(Actual: 3.75⭐️, rounded up) One of my bffs rec’d JJK (the anime) to me a couple years back and, when I finally got around to watching it, I was instantly hooked. S1 of the show only covers the first few story arcs of the manga, so naturally I immediately went & read the entire thing to the point where I’m all caught up (it’s still ongoing, with new chapters released on a scheduled basis; it’s slated to possibly end in 2024).

Anyway. This is easily one of my favorite anime/manga series— I can watch and read it over & over again. And while I love how faithful anime’s have become to their original source material (in comparison to adaptions from the late 90s/early 2000s), it also means that there’s not really any “filler” between arcs— the plot just keeps moving forward, no matter how heavy, with only short post-credit scenes or key visuals to remind us of its own lightheartedness. Because make no mistake: JJK’s story is* filled with dark themes & shocking moments, and it’s plenty violent too.

These two light novels are comprised of short stories that follow our main characters on various adventures that are also considered to be “canon” events, as they all take place in-between key moments within the overall narrative. While I personally enjoyed these novellas & figuring out where they fall in the timeline, they may not be for everyone as it could be argued that “not much” really happens— but that’s honestly one of the reasons why I liked them! As I mentioned, and if you’ve watched &/or read JJK yourself, the plot moves at such a breakneck speed…. and while it’s easy to fall in love with these characters, it’s also rare for us as readers to experience them in quieter settings, in more intimate moments. I’d definitely recommend these if you love this series as much as I do, & also encourage everyone to check this series out if you love the magical realism/fantasy genre!