Language read: Thai (official translation, licensed by DEXpress; original Japanese publisher: Shogakukan)
*This review is also available on the book's webpage in MyAnimeList.
When I picked up this standalone light novel from a book fair, my expectations for it were not high. It was just that the book title and the premise of “making Christmas disappear” seem somewhat interesting. But now that I have finished reading, I am very glad to have picked this light novel up.
The light novel’s premise features two main characters who met in early December: “Me” or “I” (the protagonist), a second-year college student recently dumped by an office-lady girlfriend whom he simply called “Senpai” and “Girl” (the heroine), a snarky senior high schooler with a notebook that only grants a wish that the wisher does not want. Despite being opposites, they share a hatred of Christmas for their own reasons and thus aim to wipe Christmas day off the planet using the notebook. To accomplish this, they must first come to like Christmas by pretending to be a couple and enjoying the winter festivities before Christmas day begins. As the days pass, they realize they might have more in common than they originally thought.
The characters, all without proper Japanese names, absolutely shine the best when it comes to this light novel. The dynamic between the two leads feel organic and the dialogue is incredibly fun to read through, especially the sarcastic remarks from the sharp-tongued girl (it reminds me of Kanade Hisaishi from Hibike! Euphonium). The two leads also have proper character depth through detailed yet well-paced backstory parts and personal motivations that are consistent with their characters, greatly providing believability and relatability. It is hard to explain but the way the author describes certain strong emotions from the two leads also had me invested in their struggles from beginning to end, especially more so in the final chapters. Furthermore, aside from the two leads, the two side characters in the novel are also surprisingly well-written. “Senpai”, the ex-girlfriend of the protagonist, feels like a proper troubled office lady with all the mannerisms of a working adult filled with life experiences and “Rascal Friend”, the male lead’s college friend, works great as not only being a sidekick but also as a mirror whom the protagonist sees himself through.
When it comes to the plot, pacing, and themes, they are nothing short of fantastic for a drama light novel. The plot, while seemingly straightforward, comes with a good dose of twists and revelations that keep the story engaging. There is also a decent amount of subtle foreshadowing, whether through bits of dialogue or through their placements in certain subplots, that are well-executed. When a foreshadowed plot point is being revealed, there’s this feeling of “Ah…I see.” like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. The climax and ending of the story are also, without going into spoilers, brilliant and very fitting. In terms of pacing, there is not a single point from the prologue to the final chapter that the plot seemingly progresses too slowly or too quickly; I had no qualms with it whatsoever. As for the themes, the book presents several heavy, thoughtful ones (e.g., the clinging of one’s past, the pain and trauma of losing something/someone deeply important, finding happiness in a world where you are no longer happy to be in, etc.) and they are interwoven well into the narrative through character development, plot elements, monologue/dialogue, and writing. With that said, there are parts where it feels a little too heavy-handed and could use some more subtlety but, overall, the themes are nicely presented and at some points had me pondering about my own life and life choices.
For the art department, the colored illustrations provided by Tsukugu (one for the very first scene and one for character portraits/descriptions) are quite good (especially the background detail of numerous Christmas lights) but nothing too remarkable. For the black-and-white illustrations at the start of each chapter, they are clean and decent but the lack of background makes it feel somewhat too empty, at least compared to other standalone light novels (e.g., Kukka’s art in ‘The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes’).
To conclude, ‘I Killed Santa Claus. And Then, I Kissed Him.’ is what I could only describe as a hidden gem (<40 members on its AniList page as of 9 June 2024) amidst the sea filled with generic light novels. For those seeking for a great standalone romantic drama story with a dash of the supernatural in the likes of 'Three Days of Happiness' or ‘The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes’, this light novel is an easy recommendation. The character writing is well-done, with proper care and depth given to both the main and side characters. The plot remains intriguing throughout, with nice plot twists and hints of foreshadowing, and immaculate is how I would describe the pacing. The themes are thought-provoking and their executions, albeit not perfect, are masterful. While the art might be the book's weakest element, it is still decent and do not impact my overall enjoyment. Overall, I can clearly see why it won the excellence award at the 14th Shogakukan Light Novel Awards. While this might be Suzume Inuki’s only work up to now, if they decide to write more light novels in the future, I will be looking forward to reading them.
Final score: 9.0/10.
P.S. If you've managed to read this far, thank you very much.
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