“Harumi can't remember much, like who she is or where she came from, but one thing's for certain… She's somehow been reborn as a treasure-chest-shaped monster—a mimic! And no sooner than she gets her bearings, she gets unceremoniously dumped into a labyrinth full of other monsters and told she must survive for at least five days. Between treasure-hungry adventurers murdering their way through the labyrinth and monstrous rivals joining the fray, that won't be an easy task for a newborn mimic! But although it seems like Harumi's received the short end of the reincarnation stick, she has an invaluable asset on her side.” (J-Novel Club)
Light novels have a way to push the level of absurdity in Japanese media that can outdo their manga and anime counterparts, which says a lot, given the amount of abstract and silly content in both mediums. There is an undeniable charm in approaching books that are built on concepts so indulgent and strange that they seem slightly unreal. “These Legs Don't Lie!” is one such title, where the protagonist is a mimic given the power of explosive legs due to a mutation that makes a leg-fetishizing thief give her powerful high heels–a lot to take in, I know. Yet, Tsuyoshi Fujitaka's experience within the light novel genre, having authored several long-running series, puts them in a position to tackle this peculiar concept.
This is the case with “These Legs Don't Lie” as Fujitaka balances humor with a concise narrative that allows the story to push forward in intriguing ways and not just be bogged down in the bizarre concept. In fact, the first volume manages to establish its origins, build the world, and set Harumi on the path to greatness with impressive ease. Furthermore, the comedic elements are well executed to complement the amount of exposition and story pumped into the first volume.
The comedy is, undeniably, spot-on throughout and Fujitaka ensures that jokes are not solely reliant on the mimic. The adventurers who oppose the monsters are just as humorous in their interactions, with one character, Johaness, being made the constant punchline throughout volume one, despite him only appearing in the story for a few lines. This brilliantly creates its own kind of insider lore as you read, and even after finishing the book, the thought of Johannes should cause a chuckle. It is silly, yes, but the way Tsuyoshi Fujitaka allows humor to permeate every instance in the book in creative ways that will be extremely appealing to fans of comedic light novels.
The other impressive element in Fujitaka's prose is the ability to relate action-heavy sequences in a descriptive way that allows the reader to envision the peculiar fighting style of the mimic. Harumi, going from rocketing around a room frantically hoping to hit anything to developing actual fighting skills is exhilarating in its description. For the reader to be able to visualize the conflicts, is a skill that does not always materialize the way would want in the light novel format, but the way Fujitaka does it with ease is impressive.
The art by Yuunagi is a complementary addition to the book, but it does not do much to enrich the experience. Given the writing prowess of Tsuyoshi Fujitaka in describing characters and their action with clarity, the inclusion of drawings almost feels unnecessary. As a part of the J-novel club, the book is only available in digital format either through purchase or by joining the club. This is an instance where I would, personally, love a physical format given how deceptively well constructed the absurdist story is, but it is well presented in digital.
After trying my hand at “Reincarnated as an Apple: This Forbidden Fruit Is Forever Unblemished!” I thought I was going to abstain from the absurd light novel titles, but after reading a few pages of “These Legs Don't Lie!” I found myself instantly hooked, and consumed the book at a fast pace. Ultimately, Tsuyoshi Fujitaka gives a masterclass on how you can merge abstract and silly ideas with strong storytelling elements to make for an entertaining and engaging read. If you like fun, give this one a shot.
