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ヘテロゲニア リンギスティコ ~異種族言語学入門~ [Heterogenia Linguistico ~Ishuzoku Gengogaku Nyuumon~] #1
Heterogenia Linguistico: An Introduction to Interspecies Linguistics, Vol. 1
When his mentor is injured, novice linguist Hakaba is appointed to take over the professor's research in the Netherworld! Though Hakaba has studied the languages of werewolves, lizardpeople, and other Netherworld races from afar, this will be his first field experience coming face-to-face with those so many of his fellow humans have dubbed "monsters." Guided by Susuki, the professor's half-werewolf daughter (?!), Hakaba begins his quest for a greater understanding of the ways people of the Netherworld communicate-even if it does get a bit...hairy at times...!
178 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 15, 2021
Was für ein schönes Manga-Highlight, das die Lingustin in mir an jeder Stelle erfreut hat.
Grandios, wie viel man über Zoosemiotik Paralingustik und Bioakustik aus einem Manga lernen kann und wie vielfältig das fantastische Setting sich zeigt. Sehr begeistert. ♥️
Grandios, wie viel man über Zoosemiotik Paralingustik und Bioakustik aus einem Manga lernen kann und wie vielfältig das fantastische Setting sich zeigt. Sehr begeistert. ♥️
January 2, 2021
The anthropologist in me loves this manga - learning the culture and languages of mythological creatures by living with them. Awesome concept!
January 29, 2021
A young linguist's mentor has been injured on duty, so it's up to him to do an anthropological study of the peoples and languages of the netherworld. The netherworld is where monsters live: werewolves, harpies, and so on.
This manga got off to a rocky start when our protagonist (I don't recall if he was ever named) visits a werewolf village and finds that his mentor sired a half-werewolf child there. That's a serious ethics violation for an anthropologist, not to mention it feels a lot like bestiality, since the werewolves are essentially bipedal dogs. That's... not my kink.
But the manga as a whole doesn't continue in this vein. It's more of an on-foot exploration of the netherworld, stopping by various places to learn about creatures' customs, food, and handiwork, and how they communicate.
There's no story to it, and the "characters" are more character designs than personalities. At heart it's infotainment about a fictional place. When it comes to manga like this, I prefer a cozy feeling to a discomfiting one. The discomfort is pretty mild--teen level at worst--of the "they eat what?" variety. Nothing egregious, but it's not to my taste, either. This was yet another one my partner passed on to me to try. In this case, neither of us are very motivated to continue with it.
This manga got off to a rocky start when our protagonist (I don't recall if he was ever named) visits a werewolf village and finds that his mentor sired a half-werewolf child there. That's a serious ethics violation for an anthropologist, not to mention it feels a lot like bestiality, since the werewolves are essentially bipedal dogs. That's... not my kink.
But the manga as a whole doesn't continue in this vein. It's more of an on-foot exploration of the netherworld, stopping by various places to learn about creatures' customs, food, and handiwork, and how they communicate.
There's no story to it, and the "characters" are more character designs than personalities. At heart it's infotainment about a fictional place. When it comes to manga like this, I prefer a cozy feeling to a discomfiting one. The discomfort is pretty mild--teen level at worst--of the "they eat what?" variety. Nothing egregious, but it's not to my taste, either. This was yet another one my partner passed on to me to try. In this case, neither of us are very motivated to continue with it.
Read
February 21, 2025A wonderfully quirky and odd premise: an inquisitive linguist traveling in the Otherworld, earnestly stumbling through modes of communication and social interaction totally foreign to humankind (and dutifully recording them in his notebook, because he is, endearingly, eager to learn and to understand). Thoroughly enjoyable, partly for the gentle humor, and partly for the sheer inventiveness of the Otherworld customs and linguistic details. Looking forward to volume 2!
(As an added personal pleasure, I was able to bring to my reading so much of what I have learned or absorbed about manga, Japanese storytelling—and culture more generally—from two long-time friends: the very friends who gave me the book to begin with! How perfect.)
(As an added personal pleasure, I was able to bring to my reading so much of what I have learned or absorbed about manga, Japanese storytelling—and culture more generally—from two long-time friends: the very friends who gave me the book to begin with! How perfect.)
January 11, 2021
'Heterogenia Linguistico' is a manga in the style of something that I'm not sure is large enough to be its own genre, but feels like it should be - someone (mostly) calmly exploring a fantasy world and explaining/discovering it bit by bit, usually through some particular specific lens - in this case, nonhuman languages. With notes from his mentor (who has made these journeys before, and even married a werewolf), Hakaba travels and attempts to talk to numerous fantastical creatures, learn about their lives and civilizations, and record all the ways that language is shaped by the bodies and needs of its users. It's a fun and calm little story, sedately paced as he encounters each new species. It really makes me think of Martha Wells' Books of the Raksura (start with The Cloud Roads) which are a bit more of an adventure, but also about a world full of lots of different styles of people, with different bodies and needs, and navigating a world where each new village might be a different species. Anyway, if you like world-building, or just thinking about how different species might work, this is really worth your time.
August 25, 2021
Everything you need to know is in the summary. I absolutely loved this book. It touches on big ideas around assumptions we have when we communicate with different people and being open to different styles of communicating. It’s a lovely world Salt Seno built.
July 23, 2021
A cute and fun premise that I def wanna read more of!
February 18, 2021
A sweet manga about a teacher and his half-werewolf guide travelling through foreign settlements of species and learning about their language and culture. Some actually interesting tidbits about linguistics and communication, including various forms of writing, pronunciation, grammar, customs. Of course this series is full of misunderstandings with MC interpreting something completely wrong and getting himself in an awkward situation and needing to use what he learns to get out of it. If you like Delicious in Dungeon, this may be for you. It's a little quieter, cozier, but scratches a similar itch. If you're bilingual especially, definitely pick this up.
8.5/10
8.5/10
November 1, 2020
Half fantasy creature guide, half anthropological text about fictional creatures. It...almost works?
July 20, 2024
rlly fun lil manga though im curious if it's going to have more of an overarching/interwoven plot or continue to be episodic. susuki is extremely cute but the implications behind her conception are not great! hopefully that thread gets dropped in the future b/c i don't find it very funny and i'd prefer as little about the professor as possible. it's one i can find myself reading as long as the gimmick doesn't get stretched too thin or wears itself out.
January 26, 2021
This was delightful - everyone who was like "this is like delicious in dungeon but about linguistics" was right, it's the anthropology to Delicious in Dungeon's (DinD lol) biology/ecology. It is also just really really sweet! Loved it.
February 17, 2021
Curious to read vol 2!
February 5, 2024
probably more like a 3.5 but i love the concept so i rounded up. a cute lil story with some really cool ideas about how different monsters might interact and communicate!
April 4, 2021
This was an adorable look at a subject that's been making the rounds lately in roleplaying circles: namely, the controversy over traditionally "evil" races. Both Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder have been actively stepping back from painting drow, goblins, and orcs as inherently evil, but rather misunderstood by other races. In Vampire: The Masquerade, the Ravnos are no longer a clan of thieves and charlatans--those are just prejudices held against them by other clans. Hell, The Spire is an entire RPG built around the drow being ousted from their ancestral home, and enslaved by the traditionally "noble" high elves. It's arguable whether these are changes for the better or the worse, and some approaches have certainly been better-realized than others. But I can easily say that the angle of examining these various cultures through their linguistic differences is something that works heavily in Heterogenia Linguistico's favor.
Everything from the language of scents, to synesthesia, to regional dialects and pronunciation differences between races is explored in this volume, and it makes the various fantasy races depicted all feel distinct and fully realized. It does feel a little farfetched that there seems to be no conflict at all amongst the various races Hakaba meets during his travels, but I'm willing to give that a pass so far, in light of the thought and attention to detail put into all these different societies.
Really, aside from that, the only issue I have is that there's not much of a story behind all this world-building. Hakaba's professor gets injured, so he ends up tasked with carrying on the old man's research for awhile. That's...really it. There are some hints of a plot potentially building, with a cave empty of goblins, where goblins are supposed to be, and one brief scene of a shadowy figure running away from Hakaba and disappearing into a crowd, but so far this is just a pretty interesting slice of life series, with nothing really at stake. Even the inevitable misunderstandings, and gaffs due to language barriers get smoothed out with no lasting repercussions. Still, it's enjoyable, and very creative.
And can I take a moment to say how refreshing it is to find a contemporary fantasy series that's just fantasy, and not about some real-world loser getting tossed into a fantasy setting? While there are a few of those series I enjoy, in general the isekai concept has gotten very, very stale.
Everything from the language of scents, to synesthesia, to regional dialects and pronunciation differences between races is explored in this volume, and it makes the various fantasy races depicted all feel distinct and fully realized. It does feel a little farfetched that there seems to be no conflict at all amongst the various races Hakaba meets during his travels, but I'm willing to give that a pass so far, in light of the thought and attention to detail put into all these different societies.
Really, aside from that, the only issue I have is that there's not much of a story behind all this world-building. Hakaba's professor gets injured, so he ends up tasked with carrying on the old man's research for awhile. That's...really it. There are some hints of a plot potentially building, with a cave empty of goblins, where goblins are supposed to be, and one brief scene of a shadowy figure running away from Hakaba and disappearing into a crowd, but so far this is just a pretty interesting slice of life series, with nothing really at stake. Even the inevitable misunderstandings, and gaffs due to language barriers get smoothed out with no lasting repercussions. Still, it's enjoyable, and very creative.
And can I take a moment to say how refreshing it is to find a contemporary fantasy series that's just fantasy, and not about some real-world loser getting tossed into a fantasy setting? While there are a few of those series I enjoy, in general the isekai concept has gotten very, very stale.
December 10, 2020
Heterogenia Linguistico Vol. 1 is a genuine, heartfelt series about a junior linguist trying to better understand the world around him. The series’ thoughtful look at the word “monster” and how those who are different feels genuine, successfully breaking down what it means to have “humanity” while making you laugh along the way. The jokes are funny and land well, the art is very nice to look at, and the relationship between Hakaba and Susuki is sweet, and honestly, one of the most charming I’ve seen in a while. I can’t recommend this title enough.
Full Review Here: https://bit.ly/37SKIpR
Full Review Here: https://bit.ly/37SKIpR
January 27, 2021
This is a cute, gentle series with a fun premise that I would love to see explored in further depth. It's also a hybrid of the one-page gag strip and the 20-page manga chapter that doesn't always land with me--but I really want it to. The 'gag' often gets swallowed up by the bigger mystery our linguist is trying to unravel.
Yen Press is clearly marketing this book as being in the same vein as Delicious in Dungeon, but Heterogenia Linguistico doesn't have anywhere near the narrative drive of its cousin. It's fun to consider how non-human species might communicate with one another based on their varied anatomy and culture, but that's almost the entirety of what the book is about, so you have to be really hooked by that premise to give it a fair shake.
It's also a metaphor for how different cultures who have been at war (such as, for example, the U.S. and Japan) can repair relationships by openness, experimentation, and humility about each other's cultures. As someone who gets nervous when traveling overseas, I really identified with the anxiety over pronunciation, following cultural norms, and understanding different accents.
Yen Press is clearly marketing this book as being in the same vein as Delicious in Dungeon, but Heterogenia Linguistico doesn't have anywhere near the narrative drive of its cousin. It's fun to consider how non-human species might communicate with one another based on their varied anatomy and culture, but that's almost the entirety of what the book is about, so you have to be really hooked by that premise to give it a fair shake.
It's also a metaphor for how different cultures who have been at war (such as, for example, the U.S. and Japan) can repair relationships by openness, experimentation, and humility about each other's cultures. As someone who gets nervous when traveling overseas, I really identified with the anxiety over pronunciation, following cultural norms, and understanding different accents.
May 3, 2022
3,25 stars
April 28, 2026
Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2026/...
Extrait :
Encore un titre appartenant à ma sœur et que je souhaite lire avant une éventuelle vente la concernant. Il n’est pas impossible que je la conserve de mon côté après coup, puisqu’elle est toujours en cours et que sa parution est assez longue (ce qui me laisse le temps d’être à jour). Dans le cas présent, il s’agit d’un titre assez particulier et je peux comprendre que ma sœur n’est pas été conquise pleinement. Avec sa dyslexie, autant le dire, les ouvrages avec beaucoup de textes sont compliqués (même si elle lit des romans aussi hein).
On retombe bien évidemment sur les monstres clichés en premier lieu, avec les loups-garous, slime, homme lézard ou encore les harpies. La fin du tome ajoute ensuite des dragons et minotaures ainsi que d’autres races encore. Au début, chaque espèce est introduite l’une après l’autre et montre ses propres spécificités de communication. J’aime bien le fait qu’ils parviennent tous à trouver un moyen de se comprendre et qu’ils ne sont pas dans le jugement. Une série qui apporte une vision si bienveillante d’autres cultures a de quoi me plaire. On fait souvent passer les personnes aussi ouvertes d’esprits comme un peu bizarre, mais c’est plutôt le fait d’appliquer sa propre vision à celle des autres qui est étrange. Même si je peux m’accorder sur un point, certaines choses ne sont pas moralement acceptables, comme marier un vieux avec un gamin par exemple. Pour le reste, que ce soit la manière de communiquer ou de comment gérer ses morts, cela est culturel et il ne faut pas juger. Il me semble qu’un peuple ressort ses morts une fois par an pour une fête par exemple. Ma seule question, comment ils font tenir le tout ? Les manières de communiquer dans la série sont diverses, un langage particulier, des gestes, des odeurs, des couleurs, c’est vraiment varié. Ses peuples fonctionnent également en harmonie, toutefois, j’ai un peu peur pour les gobelins… Ils ont été nommés plusieurs fois, mais ils semblent absents pour le moment. En soi, c’est l’espèce qui se rapproche sans doute le plus des humains pour ce qui est du corps. Le fait que les habitants de ce monde se nourrissent de vers de terre géant est également là pour briser des clichés. Donc même si les monstres sont bien connus, leurs mœurs elles ne le sont pas vraiment. Les différents groupes réalisent également du troc pour survivre, le tout dans la bienveillance. Pour Hakaba, le début est difficile, il ne comprend pas tout et c’est normal. Mais dès la fin de ce tome, il s’est déjà bien ouvert l’esprit pour mieux appréhender les autres. Susuki le guide également du mieux qu’elle peut et fait office de traductrice quand c’est nécessaire.
Ici, les monstres ne sont donc pas des êtres assoiffés de sang et chair humaine. Au contraire, ils montrent des signes de civilisations et de communautés organisées. Plus intelligents, très gentils et ouverts d’esprits, apte à la coopération et à l’échange. En soi, ils sont bien mieux organisés et capables de vivre ensembles que nous les humains. Hakaba les voit au début comme un humain et ne comprend pas toujours rapidement qu’il n’y a pas de méchanceté chez eux. Après, je pense que s’il y a un danger, ils savent aussi montrer les crocs et les utiliser, c’est juste que face à lui, il n’y a aucune raison de l’être. Hakaba a plus souvent des réactions de peur ou de honte que de menace. Ses réactions montrent aussi ses préjugés et ses réflexes de pensées humaines. Chose dont il va se détacher petit à petit, tout en gardant une part de crainte avec l’arrivée d’une nouvelle espèce. Non pas qu’il ait peur d’eux, mais il a surtout peur de faire une boulette. Sa maîtrise de la langue est montrée avec un cheveu sur la langue, ce qui arrive souvent quand on apprend à utiliser une nouvelle langue. Une manière simple et efficace de montrer son accent assez hasardeux lors de ses échanges avec les autres. Certaines espèces parviennent même à utiliser plusieurs langages différents en même temps, comme les Kraken. Ils changent de couleurs pour les hommes lézards et utilisent des gestes pour les loups garous. Je trouve cela fascinant, bien que cela reste des créatures imaginaires et que l’on peut donc leur donner n’importe quelle culture ou forme de communication. Cela reste très cohérent à mon sens et pour l’instant, il y a une bonne diversité. Je ne sais pas s’il y aura d’autres enjeux par la suite, une part de l’intrigue semble l’indiquer, mais j’attends d’avoir lu le prochain tome pour voir.
[...]
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2026/...
Extrait :
Encore un titre appartenant à ma sœur et que je souhaite lire avant une éventuelle vente la concernant. Il n’est pas impossible que je la conserve de mon côté après coup, puisqu’elle est toujours en cours et que sa parution est assez longue (ce qui me laisse le temps d’être à jour). Dans le cas présent, il s’agit d’un titre assez particulier et je peux comprendre que ma sœur n’est pas été conquise pleinement. Avec sa dyslexie, autant le dire, les ouvrages avec beaucoup de textes sont compliqués (même si elle lit des romans aussi hein).
On retombe bien évidemment sur les monstres clichés en premier lieu, avec les loups-garous, slime, homme lézard ou encore les harpies. La fin du tome ajoute ensuite des dragons et minotaures ainsi que d’autres races encore. Au début, chaque espèce est introduite l’une après l’autre et montre ses propres spécificités de communication. J’aime bien le fait qu’ils parviennent tous à trouver un moyen de se comprendre et qu’ils ne sont pas dans le jugement. Une série qui apporte une vision si bienveillante d’autres cultures a de quoi me plaire. On fait souvent passer les personnes aussi ouvertes d’esprits comme un peu bizarre, mais c’est plutôt le fait d’appliquer sa propre vision à celle des autres qui est étrange. Même si je peux m’accorder sur un point, certaines choses ne sont pas moralement acceptables, comme marier un vieux avec un gamin par exemple. Pour le reste, que ce soit la manière de communiquer ou de comment gérer ses morts, cela est culturel et il ne faut pas juger. Il me semble qu’un peuple ressort ses morts une fois par an pour une fête par exemple. Ma seule question, comment ils font tenir le tout ? Les manières de communiquer dans la série sont diverses, un langage particulier, des gestes, des odeurs, des couleurs, c’est vraiment varié. Ses peuples fonctionnent également en harmonie, toutefois, j’ai un peu peur pour les gobelins… Ils ont été nommés plusieurs fois, mais ils semblent absents pour le moment. En soi, c’est l’espèce qui se rapproche sans doute le plus des humains pour ce qui est du corps. Le fait que les habitants de ce monde se nourrissent de vers de terre géant est également là pour briser des clichés. Donc même si les monstres sont bien connus, leurs mœurs elles ne le sont pas vraiment. Les différents groupes réalisent également du troc pour survivre, le tout dans la bienveillance. Pour Hakaba, le début est difficile, il ne comprend pas tout et c’est normal. Mais dès la fin de ce tome, il s’est déjà bien ouvert l’esprit pour mieux appréhender les autres. Susuki le guide également du mieux qu’elle peut et fait office de traductrice quand c’est nécessaire.
Ici, les monstres ne sont donc pas des êtres assoiffés de sang et chair humaine. Au contraire, ils montrent des signes de civilisations et de communautés organisées. Plus intelligents, très gentils et ouverts d’esprits, apte à la coopération et à l’échange. En soi, ils sont bien mieux organisés et capables de vivre ensembles que nous les humains. Hakaba les voit au début comme un humain et ne comprend pas toujours rapidement qu’il n’y a pas de méchanceté chez eux. Après, je pense que s’il y a un danger, ils savent aussi montrer les crocs et les utiliser, c’est juste que face à lui, il n’y a aucune raison de l’être. Hakaba a plus souvent des réactions de peur ou de honte que de menace. Ses réactions montrent aussi ses préjugés et ses réflexes de pensées humaines. Chose dont il va se détacher petit à petit, tout en gardant une part de crainte avec l’arrivée d’une nouvelle espèce. Non pas qu’il ait peur d’eux, mais il a surtout peur de faire une boulette. Sa maîtrise de la langue est montrée avec un cheveu sur la langue, ce qui arrive souvent quand on apprend à utiliser une nouvelle langue. Une manière simple et efficace de montrer son accent assez hasardeux lors de ses échanges avec les autres. Certaines espèces parviennent même à utiliser plusieurs langages différents en même temps, comme les Kraken. Ils changent de couleurs pour les hommes lézards et utilisent des gestes pour les loups garous. Je trouve cela fascinant, bien que cela reste des créatures imaginaires et que l’on peut donc leur donner n’importe quelle culture ou forme de communication. Cela reste très cohérent à mon sens et pour l’instant, il y a une bonne diversité. Je ne sais pas s’il y aura d’autres enjeux par la suite, une part de l’intrigue semble l’indiquer, mais j’attends d’avoir lu le prochain tome pour voir.
[...]
November 1, 2021
Learning is fundamental.
When his mentor is injured, novice linguist Hakaba is appointed to take over the professor's research in the Netherworld. What could possibly go wrong? What follows is a series of one page comics as the young translator does his best to understand the difference in the languages and behaviors of various species of monsters including werewolves, lizardfolk, slimes, harpies, and krakens. All in all it was a pretty amusing book that offers us a taste of the young linguist's attempts at understanding where everything we see him hearing is littered with moments of unknown blocks or other sounds when he does not understand something said to him. It certainly is not easy to understand a culture and/or language when the language you are communicating with is not entirely compatible with their own biologies or habits. Thankfully young Susuki, the half werewolf and possibly daughter of his mentor, is along for the ride to smooth out the rough times and guide Hakaba when he is completely clueless. :)
With an art style similar to Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1 this book offers a similar humor replacing the dangers of a lost friend and the quest which includes a variety of monster related recipes for a journey steep with miscommunications and cultural investigations. We'll have to see if this series is able to keep up as well as its similar predecessor. :)
When his mentor is injured, novice linguist Hakaba is appointed to take over the professor's research in the Netherworld. What could possibly go wrong? What follows is a series of one page comics as the young translator does his best to understand the difference in the languages and behaviors of various species of monsters including werewolves, lizardfolk, slimes, harpies, and krakens. All in all it was a pretty amusing book that offers us a taste of the young linguist's attempts at understanding where everything we see him hearing is littered with moments of unknown blocks or other sounds when he does not understand something said to him. It certainly is not easy to understand a culture and/or language when the language you are communicating with is not entirely compatible with their own biologies or habits. Thankfully young Susuki, the half werewolf and possibly daughter of his mentor, is along for the ride to smooth out the rough times and guide Hakaba when he is completely clueless. :)
With an art style similar to Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1 this book offers a similar humor replacing the dangers of a lost friend and the quest which includes a variety of monster related recipes for a journey steep with miscommunications and cultural investigations. We'll have to see if this series is able to keep up as well as its similar predecessor. :)
March 12, 2022
I took a gamble with Heterogenia Lingustico because for some reason it reminded me somewhat of Delicious in Dungeon except with languages. While Heterogenia Linguistico may not be as thrilling or exciting as Delicious in Dungeon, it is still quite charming!
This first volume opens with Hakaba's mentor not being able to work anymore due to an injury. That leads Hakaba to take his place in going to the Netherworld to continue the professor's research on the various "monsters" that live there. Hakaba expects worse, but soon discovers that although the species have dfferent customs, they are all very human-like in some way. Hakaba encounters werewolves, lizardfolk, harpies, krakens and tries his best to communicate with each species.
This manga is filled with observations about the different species and almost reads like a journal at times (e.g. "Smells may have specific purposes. Perhaps they communicate things and ideas we have no name for in speech.") Hakaba makes tons of observations which are very interesting and shown quite hilariously at times, so this manga is anything but boring! I admire Hakaba's willingness to learn how to communicate with these different species and his guide, who just happens to be the professor's daughter, is really cute as well.
As I mentioned previously, this series may not be as thrilling as others featuring otherworldly species, but it is a charming manga about discovery and learning about the languages/customs of other beings. 4/5 stars.
This first volume opens with Hakaba's mentor not being able to work anymore due to an injury. That leads Hakaba to take his place in going to the Netherworld to continue the professor's research on the various "monsters" that live there. Hakaba expects worse, but soon discovers that although the species have dfferent customs, they are all very human-like in some way. Hakaba encounters werewolves, lizardfolk, harpies, krakens and tries his best to communicate with each species.
This manga is filled with observations about the different species and almost reads like a journal at times (e.g. "Smells may have specific purposes. Perhaps they communicate things and ideas we have no name for in speech.") Hakaba makes tons of observations which are very interesting and shown quite hilariously at times, so this manga is anything but boring! I admire Hakaba's willingness to learn how to communicate with these different species and his guide, who just happens to be the professor's daughter, is really cute as well.
As I mentioned previously, this series may not be as thrilling as others featuring otherworldly species, but it is a charming manga about discovery and learning about the languages/customs of other beings. 4/5 stars.
May 26, 2026
C'est fascinant qu'un manga aussi improbable ait eu suffisamment de succès pour être traduit... j'ai l'impression qu'on voit de plus en plus ce type de narration (cosy fantasy) en manga, et ça me fait plaisir ! Dans les romans, la cosy fantasy est plutôt romantique, et on garde la structure où le perso principal doit surmonter un obstacle...
Ce qui m'intéresse, ce sont les histoires plus quotidiennes, floues (selon le concept d'histoires-panier d'Ursula Le Guin) et le format sérialisé du manga est parfait pour ça. Par contre, je veux que ce soit de la fantasy !
Ici, le personnage principal voyage dans un univers de fantasy en découvrant les langues des créatures. J'ai trouvé que les différences culturelles et linguistiques étaient très bien élaborées ! Ça questionne l'humano-centrisme (?), contrairement à bien d'autres œuvres où les êtres magiques ont une même structure de société... à quelques détails esthétiques près. Ici, des concepts n'existent pas ou sont différents (par exemple, un peuple n'a pas la même définition du "nous", qui désigne pour eux un groupe dont ils font partie à l'instant, mais jamais un groupe plus pérenne. La caractéristique spécifique d'un oiseau sont ses griffes, et non sa capacité à voler, comme un humain le penserait... etc)
Je ne sais pas si j'accroche assez pour suivre activement la série, mais c'est en tout cas une lecture très sympathique, idéale pour se détendre.
Ce qui m'intéresse, ce sont les histoires plus quotidiennes, floues (selon le concept d'histoires-panier d'Ursula Le Guin) et le format sérialisé du manga est parfait pour ça. Par contre, je veux que ce soit de la fantasy !
Ici, le personnage principal voyage dans un univers de fantasy en découvrant les langues des créatures. J'ai trouvé que les différences culturelles et linguistiques étaient très bien élaborées ! Ça questionne l'humano-centrisme (?), contrairement à bien d'autres œuvres où les êtres magiques ont une même structure de société... à quelques détails esthétiques près. Ici, des concepts n'existent pas ou sont différents (par exemple, un peuple n'a pas la même définition du "nous", qui désigne pour eux un groupe dont ils font partie à l'instant, mais jamais un groupe plus pérenne. La caractéristique spécifique d'un oiseau sont ses griffes, et non sa capacité à voler, comme un humain le penserait... etc)
Je ne sais pas si j'accroche assez pour suivre activement la série, mais c'est en tout cas une lecture très sympathique, idéale pour se détendre.
December 2, 2020
The story thus far is pretty simple. Hakaba is a linguistics student whose professor has hurt his back and can't travel, so he asks Hakaba to travel to Netherworld and continue the professor's linguistic work among the monsters of Netherworld. On Hakaba's journey he meets werewolves, intelligent slimes, and even dragons. And with each new creature he meets, Hakaba watches and listens, trying to learn about the different languages and cultures he encounters.
This is not a story of fighting and adventure but is instead a linguistic and anthropological view of a different world. For me, this was a compete breath of fresh air and I really enjoyed it. I'm hoping that in future volumes we'll get to know more about Hakaba and get to see him form some stronger relationships with the creatures he meets.
I also really enjoyed the artwork. The drawings are clean and well-composed, allowing for important details to stand out easily while the rest of the world can seem a bit spare or desolate at times.
This is not a story of fighting and adventure but is instead a linguistic and anthropological view of a different world. For me, this was a compete breath of fresh air and I really enjoyed it. I'm hoping that in future volumes we'll get to know more about Hakaba and get to see him form some stronger relationships with the creatures he meets.
I also really enjoyed the artwork. The drawings are clean and well-composed, allowing for important details to stand out easily while the rest of the world can seem a bit spare or desolate at times.
January 31, 2021
I really love the concept of this book, that being a novice linguist wandering around a fantasy world and learning about the various cultures of werewolves, lizard men, harpies etc, but I feel like the visuals are very undercooked and unimaginative. Granted, a series this quietly-paced doesn’t need anything too outrageous or exciting in the visuals department, but still, I think a little extra flair would be helpful.
Also, again, I think this is something unavoidable given the nature of the book but it is very talky and narration heavy. Which is cool, makes it feel more like you are reading this dude’s notes on the various cultures he visits, but just for me personally I was getting a little sleepy toward the 2/3rds point.
All that said, I think it’s mostly fun, feels like it’s in the same ball park as Delicious in Dungeon and certain aspects of Golden Kamuy.
Also, again, I think this is something unavoidable given the nature of the book but it is very talky and narration heavy. Which is cool, makes it feel more like you are reading this dude’s notes on the various cultures he visits, but just for me personally I was getting a little sleepy toward the 2/3rds point.
All that said, I think it’s mostly fun, feels like it’s in the same ball park as Delicious in Dungeon and certain aspects of Golden Kamuy.
April 21, 2022
Sweet, slow-paced, and charming. There's not really a "plot" per se - the main character, a linguistics grad student named Hakaba, and his guide, his professor's half-werewolf daughter, travel through the magical netherworld talking to various fantastical species and learning about their languages and cultural customs. There's a vague plot that they have to deliver a package to some goblins, but the plot is the anthropological/linguistic study of how such vastly different species as wolf-people, lizard-people, harpies, krakens, and goblins communicate with each other - and how a human can learn to understand and communicate with them, too.
If you like cozy, nerdy, slice-of-life fantasy, this is a very sweet one.
Also, it has my two absolutely favorite things in fiction: speculative linguistics, and funerary cannibalism.
If you like cozy, nerdy, slice-of-life fantasy, this is a very sweet one.
Also, it has my two absolutely favorite things in fiction: speculative linguistics, and funerary cannibalism.
August 26, 2024
A young linguist travels through a fantasy world, learning how to communicate with fantasy races. In this volume, werewolves, slime, and lizardfolk. This is mostly charming and cozy, with a few jarring moments. Like discovering that the protagonist's mentor had fathered a child with one of the werewolves (definitely an ethical violation, at the least) and some immature humor that felt out of place. But beyond that, there's a lot of thought put into the fantasy languages. Things like the werewolves making music pitched too high for human hearing, or slimes communicating through vibrations, or the lizardfolk writing system being color based. It reminds me a lot of Delicious in Dungeon, with that same attention to fictional detail and trying to make fantasy tropes coherent. I think this will appeal to many of the same readers.
June 14, 2022
Lorsque j'ai reçu ce manga, je n'ai pas trop su quoi en penser. D'un côté, les graphismes me plaisaient beaucoup et de l'autre, l'intrigue ne m'attirait pas plus que ça. J'ai malgré tout décidé de lui laisser une chance.
Hakaba, un jeune chercheur, est envoyé en urgence dans l'Outremonde afin de poursuivre les recherches de son mentor. Il y fait la rencontre de Suksuki, une petite fille étrange mais adorable. A ses côtés, il va découvrir peu à peu les différentes espèces peuplant ce territoire et tenter de comprendre comment elles communiquent.
Est-ce possible de passer un bon moment et de s'ennuyer en même temps ? Car, à vrai dire, c'est un peu l'effet que m'a fait ce manga. D'un côté, j'ai adoré découvrir l'Outremonde, ses créatures, son mode de fonctionnement, voyager aux côtés de Hakaba et Susuki. De l'autre, même si c'était assez intéressant, toutes les recherches linguistiques m'ont un peu lassée. Au début, je trouvais ça sympa mais au fur et à mesure que l'histoire avançait, c'est trouvé ça un peu répétitif. Malgré tout, je garde un bon souvenir de cette lecture qui était assez insolite !
(3,5/5)
Hakaba, un jeune chercheur, est envoyé en urgence dans l'Outremonde afin de poursuivre les recherches de son mentor. Il y fait la rencontre de Suksuki, une petite fille étrange mais adorable. A ses côtés, il va découvrir peu à peu les différentes espèces peuplant ce territoire et tenter de comprendre comment elles communiquent.
Est-ce possible de passer un bon moment et de s'ennuyer en même temps ? Car, à vrai dire, c'est un peu l'effet que m'a fait ce manga. D'un côté, j'ai adoré découvrir l'Outremonde, ses créatures, son mode de fonctionnement, voyager aux côtés de Hakaba et Susuki. De l'autre, même si c'était assez intéressant, toutes les recherches linguistiques m'ont un peu lassée. Au début, je trouvais ça sympa mais au fur et à mesure que l'histoire avançait, c'est trouvé ça un peu répétitif. Malgré tout, je garde un bon souvenir de cette lecture qui était assez insolite !
(3,5/5)
January 24, 2023
Another manga gifted to me by a friend, but one that I recognized having read it on a scanlation site, though I had forgotten about it. Glad to be reminded of it, and to have the official translation; and even better, looks like there are about 4 volumes translated so far and in my library system, so I can keep reading.
This is a fun but odd little story. Not much happening plot-wise, just some low-key travel and social interaction, and lots of analysis of language and some of social comparison. There is some mystery to it (what is up with goblins, and why do they always travel at such odd times?), but nothing that pressing. I'm interested to see what develops going forward.
This is a fun but odd little story. Not much happening plot-wise, just some low-key travel and social interaction, and lots of analysis of language and some of social comparison. There is some mystery to it (what is up with goblins, and why do they always travel at such odd times?), but nothing that pressing. I'm interested to see what develops going forward.
March 18, 2023
Absolutely darling! If you have any interest in language, linguistics, or intercultural communication, this series is wonderfully charming and translates real world concepts of language acquisition into a fantasy setting. Even if you're not expressly interested in world languages (though it's my opinion that EVERYONE should strive to educate themselves about world culture) the world building in this volume (and the series in general) is immersive and fun. I definitely hope to learn more about the main characters though, as this is more of a travelogue than an in depth exploration of character. Still a fun and sweet read.
January 31, 2021
Un libro simpático, pero que falla en el principal motivo de la historia: Hakaba, un joven linguista es enviado al mundo de los monstruos para continuar con la investigación de su maestro. Pero Hakaba llega con poquísima preparación y por momentos se resiste a guiarse de las notas de su maestro. Esto hace que el ritmo sea muy lento, no haya una verdadera motivación en la historia y el protagonista pierda atractivo pues no está descubriendo nada nuevo.
Sin embargo, el dibujo, los distintos monstruos, el humor y algunos momentos linguísticos salvan a este manga y motivan a continuarlo.
Sin embargo, el dibujo, los distintos monstruos, el humor y algunos momentos linguísticos salvan a este manga y motivan a continuarlo.
September 2, 2021
This was an interesting manga. I say interesting because it is unlike any other manga I have ever read. It’s about a girl who goes to the neitherworld take the place of her professor and continue the exploration and communication with native anthropomorphic species. The book is mainly about trying to understand each other, both in language and customs. This does make the book a bit dry, and slow paced, but still a very interesting read. I would pick up book 2 to figure out what happens next.
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