a first chapter than a novel of its own.
With that said, it's a good first chapter. There's a large variety of characters, so you never have time to get bored with any of them.
Translation-wise, I do have some complaints. At least twice a chapter or so, there were missing words or some other obvious error that could have been fixed easily. Style-wise, though, the translator did a good job, so I won't complain too much.
With that said, it's a good first chapter. There's a large variety of characters, so you never have time to get bored with any of them.
Translation-wise, I do have some complaints. At least twice a chapter or so, there were missing words or some other obvious error that could have been fixed easily. Style-wise, though, the translator did a good job, so I won't complain too much.
February 10, 2017
A very good book, but sometimes a tad juvenile.
It was hard for me to read though, since it's told entirely from a first person point of view with multiple characters, and chapters are very much like separate short stories.
It was hard for me to read though, since it's told entirely from a first person point of view with multiple characters, and chapters are very much like separate short stories.
January 8, 2018
A solid beginning to what I'm hoping is a great story.
April 23, 2020
An interesting but slow paced introduction to the series
July 22, 2020
Everything was great except for Yuta and Ryoka, those two are fucking obnoxious. I might not pick the next book because of them.
June 5, 2025
i like occultic nine but is a novel and anime incomplet
August 22, 2022
A bit disjointed in the beginning, but things start to flow together near the end. One of the "Nine" doesn't show up in this book technically so it's weird to put him on the cover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
What can I say about Oc9?
This was one of the best stories I have read and watched the last season, good and complex plot, great and very well done mystery that don't spoon feed you and interesting and complex unlikable characters, the third book will be super exciting when it come out, if it come out, and the VN look super pretty...
It was a very good read, better than the anime indeed, but the anime is also fun, if you cannot wait for the third volume please see it, but don't trust that ending, the book will not end like that(I wish it don't end like that), that's only one of the last.
Also by the way, Chiyomaru Shikura its not the writer of the SciADV, he's the director, the SciADV writter its Naotaka Hayashi (who basically wrote the entirety of Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate) and many others.
So Oc9 it's its first written works beside musical lyrics and composition and for being a first work it's very, very good and it's very well written (he got a lot of experience directing SciADV), the plot it's interesting too, and if you like SciADV you will love it, if you only like Steins;Gate... first, don't talk to me, second, you don't like SciADV so this it's not for you.
ah!, pardon that outburst, I don't like the toxic part of the SCiADV fanbase franchise
Also this book don't have a normal ending, it have a no ending, because the Japanese editors split the first book in two, the real ending it's in the second book, and even if it look as an no ending too, it is, it's the end of the first ark of the story, commenting more will be spoilers.
Occultic;Nine it's a fine Light Novel book and a good contact with SVN and SciADV(even if the SciADV it's fictional inside the SVN), you can try it even if you don't like anime and manga, this can pass as a normal young adult book, so if you like urban fantasy with colourful characters, a good mystery and a ghost story unlike any other, this is your book.
well first and second part.
And now, let's wait for the third one, whatever it may be and let's hope the visual Novel get's licensed for the true ending.
This was one of the best stories I have read and watched the last season, good and complex plot, great and very well done mystery that don't spoon feed you and interesting and complex unlikable characters, the third book will be super exciting when it come out, if it come out, and the VN look super pretty...
It was a very good read, better than the anime indeed, but the anime is also fun, if you cannot wait for the third volume please see it, but don't trust that ending, the book will not end like that(I wish it don't end like that), that's only one of the last.
Also by the way, Chiyomaru Shikura its not the writer of the SciADV, he's the director, the SciADV writter its Naotaka Hayashi (who basically wrote the entirety of Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate) and many others.
So Oc9 it's its first written works beside musical lyrics and composition and for being a first work it's very, very good and it's very well written (he got a lot of experience directing SciADV), the plot it's interesting too, and if you like SciADV you will love it, if you only like Steins;Gate... first, don't talk to me, second, you don't like SciADV so this it's not for you.
ah!, pardon that outburst, I don't like the toxic part of the SCiADV fanbase franchise
Also this book don't have a normal ending, it have a no ending, because the Japanese editors split the first book in two, the real ending it's in the second book, and even if it look as an no ending too, it is, it's the end of the first ark of the story, commenting more will be spoilers.
Occultic;Nine it's a fine Light Novel book and a good contact with SVN and SciADV(even if the SciADV it's fictional inside the SVN), you can try it even if you don't like anime and manga, this can pass as a normal young adult book, so if you like urban fantasy with colourful characters, a good mystery and a ghost story unlike any other, this is your book.
well first and second part.
And now, let's wait for the third one, whatever it may be and let's hope the visual Novel get's licensed for the true ending.
October 4, 2025
A good start and more appropriate pacing compared to the anime adaptation. The variety of perspectives we get to see from the assortment of characters is quite fun. Like the other entires of the SciADV series, there is a mystery left to unravel before the reader, so to say much about the story is to take away from the enjoyment of reading it yourself.
February 5, 2017
This was actually really frustrating to read. Most light novels have self-contained stories, this one very definitely did not. Felt like the first third of a book.
April 10, 2024
A fun read with fun characters. Also Occultic;Nine references things in the larger Sci;Adv universe and I love trying to piece that stuff together.
March 30, 2017
La verdad es que no puedo esperar a tener la edición en papel para poder releerla, se nota que está bien cuidada la traducción y que hay un trabajo detrás de ello. Usualmente no leo tanto en inglés pero tras ver el anime y enamorarme de la historia, fue necesario que le diese su oportunidad.
La historia tiene esos cambios de escenario y múltiples personajes que te hacen recordar a Ryogo Narita, pero el autor encuentra su manera de diferenciarse sin problema en estilo. Hace que uno se encariñe rápidamente con sus personas y que comiencen las hipótesis sobre lo que ocurre, que se esfuerce en tomar atención a los más mínimos detalles. Me pasó mucho el detenerme y decir "wow" cuando unía las piezas, debo sin duda leerme la segunda parte pronto.
Totalmente recomendada, para ser el primer trabajo que leo de este autor, debo decir que he quedado atada a leer todo lo demás que encuentre de él.
La historia tiene esos cambios de escenario y múltiples personajes que te hacen recordar a Ryogo Narita, pero el autor encuentra su manera de diferenciarse sin problema en estilo. Hace que uno se encariñe rápidamente con sus personas y que comiencen las hipótesis sobre lo que ocurre, que se esfuerce en tomar atención a los más mínimos detalles. Me pasó mucho el detenerme y decir "wow" cuando unía las piezas, debo sin duda leerme la segunda parte pronto.
Totalmente recomendada, para ser el primer trabajo que leo de este autor, debo decir que he quedado atada a leer todo lo demás que encuentre de él.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews