The Silver Case: Case #4.5 "Face"

by Naoko Korekata

Applying to join the Administrative Inspection Office, Sakura Natsume, the protagonist, embarks upon six months of training. As part of her training programme, Sakura is tasked with writing reports about unusual crimes. During this process, she interviews Sumio Kodai, a former detective who is now being held in police custody after committing a crime of conscience. "If you don't connect with the darkness inside yourself you can't understand criminals, and you can't become an investigator." Sakura is left shaken by Sumio's words. And then, one day, news about a serial murder case is sprung upon her...

190 pages, Unknown Binding

Published November 4, 1999

Reviews

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely supplemental (and fan-translated) novella to a fantastically batshit Japanese postmodern detective scifi adventure "game" by Suda51, so gets a bonus star because that's basically a 5-star novel that I can't log on this site.

This does not stand-alone at all but interesting to have a more straightforwardly told story about a side character spell out some of the shit going on in The Silver Case proper and it definitely has some of the creepy atmosphere in there, even if it could have had a few more story beats. Glorified fan-fiction but a nice little diversion.

[k · Rating 3 out of 5]

this sidestory is decent and not too harmful for being its own thing, I don't think it quite captures the essence of the actual visual novel though

using this also to log the actual vn, the silver case, since i'd count that as a book itself:

insane stuff, beautiful storytelling, hilarious moments and a great setting/vibe that is so masterfully put together and loveable for me

overall, it is a perfect representation of what I love in media and my taste in general: bizarre, wild and over-the-top nonsense with people shooting each other for no real reason, outlandish plot twists unfolding randomly and hilarious moments/conversations

will you live by killing your past...?

[Mrox Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly good, some grammar mistakes in the translation, as well as its somehow some pages shorter, but its still a good read if you arent invested in the game or dont know much about it, basically its a good stand-alone book aswell as a good addition to the silver case lore/ kill the past series.

[Marcus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly dry silence of the lambs riff with some programmed to kill/Giallo stuff mostly happening off the page. Having to present a major part of the game's plot in a quick and expository way is pretty funny. Unforgivable that Kusabi never appears.