Kimi ga Shine: Tasuketsu Death Game: Side Joe

***Kimi ga Shine: Tasuketsu Death Game: Side Joe*** (キミガシネ　―多数決デスゲーム― side ジョー, *Kimigashine ―Tasūketsu Desugēmu― saido Jō*?) is a novelization of *Kimi ga Shine: Tasuketsu Death Game* with chapters alternating between Joe Tazuna and Sara Chidouin's point of view. It's written by Anemo Teshigawara and supervised with art by Nankidai. It was released on February 27, 2021.

A special bonus illustration featuring Joe was included with the purchase if the novel was bought at TSUTAYA.

## Official synopsis

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> "You will choose amongst yourselves with majority vote. You are the ones to decide. Who is unnecessary, the most hateful, who is ok to die."
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> Out of concern for his best friend Sara's stalker issue, Joe decided to escort her home. However, as soon as they reached her house, they were attacked by someone and lost consciousness. When next Sara and Joe wake up, they find themselves in a strange facility. There, they find strange similarly kidnapped people. Including Joe and Sara, the 11 people-- despite being driven by suspicion-- cooperate, encourage each other, and become friends. While Joe protects Sara, he believes in everyone else and resolves to escape the facility. And yet, what awaited him was a Death Game where "Someone's death will be decided by everyone else."
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## Game and book differences

* During the First Trial Sara and Joe corroborate to figure it out.
* Russian Roulette is completely different in the novel.
	+ The challenger is the one risking their life and the dolls (still ambiguous mannequins) are all named after participants not in the room. (Alice, Hinako, Kugie, Anzu, Megumi, Shunsuke, Mai, Naomichi, Ranmaru) The goal is to shoot down the four out of nine dolls that are named after minors.
	+ Joe volunteers to shoot while Sara tells him what to do, since she's the only one who has the information. After shooting twice, Joe takes a break since it's taking a psychological toll on him and Sara can't remember the last two that need to be shot. Then Sara takes up the gun.
	+ Kai is the one who pushes Keiji to talk about his trauma after seeing how the game is affecting Joe.
	+ When Q-taro suggests shooting the "Alice" doll and Sara refutes that they "don't need to shoot Alice *yet*," they hear a noise outside.
	+ Keiji brings up and clarifies that Megumi is an adult.
	+ Sara is uncertain if Mai or Hinako is the adult, and when she offers to shoot, Kai remembers that Hinako is the minor. He says he remembers her because she has an egg-like name. ("Hinako" means "chick-child.")
* Joe goes into the Red Room with Sara.
* The Birdcage Game is different. They have to solve a puzzle within 5 minutes to save Gin.
* Joe is present when Sara and Keiji talk down Nao in the kitchen and Joe's the one to open the box that was supposed to be holding Mishima's head.
* During the Main Game, when Sou asks if he could speak, everyone looks to Sara first and he starts speaking after she nods.
* The Four Papers aren't present in the novel, so the truth of the Yabusame siblings is coerced out of Alice by Keiji.

## Trivia

* Joe's arm accessories on the cover are switched; his cord with a dog bone is on his right arm and his gold bracelets are on his left, instead of vice versa.

## References

1. ↑ キミガシネ　―多数決デスゲーム― side ジョー 勅使河原　あねも：ライトノベル (Japanese) (website). KADOKAWA. Retrieved on January 14, 2021.
2. ↑ @nannkizum (February 27, 2021). Side Joe bonus illustration (Japanese) (tweet). Twitter. Retrieved on February, 2021. “ちなみにTSUTAYA様で小説版を購入されますと特典でイカしたジョーくんが付いてきます！”

## External links

* Anemo Teshigawara on Twitter
* Kadokawa website