'소시민' 시리즈, 그 두 번째 권. '소시민' 시리즈는 학교를 배경으로 일상의 사건들을 다룬 '고전부' 시리즈와 함께 요네자와 호노부의 대표 시리즈로 꼽히는 학원 청춘 미스터리이다. 요네자와 호노부의 초기 학원 미스터리의 진면목을 볼 수 있는 시리즈로 신간이 출간될 때마다 미스터리 분야 1위를 기록하며 연말 미스터리 순위에 오르내리는 대표 시리즈다.
참견하기 좋아하는 고바토와 집념이 강한 오사나이는 공통의 목표를 가진 특별한 관계로 묶여 있다. 그것은 바로 일상의 평온과 안정을 위해 소시민의 길을 추구하는 것. 그런 두 사람이 여름방학을 맞이해 디저트 제패에 나섰다. 두 사람의 목표를 위협하는 갖가지 수수께끼들 속에서 이번에도 본모습을 드러내지 않고 무사히 소시민의 자리를 지켜낼 수 있을까?
Honobu Yonezawa (米澤穂信), Yonezawa Honobu, born 1978) loved making up stories even as a child and began writing fiction at the age of 14. By the time he got to university he was posting stories on his own website. After graduation he continued writing while working in a bookstore, and first got into print in 2001 when Hyoka (Ice Cream), a YA mystery novel he submitted for the Kadokawa School Novel Prize competition, earned an honorable mention. Sayonara yosei (Farewell, Sprite), a critically acclaimed story of the relationship between Japanese high-school boys and a girl from war-torn Yugoslavia, helped cement his reputation when it was published in 2004. Since then he has been a regular presence on lists of the year's best mysteries. Oreta ryukotsu (Broken Keel) won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Novels in 2011. Though known especially for his distinctive and fresh blending of the tale of youth with the whodunit, Yonezawa has also made forays into science fiction, as with 2006’s Botorunekku (Bottleneck) and 2007’s Inshitemiru (Try Indulging), a sinister "murder game" story. In 2013 he published the novel Rikashiburu (Recursible). He is a leading figure among Japan's younger generation of mystery writers.
Yonezawa is a good mystery writer and a great character writer, and that comes through very clearly in this one. The tight logic of the mysteries is satisfying as always, and the confidence in being able to draw interesting puzzles from mundane situations is on full display here as usual, but what really takes this book from a good display of fun puzzle plots to a masterpiece is the way the archetypes of detective and criminal mastermind ala Sherlock and Moriarty are turned into real human people with real human struggles. There's a kind of sad maturity to the writing here that you rarely see in anime-adjacent works and works dealing with teenage protagonists. That was definitely present in Hyouka as well, but it's taken to another level here. Hyouka could still adequately be described as "solving fun little mysteries with friends", but that kind of sweet description just feels like a lie if applied to this one. Throughout his entire narration Kobato just keeps putting distance between himself and the other people in his life. He can't trust in a romcom-like situation such as the Sweets tour, and he's ultimately right not to. While the ultimate understanding revealed in Hyouka's mysteries tends to bring more understanding between the characters and aid in Oreki's growth, there's just a biting cynicism to this reveal that, along with the plot in the book taking a much heavier turn than anything in Hyouka, feels designed like a gut punch to a reader of that series. I think Hyouka's mysteries tend to be more mechanically satisfying, but I continue to be wowed by the way mysteries in this series are inextricably tied with the character writing, and I think the principal dynamic is much more interesting than Hyouka's.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
After finishing this book, I can confidently say that Shoushimin series is waaay darker than Hyouka. I may already realize it by the complexity of the two main characters in the first series, but this second book brings me to another level of darkness. The issues involved in this book is pretty serious-drug abuse, kidnapping, and even the meaning of the relationship of Kobato and Osanai themselves. The way the story resolved in the end was heartbreaking too. I still think that Osanai didn't properly tell Kobato the reason behind her accomplishment and Kobato needed to listen to it. I really don't want them to be separated. Ah, I should just read the third book quickly now.
Wow this was intense and went places I would never assume based on the first book or the adorable cover. While the first book in the series makes a good point for why the characters shouldn’t try to be 小市民, this one actually takes on the impossible tasks and seems to try to convince the reader that maybe they actually should. The overall story is fantastic, with tons of moral conundrums that give a lot for the reader to mull over. I think the first few chapters are pretty weak compared to the first book though. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!
This series so far is seemingly a simple light novel-fitting premise that goes beyond in terms of complexity of character motivations. As a mystery, I enjoyed it a lot.