Pretty Boy Detective Club: The Dark Star that Shines for You Alone

Pretty Boy Detective Club (Light Novel) #1

by NisiOisiN, Kinako

The Pretty Boy Detective Club, a mysterious organization that’s rumored to solve problems at Yubiwa Academy…

Manabu the Aesthete, lover of beauty
Michiru the Epicure, he of the beautiful palate
Hyota the Adonis, he of the beautiful legs
Nagahiro the Orato, he of the beautiful voice
Sosaku the Artiste, creator of beauty

To search for a star she glimpsed 10 years ago, second-year student Mayumi Dojima calls on these five Pretty Boys to help her solve the case! Which Pretty Boy is your favorite?

“I really have to give this book the highest marks I can… I could say buy this if you like Nisioisin or if you like mysteries or if you like amazing characters but I don’t think it’s for just any one type of person. Let me say, if you’re reading this This book is for you… As far as the translation goes, I think they nailed it… To put it frankly, out of all Nisioisin’s English releases, this is one of his top. To put it even It’s beautiful. Five Out of Five Beautiful Dark Shining Stars.” - No Good Nerds

“The translation reads well with no issues to note… There is plenty to like and, as always, the author delivers an engrossing story with witty dialogue and interesting characters. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of mysteries the Pretty Boy Detective Club tackle in the volumes to follow… Overall, Pretty Boy Detective Club offers another satisfying read for fans of NISIOISIN’s works.” - Anime UK News

Genres: Light Novel, Manga, Mystery, Japanese Literature, Young Adult, Fiction

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Nisio Isin (西尾維新 Nishio Ishin), frequently written as NisiOisiN to emphasize that his pen name is a palindrome, is a Japanese novelist and manga writer. He attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel Kubikiri Cycle, which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age.

He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.

In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mayumi has wanted to be an astronaut ever since she was five years old, when she saw an exceptionally bright star on a family trip. She's been looking for that star ever since, but never saw it again. She's decided--at least partially at the insistence of her parents--to give up her dream on the day she turns 14. On the very last day before her fourteenth birthday, she turns to the Pretty Boy Detective Club at her school for help in finding the elusive star.

Mayumi's fourteenth birthday ends up being pretty exciting, and includes--among other things--a triple kidnapping, a car and bicycle chase, and her cross-dressing as a boy to elude some pursuers. Will she live to give up her dream?

I've read three of Nisioisin's books all the way through now, and one a little less than halfway, and let's just say his books and I have a... prickly relationship. Conceptually they're fairly cool, and (nothing to do with their texts) his publishers always choose excellent artists for their covers and illustrations. On the downside, the writing style is distant and affectless, which makes them feel like intellectual exercises rather than stories about genuine human beings (or monsters). And there's so much cringe, at times. I think it's supposed to be titillating, but those parts come across as pandering and creepy.

This book's blurb claims that it's for all audiences, and that claim is pretty dubious. It isn't as excessive in its cringeworthiness as some of Nisiosin's other books, but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody who hadn't made it to junior high at least. There are multiple uses of the word "shit," many joking references to pedophilia (one of the pretty boys is in an arranged marriage engagement with a girl who is currently in first grade, you see) and to looking up women's skirts.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed this one. The things mentioned in the previous paragraph crop up only occasionally, and other than that it's a fun, hectic story with some rather odd characters, each with a partiular mien, and one hobby or personality quirk: the tough guy/epicure, the stoic scion/artiste, and so on.

Here's an example of Nisiosin's writing style:

There could hardly be a less suitable place to park a limo than next to a school, but its conspicuous size alone made it an awful choice for criminal activity.

I couldn't understand why Rei would choose such a noticeable vehicle for her crimes, but who knows? Maybe she just hadn't thought about it.

One upside was that they probably weren't pulled over by the police very often....

The whole book is told in this stream-of-consciousness style, rambling along in our narrator's head rather than focusing on the action much of the time. Sometimes it gives me a headache, but Mayumi's baffled responses to her oddball compatriots did make me chuckle at times.

Nisioisin writes something like five novels a year, which is a testament to his dedication to his craft. With that kind of output it isn't too surprising that the ones I've read all kind of feel the same. (There are prolific authors in English who I could say the same thing of.) I'm not sure what keeps bringing me back to his books, because I've ditched other authors forever when their books annoyed me to a lesser degree than his stuff does. It's a weird relationship, for sure. I'll keep on with this series, and with Katanagatari, so look forward to more reviews like this in the future, I suppose!

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of NisiOisiN's more lowkey books but not in a bad way! His usual over the top character personalities really work in this context because middle schoolers actually are Like That, and it wasn't hard to suspend my disbelief because this story reads a lot like a middle grade adventure book (though I wouldn't necessarily say it's for children lol). Some of the humor was hit or miss (did we really need a two page spread devoted to jokes about a character's 1st grader fiancee?) but I adored every member of the PBDC especially Manabu and Fukuroi (dumbass with a heart of gold and good guy delinquent respectively). Dojima was a wonderful protagonist who perfectly captured 14 year old adolescent angst. At that age you're experiencing a lot of things for the first time, and every event feels like the most important thing to ever happen. I think this stellar translation really captured those emotions.

Also loved the gender vibes of this book. I had a feeling going in that we'd be treated to some fun subversions and I was not disappointed. Very much Ouran High School Host Club.

A few delightful Manabu quotes:

"You can defend your aesthetic. If you can't do that, you can't defend anything—and understanding aesthetics is the same as understanding everything."

"Clearly it was part of the fairy godmother's lovely plan from the start! If Cinderella were only rewarded for the beautiful determination that led her to crash that fancy ball at the castle with surface decorations like a pretty dress and a carriage, that wouldn't be very impressive magic, now, would it?

"If she has a boy's heart, I don't see the problem."

"Let us be pretty, let us be boys, let us be detectives."

[Nico · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is awful. It's so incredibly bad. This is such a blatant example of how badly men write women. She's meant to be a middle schooler but she doesn't even talk like a middle schooler. Also, he's obsessed with her spitting out food and then had another guy eat the spit out food. What was the reason? The main character is unlikable but not in a well written makes you think about things kind of way, but in a he's horrible at writing way. Istg if I have to see "Mr. Bare-legs" one more time- The main character is unpleasant and annoying. This book also falls into the classic anime trope of including perverts. Like "Mr. Bare-legs" repeatedly tries looking up people's skirts and does all sorts of gross things. Another character is LITERALLY DATING A 1ST GRADER even if his parents set up their relationship, there was literally no reason to include that.

To summarize:
-poorly written female character
-children aren't realistically written as children (even if they're meant to be special, it's still unrealistic)
-many perverts
-annoying use of names
-incredibly repetitive like stfu about your star already
-describes characters like a terrible wattpad fanfiction about highschool that is overly dramatized
-plot could be interesting if they didn't drag out the least interesting parts of it.

It's so incredibly poorly written that I would rate it in the negatives. Normally I can't be bothered to write reviews, but I figured I should save someone else their money.

[Lucien Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full review and more at lucienwelsh.ca

Right off the bat I fell in love with every single one of the characters. The boys themselves are entirely original combinations of shojo boy tropes and a female lead that is equal parts ditzy and observant. From the get-go, the way the cast interacted with each other reminded me of Ouran High School Host Club and as things got going, it was absolutely The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya levels of chaotic. It made me laugh so much while also making me relate wholeheartedly to the dejected, self-depreciating Mayumi.

I wanted something light to read, I wanted someone fun. And that’s exactly what I got.

[Mimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really think it was a very good book. But I still read it in a couple of days.

[Geraldine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when I'm gifted a book I have an out-of-body experience wondering why? While I took my guesses about this particular book, it wasn't until I started reading 'Pretty Boy Detective Club' that it all became so unavoidably, and almost laughably, clear.

This book is absurd. Utterly absurd.
but its absurdity is warmed by an indestructible heart at its core.
The absolute perfect combination to peak my interests.
What does that say about me? Who knows?

What I do know is this book playfully delivers charm and wit while effortlessly subverting all expectations with beats grounded in philosophy, dozens of lyrically beautiful sentiments, and healthy reminders of the poignancy of youth. This book plays with the reader in that way, finding the balance between being able to walk down the pink carpet at the last met gala and whispering directly to the heart.

It tells the story of the life and death of a dream born out of a childhood whim, unlocking this tumultuous era of youth that so many overlook. It seems like in fiction, after the 1o-year-olds in middle-grade novels, every character in YA is 16 or older. Yet my years in middle school were amongst the most emotionally wrought, intensely hyper-sensitive years of my life. I thought I knew everything while desperately trying to hide the fact that I actually knew nothing at all. And the characters of 'The Dark Star that Shines for You Alone' have perfectly distilled that combination of naive arrogance and crippling anxiety. Not only is it commendable that NisiOisiN was able to successfully depict the middle school conundrum but doing so has also brought a sense of reality to the otherwise larger-than-life story.

The story is loud and funny, gentle and introspective. There might not be anything quite like it, at least in the western market, and that might be the biggest shame of all.

[Kish Bokai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing as I can't be this on anilist, may as well add it here. It's a nice light read about youth's willingness towards accomplishing dreams. Should they go right towards their first dream, or give it up for dreams that they know will make them happy? Or, if they can accomplish, why would they do it? It has deals with a tad bit of gender identify which was handled well. My only complain was that it was too short, and I want to read even more.
Another well done job by Nisio Isin.

[Viktor Muhunthan · Rating 3 out of 5]

You're telling me Dojima isn't trans? Fine. (the ending was so cute tho gotta get the next volume)

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can safely say I did not enjoy this book and would skip whole pages without missing important details. It drags on for no reason adding in useless dialogue that is cringe and boring. The main characters only personality trait is that she hates herself which is just lazy writing. Also there is no development for any of the characters and they are extremely tropy.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've never read any books from NisiOisiN, I can't exactly say if this book is up to their standards and in line with their writing style, but I can say that it's a very charming little story that I thought was very fun to read.
The writing style is unique, and while occasionally translated a bit weird, it's still engaging and interesting. Dojima's internal conflict and dialogue was both entertaining and very good for character building. The rest of the cast all have eccentric but enjoyable personalities that played off each other, and Dojima, rather well. In fact, they're really the star of the show, even more so than the very star that carries the mystery along.
The plot, while a bit out there and somewhat unbelievable, is fun and refreshing in a way I think is best described as a child's game of detective. Nothing is taken too seriously, and even when shady businesses are committing heinous acts, everything just feels lighthearted and, dare I say, beautiful. It's a nice juxtaposition with how brash and distrusting Dojima tends to be, seeing as it's all written through her eyes.
The messages and ideas are nicely woven in and nuanced, speaking on dreams and what it means to be beautiful. And not in the physical way, either; while the members of the Pretty Boy Detective Club are, in fact, exceptionally pretty, they are beautiful more for the way they choose to live- free and childish. After all, the second rule of the Pretty Boy Detective Club is to be a boy.
All in all, it's not perfect, and if you're here for something serious and impactful, I wouldn't say this is for you. But if you just want to have a light-hearted, easy read with plenty of charm and lots of good looks, I think this is a good place to look. It's been stuck in my head in the week since I've finished it, and I honestly think it taught me a thing or two on how to live beautifully.

[Kakuzō Akutagawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Following one's dreams is beautiful. But giving up one's dream is just as beautiful"

My thoughts after reading "Pretty Boy Detective Club: The Dark Star that Shines for You Alone"
Written by NisiOisiN
Illustrated by Kinako

The story:
Mayumi Dojima lost something, something she has been searching for 10 years. One day she meets a group of very eccentric but equally pretty detective boys
The thing Mayumi has been searching for and that she tasks the Pretty Boy Detective club with finding is a star

Enjoyment:
This book is very fun to read, but somehow it didn't felt like a nisio book (as weird as it sounds). The book is very lighthearted and one half of it is spent describing places and the next half is spent on characters talking with each other. It's fun but not enjoyable

Thoughts:
I can't believe how this book is so lighthearted, coming from the nisioisin that brought us Monogatari and the nonsensical nonsense series, this book felt like something entirely else from what I've read from nisio in my entire life, it's fun for all ages but, why?

The verdict:
I loved the characters, but that's about it.
I feel like this series could have so much potential, I can't wait to read the volumes to come, it was fun but it wasn't what I was expecting.
The best way I can describe it is: "imagine if nisio wrote a family-friendly detective novel" and then made half of the book describing places and the other half characters talking.
I'm very conflicted about how to feel after reading this book. It was fun but that's it (I will definitely read the entire series and enjoy it a lot tho) 6/10

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminded me of Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 and Clamp School Detectives, Vol. 01 in the best and worst ways possible, I think I'm in love! When I found out my library had the light novels I couldn't not check it out, and it was 100% worth it. Full warning that a lot of tropes from those manga are here, including some of the not so fun ones, but they're actually handled a little bit better than they were back then and I'm interested to see where this goes because of it, Doji is fantastic!

[Karden Lias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I've ever read a novel by Nisio, and I got to say that it may be the best read I've had in the while. One thing that I love about the writing style is the way that it gives you a clear picture of the scene. The absurdity of the situation happening is also reinforced by the main character, Dojima, in the narration. Not to mention how the absurdity is actually the best part as it captures the overdramatic
-ness of actual middle schoolers in real life.

The story also gives out meaningful philosophical twists to already existing philosophies, and relating those to living life beautifully as the story wishes to convey. Although, sometimes the pacing is rather slow and a scene drags on for multiple pages. Overall, it's a good read and I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and childish adventures, as well as anyone who wants to read a novel and interesting plot.

[Tyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been the first time I'd read NisiOisiN's work, and the book is a riot! It's such an insanely fun and funny piece of work. Now I understand why the anime's like *that*.

The translation is such a delight! The translator had to change 1 essential pun in it, but luckily English detective story tradition has a fitting pun ready!

Sotouin is called Kogorou 小五郎 in the original JP text - Doujima thought it was simply a reference to famous Edogawa Ranpo's detective Akechi Kogorou.

But it also means he's a "fifth grader". It will be hard to explain this pun without an additional note in the ENG text, so the translator replaced it with club members saying "it's elementary", which Doujima (and readers) would link to Sherlock Holmes - but the members were actually referring to elementary school. It fits the detective theme of the story and conveys the surprise well!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the anime and so when I saw the first three novels on sale I decided to pick them up. This book is a fun read but the premise is silly so some may struggle to get past it.

Sometimes reading the source material (be it novel or manga) after watching an anime gives a really great or different experience because of the quality of the art/writing or extra details/scenes that aren’t there in the anime adaptation, etc. Unfortunately, in this instance I don’t think I really got a lot out of reading the novel after watching the anime. Things were largely the same and I already knew what was going to happen so I would say that if you’ve seen the anime you don’t really need to experience the novel as well. That being said, it was still an enjoyable read and I will be continuing on with volumes two and three.

[Roxanne Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely the lightest light novel from the usually heavy Nisioisin. It was made for a different label, and it feels like the intended public is much younger than his previous readers - the characters themselves are younger and more childish too. It was an entertaining book, packed with action and lovely, excentric boys, but I can't help but feel a bit let down compared to the previous series. I will still continue because it does have potential, and Nisioisin is one that can deliver on it.

[Han · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing and plot was quite fun and exciting, but I did not like the way how Nisioisin treated his characters. The lolicon joke was overused and I don't think was ever needed in the story. Also weird and perverted comments kept coming and going for a while. Reading this has made me feel quite uncomfortable at some point. Not to mention this writer has pedophilia going on in some of his books, if not all of them.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering that I have a stack of Nisiosin books on a bookshelf waiting to be read, it’s inexplicable that I picked this one up off the shelf. It’s full of the usual excessive exposition, arbitrary thoughts as conversation, and dialog that’s indistinguishable from one character to the nexts. I did, however, enjoy the goofy trip and the setup for more.

[Inkylizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a romp. You have to suspend your disbelief a bit as the shenanigans are a rather unbelievably wild, but the wildness is right up your alley if you're a fan of Ouran High School Host Club and the like. The English translation by Winifred Bird beautifully preserves NisiOisiN's playfully philosophical writing style. It's worth a read if you're looking for something fast and fun.

[Jehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read light novels, but I genuinely enjoyed this. It took me a while to get used to the first-person narration, but once I did, I found myself falling in love with the characters and the dynamics. The plot went in a direction I didn't expect, and left me incredibly excited for future translations to come out! Very short read - I read it in a few hours.

[N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty lively. Like a pop artist tried to make a detective story. (Which might have been Nisiosin's point. NisiOisiN)

Feel welcoms to check this out if you want an odd story or enjoy jokes about pretty peoe. I think it's about a curious lively 3.5, leaning toward a 4. What an odd duckling of a book.

[Velvet · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book blows. I expected some entertainment value because it's a Nisio book, but apparently not-- everything about this book, from the mysteries, to the comedy, to the quality of ensemble cast, to the dialogue, to the story structure, to the action; it's all outclassed by CypherAca.

1st grader fiancee/10

[Coolkid97 · Rating 4 out of 5]

the stupid lolicon running joke stuff is so gross and unnecessary but the rest of the book is actually really good. i love the way it plays with gender in the same sort of fashion that ouran high school host club does. im looking forward to the anime adaptation coming out in april.

[Samantha Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange little story. I do enjoy the idea of not having to give up your childhood dreams. I could have used with less convo on lolicon, big yikes. I own the other two volumes currently out so I will probably continue reading.

[Niche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard NisiOisN in writing: idiosyncratic characters, verbal jabs, silly banter, and some discourse with the audience. This went in more of a SciFi direction than I was expecting. I was curious to see how he'd handle writing a female POV, but it didn't feel like much of a departure from his usual voice. The barbed tongues and banter were also pretty weak.

[melis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, ha, about childhood dreams and growing up. But with a spice of excitement and conspiracy to make it more than your average coming of age novel. A great read, I look forward to more.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just putting 4 stars because it’s absurdly cute.

[Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not a bad book but it's not great either. The characters are fun but are rather 2D. The plot is more of an action plot rather than a mystery plot. But overall simply put it's okay

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful start!