My issue with this prequel was the huge amount of Japanese culture and vocabulary that is just thrown at you non-stop. I don't know Japanese, I am not familiar with Japanese culture, and because of this I felt like I needed to read this thing with a dictionary and guide book. Not to mention the fact that the constant confusion I experienced with the culture and language barriers completely prevented me from getting immersed in the story itself. As a result, I didn't give a crap about either of the main characters, what is happening to them, or what will happen to them. I hope the main novel flows better and feels more natural than this did or I may not be able to read all of it.
