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折原臨也と、夕焼けを [The sunset with Orihara Izaya]
地方都市に現れたとある情報屋。彼がする事はただ情報を流し、誰かの背中を押す事のみ。事件を解決しているのか、かき回しているのか？ その男の名は──!?
地方都市に現れたとある情報屋。
彼がする事はただ情報を流し、誰かの背中を押す事のみ──。
「まったく、人間観察（リハビリ）も一苦労だよ」
自分は情報屋である。そんな事を嘯く、一人の男がいた。ただ、本当に『情報屋』と呼ぶべき生業をしているのかどうかはさておき、彼が数多の情報を手にする力を持っている事だけは確かである。
彼は決して正義の味方などではなく、さりとて悪の手先というわけでもない。自分がないのではない。ただ、彼は平等なだけだった。己の欲望に、果てしなく素直なだけだった。
『人間』。そんな単語のすべてにくるまれた有象無象の玉石達を、彼はひたすらに愛し続ける。
彼はただ、人を愛しているだけなのだ。たとえその結果、愛する人間を壊す事になったとしても。情報屋は、壊れてしまった人間も平等に愛でる事ができるのだから──。
地方都市に現れたとある情報屋。
彼がする事はただ情報を流し、誰かの背中を押す事のみ──。
「まったく、人間観察（リハビリ）も一苦労だよ」
自分は情報屋である。そんな事を嘯く、一人の男がいた。ただ、本当に『情報屋』と呼ぶべき生業をしているのかどうかはさておき、彼が数多の情報を手にする力を持っている事だけは確かである。
彼は決して正義の味方などではなく、さりとて悪の手先というわけでもない。自分がないのではない。ただ、彼は平等なだけだった。己の欲望に、果てしなく素直なだけだった。
『人間』。そんな単語のすべてにくるまれた有象無象の玉石達を、彼はひたすらに愛し続ける。
彼はただ、人を愛しているだけなのだ。たとえその結果、愛する人間を壊す事になったとしても。情報屋は、壊れてしまった人間も平等に愛でる事ができるのだから──。
- GenresLight NovelFantasy
322 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2015
About the author
Ryohgo Narita
364 books391 followersRyohgo Narita (成田 良悟, Narita Ryōgo) is a Japanese light novelist. He won the Gold Prize in the 9th Dengeki Novel Prize for Baccano!, which was made into a TV anime in 2007.[1] His series Durarara!! was also made into a TV anime, which began airing January 2010
There are two traits found in most of Narita's works:
* Narita writes extremely fast, one volume a month if he wishes - with tons of spelling errors and missing words as a tradeoff. The editors like to leave them sometimes just for fun, though.
* His work titles often have an exclamation mark at the end (i.e. Baccano!, Vamp!, Durarara!!, etc.).
Kanji names: 成田 良悟 & 成田良悟.
There are two traits found in most of Narita's works:
* Narita writes extremely fast, one volume a month if he wishes - with tons of spelling errors and missing words as a tradeoff. The editors like to leave them sometimes just for fun, though.
* His work titles often have an exclamation mark at the end (i.e. Baccano!, Vamp!, Durarara!!, etc.).
Kanji names: 成田 良悟 & 成田良悟.
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July 13, 2020The Sunset with Orihara Izaya is the first instalment of a spin-off series belonging to the very popular Durarara!! series. As the title entails it stars Orihara Izaya, the mischievous informant who is the source of so much trouble, as the main character.
In this volume we get to see Izaya outside of his usual environment. Instead of the frantic, high-paced urban setting of Narita's Tokyo with all its supernatural chaos, rival gangs, yakuza wars and the vast quirky cast readers have come to associate with Ikebukuro; we are introduced to a mining town locked in a fierce tug-of-war between two factions.
This change allows Izaya a lot of leeway. As stated in the postscript, Izaya's ability to function as a free agent is somewhat limited in the main series as his very name carries the reputation of danger. But in the town, by the name of Bunokurashi, Izaya is a stranger and several of its citizens struggle to come to terms with what exactly an informant is, what his goals may be, and what kind of backing he has.
Such a sense of bafflement before the convoluted plots that Izaya weaves is nothing new but it reaches a different level of intensity as the battling factions try to place Izaya in their own conflict.
The town is a place of darkness in its own right. Unlike the zany, often dizzying atmosphere of Durarara!!'s Tokyo, Bunokurashi is a claustrophic town locked in a long strife between the Adamura, a land owner family and the Kiyojima, connected more to the political classes. Both resort to severe means of repression including bribing, doing away with troublemesome indivuals and not even stopping at murder.
It is a much more realistic scenario and the new cast is also for the most part more believable than the highly eccentric gang from Dura!!. The way Izaya plays these characters, ranging from the patriarchs to the younger generation, as well as dirty cops and foot soldiers, is brilliant as ever.
As for the old cast, it is not entirely absent. A series of interviews on the topic of Orihara Izaya was intermingled with the action proper and in these the characters of Duararara!! expound on their opinions of who Izaya is. These vignettes, short as they are, offer some very interesting insight made all the more so since the characters are not clearly identified. Those familiar with the franchise will easily figure out who is speaking but the process is a fun one that fully engages the reader.
If Izaya has a greater latitude of action, he is also limited in a very tangible way. Izaya is in a wheelchair, a debilitating situation that makes for some rare- and for that reason precious- moments of self-reflection as Izaya ponders on the psychological aspect of his condition. These are often framed by Izaya's interaction with a band of allies of sorts, a group of very different people whose interests end up matching Izaya's.
As it is so often the case, these new characters range from having a strong attachment to Izaya to biding their time to get rid of him. They create a new tension to the story while providing some rather amusing banter.
Overall this volume is a mixture of murder mystery, action, mind games and Izaya at his sharpest. I recommend it to diehard fans of Durarara!! as well as those who are fascinated by the disturbing allure of Orihara Izaya.
In this volume we get to see Izaya outside of his usual environment. Instead of the frantic, high-paced urban setting of Narita's Tokyo with all its supernatural chaos, rival gangs, yakuza wars and the vast quirky cast readers have come to associate with Ikebukuro; we are introduced to a mining town locked in a fierce tug-of-war between two factions.
This change allows Izaya a lot of leeway. As stated in the postscript, Izaya's ability to function as a free agent is somewhat limited in the main series as his very name carries the reputation of danger. But in the town, by the name of Bunokurashi, Izaya is a stranger and several of its citizens struggle to come to terms with what exactly an informant is, what his goals may be, and what kind of backing he has.
Such a sense of bafflement before the convoluted plots that Izaya weaves is nothing new but it reaches a different level of intensity as the battling factions try to place Izaya in their own conflict.
The town is a place of darkness in its own right. Unlike the zany, often dizzying atmosphere of Durarara!!'s Tokyo, Bunokurashi is a claustrophic town locked in a long strife between the Adamura, a land owner family and the Kiyojima, connected more to the political classes. Both resort to severe means of repression including bribing, doing away with troublemesome indivuals and not even stopping at murder.
It is a much more realistic scenario and the new cast is also for the most part more believable than the highly eccentric gang from Dura!!. The way Izaya plays these characters, ranging from the patriarchs to the younger generation, as well as dirty cops and foot soldiers, is brilliant as ever.
As for the old cast, it is not entirely absent. A series of interviews on the topic of Orihara Izaya was intermingled with the action proper and in these the characters of Duararara!! expound on their opinions of who Izaya is. These vignettes, short as they are, offer some very interesting insight made all the more so since the characters are not clearly identified. Those familiar with the franchise will easily figure out who is speaking but the process is a fun one that fully engages the reader.
If Izaya has a greater latitude of action, he is also limited in a very tangible way. Izaya is in a wheelchair, a debilitating situation that makes for some rare- and for that reason precious- moments of self-reflection as Izaya ponders on the psychological aspect of his condition. These are often framed by Izaya's interaction with a band of allies of sorts, a group of very different people whose interests end up matching Izaya's.
As it is so often the case, these new characters range from having a strong attachment to Izaya to biding their time to get rid of him. They create a new tension to the story while providing some rather amusing banter.
Overall this volume is a mixture of murder mystery, action, mind games and Izaya at his sharpest. I recommend it to diehard fans of Durarara!! as well as those who are fascinated by the disturbing allure of Orihara Izaya.
Want to Read
July 7, 2015apparently this is now a spin-off series, not a standalone book
March 8, 2020
Classic Narita.
And Izaya—I really don't like the guy.
And Izaya—I really don't like the guy.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews