a great sophomore edition - whipsmart and funny and with just enough quirk to be interesting but not overbearing!

A very enjoyable read! I appreciated this book’s fast pace and quirky, relatable prose. The ending was lovely as well, lighthearted and sweet!

I haven’t read anything quite like this before, and am really happy I gave it a try.

This was such a funny, bizarre little story from beginning to end. I never thought I'd read about a group of students using a time machine to save their air conditioner remote, but The Time Machine Blues does it with so much fun. I enjoyed everything the time hopping, hijinks, friendship, happy ending. Honestly just read this little book.

A group of college students stumble across a time machine and debate its effect on past, present, and future.

Thanks to Tomihiko Morimi, Harpervia, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hard to imagine the fate of the universe rests upon an air conditioner remote but that’s the case in this time twisting tale set at the University of Kyoto. The action moves along quickly, like a farce in this comic tale. Well done.

Review posted to Goodreads manually due to technical issues.

Watched The Tatami Galaxy anime over summer to prepare for this and this was so much fun!

For fans of the story, I highly recommend this as a wonderful addition to the world-building involved, as we learn about where the time machine comes from and how it is made, how everyone feels about time and how they move through it together.

Though I don't think the translation is ultimately strong, it's a fun world to be in with the usual antics they fall into (thanks Ozu!).

Once again, not to be missed by fans!

Could not have loved this more and didn’t even read the first one. A wild read from start to finish. Everything I was wanting in a book. Now to go back and read the first one.

Overall, a fun novella and a great follow-up to the first book in the series. I loved the time travel element and found the reading experience to be lighthearted and fun! Reading this made me very interested in watching the series based on the story!

This book is a masterpiece! I've already reviewed another edition of this book, and I highly recommend it.

This is a breezy, sweet and relaxing scifi novella, really reads in one go — like a refreshing, icy dessert on a hot summer day. I am so mad impressed with the translator’s work on this: the language flows seamlessly, none of the sentence level awkwardness that sometimes creeps up in LNs (a mixture of the staple of the genre and translators choosing to stick closer to the text rather than flow in translation). Other reviewers have described this as a slice of life comedy in a scifi dressing, and I see why they would — it evokes just what a pleasant, light read this is. It definitely rekindled my interest in going back to the Tatami Galaxy novel again.

Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of #TheTatamiTimeMachineBlues

The Tatami Time Machine Blues is a delightful little novel full of heart, perfect for any reader looking for a low-stakes sci-fi story that makes you smile. The story follows a group of friends as they travel back in time with a plan to change events of the past in order to avoid a tragic accident that results in a half-bottle of Coke destroying the remote for their beloved air conditioner. Only after they arrive back in time (one whole day in the past), they realize that the fate of the whole world rests in their hands if they choose to fulfill their intended mission and they must quickly find a way to get back to the present without knocking the whole universe off its axis in the process.

This was such a perfect example of the Japanese literature that I love - a ‘slice of life’ quirky story with realistic, simple problems that are universally relatable. The author was able to work in sci-fi elements of time travel in a very approachable way, and successfully combine that with the angst of being a college student whose every decision and action, like something as simple as asking a girl out, seems to carry an immense weight. Time travel aside, the characters in the story face everyday trials and tribulations that just about everyone can relate to, which gives this story great universal appeal, but at the same time, we’re told about these events in a way that is completely entertaining rather than mundane, and full of shenanigans and hijinks.

I didn’t know this was the second book in a series/universe, and I had no problem jumping right into it. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and their unique personalities, and I look forward to going back to read the first one when I need a laugh and a little quirkiness in my life so that I can spend a little more time with them.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky, lighthearted, low-stakes time-traveling adventure! Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This science fiction novel was a quick and enjoyable read! The idea of time travel is complex, yet grasping and light-hearted all at once. The genre is generally not something I tend to gravitate towards to but I am glad I took the chance! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Tatami Time Machine Blues is an enjoyable, fun book, combining elements of science fiction and time travel. The story follows a group of friends who embark on an adventure using a time machine to repair a broken AC controller.

If you're in search of a lighthearted and entertaining read, this book is perfect for you. Personally, I had a great time reading it and found the story to be highly engaging and fun!

So I did not know that this was the second book in a series until I had started to read it. However, this was not much of an issue for me as it was quite frankly easy to drop into the story without knowing what had come before. Like any media that deals with time travel, there are a lot of things that are revealed slowly and not in any particular linear order, so it can be confusing at times. But the plot was intriguing enough to keep me on track even when I had to go back and reread chapters a few times just to make sure that I was still on the same path of thought with the book.

Not only do I want to go back and read the book before this, but this has made me want to check out the whole series soon.

A quick and quirky little read! I’d heard of Tomihiko Morimi’s works and was excited to read this—and I wasn’t disappointed. The time-travel hijinks and misadventures were delightful, and there’s something whimsical and real about the storytelling that puts you right there, in the hot summer days of Japan, sweating in a four-and-a-half mat tatami room.

Tatami Time Machine Blues by Tomihiko Morimi is a quirky little novella that offers a light-hearted adventure with a touch of science fiction. While the plot revolves around a group of friends using a time machine to fix a broken AC controller, it's the author's tone of voice that sets this book apart. The narrative style, though awkwardly structured at times, adds a quirkiness that suits the simultaneously clever yet somewhat clueless protagonist. I think that familiarity with the characters and settings may have been helpful for reading this book; however, the characters have their own charm and fit into familiar archetypes that make the book understandable even if you are reading out of order.

With its light science-fiction elements and brisk pace, Tatami Time Machine Blues is a delightful read for fans of low-stakes adventures and sci-fi elements. The narrative voice adds to the charm and strangeness of the story, making it an entertaining and imaginative experience. While it may not be deeply moving, it will leave you chuckling and scratching your head in equal measure.

So… I’m not entirely sure what to think of this book. The Tatami Time Machine Blues is a spiffy little novella that’s a fairly easy read. The plot centers around a group of friends who, in the middle of a hot summer, have stumbled upon a time machine and decided to use it to go back in time and steal the AC controller they had previously broke. There’s a smattering of romance, and a smattering of science fiction, but at it’s soul this is a slice of life comedic novella.

To begin with, the tone of voice is interesting, it’s structured a bit awkwardly, but I can’t entirely tell if that’s a quirk of the writer himself, or a side effect of a poor translation. However I’m inclined to think it’s a quirk of the writer, as Emily Balistrieri from my understanding is an incredibly talented translator.

The novella takes an almost self-indulgent tone of voice, like our POV character is aware that this is all ridiculous but is also trying to sound more self-important and clever than he actually is. Which, in all honesty, fits the character <i>incredibly well</i>.

To that same manner, the characters are charming. They lean more towards being more daguerreotypes of people than real fleshed out people. Like except for Ozu and Akashi (two of the characters), I would be hard pressed to remember anyone’s name, because they really are more archetypes in a story than real people. You have the down on his luck main character, the wise foolish master, the frenemy BFF who leads you astray, two other guys, the coward, and the love interest. However, for the tone of voice the author takes, and the shortness of the novella, it almost feels fitting to have these half real character more than fully fleshed out human beings.

All in all, while good, this Novella has a particular tone of voice and setting that I think isn’t really for me. But if you’re looking for some light hearted low stakes scifi, absolutely give it a read.

I was not able to finish this book. I read 50 pages (over 25% of the book) and it still hadn't grabbed by attention, I couldn't find myself caring what happened to the characters, and I found myself desperately checking my advance every couple of pages. I found it really hard to get into (perhaps because I didn't know it was a sequel), but I really tried for about a week before deciding to give up.

Release Date: November 7, 2023
Genre: Science fiction
Themes: Short-and-sweet sequels, time travel, college summer nostalgia

A follow-up to Tomihiko Morimi's 2004 work "The Tatami Galaxy," I wouldn't necessarily call this book a traditional sequel. In many ways, it's like a side quest to the original novel - a single adventure in yet another universe we hadn't discovered in the first book. It relies on our familiarity with the characters, settings, turns of phrase and rewards us with a wink and a nod every now and then.

In "The Tatami Time Machine Blues" our chaotic group of misfits returns, this time on a mission to prevent a the breaking of the building's only air conditioner remote... by travelling to the past with the aid of a mysterious college student and his time machine from the future. Of course, given the crew's disposition for misadventure, things go off track very quickly.

While it still relies fairly heavily on popular time travel tropes, "The Tatami Time Machine Blues" manages to be an invigorating romp in a small package. The characters still feel true to themselves even 19 years after the first book was published, and perhaps seem even sharper and more vibrant. At around 110 digital pages, it's a light science fiction fan's perfect read quick read for a sunny afternoon by the pool.

For fans of: Looking for a light-hearted adventure that calls back to time travel tales of the 80s and 90s? This is the book for you.

Fans of "The Tatami Galaxy" will find this follow-up a fun addition to the mythology of the series. Those who liked the ensemble experience of "Castle in the Mirror" but are more sci-fi inclined may also find this one an entertaining gem that summons a similar feeling of nostalgia for summers long gone.

The verdict: "Tatami Time Machine Blues" is a quick and entertaining read that will delight fans of the first book. It's a beautiful showcase of familiar characters in the context of a fun new adventure that's told with just as much heart and snark as the first. And I, for one, hope it's not the last we see of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for an ARC in exchange for a truthful review!

One of the better science fiction novels I've read in a while. It actually addresses the fact that the concept of time travel is not as simple as all the movies make it out to be. An easy and quick read but is still very engaging.