I DNF'd this one through no reason of the book's own fault. I simply wasn't interested as it has a very straightforward and almost dry form of writing. It reminded me more of a literary focus on this person's day-to-day, which isn't for me.

First I want to preface that I still haven't watched the anime series, so I read this as a bit of an outsider. I did read the first book in the series and love the tidbits that get brought up from that book in this one, although this also feels as if it could be read as a standalone story.
This has one of my least favorite time travel theories, the butterfly effect. In this case, that even stopping an air conditioner remote from being broken can have life altering impacts on the future.
This is a lighthearted time travel story, and despite not loving the actual time travel aspect of the story, and overall I would still recommend picking this book up (especially if you've read the other one in the series).

Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the ARC copy they provided.

This book… this book. Oh. My. Gods.

The Tatami Time Machine Blues is a ride I don’t fully know how to describe. In the afterward by playwright and director Makoto Ueda, Ueda describes his friend, Morimi’s, “racing, romping pen,” and, “uninhibited style,” and those descriptions are the only adequate things I can think of to introduce you to just what you’re in for if you dare to take the plunge and dive into this book.

Imagine your youth, those long, hot, sluggish summers when you struggled to find something worth doing, but only seemed to end up laying about, or uselessly rambling around with friends that made you question, “What am I doing with these weirdos?” And then picture you, and said weirdos, finding a time machine.

…I’m sure you can imagine the chaos that would ensue, followed by the frantic need to save the time/space continuum from, well, your weirdo friends, yourself, and your own muck ups. Because I don’t know about you, but I for sure would muck up going back in time. I’d bump into something and change the course of history.

The Tatami Time Machine Blues is EXACTLY that story. Written with a wildly “racing, romping pen” and an “uninhibited style” that will leave you breathless. This book is a non-stop race through today and yesterday and today again, with vibrant characters and exquisite imagery that is at once serene and positively hectic. Rather like the book itself.

I was unable to stop reading this delightful tale, and if you’re looking for a good laugh, mixed with some coming of age hijinxs, this is the book for you. The Tatami Time Machine Blues will pick you up and carry you along to a satisfying end that will still leave you wishing for more.

Personally, I’m on the hunt for book one. Because. I. Need. More. If you dare to read, you will too.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. So thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

I came because of the cover and stayed because of the unique plot.
I have never read anything quite like this before.
It has a bit of everything. Time machines, prose, cinematography, college students and more.
This was a whole new reading experience.

A fun and funny romp, and a nice follow-up to Tatami Galaxy. The endnote about the creation of this book was especially interesting! It was neat to know it was a play first-- it feels very cinema-focused and cinematic in the action. I still though some parts were a little draggy, but in general, a fun book!

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.