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Zaregoto #3
Lời Nói Đùa 3 - Học Viện Treo Cổ: Đệ Tử của Kẻ Thích Bông Đùa
Có một quy tắc bạn buộc phải tuân thủ khi muốn kết thân với một người xa lạ, đó là luôn luôn yêu quý đối phương. Nói tóm lại, chúng ta có thể hiểu rằng kết thân với một người xa lạ nào đó là điều bất khả thi. Mà không, nội cái ý muốn kết thân với một người xa lạ nào đó, vốn đã rất bất bình thường rồi.
“Tôi” là một người chính trực và thành thực, không bao giờ cho phép bản thân nói nhăng nói cuội, không thể bỏ qua bất cứ mâu thuẫn nào... Cuối tháng Sáu vừa rồi, khi còn chưa kịp thắc mắc nửa lời, “tôi” đã bị Người nhận khoán mạnh nhất nhân loại Aikawa Jun lôi đến Học viện Sumiyuri, ngôi trường danh giá dành cho các thiên kim tiểu thư. Và rồi học viện đó nảy sinh rắc rối. Nói “tôi” bị cuốn vào cũng đúng, nói “tôi” tự nhảy vào mớ bòng bong ấy cũng chẳng sai. Mà kệ đi, dù có thanh minh thanh nga như thế nào đi chăng nữa thì cũng chẳng có nghĩa lý gì. Bởi những rắc rối đã xảy ra vốn dĩ chỉ tựa như một lời nói đùa mà thôi.
Tập thứ ba trong câu chuyện về Lời nói đùa!
“Tôi” là một người chính trực và thành thực, không bao giờ cho phép bản thân nói nhăng nói cuội, không thể bỏ qua bất cứ mâu thuẫn nào... Cuối tháng Sáu vừa rồi, khi còn chưa kịp thắc mắc nửa lời, “tôi” đã bị Người nhận khoán mạnh nhất nhân loại Aikawa Jun lôi đến Học viện Sumiyuri, ngôi trường danh giá dành cho các thiên kim tiểu thư. Và rồi học viện đó nảy sinh rắc rối. Nói “tôi” bị cuốn vào cũng đúng, nói “tôi” tự nhảy vào mớ bòng bong ấy cũng chẳng sai. Mà kệ đi, dù có thanh minh thanh nga như thế nào đi chăng nữa thì cũng chẳng có nghĩa lý gì. Bởi những rắc rối đã xảy ra vốn dĩ chỉ tựa như một lời nói đùa mà thôi.
Tập thứ ba trong câu chuyện về Lời nói đùa!
300 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2002
21 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
NisiOisiN
286 books961 followersNisio Isin (西尾維新 Nishio Ishin), frequently written as NisiOisiN to emphasize that his pen name is a palindrome, is a Japanese novelist and manga writer. He attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel Kubikiri Cycle, which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age.
He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.
In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.
He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.
In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 8, 2021
I've been told that this is where the series starts veering away from the locked room mystery genre and started going towards the direction of the Ningen Series (the spin off). As a big fan of locked room mysteries, I'm a bit disappointed but if there's still gonna be some sort of mystery I guess that's okay? The dialogue is as good as always--although people don't really talk like that in real life do they? It's too witty to be real.
NisiOisiN leaves a lot more of the motives as vague as possible here, although the murder isn't as personal (it feels like) as with the second book. It's up to the reader to judge why the murderer did what they did.
Possibly the most interesting point in the novel though is the dissection of Ikkun's character. This was hidden in book1 due to Kunagisa loving the hell out of Ikkun, partially revealed in book2 through Zerozaki's mirror image, and then dissected by Aikawa in this book. And you realise that emotions really are complex things, aren't they?
29 December 2019
Upping stars from three to four based on the Vertical edition.
So Vertical has finally published the 3rd novel in the Zaregoto series despite being so damn vague about the rest of it. Like come on guys, you publish Katanagatari in hardback despite it not being the best Nisio series (Nisio and fight scenes??) and you can't even confirm if Zaregoto is a done deal nor not? !
But okay fine, we try not to be salty and review the actual novel.
Daniel Joseph did an incredible job with this--like I know there are just some things that are hard to translate and this is why I read this in English and not Japanese (I'm nowhere near fluent enough to handle NisioIsin)--but he certainly made things as easy to understand as possible while still keeping the Nisio style. So I might have been really salty about Vertical earlier, but I do want to say that I appreciate how they have the translator's name on the cover. These people deserve all the praise.
Especially since it appears fan translation might have been helpful about explaining the jokes, but not how the story tied together. Reading it now as an official translation, I got a bit more meat when it comes to the murderer's motives and emotions than I did the first time. It's still vague and left to personal interpretation, but like a lot of Zaregoto, there is enough to imply that one option is more likely than the other (if you so wish).
I'm kind of surprised at how thin this volume is compared to the first two, but the Monogatari novels didn't follow a set number of pages either. I do think some passages might have been cut though; I really remember Ikkun mentioning how, after his meeting with Zerozaki, things happened and he just couldn't be assed to get a hair cut? Which is why when Aikawa mentions it in the car, we weren't surprised.
I also want to say, since I might not have mentioned this before, but Nisio debuted with Zaregoto and he wrote some of the novels before Monogatari happened. You can really see the shift in his worldview, or perhaps a mellowing of intensity? from Zaregoto to Monogatari. And I'm not saying he lost his touch or stopped caring, because Monogatari has some cutting (and surprising) insight about human personalities and psychological questions. But I also think Zaregoto has a lot more despair? The despair in Ikkun's conversation with Hime-chan in the end, and Aikawa's own acceptance that her 'stand up straight with your chest out!' pep talk was nothing since it's coming from a safe position speaks of a writer who knows what it's like to be in that low end. The hatred people have of being told to try harder when they've already been doing that and have nothing left. I'll always love this series best among Nisio's works because of that, and I just hope we see this whole thing published in English.
NisiOisiN leaves a lot more of the motives as vague as possible here, although the murder isn't as personal (it feels like) as with the second book. It's up to the reader to judge why the murderer did what they did.
Possibly the most interesting point in the novel though is the dissection of Ikkun's character. This was hidden in book1 due to Kunagisa loving the hell out of Ikkun, partially revealed in book2 through Zerozaki's mirror image, and then dissected by Aikawa in this book. And you realise that emotions really are complex things, aren't they?
29 December 2019
Upping stars from three to four based on the Vertical edition.
So Vertical has finally published the 3rd novel in the Zaregoto series despite being so damn vague about the rest of it. Like come on guys, you publish Katanagatari in hardback despite it not being the best Nisio series (Nisio and fight scenes??) and you can't even confirm if Zaregoto is a done deal nor not? !
But okay fine, we try not to be salty and review the actual novel.
Daniel Joseph did an incredible job with this--like I know there are just some things that are hard to translate and this is why I read this in English and not Japanese (I'm nowhere near fluent enough to handle NisioIsin)--but he certainly made things as easy to understand as possible while still keeping the Nisio style. So I might have been really salty about Vertical earlier, but I do want to say that I appreciate how they have the translator's name on the cover. These people deserve all the praise.
Especially since it appears fan translation might have been helpful about explaining the jokes, but not how the story tied together. Reading it now as an official translation, I got a bit more meat when it comes to the murderer's motives and emotions than I did the first time. It's still vague and left to personal interpretation, but like a lot of Zaregoto, there is enough to imply that one option is more likely than the other (if you so wish).
I'm kind of surprised at how thin this volume is compared to the first two, but the Monogatari novels didn't follow a set number of pages either. I do think some passages might have been cut though; I really remember Ikkun mentioning how, after his meeting with Zerozaki, things happened and he just couldn't be assed to get a hair cut? Which is why when Aikawa mentions it in the car, we weren't surprised.
I also want to say, since I might not have mentioned this before, but Nisio debuted with Zaregoto and he wrote some of the novels before Monogatari happened. You can really see the shift in his worldview, or perhaps a mellowing of intensity? from Zaregoto to Monogatari. And I'm not saying he lost his touch or stopped caring, because Monogatari has some cutting (and surprising) insight about human personalities and psychological questions. But I also think Zaregoto has a lot more despair? The despair in Ikkun's conversation with Hime-chan in the end, and Aikawa's own acceptance that her 'stand up straight with your chest out!' pep talk was nothing since it's coming from a safe position speaks of a writer who knows what it's like to be in that low end. The hatred people have of being told to try harder when they've already been doing that and have nothing left. I'll always love this series best among Nisio's works because of that, and I just hope we see this whole thing published in English.
July 17, 2021
The third volume definitely wasn't as good as the second but not a bad read at all considering it's short length. The new character Hime wasn't fascinating for me and I wasn't that hooked by the twists but Jun and Ikkun were great. This time, the epilogue wasn't as riveting but still a decent finish.
October 13, 2019
This book is almost half the length of the previous entries in the series, and it worked to the story's detriment, though the narrative itself is complete.
Ikkun is a great narrator as always; his projection onto others and blossoming guilt mean that even if he's a "non-actor," as Aikawa goads, he has loads of personality. Furthermore, Aikawa's character is developed past the "cool and mysterious woman who explains things in the epilogue." Giving Aikawa a more active role in the plot and demonstrating the ways she and Ikkun complement each other fleshed both of them out.
This locked room is easier to guess than the others, but the mystery involves a discussion of "loneliness" that takes the foundation built in the previous novel and expands on it. A motif question is, "Who is lonelier, people who trust or those who trust no one?" Is Aikawa the one who is fundamentally lonely, or is Ikkun? Motive is remarkably unclear, and this is where the novel's weakness is clearest. In attempting to make a statement about how no one can truly understand the reasons behind what others do, the novel left an incomplete and unsatisfying aftertaste in the end. It's hard to pity the culprit, but also hard to blame. Perhaps the ambiguity of the motive was the point. "It's all nonsense," as Ikkun would say.
Ikkun is a great narrator as always; his projection onto others and blossoming guilt mean that even if he's a "non-actor," as Aikawa goads, he has loads of personality. Furthermore, Aikawa's character is developed past the "cool and mysterious woman who explains things in the epilogue." Giving Aikawa a more active role in the plot and demonstrating the ways she and Ikkun complement each other fleshed both of them out.
This locked room is easier to guess than the others, but the mystery involves a discussion of "loneliness" that takes the foundation built in the previous novel and expands on it. A motif question is, "Who is lonelier, people who trust or those who trust no one?" Is Aikawa the one who is fundamentally lonely, or is Ikkun? Motive is remarkably unclear, and this is where the novel's weakness is clearest. In attempting to make a statement about how no one can truly understand the reasons behind what others do, the novel left an incomplete and unsatisfying aftertaste in the end. It's hard to pity the culprit, but also hard to blame. Perhaps the ambiguity of the motive was the point. "It's all nonsense," as Ikkun would say.
July 5, 2020
This is the third book of the Zaregoto series also known as suspension. This is my favorite of the 3 translated books. It is about half the length of the other books but it so packed full of fast passed narration and the mystery is fun and I definitely was fooled. I loved this book but I recommend reading the first two so you have background on the characters and references.
November 2, 2019
Nutted a little to the nurse's JoJo reference. Nutted a little more to Jun saying she can go Super Saiyan. I exaggerate, of course. It's somewhat funny that a lot of NISIOISN's stuff more openly references JoJo and Dragon Ball than some more obscure things. With the focus on dialogue/banter over fights, it's a bit odd to read him namedropping action series. I mean, look at Medaka Box, his attempt at a Weekly Shounen Jump battle manga....
Now, I say that, but this volume has a bit more violence than the previous volumes, and some of the background world-building makes it feel like we're getting more action-y in the future.
"[...] then maybe I'd been able to save Hime-chan, just a tiny bit. I, who could do no saving, had saved Hime-chan, who was beyond salvation. That right there was nothing more than a record-breakingly broken contradiction." (163)
Really feels a little like we're experiencing NISIOISIN slide from Ii-chan into his later Araragi (I say, having read fourteen Monogatari Series books between volumes 2 and 3 of Zaregoto). We unfortunately don't get to see much of Ii's being a broken failure of a human being, but whatever. As with the first novel, Ii plays a largely passive role. He kinda-sorta saves the day through talking, but the weight of his words isn't adequately conveyed, at least not in my opinion. Maybe it's because this Vertical novel has a different translator than the original Del Rey novels I read for the first two volumes, but I don't really "feel" Jun's love for her friends and the ensuing weakness of trusting people too much, so it's harder to really care too much when she compliments Ii on his own strengths, and it feels quite plainly that Ii only really "saves the day" insofar as he stalls for time.
Somewhat funny, when you catch the "twist" (or otherwise when the book tells it to you), you may realize looking back that the large illustration in the beginning of the volume has a rather large spoiler, by omission. There's also a threat of lies in the cast list, but then a little later you realize just how clever NISIOISIN was being in a little way.
Now, I say that, but this volume has a bit more violence than the previous volumes, and some of the background world-building makes it feel like we're getting more action-y in the future.
"[...] then maybe I'd been able to save Hime-chan, just a tiny bit. I, who could do no saving, had saved Hime-chan, who was beyond salvation. That right there was nothing more than a record-breakingly broken contradiction." (163)
Really feels a little like we're experiencing NISIOISIN slide from Ii-chan into his later Araragi (I say, having read fourteen Monogatari Series books between volumes 2 and 3 of Zaregoto). We unfortunately don't get to see much of Ii's being a broken failure of a human being, but whatever. As with the first novel, Ii plays a largely passive role. He kinda-sorta saves the day through talking, but the weight of his words isn't adequately conveyed, at least not in my opinion. Maybe it's because this Vertical novel has a different translator than the original Del Rey novels I read for the first two volumes, but I don't really "feel" Jun's love for her friends and the ensuing weakness of trusting people too much, so it's harder to really care too much when she compliments Ii on his own strengths, and it feels quite plainly that Ii only really "saves the day" insofar as he stalls for time.
Somewhat funny, when you catch the "twist" (or otherwise when the book tells it to you), you may realize looking back that the large illustration in the beginning of the volume has a rather large spoiler, by omission. There's also a threat of lies in the cast list, but then a little later you realize just how clever NISIOISIN was being in a little way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2024
Slow but good
November 5, 2022
So với 2 cuồn trước khá đỉnh, phần này dường như là một bước lùi về mặt nội dung. Tuy nhiên tinh thần và độ giải trí của câu chuyện vx ở giữ mức ổn và dễ đọc mặc dù có những chi tiết thật sự xoắn não và vô nghĩa đúng như tên chính của chuyện. Các nhân vật như nhân vật chính tôi, Akira được xoáy sâu và phát triển tính cách nhiều hơn để mở rộng ra cho những câu chuyện sau này.
Nếu đã thích zaregoto ở hai quyển đầu thì không thể bỏ qua quyển 3 này để tiếp nối câu chuyện và biết nhiều hơn về thế giới trong zaregoto vận hành thế nào và những câu chuyện về quá khứ của các nhân vật mà ta yêu thích trong đó.
Nếu đã thích zaregoto ở hai quyển đầu thì không thể bỏ qua quyển 3 này để tiếp nối câu chuyện và biết nhiều hơn về thế giới trong zaregoto vận hành thế nào và những câu chuyện về quá khứ của các nhân vật mà ta yêu thích trong đó.
April 11, 2023
Muy disfrutable y esta vez mucho más corto, no tan bueno como el anterior pues era más acción que misterio en esta, aunque reconozco que siento que te muestra más de la historia y te prepara para lo que se viene, menos personajes pero algunos con grandes locuras que se irán desarrollando en las siguientes novelas.
Me fascina mucho como puedes llegar a pensar que el narrador al escribir sus propios pensamientos en primera persona piensas que te está contando la historia tal y como es cuando lo único que espera el autor es sorprenderte, no esperes soluciones a los misterios y asesinatos , duda si quieres, ya te sorprenderá después.
Me fascina mucho como puedes llegar a pensar que el narrador al escribir sus propios pensamientos en primera persona piensas que te está contando la historia tal y como es cuando lo único que espera el autor es sorprenderte, no esperes soluciones a los misterios y asesinatos , duda si quieres, ya te sorprenderá después.
February 26, 2020
This book is the 3rd Zaregoto book and by far the shortest of the three, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as the first 2 for some reason. The concept is interesting and learning more about the main character is interesting but I just felt I was missing something. Maybe they're things to be expanded upon in the next books?
June 4, 2023
This book was a pretty disappointing third installment of the Zaregoto series. While the mystery and ending were good in typical isin fashion, I felt like a lot of the themes that made the second volume so spectacular were not present at all. Not bad per se, but very underwhelming, felt like more of a chore to get through in order to read the other books at times.
4.5/10
4.5/10
August 23, 2022
It's a real slog to get through the multiple paragraph long sections of word vomit nonsense. It's already a short book and would have been half as long without all that.
But I guess that's what you sign up for with that kind of subtitle.
But I guess that's what you sign up for with that kind of subtitle.
Read
June 1, 2025Bien moins bouleversant que le tome 2, cette histoire plus courte reste un mystère efficace avec des twists sympas (j'en avais deviné un 😎 ).
Par contre ça fait 4 ans que y'a aucune news sur le T4...
Par contre ça fait 4 ans que y'a aucune news sur le T4...
May 24, 2018
I's sin is finally revealed (or did I just forgot? after all it's been a year) and a bit more of I's personality.
August 8, 2021
Absolutely wonderful. I am falling steadily in love with these characters, which of course, is utter nonsense.
December 11, 2021
Sad this isn't as good as volume 2. But what can you do
November 22, 2022
So far not my favourite in the series, but still pretty good. It was nice to see some more character development from Jun, and I can't wait to read the next volume when it comes out.
January 9, 2023
More action focused then mystery, but the interactions really help it standout
September 2, 2024
9.26/10
November 13, 2025
This one was pretty good, but I don't think it was as good as the previous two volumes. Nisio never disappoints, but it's okay that not every single volume he's produced is excellent.
Rating: 7/10
Rating: 7/10
August 8, 2020
From the guy that created literature, here comes the time he created the word "letdown". But don't get me wrong, its a very decent book but being the sequel to "the book that created literature" it surely didn't lived up to its predecessor.
"When all logically untenable possibilities have been eliminated, if whatever remains seems untenable, then it is."
My thoughts after re-reading "Suspension: Kubitsuri highschool, The Nonsense User's disicple"
Written by NisiOisiN
Illustrated by Take
Re-read?:
Last time I read this book was when it came out in 2019, so almost one whole year from the time I wrote this review. I can say that I really enjoyed this book more during this reread, having just read vols 1 and 2 the characters names were still fresh in my mind and I had failed to notice just how much references they make to characters of previous volumes during my first readthrough,
↓
The story:
After the crazy shit that happened in the book that created literature (aka zaregoto vol 2), this time Ii has to infiltrate a high school to rescue one of the students. But of course, this is zaregoto so the highschool is not actually what it seems.
A volume centered on Ii, Aikawa, and some new characters, trying to solve murder mysteries while doing a lot of fighting.
↓
Translation: The first two books were translated by Greg Moore, but this time the translator was Daniel Joseph. I can definitely say that the two translators do incredibly good jobs at translating zaregoto, having read more translations by Moore I obviously feel more inclined to say that I liked his translation more, but I cant also dismiss the fact that Joseph also does some very interesting things on his translation.
The main difference I found is that Joseph uses more "modern" language in the translations, for example, during this book he uses a lot of abbreviations that obviously characters didn't use on previous installments. The one that struck me the most was Aikawa saying "FYI" but there are other examples. This isn't a bad thing but at plain sight its the biggest difference between translations that I could find.
I can't say wich translator I like best because they are both very great at translating, Moore's translations feel easier to read but joseph' feel more modern and fresh. I really like them both.
↓
Enjoyment:
This book is not as good as V2 but for being a 192-page long book it definitely packs a lot and some very good characters. I really enjoyed how more action-oriented this book felt in comparison to the others and the final chapter of the book was very interesting and a very good conclusion to this book. It's enjoyable
↓
The verdict:
As I have said many times previously, its a letdown in comparison to volume 2, but if we ignore how great volume 2 was. This book is actually very decent, and especially for the size, it packs a lot and more than nothing is very fun to read. Suspension is a 7/10
"When all logically untenable possibilities have been eliminated, if whatever remains seems untenable, then it is."
My thoughts after re-reading "Suspension: Kubitsuri highschool, The Nonsense User's disicple"
Written by NisiOisiN
Illustrated by Take
Re-read?:
Last time I read this book was when it came out in 2019, so almost one whole year from the time I wrote this review. I can say that I really enjoyed this book more during this reread, having just read vols 1 and 2 the characters names were still fresh in my mind and I had failed to notice just how much references they make to characters of previous volumes during my first readthrough,
↓
The story:
After the crazy shit that happened in the book that created literature (aka zaregoto vol 2), this time Ii has to infiltrate a high school to rescue one of the students. But of course, this is zaregoto so the highschool is not actually what it seems.
A volume centered on Ii, Aikawa, and some new characters, trying to solve murder mysteries while doing a lot of fighting.
↓
Translation: The first two books were translated by Greg Moore, but this time the translator was Daniel Joseph. I can definitely say that the two translators do incredibly good jobs at translating zaregoto, having read more translations by Moore I obviously feel more inclined to say that I liked his translation more, but I cant also dismiss the fact that Joseph also does some very interesting things on his translation.
The main difference I found is that Joseph uses more "modern" language in the translations, for example, during this book he uses a lot of abbreviations that obviously characters didn't use on previous installments. The one that struck me the most was Aikawa saying "FYI" but there are other examples. This isn't a bad thing but at plain sight its the biggest difference between translations that I could find.
I can't say wich translator I like best because they are both very great at translating, Moore's translations feel easier to read but joseph' feel more modern and fresh. I really like them both.
↓
Enjoyment:
This book is not as good as V2 but for being a 192-page long book it definitely packs a lot and some very good characters. I really enjoyed how more action-oriented this book felt in comparison to the others and the final chapter of the book was very interesting and a very good conclusion to this book. It's enjoyable
↓
The verdict:
As I have said many times previously, its a letdown in comparison to volume 2, but if we ignore how great volume 2 was. This book is actually very decent, and especially for the size, it packs a lot and more than nothing is very fun to read. Suspension is a 7/10
November 29, 2021
8/10
Short and sweet
Short and sweet
January 2, 2025
A good murder mystery like the others, kinda wonders but thought it was decent.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews