[#CreativeAwardReview] A novel that teaches the importance of small happiness through writing that touches the heart
When I was little, my grandmother would bring out snacks and say, "This is for a special occasion." I had no idea what the word "otottoki" meant back then. Even without understanding the meaning, the time that flowed along with that word was quite happy for me.
Since then, I have started saving things for a "special occasion" whenever I have high expectations, thinking, "This is definitely it!!" Ruika Kourui's "The Unraveler Scoops Up the Tangled Threads" is one of those things. The moment I read it, a world reminiscent of Nahoko Uehashi spread out before my eyes.
People in rural areas living simple lives, finding happiness in steaming food
People in the royal capital wearing high-quality clothes and smelling of elegant fragrances from their garments
The bustling market of the royal capital
The slums that one must not approach
The descriptions make me imagine a country that actually exists in Central Asia. The people depicted in the work feel like they are breathing, and I wanted to believe they truly exist. Because Kourui-san's world is so solidly built, the fantasy feels realistic. That is why, even though mysterious powers exist, I was able to immerse myself in the story without any sense of discomfort.
This mysterious power is not omnipotent.
That is what makes it good.
Humans live while making mistakes, don't they? The characters in this work also live their daily lives without confidence in themselves because they rely on great power.
This, too, is realistic.
While it is a fantasy, it firmly depicts the human-like swaying of the heart, so the characters naturally come to life. The way they perform government affairs while relying on mysterious powers given from heaven doesn't seem out of place, even if it were somewhere in the world.
When people appeared who tried to use the mysterious power for their own selfish desires, I thought it was plausible. In the story, an oracle twisted by selfish desire causes a disaster enough to destroy the country. It reminds me of conflicts that might be happening in the world as seen on the internet. Since we learn in history that even in reality, an entire country can head toward ruin due to the intentions of a handful of people, that association was easy to make.
Oracles from heaven are rooted in people's hearts as a great power. Therefore, one cannot tell if they are being used for good or evil. People involved in politics must have very strong hearts, or they will surely be stained by evil... and the country will fall into chaos...
Because the mysterious power is not omnipotent, even if one possesses that ability, one cannot see through both "conscience and malice." Past successful experiences make one abandon the doubt of "oracles accompanied by discomfort."
Past success dulls judgment
This applies to us as well, doesn't it? I strongly felt the importance of making decisions firmly on our own, as there is nothing omnipotent in this world.
Have you ever heard the expressions "hearts are connected" or "hearts are unraveled"?
The former is often used for groups of two or more, and the latter for individuals; I think both are used when the state of the heart is good.
There are also expressions like "hearts are tangled" or "hearts are hardened," aren't there?
I think these are used when the state of the heart is not very good.
This work is themed around the ability to touch this state of the heart, but it does not appear to be perfect. Since it looks like thread, it can be tied or unraveled, but it causes confusion when it is tied without being conscious of the reason why it was formed in the first place.
I felt that this was an appeal that "why it happened" is important.
The protagonist, an unraveler, uses their ability correctly while empathizing with the other person's feelings. I thought this was something the protagonist acquired as a result of interacting with people and living a rich life.
In the story, "hearted" young people and adults suffer and get hurt until they get closer to the truth. I thought this was common to what we feel in our daily lives.
After reading Nahoko Uehashi's "Moribito" series, I came to think that children's literature is a work that adults should read because of its wonderful expressive power. After reading Kourui-san's work, I...
Not just something adults "can" read,
but rather
something adults "should" read.
That is the conclusion I have reached regarding children's literature.
I believe the heartwarming final scene of the story was born precisely because the writing "stays close to the heart."
Thank you for teaching me the importance of spreading small happiness throughout the world without betraying the heart.
I have posted the following recommendation review on TALES.
I read this while thinking of the hearts of others. "Tying hearts together" and "untying hearts" are common expressions, but they are not actually visible. Yet, we feel these expressions are appropriate. This is because, even if we cannot see them, we experience the tying and untying of hearts and the tangles of emotions. Therefore, I felt no sense of discomfort with the setting of this work. This story weaves family, governance, and dietary life into those states of the heart, inviting us to a country we have yet to see. You reminded me of the important fact that people feel joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure through scents and memories. I felt that if a world where tying and untying can coexist, and where any truth can be accepted and faced forward, were to spread, we might be one step closer to peace. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of how familiar happiness leads to peace.
Please allow me to also introduce the afterword of the untier by Ruika Ko.
《 Creative Awards 2026 Entry 》
If you have time, please read it. A single word of "I read it" will make me dance with joy.
🐌 Romance Novel Category (It really is a pond snail)
👂 Work-Life Novel Category (It's serious for a Hasoyam)
👻 Horror Novel Category (Scarier than before!)
🧶 All-Category Division (Giving it my all for the fun of it!)