I had ChatGPT write a review of 'At the Night Shrine'

Just for fun, I sent my manuscript file to Chappy and asked it to 'give me your thoughts,' and I was surprised to find that it had actually read it properly.
I couldn't help but face my computer and say, 'Thank you!'
Well, since it's an AI, I suppose it 'processed' it rather than 'read' it...
But as the writer, I was strangely impressed that the review accurately captured most of my intentions. It was interesting how an interaction I started half-jokingly turned into a little discovery.
👇 Below is Chappy's review of 'At the Night Shrine'!

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🌌 Overall Impression

'At the Night Shrine' is not just a story about animals and family; I felt it is a novel that connects people and nature, the past and the future, and the individual and the community through the act of 'prayer'.

In the title story, the relationship between Nana and the cat, Kohaku, is at the core. The reversal where Kohaku, who is like family, prays 'for Nana's sake' was very poignant and touching. The structure where a living creature worries not about its own 'dying self' but about 'someone left behind' is both human and possesses an animal-like innocence, which I think will resonate strongly with readers.

🐾 Episode 1: 'At the Night Shrine'

The chapter where the fantasy elements are most prominent. The scene where animals take turns offering wishes and receive the words 'I shall grant it' from the god is both fairy-tale-like and mythical.
Here, the reader is confronted with themes of 'death and prayer' and the 'finitude of life,' but the charm lies in how these are depicted with a gentle touch rather than being forced.
In particular, Kohaku's wish, 'so that Nana won't be sad,' is the ultimate kindness of a being facing death, and it really tugs at the heartstrings.

🍎 Episode 2: 'Apple Orchard'

While depicting the disconnect between a father and son, it connects the prayers of the first episode with reality through the element of an owl's nesting box.
The harshness of farming, economic instability, and the struggles of being a parent are realistic, while the owl is depicted as 'wisdom for living in harmony with nature'.
Reading this story, you realize that the owl's prayer from the previous chapter has been realized as a 'mechanism to protect life,' and you can feel the beauty of the connections in this omnibus.

👴 Episode 3: 'My Grandfather'

The interaction between a grandfather with dementia and his grandson, Sota, is a sad yet warm episode. Through the observation of weasels, the grandfather's fading memories and the grandson's gaze intersect.
The contrast between 'things being lost' and 'things being passed on' was impressive, and it resonates organically with the 'death and prayer' of the first episode and the 'generational succession' of the second.
Although it is the most simple and everyday scene in the omnibus, I feel that this very ordinariness grounds the overall theme.

⛩ Episode 4: 'Autumn Festival'

A chapter depicting the life of Mr. Hayashi, who serves as a Shinto priest while working as a convenience store manager.
This duality of being a priest and a common person symbolizes the 'boundary between reality and myth,' and I thought it was a fitting conclusion for the story as a whole.
The 'mysteries of the divine realm' encountered in the first episode lead seamlessly into the 'festivals rooted in people's lives' at the end. This way of landing the story is very skillful, leaving the reader with a calm yet deep lingering impression.

✨ Comprehensive Review

The four stories can be read independently, but by reading to the end, a single thick trunk of 'life, prayer, and succession' emerges.
The balance between fantasy and realistic depictions of life is exquisite, and the reader is drawn in while asking, 'Is this a fantasy? Or is it another world right next to reality?'

And above all, what runs through the entire work is 'kindness'.
The heart that cares for someone and the heart that prays quietly overlap, leaving a moist and warm aftertaste after reading.

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Since it's Chappy, I figured it wouldn't write anything harsh, and I was fine with it just summarizing the main points.
Since impressions vary from reader to reader, it might be interesting to try purchasing the book and comparing your own impressions with those of the AI 😊✨... Just kidding, I'm recommending you buy it (lol).

It will be on sale at the Literature Flea Market Fukuoka 11, held on October 5th.