folks if I wanted a story called "degen sis" I'd go watch any anime from the early 2010s
anyway go read "A Sister's All You Need", 100% unironically one of the best works about working-age adults navigating professional life, their dreams, each other, beer and board games are also there, etc
unrelated to all of that: D-Genesis, this light novel about what if a RPG LN was dropped in the middle of yoyogi
and I like it!
no salaryman were reincarnated in the making of this LN
d-genesis is a light novel that takes place in super-very-the-real-world (to the level of namedropping the US leaving the Iran nuclear deal), following our hero and heroine around as the former stumbles upon a game-breaking ability, and the latter immediately jumps on the chance to dissect the fabric of RPG Reality as if she was datamining a service game.
it is very relatable to see her attempt to calculate the precise experience curve for repeated enemy kills, and one particularly interesting question d-genesis makes sure to keep asking is "sure, reality has become gamified - but for what reason?"
i found out I like 'real world' style dungeon LNs, kind of like solo leveling
a lot of the push and pull of the first two LNs, so far, is actually political - dungeons have appeared on Earth, and the rare supernatural skills and items they grant have had a clear impact on society, and when our overpowered MCs burst onto the scene (somewhat unwittingly), it quickly becomes clear to them that not only have they got something powerful, they've got something that could upset the international balance of powers.
what results is a magical girl / spy fiction style of secret-keeping where the protags constantly dance to stay one step ahead of both friendly and unfriendly government powers, trying to harness their unique ability for what they feel is the common good and for comically large personal enrichment while keeping everyone from finding out their true abilities.
final review: 4 out of 4 good hell doggos
it's a fun read overall that I recommend, with the political intrigue, the real world grounding, and the mysterious origin of the fantasy elements all adding extra zest to the traditional formula of comically broken isekai-style fantasy combat.
you will also learn at least 20 of the author's favorite TV shows and movies. one of them is colombo!
