[Walking Through the Creative Awards Entries ①] In Search of the Lost 'Heisei Gag'

Right now, note is buzzing with excitement over the 'Creative Awards'.

The Creative Awards is an event where works such as essays and novels are posted on note and tales during the submission period from April 22nd to July 22nd, and outstanding works are selected for the grand prize.

The great thing about this award is that you can freely read the applicants' works.

Since these are works written in earnest to win the award, they are all incredibly fascinating.
Being able to 'read' such works is one of the real pleasures of this period.

That said, because there are so many submissions, some people might be at a loss as to which works to read first.

I would like to help such readers encounter even a few wonderful works... with that in mind, I would like to introduce the works that I have actually read and that have moved me.

I will not mention whether or not I have a relationship with the authors of the works I introduce. Even if I am acquainted with the author and that is how I discovered the work, I intend to focus on introducing them from the perspective of 'for the reader'.

📝 Works to be introduced this time

I would like to start introducing the works that caught my attention right away.

'My Undercover Investigator'

This is a work submitted to the '#Entertainment Original Work Category' of the note Creative Awards. It is a complete six-part series that can be read on both note and tales.

Synopsis

I would like to quote the synopsis written by the author, Aruron.

I have intentionally hidden the furigana for the names. The readings of the characters' names are one of the fun parts of this work.

✏️ In a word, this is what's good!

I've taken the liberty of coming up with a catchphrase that sums up the appeal of this work.
To put it bluntly, it is 'In Search of the Lost "Heisei Gag"'.

Amidst the hilarity that makes you laugh out loud, you suddenly feel a sense of nostalgia, like the manga you read when you were a child.

📕 If you like this, you'll surely like this!

If you like the famous works below, or if you used to enjoy them, I think you will like My Undercover Investigation.

Detective Conan

A high school student with an intense personality takes the lead in solving incidents that occur at school. Teachers and students alike become suspects. They use reasoning that puts adults to shame. It is truly close to the world of "Detective Conan." If you like Conan, this is a work you will surely enjoy.

CoroCoro Comic

Are there any people who enjoyed CoroCoro Comic when they were in the lower grades of elementary school? I am one of them. I was especially fond of "Dangerous Jii-san." For those who have memories of literally rolling on the floor laughing at the wild developments and puns, you will surely roll on the floor laughing at this work too.

The atmosphere is like "Detective Conan that wandered into CoroCoro Comic."

Reborn!

It is a school story with an exquisite balance of the laid-back nature of daily life and mystery and battles; this is different from the content of the story, but it has an atmosphere close to Reborn!.

Ace Attorney Series

The naming sense is similar to the wordplay in the Ace Attorney series. Also, I felt that the mystery resolution chapters allowed the reader to feel as if they were playing along like a game. Therefore, people who play this series will surely enjoy this work.

This is unrelated, but personally, I love "The Great Ace Attorney." I love the BGM, the characters, the atmosphere, everything.

🎵 You can feel this way

From an "Aha!" experience to an "Ahaha" experience

The "reward" of this work is likely the naming of the characters and techniques. If a string of kanji appears, please be sure to read the furigana as well. There is definitely something hidden there.

For example, the protagonist's techniques include things like "Soitsu-ryu, Kuribuken" and "Hou-ippu." At first glance, they look very strong, but when you read the furigana, the impression changes completely.

The moment you have an "Aha!" experience of "Oh! So that's what it is," you will definitely burst out laughing.

Just when you think it's the comfort of a classic shonen manga...

There are typical school story characters like the bullied kid, the school madonna, the teacher, the delinquent, etc., so you can read it with a sense of relief in a way. However, this is no time to be relieved. You will find yourself involuntarily retorting, "Why is XX among the delinquents!"

Twice as delicious with battles and mysteries

Since the protagonist uses the aforementioned techniques like "Soitsu-ryu, Kuribuken" and "Hou-ippu," you might think, "Is this a power-based battle manga...?" However, as the synopsis suggests, it also has the face of a mystery where incidents are solved logically based on alibis. You can enjoy both battles and mysteries by reading just one work. It is a work that is twice as delicious.

Heisei Nostalgia

In my humble opinion, I feel a sense of nostalgia for the kind of school-life stories I read when I was little. It's the kind of nostalgia you see in Heisei-era anime, not Reiwa. That's why, after laughing at the gags being thrown out, I find myself caught in a nostalgic feeling that makes me soften my expression.

🍹Recommended environment for reading

Try reading it on your smartphone while lying down

I want you to read it in a completely relaxed state.
Don't read it formally. I recommend reading it while lying down, just like you would read a manga.

Recommended food & drinks

If you were to pair it with food or drinks...
It would definitely be "potato chips and orange juice." I recommend Calbee Consomme Punch for the chips and Fanta for the orange juice.

Conclusion

I want you to remember "that time."

Going to a friend's house in elementary school and picking up a book by chance. You find yourself reading it intently. Before you know it, you're both silently reading your favorite manga. I feel like I have a memory like that, or maybe I don't.

Even if that friend were still alive today, the time we spent together like that would never come back.

But, "Uchi no Sennyu Sosa-kun" if you read it,
you will be able to believe that this memory definitely existed.