A single "photograph" will flip your reading experience upside down—Shusuke Michio's "Ikenai" series [Reading Record 38]

Hello! 🍦Mao | Reading Record here.
The 38th book I finished in 2025 wasShusuke Michio's "Ikenai" series(Bunshun Bunko).

By the way, this time it was areread to coincide with the paperback release of "Ikenai II".
I reread "Ikenai" for the first time in three years, and "Ikenai II" for the first time in three years as well. 😌

"I've been had...!!!"
Every time I read a novel by Shusuke Michio, I want to shout that. Even though I should have finished reading one story, I get the feeling thatthe "real deal" only started after I finished reading. What I want to introduce this time are the short story collections "Ikenai" and its sequel "Ikenai II," where that Michio magic is in full effect.

This series is not normal, starting from its structure.There is a "certain gimmick" at the end of each short story. What is it? It's a single photograph.
Yes, at first glance, it's just a photo of scenery or an object. But the moment you see this one picture, the story you were reading until then is hit with a shock that flips it upside down, making you think,"Wait...? Did I misunderstand something?".

▫️Not just a simple short story collection. A structure that leaves you with a lingering chill

Both "Ikenai" and "Ikenai II" arecomposed of three short stories and a final "last chapter."
When you start reading, each one looks like an independent short story at first glance. However, as you read on, you gradually realize that these stories areexquisitely "connected."When I first finished the first chapter of "Ikenai," the first thing I thought was

"Huh? What does this mean!?!?"a sense of confusion. I almost jumped to a theory site, but (too early to jump! lol), I don't recommend this! 🙅‍♀️Because

the real thrill of this book lies in the time you spend thinking for yourself after you've finished reading everything, wondering, "Wasn't that description meant to mean this?" or "Was that actually...?""Ikenai" is a work that
tests the reader's "powers of observation" and "imagination."You will shudder when you realize that the information you accepted so easily is not the only truth.

▫️The "other truth" shown by the photograph. An addictiveness that makes you want to flip back the pages

The most distinctive gimmick of this series is, after all, the single photograph posted at the end of each short story. This is just unfairly good.

However, the truth isn't clearly stated in that photo, and if you're reading it casually, you won't notice its meaning at all. It's quite difficult.

The balance is so exquisite thatthe moment you finish reading, you get this addictiveness that makes you think, "Wait a minute, I want to read it again from the beginning..."This is a structure completely intended for a physical book.
If you read it as an e-book, it's a huge hassle to flip back and forth between pages.
This series should definitely be read in paper format!

▫️Did "Ikenai II" "surpass" it?

And then the sequel, "Ikenai II." The previous work was so clever that, honestly, I thought, "Isn't it difficult to surpass this...?"
But, to tell you the result...It seriously surpassed it.

Based on my experience with the previous work, I"Okay, this time I'll try to do it on my own without jumping to a theory site"I vowed to read it, but... man, it was still difficult. lol
But that's what makes it fun.

Michio-san himself said, "I wrote it with the intention of surpassing the previous work," and that is by no means an exaggeration.
The use of the photographs, the structure that betrays the reader, "that development" in the final chapter... everything fit perfectly, and the lingering feeling after reading didn't go away for a while.

▫️Because there is no correct answer, you want to talk about it

As I wrote earlier, the amazing thing about this series is thatit does not present an "absolute correct answer."The meaning of the story changes depending on each reader's "perspective."

Who is lying, who is truly bad, or is no one bad—

that interpretation is left to the reader, and there is no answer key page.That is another huge charm of this work.After reading, there's no doubt you'll want to talk to someone, saying, "Hey, that person, could it be that...?"

And above all, that "chilling" tension that can only be shared by those who have read this novel.

It might be a genre unique to Shusuke Michio, neither horror nor mystery.

▫️I'm waiting for "Ikenai III"

The moment I finished reading, I was applauding in my heart.
It's so highly perfected that I find myself wishing, "I want to go to that world again."

That's why I think:
"Ikenai III," please release it...!!

Please let me experience this tension, this gimmick, and the luxurious experience of a "conclusion left to the reader's imagination" once more... Michio-san...!

▫️Recommended for people like this

✔️ People who like novels with foreshadowing and clever tricks
✔️ People looking for a "book you'll want to discuss with someone immediately after finishing"
✔️ People who want to enjoy the "pleasure of re-reading" by flipping back through the pages
✔️ People who have never read a Shusuke Michio work (this series is perfect for beginners!)

▫️ Summary

The "Ikenai" series is not just about following the story; it is a work that shakes up the very experience of reading itself. Reading a novel usually involves a sequence of following the story, empathizing with the characters, and feeling satisfied when the mystery is solved... but this series throws

"Is that really true?" "Did you miss something?" at all of those assumptions. With just a single photograph, the "truth" the reader believed in is overturned. Every time you flip back a page, your own perception wavers. It is a book that lets you experience that strange "shaking" over and over,

truly adding a thrill to the act of reading.

You can check out analysis sites. You can talk about it with friends. But first, try searching for the truth hidden deep within the pages with your own eyes and your own imagination.

I can't help but look forward to what kind of tricks they will prepare next. I can't help but have high expectations for "Ikenai III"🙈︎

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