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Zaregoto #1
Zaregoto, Book 1: The Kubikiri Cycle
A peaceful vacation is transformed into a nightmare as a teenager becomes embroiled in a bizarre murder mystery involving a locked room, a group of teenage geniuses, and a series of decapitations, in the first volume in a suspenseful new manga series.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2002
98 people are currently reading
1485 people want to read
About the author
NisiOisiN
288 books966 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 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 27, 2020
EDIT : 1.5*. In lieu of recent reading, I've realized the value of a 2.5 star book and this ain't it, chief.
2.5 (closer to a 2 than a 3!)
I didn't really hate this book, all things considered. I think the mystery part of it was decent enough, tbf. Very reminiscent of Christie's And Then There Were None. (which is what the book claims to be paying an homage to, kind of, so good). But I just couldn't deal with the stilted writing. It messed with my immersion of the book and made it less enjoyable. The characters weren't that great either. I couldn't relate to any of them and the whole "geniuses" shtick was just not well done, imo. It was a really quick and easy read, in a sense, so yay for that atleast!
2.5 (closer to a 2 than a 3!)
I didn't really hate this book, all things considered. I think the mystery part of it was decent enough, tbf. Very reminiscent of Christie's And Then There Were None. (which is what the book claims to be paying an homage to, kind of, so good). But I just couldn't deal with the stilted writing. It messed with my immersion of the book and made it less enjoyable. The characters weren't that great either. I couldn't relate to any of them and the whole "geniuses" shtick was just not well done, imo. It was a really quick and easy read, in a sense, so yay for that atleast!
December 13, 2019
So, this is a weird book in many ways, but I had fun with it.
I liked the style (mostly, although at times it could be frustrating). I liked that the translation stays so close to Japanese and uses Japanese style forms instead of western ones.
The dialogue was interesting, even though or maybe because it is so over the top.
The idea of this murder mysteries was interesting, albeit not wholly original and there were an unrealistic amount of twists.
Most of the characters were pretty one dimensional and honestly, they all sort of looked alike (minus a few exceptions).
It was repeated a lot how genius everyone was and that could get on my nerves. I feel like the point might have been better conveyed in a different way. I did find the MCs inner struggles / thoughts interesting. Not as much now as I would have when I was younger, but still. And I liked the hints you get about the MCs history, although no real answers are forthcoming in this book.
I liked the style (mostly, although at times it could be frustrating). I liked that the translation stays so close to Japanese and uses Japanese style forms instead of western ones.
The dialogue was interesting, even though or maybe because it is so over the top.
The idea of this murder mysteries was interesting, albeit not wholly original and there were an unrealistic amount of twists.
Most of the characters were pretty one dimensional and honestly, they all sort of looked alike (minus a few exceptions).
It was repeated a lot how genius everyone was and that could get on my nerves. I feel like the point might have been better conveyed in a different way. I did find the MCs inner struggles / thoughts interesting. Not as much now as I would have when I was younger, but still. And I liked the hints you get about the MCs history, although no real answers are forthcoming in this book.
February 4, 2017
Considering this is Nisioisin's debut novel that was published when he was 20 it's impressive.
But maybe it's because it's a book about geniuses, or maybe it's because he was just starting out as a writer, but the writing wasn't always easily readable. Sometimes it was unnecessarily distracting. Comparing this to Kizumonogatari he really did improve as a writer.
There were moments I really enjoyed, moments I wondered why so many characters felt the need to rag on the main character including the main character (were they just bored? It seemed uncalled for how often it happened), and something's that I just found boring, like anytime Kunagisa talked about tech stuff.
By the end of the book I felt unsatisfied and slightly disturbed.
Also why is the main character's name never given?
Final Thoughts I liked it but found it lacking something. And for a book that kept stating murder is never okay life sure felt cheap in it.
But maybe it's because it's a book about geniuses, or maybe it's because he was just starting out as a writer, but the writing wasn't always easily readable. Sometimes it was unnecessarily distracting. Comparing this to Kizumonogatari he really did improve as a writer.
There were moments I really enjoyed, moments I wondered why so many characters felt the need to rag on the main character including the main character (were they just bored? It seemed uncalled for how often it happened), and something's that I just found boring, like anytime Kunagisa talked about tech stuff.
By the end of the book I felt unsatisfied and slightly disturbed.
Also why is the main character's name never given?
Final Thoughts I liked it but found it lacking something. And for a book that kept stating murder is never okay life sure felt cheap in it.
February 11, 2024
I read this just to say that I've read a light novel and I was SO RIGHT that I would not like this kind of writing. I realize that most anime type plots are best in manga/anime form for a reason. Cuz this is so not it LOL, it comes off so much more corny. It's like when you feel like you wrote smth crazy good until someone reads it back out aloud to you and you realize how silly it sounds.
The plot is practically identical to that of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, people invited to stay on an island, people start getting killed off, murders seem impossible, and turns out the killer is one of the "dead" people. Except it's done really weirdly in this book.
I feel like the book did a pretty bad job combining the challenging of the notion of what a genius is and a murder mystery. It really felt like I was reading two books at once : sometimes I'd be getting some random philosophy drop from Ii's inner monologue and other times, I'll have some exciting murder mystery detective work. It's not that it's ever bad to combine two subjects at once but I've never seen an author put so little effort in doing so, it felt like there was so little thought in fusioning the two. There was no subtlety in which part was which, it'd never blend, it felt like I was hopping around on the whim of the author, which made it so I didn't really feel all that immersed. I did always think the "philosophical parts" (idet i can call it that) were extremely lame, not to mention surface level (ill add silly ass quotes later), but I did find that when the author honed in specifically on the murder mystery aspect, I was immersed and enjoyed it. Why didn't he just choose to do that from the beginning? I really don't think his "challenging of the idea of what a genius is" contributed anything positive to the book and the half-baked attempt to add this "deeper" side to this book felt like just a whole nothing burger.
I think this lack of fusion really comes from the incongruency between the character's personalities and the mystery in itself. What made And then there were none so incredible was how Agatha Christie ties in each character's past both to the nursery rhyme and the killings which overall made the characters so attractive and fun to read about. But here, it felt like the author first tried to create cool characters and then as an afterthought, added a murder mystery without considering the characters. The lack of connection between the plot and the messaging makes the book feel very half-baked and overall unpolished.
- Also, all these characters were talking SO MUCH SMACKK to the main character and i was like DID I MISS A MEMO??? Is this not the first book??? Like they're being SO MEAN I DON'T GET IT. All they were saying to critique him, I didn't really witness it much and I couldn't even agree?? Like this one girl just tells him to kill himself and im like whaaat what'd he even do. Istg it's so unwarranted, I reallly don't get this book man
- the book's exposition style is so japanese, it goes like this : quote by a character -> followed by inner monologue by mc to further explain it. Like bruh it get's so tiresome, japanese books are FULL of this, Muarkami does this more subtly, in Battle Royale is the same but this one does it the most obviously.
- Example : "Now now, is that how it is? Kanami and Akane and all of them haven't given you a complex, have they?" Monologue literally right after : a complex. Even supposing it wasn't something you could...
- Example 2: "It's an original OS developed by a friend of yours truly" "A friend..."Monologue after : Kunagisa's friend. The only friend of Kunagisa...
- Example 3: "You know about increasing returns right? With an oS this different, we'd never catch up. Business goes beyond skill or talent." Monologue after : Increasing returns. The law of economics... LIKE STFUFUFUFUFU. Note that these examples are just ones I've found in the first 8% of the book, and I stopped highlighting them all after that. But there were more before and after too
- the cited examples of "genius" aren't even that crazy, like a virtual computer is literally such a normal freaking thing. Like what, pirating and torrenting is high level hacking now??
- i wish i could send a voice recording on goodreads cuz i'd read out these lines and you'd realize just how silly they sound. I HATE THESE SELF-AWARE LINES MAN, it's straight out of those skits where people pretend to be redditers and weebs. Like here's one LMFAO : "Eh? Pardon me, madame, what was the horrible thing you uttered?" or another : "Question. What is trust? Answer. Not minding if you're betrayed. Not regretting if you're betrayed" LMFAO
- i think the translation HAS to have been really poor cuz man saying things like "how you feelin my freaky people" or "she's looked like one of those well-bred young ladies" is WILD
- "I just have a bad memory, all i want is an average one, really." Just enough of one so that I wouldn't forget the fun times. Just enough of one so that I could realize the world is full of good things, too. CORNYYYYYYYY, there's all these random lines that suggest like a dark pass for the MC but it's never concretely brought up. Maybe it's in the sequels but like bruh, such a weird way to write a series
- "i didn't hate being patient. Or at least I was used to it. Suffering and pain. I was used to these things" im sure these lines must sound fire in japanese
- so many of these "genius" speeches are so supercilious and the whole time im just like " YOU'RE ONTO NOTHINGGGG"
- Ii is so unlikeable LMFAO, idk if it's meant to be the character's personality but he somehow makes things all about himself : "I'm not saying Shinya was a monster. People are just wired that way. If anyone was a monster, it was me, for only being able to nitpick at people's flaws", context being that Shinya's master just got killed
- there's this one part that idk if is intentionally cool that ends up reaffirming like this codependency thing this character's got going on with kunagisa but knowing this writing, idt it was meant to be like that LMFAO.
I hope one day someone finds me a good light novel read. I am so not convinced by this genre.
The plot is practically identical to that of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, people invited to stay on an island, people start getting killed off, murders seem impossible, and turns out the killer is one of the "dead" people. Except it's done really weirdly in this book.
I feel like the book did a pretty bad job combining the challenging of the notion of what a genius is and a murder mystery. It really felt like I was reading two books at once : sometimes I'd be getting some random philosophy drop from Ii's inner monologue and other times, I'll have some exciting murder mystery detective work. It's not that it's ever bad to combine two subjects at once but I've never seen an author put so little effort in doing so, it felt like there was so little thought in fusioning the two. There was no subtlety in which part was which, it'd never blend, it felt like I was hopping around on the whim of the author, which made it so I didn't really feel all that immersed. I did always think the "philosophical parts" (idet i can call it that) were extremely lame, not to mention surface level (ill add silly ass quotes later), but I did find that when the author honed in specifically on the murder mystery aspect, I was immersed and enjoyed it. Why didn't he just choose to do that from the beginning? I really don't think his "challenging of the idea of what a genius is" contributed anything positive to the book and the half-baked attempt to add this "deeper" side to this book felt like just a whole nothing burger.
I think this lack of fusion really comes from the incongruency between the character's personalities and the mystery in itself. What made And then there were none so incredible was how Agatha Christie ties in each character's past both to the nursery rhyme and the killings which overall made the characters so attractive and fun to read about. But here, it felt like the author first tried to create cool characters and then as an afterthought, added a murder mystery without considering the characters. The lack of connection between the plot and the messaging makes the book feel very half-baked and overall unpolished.
- Also, all these characters were talking SO MUCH SMACKK to the main character and i was like DID I MISS A MEMO??? Is this not the first book??? Like they're being SO MEAN I DON'T GET IT. All they were saying to critique him, I didn't really witness it much and I couldn't even agree?? Like this one girl just tells him to kill himself and im like whaaat what'd he even do. Istg it's so unwarranted, I reallly don't get this book man
- the book's exposition style is so japanese, it goes like this : quote by a character -> followed by inner monologue by mc to further explain it. Like bruh it get's so tiresome, japanese books are FULL of this, Muarkami does this more subtly, in Battle Royale is the same but this one does it the most obviously.
- Example : "Now now, is that how it is? Kanami and Akane and all of them haven't given you a complex, have they?" Monologue literally right after : a complex. Even supposing it wasn't something you could...
- Example 2: "It's an original OS developed by a friend of yours truly" "A friend..."Monologue after : Kunagisa's friend. The only friend of Kunagisa...
- Example 3: "You know about increasing returns right? With an oS this different, we'd never catch up. Business goes beyond skill or talent." Monologue after : Increasing returns. The law of economics... LIKE STFUFUFUFUFU. Note that these examples are just ones I've found in the first 8% of the book, and I stopped highlighting them all after that. But there were more before and after too
- the cited examples of "genius" aren't even that crazy, like a virtual computer is literally such a normal freaking thing. Like what, pirating and torrenting is high level hacking now??
- i wish i could send a voice recording on goodreads cuz i'd read out these lines and you'd realize just how silly they sound. I HATE THESE SELF-AWARE LINES MAN, it's straight out of those skits where people pretend to be redditers and weebs. Like here's one LMFAO : "Eh? Pardon me, madame, what was the horrible thing you uttered?" or another : "Question. What is trust? Answer. Not minding if you're betrayed. Not regretting if you're betrayed" LMFAO
- i think the translation HAS to have been really poor cuz man saying things like "how you feelin my freaky people" or "she's looked like one of those well-bred young ladies" is WILD
- "I just have a bad memory, all i want is an average one, really." Just enough of one so that I wouldn't forget the fun times. Just enough of one so that I could realize the world is full of good things, too. CORNYYYYYYYY, there's all these random lines that suggest like a dark pass for the MC but it's never concretely brought up. Maybe it's in the sequels but like bruh, such a weird way to write a series
- "i didn't hate being patient. Or at least I was used to it. Suffering and pain. I was used to these things" im sure these lines must sound fire in japanese
- so many of these "genius" speeches are so supercilious and the whole time im just like " YOU'RE ONTO NOTHINGGGG"
- Ii is so unlikeable LMFAO, idk if it's meant to be the character's personality but he somehow makes things all about himself : "I'm not saying Shinya was a monster. People are just wired that way. If anyone was a monster, it was me, for only being able to nitpick at people's flaws", context being that Shinya's master just got killed
- there's this one part that idk if is intentionally cool that ends up reaffirming like this codependency thing this character's got going on with kunagisa but knowing this writing, idt it was meant to be like that LMFAO.
I hope one day someone finds me a good light novel read. I am so not convinced by this genre.
December 30, 2019
Oof.
I don't think I have ever DNF'd a book so fast.
This was recommended to me to get an idea of what a light novel was like and I just could not handle the pseudo philosophical nonsense. They are supposed to be geniuses but they have conversations like MAC VS. PC that culminate in them saying certain people like certain operating systems as if it was a profound statement. Other times, they say things like ignorance is bliss in long drawn out ways to seem like it is more meaningful then it is.
In the words of Randy Jackson:
I don't think I have ever DNF'd a book so fast.
This was recommended to me to get an idea of what a light novel was like and I just could not handle the pseudo philosophical nonsense. They are supposed to be geniuses but they have conversations like MAC VS. PC that culminate in them saying certain people like certain operating systems as if it was a profound statement. Other times, they say things like ignorance is bliss in long drawn out ways to seem like it is more meaningful then it is.
In the words of Randy Jackson:
July 1, 2021
This book was pointless to the extent that it was disrespectful to the reader.
- The main character 'Ii-chan' solves the murder and everyone goes home. Then in the LAST CHAPTER a real detective shows up to talk to Ii-chan and tells him he got solved the murder wrong. And gives a bunch of flat exposition to what really happened, some of which the main character literally couldn't have found out on the island. SO BASICALLY everything in 95% of the book was totally pointless!
- Nobody cares about the murderers and they just go home and live normal lives. WTF
- There were a bunch of other pointless details that were added for no reason. Literally none, I can't find a reason why they were included.
But the thing that irritated me beyond belief was that they kept hinting at the main character's unusual and significant backstory, but they NEVER explained it. The main character kept dropping hints, saying stuff like "most people don't have to see two acquaintances killed in front of them, well, except me" "I'm used to cocking a gun from the states" "I've lifted countless dead bodies before". They also mentioned the main character "being a liar" "having a bad memory" "going to a gifted school in the US" AND mentioned paranormal abilities in association with the US school. Did any of that pan out? Nope. Nothing. Zero explanation. That's just plain disrespect.
Let me just also say that the back of the book is a big lie. It says "Ii-chan discovers that he does possess a bit of genius: the ability to discover what is real and what is fake." Nope. Literally a lie.
I had high hopes during the beginning and middle of the book because I thought the main twist wasn't going to be regarding the murder mystery but regarding the main character.
As many other reviews mentioned, the prose sucks too, partially a translation/adaptation issue. The main character is unredeemable once you get to the end and realize there's no twist to him, he's just a timid, pathetic person.
This book had potential, due to the setup, but failed in every possible execution. I would not recommend this to anyone. Save your time, and your sanity, please.
- The main character 'Ii-chan' solves the murder and everyone goes home. Then in the LAST CHAPTER a real detective shows up to talk to Ii-chan and tells him he got solved the murder wrong. And gives a bunch of flat exposition to what really happened, some of which the main character literally couldn't have found out on the island. SO BASICALLY everything in 95% of the book was totally pointless!
- Nobody cares about the murderers and they just go home and live normal lives. WTF
- There were a bunch of other pointless details that were added for no reason. Literally none, I can't find a reason why they were included.
But the thing that irritated me beyond belief was that they kept hinting at the main character's unusual and significant backstory, but they NEVER explained it. The main character kept dropping hints, saying stuff like "most people don't have to see two acquaintances killed in front of them, well, except me" "I'm used to cocking a gun from the states" "I've lifted countless dead bodies before". They also mentioned the main character "being a liar" "having a bad memory" "going to a gifted school in the US" AND mentioned paranormal abilities in association with the US school. Did any of that pan out? Nope. Nothing. Zero explanation. That's just plain disrespect.
Let me just also say that the back of the book is a big lie. It says "Ii-chan discovers that he does possess a bit of genius: the ability to discover what is real and what is fake." Nope. Literally a lie.
I had high hopes during the beginning and middle of the book because I thought the main twist wasn't going to be regarding the murder mystery but regarding the main character.
As many other reviews mentioned, the prose sucks too, partially a translation/adaptation issue. The main character is unredeemable once you get to the end and realize there's no twist to him, he's just a timid, pathetic person.
This book had potential, due to the setup, but failed in every possible execution. I would not recommend this to anyone. Save your time, and your sanity, please.
March 13, 2019
The world will only turn out as it will, and if it won't, that has nothing to do with me, and if it does, I'm not interested. (p. 314)
Narrator "Ii-chan" is the personal assistant of genius computer engineer Tomo Kunagisa. Tomo is invited to the private island of disgraced corporate scion Iria Akagami, who is holding a salon of sorts with several other geniuses, and "Ii-chan" accompanies her.
It isn't long before a locked-room mystery starts: one of the guests, a genius painter "with no style," is found beheaded in the atelier Iria set up for her. A day later, another of the genius guests is found dead, killed the exact same way and also in a seemingly inaccessible room. A serial killer is on the loose, and it's become a matter of self-preservation for the mystery to be solved as soon as possible.
"Ii-chan," whom we never know the full name for, is an unusual narrator. The quote at the top of the review represents his character pretty well. The people around him are geniuses, and he himself may be capable of breaking through a shell of mediocrity, but he gives up, quits, holds himself back, consistently enough as to make me believe his lack of ambition is conscientious... although he himself would never admit he cared enough to be conscientious. He could well be a genius of dispassionateness.
The mystery itself is gruesome and twisty. An aphorism that's stated fairly early on in the book is "the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference." And as I was reading along, seeing the attitude of these "geniuses" toward death, murder, and human corpses, I started to think that indifference is also the opposite of good, or morality.
"Ii-chan" is a little too aware of his audience, trying too hard to predict their reactions and poking little metafictional jabs at them so often that it starts feeling more annoying than clever. The twists at the end piled up so high that they lost their effect, and some of them were absurd or repeated previous ones. I finished the epilogue relieved that "Ii-chan" and I were done with each other for a while.
This was "Nisioisin's" first novel, and I've also seen an anime based on a later work of his. Both works have this dispassionateness to them, even desire and love perhaps being placed in the narrative because they ought to exist, rather than the author creating a convincing relationship arc for his characters. Not really my style--reading something like this makes it clear that sentiment is important to me. But this novel made me think, even if the tracks it took me along weren't pleasant and tended to repeat themselves too often. If future books in this series have different themes, I'd be willing to try another sometime.
December 2, 2025
西尾維新の話になって、中学の時に誰かに勧められて読んだ気がする、と言ったら幼馴染が「私中学の時好きだったけど、文章が中二病的過ぎて恥ずかしくて誰にも言ってなかった」という会話の流れで借りてみた。
（結局昔私が読んで面白いと感じた西尾維新作品が何だったのか、誰に勧められて読んだのかは分からず）
が、さすが2002年出版のラノベ。読むに堪えない。
「美人なんてものは、個人個人の概念的なものであって、イリアさんをそうだとすることにはあまり意味は無いだろう。僕がイリアさんは美人だと感じたところで、それは僕の感じたことであって、どうせ僕の感じたことでしかない。というか、僕の個人だけの好みの概念で言うなら、メイドの明かりさんの方が」
みたいな文章がずーっっっっと続き、本題に入らない。
そして、「、」や「。」での改行が多い。
「天才」「「学問を極め終わった」「天才すぎて大統領並みの免罪特権が与えられてる」とか、文字での説明ばかりで、総じて文章と内容が薄っぺらい。
メインキャラも、天才肌でちょっと困ったちゃんで一人称が僕様ちゃんで髪の毛の青い女の子と、「凡人」である事がアイデンティティと化してる名無しの語り部/僕様ちゃんの友人兼世話係、というベタベタなもの（けれど、その「僕」も、どうやらヒューストンにあった天才学校？か何かに通ってた模様。）。
（ヒューストンに住んでいた身としては、「ヒューストン」が何かエキゾチックな「すごい」ものとしてちょいちょい出てくる事に違和感しかなかった。世界を知らない中二病罹患者なら感銘を受けるかもしれないけれど、私は失笑しかできなかった）
思わせぶりな展開と安っぽい「天才」と、無駄な文章で無駄に嵩増しされた「ザ・ラノベ」だった。
2/5くらい読んでやっとミステリ展開になったけれど、もっと編集で削るべきだったのでは、と思ってしまう冗長さだった。
ワクワクしながら読み始めたばっかりに、失望が凄い。
もう最後は高速でななめ読みしてたが、頑張って最初は読んでいたので、☆２つとメモしておく。
以下、唯一興味を持った箇所のメモ：
収穫逓増（--テイゾウ）
持つものはより多く持つ、と言う、持たざる者には何の救いにもならない経済学上の法則のことである。
<現実的な問題として一旦ついてしまった差を埋める事はまず不可能だ>と言う意味だ。
（結局昔私が読んで面白いと感じた西尾維新作品が何だったのか、誰に勧められて読んだのかは分からず）
が、さすが2002年出版のラノベ。読むに堪えない。
「美人なんてものは、個人個人の概念的なものであって、イリアさんをそうだとすることにはあまり意味は無いだろう。僕がイリアさんは美人だと感じたところで、それは僕の感じたことであって、どうせ僕の感じたことでしかない。というか、僕の個人だけの好みの概念で言うなら、メイドの明かりさんの方が」
みたいな文章がずーっっっっと続き、本題に入らない。
そして、「、」や「。」での改行が多い。
「天才」「「学問を極め終わった」「天才すぎて大統領並みの免罪特権が与えられてる」とか、文字での説明ばかりで、総じて文章と内容が薄っぺらい。
メインキャラも、天才肌でちょっと困ったちゃんで一人称が僕様ちゃんで髪の毛の青い女の子と、「凡人」である事がアイデンティティと化してる名無しの語り部/僕様ちゃんの友人兼世話係、というベタベタなもの（けれど、その「僕」も、どうやらヒューストンにあった天才学校？か何かに通ってた模様。）。
（ヒューストンに住んでいた身としては、「ヒューストン」が何かエキゾチックな「すごい」ものとしてちょいちょい出てくる事に違和感しかなかった。世界を知らない中二病罹患者なら感銘を受けるかもしれないけれど、私は失笑しかできなかった）
思わせぶりな展開と安っぽい「天才」と、無駄な文章で無駄に嵩増しされた「ザ・ラノベ」だった。
2/5くらい読んでやっとミステリ展開になったけれど、もっと編集で削るべきだったのでは、と思ってしまう冗長さだった。
ワクワクしながら読み始めたばっかりに、失望が凄い。
もう最後は高速でななめ読みしてたが、頑張って最初は読んでいたので、☆２つとメモしておく。
以下、唯一興味を持った箇所のメモ：
収穫逓増（--テイゾウ）
持つものはより多く持つ、と言う、持たざる者には何の救いにもならない経済学上の法則のことである。
<現実的な問題として一旦ついてしまった差を埋める事はまず不可能だ>と言う意味だ。
June 20, 2022
no sabía qué esperaba cuando lo empecé, pero me sorprendió :O no es el estilo de libro que suelo leer, pero se volvió mucho más ágil la lectura a medida que avancé y conocí mejor a los pjes (obvio pff)
cada tanto sentía que medio me embolaba el plot y de golpe tiraba una quote que me traía de nuevo a la lectura así o.o i like that
3 estrellas porque sentí que la primer mitad se me hizo muy lenteja antes de engancharme (?) y porque quiero cagar a palo al protagonista cada cinco páginas (pero lo amo he's just like me fr)
cada tanto sentía que medio me embolaba el plot y de golpe tiraba una quote que me traía de nuevo a la lectura así o.o i like that
3 estrellas porque sentí que la primer mitad se me hizo muy lenteja antes de engancharme (?) y porque quiero cagar a palo al protagonista cada cinco páginas (pero lo amo he's just like me fr)
November 6, 2016
An early localization of a Japanese 'Light Novel," this book is, judging by Ebay and Amazon used prices, rather rare, and certainly costly. I've had it shelved for a while, and was ecstatic when I found it in the English Book section of the library at the university I am currently attending in Japan. Scooped it, ran home, and greedily read two pages---
And realized it was, yet again, another horrible representative of the 'light novel.'
First of all, to clear up what a light novel is; a light novel is qualified as being so based on its rejection of using certain kanji that do not fit the standard knowledge. There is certainly enough kanji in the standard to create a compelling book with great detail; but the point is that all a light novel constitutes is that within its writing there is a denial of words which do not fit within the standard kanji examination of a certain age/grade year (which exactly I do not know).
That stated--- this book is trash, not because it's a light novel, but because it feeds into the increasingly funneled 'concept' of light novels; ideal constructs of youth/teenager, a dependence on trope and genre habits, and a 'gloomy' atmosphere generated only by the most obvious and dull-witted self-obsessions of teenagers.
If this makes you think of western Young Adult novels, then you're not far off the mark. While not all YA novels are handicapped trash idealizing youth, and not all light novels are insipid glorifications of teenagers, they are both, for the most part, exactly that.
And this book is no different, and really I have nothing to say on it because it is the exact same as the other, majorly garbage light novels in translation currently. A self-obsessed 'nihilist' for a protagonist, a blatant dependence on Mystery genre staples (which, if you do not know, Mystery is the most widely produced/read genre in Japan), and a bunch of innocent romance/harem-esque qualities that are, while not erotic or even silly, still present, what with the main, male character being surrounded by some 11 women.
It's dumb. The writing is poor. The story is infantile. There is no creativity whatsoever. And it's also pretentious, which you can see through the writing certainly, but which is made abundantly clear in the afterword where the author essentially masturbates about himself.
It might be a rare book, but it's as shit as the majority of other localized light novels. Skip and don't look back.
And realized it was, yet again, another horrible representative of the 'light novel.'
First of all, to clear up what a light novel is; a light novel is qualified as being so based on its rejection of using certain kanji that do not fit the standard knowledge. There is certainly enough kanji in the standard to create a compelling book with great detail; but the point is that all a light novel constitutes is that within its writing there is a denial of words which do not fit within the standard kanji examination of a certain age/grade year (which exactly I do not know).
That stated--- this book is trash, not because it's a light novel, but because it feeds into the increasingly funneled 'concept' of light novels; ideal constructs of youth/teenager, a dependence on trope and genre habits, and a 'gloomy' atmosphere generated only by the most obvious and dull-witted self-obsessions of teenagers.
If this makes you think of western Young Adult novels, then you're not far off the mark. While not all YA novels are handicapped trash idealizing youth, and not all light novels are insipid glorifications of teenagers, they are both, for the most part, exactly that.
And this book is no different, and really I have nothing to say on it because it is the exact same as the other, majorly garbage light novels in translation currently. A self-obsessed 'nihilist' for a protagonist, a blatant dependence on Mystery genre staples (which, if you do not know, Mystery is the most widely produced/read genre in Japan), and a bunch of innocent romance/harem-esque qualities that are, while not erotic or even silly, still present, what with the main, male character being surrounded by some 11 women.
It's dumb. The writing is poor. The story is infantile. There is no creativity whatsoever. And it's also pretentious, which you can see through the writing certainly, but which is made abundantly clear in the afterword where the author essentially masturbates about himself.
It might be a rare book, but it's as shit as the majority of other localized light novels. Skip and don't look back.
May 21, 2017
Plot twist after plot twist after plot twist! A clever mystery with well-written characters, none of whom had alibis, nor motive- but, to quote narrator 'I,' "that's all nonsense anyway."
A hostess, five geniuses, two caretakers, and four maids (three of whom are identical triplets) find themselves at an impasse when murder strikes. Characters pounce on one another, while also making pithy speeches about the morality of murder, the Law of Great Numbers, and the meaning of "artist" and "genius." It has a slow start, but once it picks up, it only snowballs faster and faster.
Maybe it's possible to fully solve the mystery before the reveal, but to do so... disregard motive. Completely.
(Though I have to wonder why they never reported the killer to the authorities, even if the 'motive' means it's unlikely they'll kill again.... Though personally I find it more likely, but hey, that's just me.)
It's great fun to pick apart lies from truth; very few of the characters are actually being honest, and they all know it.
Overall a good choice if you're in the mood for a chess match-like read; even if it's a little ponderous at times, it'll always keep you thinking.
A hostess, five geniuses, two caretakers, and four maids (three of whom are identical triplets) find themselves at an impasse when murder strikes. Characters pounce on one another, while also making pithy speeches about the morality of murder, the Law of Great Numbers, and the meaning of "artist" and "genius." It has a slow start, but once it picks up, it only snowballs faster and faster.
Maybe it's possible to fully solve the mystery before the reveal, but to do so... disregard motive. Completely.
(Though I have to wonder why they never reported the killer to the authorities, even if the 'motive' means it's unlikely they'll kill again.... Though personally I find it more likely, but hey, that's just me.)
It's great fun to pick apart lies from truth; very few of the characters are actually being honest, and they all know it.
Overall a good choice if you're in the mood for a chess match-like read; even if it's a little ponderous at times, it'll always keep you thinking.
December 14, 2021
Wow. Just wow.
El estilo de escritura no es para todo el mundo, eso desde luego, pero a mí no me ha molestado en absoluto. Quitando esto, la traducción es un poco forzada y se nota que fue novela debut por un puñado de cosas. Y sin embargo, creo que hacía mucho tiempo que no leía un misterio tan bueno, tan exagerado, tan innecesariamente enrevesado que salta al otro extremo y resulta completamente brillante. Lo es tanto, de hecho, que para mí la trama eclipsa el resto de problemas. Recomendadísimo si es lo que te apetece leer.
Pd. No hagáis demasiado caso al resto de reseñas, están llenas de gente que no entiende por qué el libro hace determinadas cosas.
El estilo de escritura no es para todo el mundo, eso desde luego, pero a mí no me ha molestado en absoluto. Quitando esto, la traducción es un poco forzada y se nota que fue novela debut por un puñado de cosas. Y sin embargo, creo que hacía mucho tiempo que no leía un misterio tan bueno, tan exagerado, tan innecesariamente enrevesado que salta al otro extremo y resulta completamente brillante. Lo es tanto, de hecho, que para mí la trama eclipsa el resto de problemas. Recomendadísimo si es lo que te apetece leer.
Pd. No hagáis demasiado caso al resto de reseñas, están llenas de gente que no entiende por qué el libro hace determinadas cosas.
July 16, 2018
Classic murder mystery locked room plot, with a ton of weird quirky characters that Nisioison is well known for. Just enough gore for a horror lover to enjoy, and enough misdirection that I wasn't able to figure out right away who the murderer was (which is why I enjoyed it so much!).
September 13, 2024
A cast of famed geniuses and not so geniuses are stuck on an island. Nisio Isin successfully navigates the relationship of these people in 'Zaregoto' as they try to solve a murder mystery.
If I could, I would say a 2.5 would be a more accurate rating for this book.
The plot of the story is a classic locked room murder mystery. Aside from the generally interesting premise, Nisio Isin nails at creating a really satisfying ending which upped the quality of the novel. The author's note gives insight to his vision of the relationships between the cast and the narrator, a dominant theme in the novel. This theme was tastefully exploited in the ending, which I would say, makes the story of 'Zaregoto' a 3 or a 3.5.
However, Nisio Isin's unnamed narrator (purposefully), could use a little bit of work on his character. Granted, I understand the authors intentions but his execution came off sloppily edgy at best. Since this character is the narrator, it became a bit of a drag to read.
I am aware Nisio Isin wrote 'Zaregoto' at 20 and, honestly, it wasn't a horribly awful read at all. Simply, some areas are obviously less developed and could be improved upon.
Overall, 'Zaregoto' is one of those books where you can compare it some of Nisio Isin's more recent novels and realise his storytelling has gone from satiating to excellence.
If I could, I would say a 2.5 would be a more accurate rating for this book.
The plot of the story is a classic locked room murder mystery. Aside from the generally interesting premise, Nisio Isin nails at creating a really satisfying ending which upped the quality of the novel. The author's note gives insight to his vision of the relationships between the cast and the narrator, a dominant theme in the novel. This theme was tastefully exploited in the ending, which I would say, makes the story of 'Zaregoto' a 3 or a 3.5.
However, Nisio Isin's unnamed narrator (purposefully), could use a little bit of work on his character. Granted, I understand the authors intentions but his execution came off sloppily edgy at best. Since this character is the narrator, it became a bit of a drag to read.
I am aware Nisio Isin wrote 'Zaregoto' at 20 and, honestly, it wasn't a horribly awful read at all. Simply, some areas are obviously less developed and could be improved upon.
Overall, 'Zaregoto' is one of those books where you can compare it some of Nisio Isin's more recent novels and realise his storytelling has gone from satiating to excellence.
June 22, 2022
3
Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. All the characters were annoying. The translation was confusing and kinda bland. Maybe Monogatari books spoiled me.
Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. All the characters were annoying. The translation was confusing and kinda bland. Maybe Monogatari books spoiled me.
August 5, 2021
The word Genius is something of a paradox. It is overrated but misunderstood, misused yet ambiguous. It’s a very multi layered word despite the public’s perception that it’s a very simple word, in essence it’s a very loaded word. It carries with it a huge baggage of history; choices and consequences. It’s a very morally grey word too, since obviously it can be applied to any type of person who posses such highly valuable skills that can be used in any kind of moral situation, whether good or bad.
This is what the playful, palindromic and the pseudonymous Japanese author Nisioisin decided to tackle as his subject for his debut series, Zaregoto (Japanese for Nonsense) and written when he was only 20 years old! The first volume, titled Decapitation, starts out as a simple, pastiche murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and as it continues on, it evolves into something much bigger and brazen compared to your average mystery and thriller title.
Decapitation as a whole, focuses on two very important themes, one personal and the other grand. The first one is genius which comes from a very personal place, Nisio is known to have attended the prestigious Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan and then dropped out without graduating. In a world that is emotionally attached to education as the be all end all of any person’s core identity, dropping out is considered a heresy of the highest sins and without a doubt this led to Nisio examining such a supposedly mundane theme in a very unique way through the lens of what it means to be a genius. And in terms of characters this is conveyed and explored through our nameless main character who isn’t a genius.
Our main character isn’t born special or he isn’t unique in any way, and yet that makes him more interesting than the other genius characters he is surrounded by. We are all born enigmas and in the process of unfolding ourselves, our journey of growth, we experience many different emotions and feelings they give birth to our second awakening. The main central mystery and heart of Zaregoto isn’t the murders or the geniuses and it isn’t even the nameless main character, it’s us, we the ones reading the novel. The nameless main character is us and it doesn’t matter how old you are whether you’re currently going through such a journey or you’re reflecting on it, it speaks to all ages and cultures in the end.
The grand theme Nisio tackles is murder mysteries and thrillers in general. They are a very old and as a result, a tired and beaten genre. People argue that advanced technology has killed mysteries but I’d argue otherwise, it’s the repetition and old tricks that have ultimately strangled these genres. Nisio takes the main mystery and toys and takes it to its absolute extreme, all to prove a point that what takes for mysteries to have its revival phase is to commit an act of destruction, to destroy and rebuild it once again for a new age and the upcoming generations to come.
And all of this is conveyed through Nisio’s now famous prose style and eccentric but humane characters. Smooth and playful, adorned with puns and references to various media and yet it’s simple to read and understand, it’s the kind of prose that balances everything tightly, nothing more but nothing less.
And of course, his characters instantly stick with you and stay with you long after you finished reading the novel. They are the kind of characters who disguise themselves with quirky traits and names to mask their true, personal inner feelings like anyone but at some point, they’ll break down and reveal their true emotions to the world.
That doesn’t mean the novel doesn’t have its flaws, especially since it’s a debut novel. Some of the pacing, especially at the beginning, is a bit off and the balancing of the cast in general can feel claustrophobic and too constrained especially when it can get a bit rushed. But I would argue personally those kinds of flaws enhance the experience overall, perhaps because humane flaws appeal more to me then stone-cold perfection. I think that’s what I focus more on in the end, longevity.
Overall, a very strong debut and a breezy read of a novel too. One that entertains you with its hipness but still makes you think and question several concepts and ideas without feeling too condescending or pompous because it involves you too and takes you on a ride as a result.
This is what the playful, palindromic and the pseudonymous Japanese author Nisioisin decided to tackle as his subject for his debut series, Zaregoto (Japanese for Nonsense) and written when he was only 20 years old! The first volume, titled Decapitation, starts out as a simple, pastiche murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and as it continues on, it evolves into something much bigger and brazen compared to your average mystery and thriller title.
Decapitation as a whole, focuses on two very important themes, one personal and the other grand. The first one is genius which comes from a very personal place, Nisio is known to have attended the prestigious Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan and then dropped out without graduating. In a world that is emotionally attached to education as the be all end all of any person’s core identity, dropping out is considered a heresy of the highest sins and without a doubt this led to Nisio examining such a supposedly mundane theme in a very unique way through the lens of what it means to be a genius. And in terms of characters this is conveyed and explored through our nameless main character who isn’t a genius.
Our main character isn’t born special or he isn’t unique in any way, and yet that makes him more interesting than the other genius characters he is surrounded by. We are all born enigmas and in the process of unfolding ourselves, our journey of growth, we experience many different emotions and feelings they give birth to our second awakening. The main central mystery and heart of Zaregoto isn’t the murders or the geniuses and it isn’t even the nameless main character, it’s us, we the ones reading the novel. The nameless main character is us and it doesn’t matter how old you are whether you’re currently going through such a journey or you’re reflecting on it, it speaks to all ages and cultures in the end.
The grand theme Nisio tackles is murder mysteries and thrillers in general. They are a very old and as a result, a tired and beaten genre. People argue that advanced technology has killed mysteries but I’d argue otherwise, it’s the repetition and old tricks that have ultimately strangled these genres. Nisio takes the main mystery and toys and takes it to its absolute extreme, all to prove a point that what takes for mysteries to have its revival phase is to commit an act of destruction, to destroy and rebuild it once again for a new age and the upcoming generations to come.
And all of this is conveyed through Nisio’s now famous prose style and eccentric but humane characters. Smooth and playful, adorned with puns and references to various media and yet it’s simple to read and understand, it’s the kind of prose that balances everything tightly, nothing more but nothing less.
And of course, his characters instantly stick with you and stay with you long after you finished reading the novel. They are the kind of characters who disguise themselves with quirky traits and names to mask their true, personal inner feelings like anyone but at some point, they’ll break down and reveal their true emotions to the world.
That doesn’t mean the novel doesn’t have its flaws, especially since it’s a debut novel. Some of the pacing, especially at the beginning, is a bit off and the balancing of the cast in general can feel claustrophobic and too constrained especially when it can get a bit rushed. But I would argue personally those kinds of flaws enhance the experience overall, perhaps because humane flaws appeal more to me then stone-cold perfection. I think that’s what I focus more on in the end, longevity.
Overall, a very strong debut and a breezy read of a novel too. One that entertains you with its hipness but still makes you think and question several concepts and ideas without feeling too condescending or pompous because it involves you too and takes you on a ride as a result.
November 9, 2024
Mind blowing! that's all I gotta say.
September 1, 2009
I'm not quiite finished with the book, but here are my irked thoughts:
----------------------------
Ehh....well, it wasn't bad at first. It wasn't easy getting invested in the narrator, who professes to be completely apathetic to everything and everyone except his mistress, but once the murders started happening, I perked a little to see how he would solve the mystery.
Unfortunately, I was constantly getting distracted with the bizarre antics, switch-arounds, and baffling and inconsistent personalities to really appreciate the solving of the mystery. The main character's grand reveal sort of squeezed out and dribbled limp to the floor. The murderers were never punished, because the police were never brought in. They simply went home on the same plane that everyone else did. (WUT?!) Their motives were never fleshed out clearly, because the bad guys decided they didn't want to talk, though one of them did say something that I'm not even sure I should take seriously.
So as a murder mystery, wow, this just falls flat. The murderers are found out, then are ALLOWED to walk away, and everyone who were next in line to die are simply ok with it. Did it ever occur to them that heeey, just because they failed killing you on a secluded island doesn't mean they might not try again once you're off it?? And what kind of people go about having illustrious careers, are invited to a vacation on an island, attempt right there to become serial killers, then go home and continue their perfectly normal lives??
----------------------------
Ehh....well, it wasn't bad at first. It wasn't easy getting invested in the narrator, who professes to be completely apathetic to everything and everyone except his mistress, but once the murders started happening, I perked a little to see how he would solve the mystery.
Unfortunately, I was constantly getting distracted with the bizarre antics, switch-arounds, and baffling and inconsistent personalities to really appreciate the solving of the mystery. The main character's grand reveal sort of squeezed out and dribbled limp to the floor. The murderers were never punished, because the police were never brought in. They simply went home on the same plane that everyone else did. (WUT?!) Their motives were never fleshed out clearly, because the bad guys decided they didn't want to talk, though one of them did say something that I'm not even sure I should take seriously.
So as a murder mystery, wow, this just falls flat. The murderers are found out, then are ALLOWED to walk away, and everyone who were next in line to die are simply ok with it. Did it ever occur to them that heeey, just because they failed killing you on a secluded island doesn't mean they might not try again once you're off it?? And what kind of people go about having illustrious careers, are invited to a vacation on an island, attempt right there to become serial killers, then go home and continue their perfectly normal lives??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2020
"Isn’t there something really scary about people who knowingly, consciously, use others as stepping-stones?”
My thoughts after re-reading "Decapitation: Kibikiri cycle, The blue savant and the nonsense user"
Written by NisiOisiN
Illustrated by Take
Re-read?:
Last time I read this book was back in 2017-2018? so with how bad my memory actually is it felt almost as if reading this book for the first time, and yes, it surprised me a lot with how great NisiOisiN's first book is.
The story:
A nameless narrator goes to an island where the most brilliant minds of the world are gathered, after a murder takes place, he tries to discover who the culprit is, not because he is a good-hearted guy but because it would ruin his schedule
Enjoyment:
The first 3/4 of the book are really slow but with some very interesting dialogues it never feels boring, the first part does an incredible job at character and world-building while the last 1/4 is just a blast to read when the story picks up it really picks up.
Enjoyment:
The first 3/4 of the book are really slow but with some very interesting dialogues it never feels boring, the first part does an incredible job at character and world-building while the last 1/4 is just a blast to read when the story picks up it really picks up.
The verdict:
It's a very slow book, some parts feel like they drag on for too long but in the end that really didn't matter, the good writing makes up for all of that. The last 70 pages of the book are especially good and what makes this book so memorable, decapitation is an 8/10
My thoughts after re-reading "Decapitation: Kibikiri cycle, The blue savant and the nonsense user"
Written by NisiOisiN
Illustrated by Take
Re-read?:
Last time I read this book was back in 2017-2018? so with how bad my memory actually is it felt almost as if reading this book for the first time, and yes, it surprised me a lot with how great NisiOisiN's first book is.
The story:
A nameless narrator goes to an island where the most brilliant minds of the world are gathered, after a murder takes place, he tries to discover who the culprit is, not because he is a good-hearted guy but because it would ruin his schedule
Enjoyment:
The first 3/4 of the book are really slow but with some very interesting dialogues it never feels boring, the first part does an incredible job at character and world-building while the last 1/4 is just a blast to read when the story picks up it really picks up.
Enjoyment:
The first 3/4 of the book are really slow but with some very interesting dialogues it never feels boring, the first part does an incredible job at character and world-building while the last 1/4 is just a blast to read when the story picks up it really picks up.
The verdict:
It's a very slow book, some parts feel like they drag on for too long but in the end that really didn't matter, the good writing makes up for all of that. The last 70 pages of the book are especially good and what makes this book so memorable, decapitation is an 8/10
January 3, 2022
Nisio Isin's first published piece of work, and and his special talent for prose and character work is evident even as a 20-year old up-and-coming author with the first entry into the Zaregoto series, "Decapitation: Kubikiri Cycle: The Blue Savant and the Nonsense User". Isin's character writing is effortlessly engaging and smooth, with chemistry between our protagonist "Ii" and the rest of the cast almost just oozing out of the novel. A ridiculously strong start to what is shaping up to be a mystery classic.
October 2, 2025
An incredible take on the murder mystery genre. I got to around the start of the reveals, and I thought to myself: "how the hell are we going to conclude all these missing pieces?" And, the answer I got at the end was so fulfilling and it felt like every moving part was expounded on to some degree. I was able to predict some of the ending. Key word, some. The overall twist? No fucking clue until it sprung out at me. Stupidity? You could call it that. I call it good writing from the author, and I'm sticking with it until someone snaps me out of my (albeit incredibly comfortable) base rate fallacy.
January 28, 2025
Absolutely fantastic. I’d recommend this book to just about everyone I know if it wasn’t for the anime-style cover art and chapter portraits (nothing against them personally, but if I told my mom to read this I’d just get made fun of in the family groupchat). I wanted to read NisiOisiN after hearing that he was a significant source of inspiration for Kazutaka Kodaka, and that’s pretty instantly made obvious once you understand the basic premise of this novel (not to speak ill of Kodaka, who does take things in a different direction even if he is using a very very similar setup). I was constantly fascinated by what I had just read, I don’t know that a single conversation passed without one or two interesting philosophical concepts being discussed, but it handles it all in a light and fun manner (the aforementioned art style helps to this end). I’d love to read more of the series, however I am aware that after the third book the translations end with no plans by the publisher to continue, so I may have to spend the next 5-10 years learning Japanese before coming back, as I don’t want to get further sucked in to a series I can’t finish. And things thankfully wrap up pretty conclusively at the end of this book. A fantastic book.
May 19, 2022
Part of me is amused by the lengths this author goes to weave together what is a truly nonsensical tale, but with that being said, as much as I could argue the batshit insanity of this story was an intentional thematic device, on its own merits I found it pretty underwhelming. Alongside the weird, almost incoherent twists of the story, I found myself frustrated with the stilted and often flaccid prose used to tell the story. I’m aware of how challenging it is to translate a book, especially from Japanese. That being said, the dry meditations on super mundane details, and the random breaks in thought as a narrative device , felt sloppy compared to Bakemonogatari by the same author which I actually thoroughly enjoyed. There were some genuinely good moments in this book, however, and I wouldn’t say I was offended or that I regret reading this book. The scene where Yayoi finally snaps is probably one of the best scenes in the novel, because she serves as a true contrast to the absolutely maddening things taking place. That being said, just because the nonsensical nature of the plot is intentional, doesn’t mean it makes it less engaging or annoying. I’m disappointed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2022
No recomiendo esta serie. Si buscas una novela de misterio esta no es tu serie, ya que los asesinatos no solo no cumplen las leyes de knox, sino que la unica forma de resolver los asesinatos es basandote en tus propios instintos. Seguramente aciertes el culpable nada mas empezar el libro, pero no busques el como o porque ya que ni los propios personajes encargados de buscar al culpable lo van a saber (y muchas veces no va ha tener muho sentido). Una vez dicho eso tampoco creo que la historia merezca la pena, el protagonista no solo no tiene personalidad sino que no es coherente de un libro a otro, su forma de pensar, el grado de afeccion con los personajes,etc. Todo cambia segun el volumen en el que estes y le convenga a la trama y al autor. Algunos personajes son interesantes pero el uso reiterado de filosofia barata hace que muchas de sus interacciones se vuelvan pesadas sin proposito, ya que tener esa clase de conversaciones con este protagonista no tenga ningun peso o proposito. Es verdad que el autor sabe de esto y de ahi el nombre de la serie (zaregoto=sin sentido) pero ser consciente de ello no hace que este mejor y en los ultimos libros intenta areglarlo con otro Deux ex machina, pero lejos de conseguir su objetivo logra empeorarlo aun mas.
Al igual que digo que como series Zaregoto no vale nada, tambien he de decir que como libros individuales los 3 primeros y el 6 son aceptables (siendo el 2 y 6 los mejores) pero por los libros restantes y la mala ejecucion total hace que esta serie no merezca la pena
Al igual que digo que como series Zaregoto no vale nada, tambien he de decir que como libros individuales los 3 primeros y el 6 son aceptables (siendo el 2 y 6 los mejores) pero por los libros restantes y la mala ejecucion total hace que esta serie no merezca la pena
August 28, 2019
The Kubikiri Cycle was a fairly enjoyable read, but where it falls completely flat is the mysteries, which were not difficult to figure out. The "twists" near the end of the book were plain out silly and felt completely pointless. I enjoyed the characters far more than the mysteries, and if it weren't for them, I would have certainly rated the book even lower due to the very obvious culprit.
NisiOisiN's writing style was fairly enjoyable as well, although it would get a little confusing at times since there aren't many indicators who was speaking when and the narrator tended to go off-tangent quite often. I really loved the quirky comments that the characters made throughout the book. The book can get a little pretentious at times, especially when it just starts to bring in different ideas from different subject fields, but nothing unbearable.
Overall, I was fairly disappointed with the book, as I expected way better-written mysteries, but I ultimately enjoyed the characters enough to even forget about the existence of the mysteries.
NisiOisiN's writing style was fairly enjoyable as well, although it would get a little confusing at times since there aren't many indicators who was speaking when and the narrator tended to go off-tangent quite often. I really loved the quirky comments that the characters made throughout the book. The book can get a little pretentious at times, especially when it just starts to bring in different ideas from different subject fields, but nothing unbearable.
Overall, I was fairly disappointed with the book, as I expected way better-written mysteries, but I ultimately enjoyed the characters enough to even forget about the existence of the mysteries.
November 16, 2022
Very interesting how the author creates a story using Knox 9 (the writing rule that the assistant has to be dumber than the investigator) as the beating heart by going into the psychological profile of a protagonist who is in limbo between a dumb person and a brilliant one, a wasted potential who suffers from his awareness.
Mystery Difficulty: Medium low for the whodunit and trick used, the howdunit is unclassifiable because the author just doesn't put clues to you about it
"But X and Y were at the scene."
"Idk man."
The most important clues are very obvious, but there are a couple of very discrete ones that genuinely struck me
What is most commendable, however, is the constant flow of information during the investigation; there is a strong sense that anything can be a clue (even during character development), leading the reader to constantly theorize about the murders and the cast
Now, is this everything the story has to offer? Oooh boy, there's an entire iceberg under this review of mine
Mystery Difficulty: Medium low for the whodunit and trick used, the howdunit is unclassifiable because the author just doesn't put clues to you about it
"But X and Y were at the scene."
"Idk man."
The most important clues are very obvious, but there are a couple of very discrete ones that genuinely struck me
What is most commendable, however, is the constant flow of information during the investigation; there is a strong sense that anything can be a clue (even during character development), leading the reader to constantly theorize about the murders and the cast
Now, is this everything the story has to offer? Oooh boy, there's an entire iceberg under this review of mine
November 23, 2025
This being Nisio Isins debut novel is honestly very impressive. Although the writing isn't the best at some parts, I really liked it. Zaregoto takes a narrative and subverts it, if you go into expecting a good depiction of genius's (wtf) or a thrilling murder mystery, you might be disappointed. Many people who have a problem with this novel, most likely have a problem with Li, the protagonist. And I think the reason this is might be as you find out through the series, Li lies. Like an insane amount. On a first glance Li is a contradictory and his writing feels sloppy or edgy. But as you learn more about Li, you retrospectively understand more about why this novel is actually pretty good. I liked the murder mystery aswell, I just wanted to emphasize that Kubikiri Cycle is ultimately a vessel for an exploration of a separate thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2017
Poor translation of NisioisiN's work.
I love Nisio. He's definitely my favorite Japanese author. But this translation is pretty poor and it hurt the book. The book itself is a rather straightforward mystery with twists that most people paying attention can guess would happen. It's not exceptional, but that's forgiving given this is one of Nisio's earlier works. But the translations really drags it down. It's very inconsistent, to the point where sometimes it will translate idioms, but others it will not. The translator didn't bother to translates things that were unrelated to the story. Very surprising that this version is even the SECOND attempt at a translation. They really need to get an editor to slap the translator around and get him to make some better prose.
I love Nisio. He's definitely my favorite Japanese author. But this translation is pretty poor and it hurt the book. The book itself is a rather straightforward mystery with twists that most people paying attention can guess would happen. It's not exceptional, but that's forgiving given this is one of Nisio's earlier works. But the translations really drags it down. It's very inconsistent, to the point where sometimes it will translate idioms, but others it will not. The translator didn't bother to translates things that were unrelated to the story. Very surprising that this version is even the SECOND attempt at a translation. They really need to get an editor to slap the translator around and get him to make some better prose.
April 26, 2025
My first exposure to the subgenre of closed-room murders! I love how this book has unreliable narrative and it made me think through every sentence to try and figure out the mystery, though its hard to figure it out, Its really fun to sort of chug yourself with endless amount of information just to solve such a bizarre mystery. The main character feels bland at first but later on I can see the 'aspects' of his character that starts to leak out and its bloody entertaining, especially with the sequels, I realize the bigger much more interesting mystery is the main character itself. Nisio slips in a bit of his personal philosophy and I like how throughout the book I have to constantly, constantly be engaged with it to try and understand it.
May 16, 2019
La primera entrega de Zaregoto. Una historia mas que aceptable del genero detectivesco con un desenlace mas que satisfactorio, veo como puntos negativos las interaciones de algunos personajes, se vuelven raras y innecesarias lo cual vuelve algo pesada la lectura
Pero en definitiva he disfrutado mucho este priner libro y me lanzare sin dudar a seguir con el segundo
V:Sin hacer spoilers, el villano en la historia cumple su papel y nada más, es creativo y bien ejecutado pero al final el mismo libro le quita la importancia cuando no lo toma en cuenta como lo que es; un personaje principal en la historia
Nota:7,4/10
Nota V:6/10
Pero en definitiva he disfrutado mucho este priner libro y me lanzare sin dudar a seguir con el segundo
V:Sin hacer spoilers, el villano en la historia cumple su papel y nada más, es creativo y bien ejecutado pero al final el mismo libro le quita la importancia cuando no lo toma en cuenta como lo que es; un personaje principal en la historia
Nota:7,4/10
Nota V:6/10
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