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ホットギミック [Hot Gimmick]
Hot Gimmick S
Think you know everything about Hot Gimmick? Well, think again! Hot Gimmick S, an original novelization inspired by the super-popular shojo series Hot Gimmick, boasts an ending that is completely different than how the manga series concludes. Hatsumi Narita, a somewhat indecisive coed, must navigate the choppy waters of company housing life and try to keep her love life on track too. She starts dating her extremely bossy neighbor Ryoki, but how will her dreamy older brother Shinogu feel about this? It¿s the ending that manga fans are dying to read and are bound to be talking about for a long time to come! Plus, a bonus, heart-pounding manga episode that¿s all about Hatsumi and Shinogu!
150 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2005
5 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 30, 2010
I have to say that when I discovered the alternate pairing of this novel I was dissapointed. I liked the Hatsumi/Ryoki pairing mostly due to the fact that it was the main relationship pushed in the manga, but I will admit that the pairing wasn't the best one out of the book. When I'd heard that this novella would be set in an alternate storyline, I was hoping that Hatsumi would be paired with Azusa. Out of all the characters, he had the most compelling character & his interest in Hatsumi appeared to be out of genuine attraction to her & not to fulfill some sort of "need" within himself. (Shinogu's attraction appears to be more of an attempt to fill a void in his life, not because he's overly attracted to Hatsumi herself. The relationship between the two of them just didn't seem all that convincing to me.) Still, the Shinogu/Hatsumi pairing seemed interesting enough for a novel & there's a ton of unexplored territory, so this novel should have been a cakewalk, right?
WRONG! First off, the novel wasn't written by the original manga artist. It's more of a puff piece than anything else. There's no depth to the storyline & anything that could be a true obstacle is woefully under used. There's no true resolution to the relationship between the pair like there was in the manga & it's frankly hard to believe that Ryoki would give up so easily in the novel when in the manga he'd repeatedly made a point of never giving up (even after he claimed that he was). One of the other reviewers claimed that this novel was little better than mediocre fanfiction & I'd be hard pressed to prove them wrong. The only halfway interesting characters in the story are the ones who aren't meant to be the main characters. To add onto that, the bonus manga is just an excerpt from the series & isn't anything new. That wouldn't be a problem, except that the bonus manga has been built up to appear like it was something original to the novel.
Would I recommend this to someone? Not unless they had already read the entire Hot Gimmick series & only then if they wanted to complete the set (or are a huge Shinogu fan). Personally I feel that the money would be better spent investing in some of the more satisfying manga novelizations out on the market currently.
WRONG! First off, the novel wasn't written by the original manga artist. It's more of a puff piece than anything else. There's no depth to the storyline & anything that could be a true obstacle is woefully under used. There's no true resolution to the relationship between the pair like there was in the manga & it's frankly hard to believe that Ryoki would give up so easily in the novel when in the manga he'd repeatedly made a point of never giving up (even after he claimed that he was). One of the other reviewers claimed that this novel was little better than mediocre fanfiction & I'd be hard pressed to prove them wrong. The only halfway interesting characters in the story are the ones who aren't meant to be the main characters. To add onto that, the bonus manga is just an excerpt from the series & isn't anything new. That wouldn't be a problem, except that the bonus manga has been built up to appear like it was something original to the novel.
Would I recommend this to someone? Not unless they had already read the entire Hot Gimmick series & only then if they wanted to complete the set (or are a huge Shinogu fan). Personally I feel that the money would be better spent investing in some of the more satisfying manga novelizations out on the market currently.
October 2, 2021
The writing was a bit stilted (particularly in the first chapter), but overall an enjoyable storyline with likeable characters. The novel could have closed on a more definitive note, as the last few chapters pointed in a very specific direction rather than falling short of conclusive.
January 2, 2018
Read it but if I recall it didn't add a lot to the series as a collection of add on stories.
October 19, 2019
When I opened this I was like, "Ohh shit, it's a light novel."
But after that initial reaction, everything was great. I love Hatsumi and Shinogu together ☺️💚
But after that initial reaction, everything was great. I love Hatsumi and Shinogu together ☺️💚
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April 26, 2021Its jst good this way too
May 4, 2023
A quick easy read. It was fun to experience the alternate ending. Fans of the manga will enjoy it.
July 10, 2021
This book basically tells the alternative ending for hot gimmick’s comic. In hot gimmick comic, the ending was Hatsumi end up with Ryoki but for this light novel, Hatsumi end up choosing Shinogu. Also, this novel tells about Shinogu history when he was a little and how he end up becoming Narita’s adoptive son.
November 22, 2014
2.5 at best, this light-novel was a real waste of my time. I couldn't get much into it at all, and kept checking the page-number on the bottom of the last page to assure myself that I was indeed getting closer to the end of the book. That is sad to say, but is the truth.
I remember reading some of the Hot Gimmick manga series years ago, via scanslations, when it was really popular. I wanted so much to finish it, but I never did. Can't remember why I didn't, though. (Probably Ryoki, though.)
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To start with in this novel, the way Ryoki constantly abused Hatsumi really bothered me. Teens do not need to be reading this, and feeling that relationships should really be this way. That's not love, that's being controlling. It should not be tolerated. Luckily, she left him, when the truth came out.
Speaking of truth, this is a novel that tells about how Hatsumi ends up with her brother, Shinogu. Only, he isn't really her brother. He's the son of her mother's first love and her mother's best friend, who her mother raised as her own. Yup, dysfunctional family....we get that. And, along with him came a 1.5-million-yen debt that Shinogu has decided to shoulder himself. So, he works multiple jobs to raise the money.
All the while, trying to hide his feelings for his "sister", Hatsumi, whom he has loved since age 5 or so. And, his mother knows about this, and even *approves* of it. Sorry, I'm not buying into that. But, Hatsumi doesn't feel the same way....well, not until a rival (who is much more beautiful than she is!) enters into the picture. Then, she suddenly realizes it, and is scared to tell him.
So, when Shinogu turns up missing in the mountains, it scares Hatsumi most, because she feels she has missed the chance to tell him her feelings. But, noooooo, he's fine, and she confesses in the hospital on her birthday. And, he pretty much proposes, ring and all, but not in those words. Then, we are left with a sappy ending, where we assume that they get together, but are ultimately not told so.
I remember reading some of the Hot Gimmick manga series years ago, via scanslations, when it was really popular. I wanted so much to finish it, but I never did. Can't remember why I didn't, though. (Probably Ryoki, though.)
----------------------------
To start with in this novel, the way Ryoki constantly abused Hatsumi really bothered me. Teens do not need to be reading this, and feeling that relationships should really be this way. That's not love, that's being controlling. It should not be tolerated. Luckily, she left him, when the truth came out.
Speaking of truth, this is a novel that tells about how Hatsumi ends up with her brother, Shinogu. Only, he isn't really her brother. He's the son of her mother's first love and her mother's best friend, who her mother raised as her own. Yup, dysfunctional family....we get that. And, along with him came a 1.5-million-yen debt that Shinogu has decided to shoulder himself. So, he works multiple jobs to raise the money.
All the while, trying to hide his feelings for his "sister", Hatsumi, whom he has loved since age 5 or so. And, his mother knows about this, and even *approves* of it. Sorry, I'm not buying into that. But, Hatsumi doesn't feel the same way....well, not until a rival (who is much more beautiful than she is!) enters into the picture. Then, she suddenly realizes it, and is scared to tell him.
So, when Shinogu turns up missing in the mountains, it scares Hatsumi most, because she feels she has missed the chance to tell him her feelings. But, noooooo, he's fine, and she confesses in the hospital on her birthday. And, he pretty much proposes, ring and all, but not in those words. Then, we are left with a sappy ending, where we assume that they get together, but are ultimately not told so.
April 18, 2012
Was not happy at all about this book. At first, I was really excited about an "alternate ending" to the original Hot Gimmick series, because I must say I wasn't exactly ecstatic about the original ending.... Then when I finally got the chance to get it in stores, I realized it wasn't even by the original author, was not a graphic novel like the original (but instead is just a short story pretty much), and the storyline wasn't even that great. Even if she did end up with the person I wanted her to be with, I was very disappointed with this :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2014
weird…but i liked this little novel better than the original manga. i just don't understand why this series is so popular? you have three guys chasing after this one girl. one is her brother…who may be adopted but still ewww. the second is a childhood friend who plays a sick game on her, and tries to rape her…and then she forgives him, and the third is a spoiled rich bully who is the most abusive boyfriend i have ever read about. great story!
April 1, 2010
someone mentioned somewhere that this is just like fanfiction, and it is. it's not horrible, but its not great. Nishizaki didn't draw me in as the Aihara, and at the end of it the only thought in my head was, "meh." Aihara's manga is good, but i wouldn't add Nishizaki's light novel to my collection.
September 18, 2012
To start, I HATED the ending of Hot Gimmick. When I learned a light novel existed that told a different ending, I was estatic. I finally managed to track down a cheap copy and while its not the most well written story, it ends on the note I wanted it to end. Its a quick and easy read, with a satisfying ending for those who hated Ryoki.
August 15, 2007
This is an alternate ending to the last book in the series. I didn't like it all that much, to be honest. It was actually a book and not manga which was odd enough but the writing didn't seem that good, either. Maybe something got lost in translation. It's probably better in Japanese.
July 14, 2011
I loved this ending to the manga Hot Gimmick, not because of her ending up with Shinogu (well partially that), but also because it finally gave out Shinogu's past which I was waiting to hear and disappointed in the Manga when I didn't get it.
June 20, 2012
This isn't a manga, it's a companion novel that changes the events of the Hot Gimmick series and gives an alternate ending that I prefer. Both endings disturb me in different ways but this ending is better.
July 19, 2013
This is a alternate ending to the manga. For those who are not in Ryoki's camp, then this is will cheer you.
I liked it a lot. It was more novel like. I thought that the series could have gone this way if the author wanted it to.
I liked it a lot. It was more novel like. I thought that the series could have gone this way if the author wanted it to.
Want to read
August 28, 2007i read the whole hot gimmick series and this is a novelized version of it, with an alternate ending too i think. not sure how i feel about an alternate ending situation. is that fair?
August 29, 2007
Best shoujo manga EVER. Hands down.
January 12, 2009
Rehash of the manga with a different ending. I guess I preferred the story in manga format--the novel format didn't really do much for me and the writing was not very good.
September 19, 2014
This book was terribly written, light novel alt histories to manga are apparently awful.
April 9, 2017
I liked it toward the end but most of the time it wasn't that great.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews