The evils of the world are the work of yokai. (Natsuhiko Kyogoku's 'Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari' series)

Oh my, I never thought I would be able to read this series again.

And it is the first new entry in the series in 11 years,

'Tooku no Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari'

Well, I thought it had already concluded, so I hadn't even checked if it was being serialized.

(Click here for Matsukoi Sugie's interview with Natsuhiko Kyogoku)

Since it had been a while, there were parts where I wondered, 'Wait, who is this character again?', but as I read on, I felt, 'Yes, this is it, this is the world of Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari,' and I was able to finish it with great enjoyment.

Moreover, to my delight, the serialization of the series finale, 'Owari no Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari', has already begun in the magazine 'Kai to Yu'.

I am very much looking forward to it!

This series is really interesting, honestly!

So, this time, I will 'note' about the appeal of this 'Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari' series.

+ + + + + +

[What kind of story is it?]

You don't need to know the plot of this series.
However, I think it's easier to get into if you know the structure of the story.

First of all,

　It is a story about yokai, but it is not horror.

　The cover is scary, and since it is a hundred stories, you might think it is a ghost story featuring ghosts and yokai, but that is not the case at all.

　"Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari" series is

　a story about orchestrating yokai tales.

　In the first place, yokai are said to be strange phenomena that exceed human understanding, or extraordinary beings with mysterious powers that cause them.

　In the "Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari" series, it is a story of "yokai" orchestrators who make things look like their handiwork" in order to solve various troublesome situations.

　For example, when you are working and cannot meet a deadline for submitting documents, if you could make an excuse like, "I'm sorry, a 'Document-Eating Yokai' appeared and ate the documents I was supposed to submit," wouldn't things be settled smoothly? (← No, that wouldn't happen)

　It's similar to that.
　In each episode, various strange incidents occur, but it is a standard format that the behind-the-scenes circumstances and the tricks behind the orchestration are revealed at the end.

　Of course, having a standard format might seem like it would become repetitive, but the charming characters and the strange tales being orchestrated are interesting, so you will never get bored.
　The more you read, the more the human relationships expand, and you come to understand the circumstances that the orchestrators are carrying, so it becomes increasingly interesting.

【"Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari" Series】

　Including the latest volume, "Tooku no Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari," six books have been released in the series so far.

　Although it is called a series, they are not continuous stories, but are independent as short story collections and linked works.
　Of course, there are stories where characters and past incidents are related, so it is desirable to read them in the order of publication.

　Every volume is interesting, but to be honest, the second volume, "Zoku Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari," is by far the most interesting.
　However, the first volume, "Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari," and the second volume, "Zoku Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari," are related works, so for those who are thinking of reading the series

　First, try reading "Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari" and "Zoku Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari" as a set.

　This is the ironclad rule.

"Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari" is a standard short story collection, but "Zoku Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari" takes the form of a linked series, and it has a mechanism that connects with the stories in the first volume, "Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari."

After reading "Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari," if you read "Zoku Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari," various behind-the-scenes details come to light, and it becomes increasingly interesting.
Because of this structure, even if you read the first volume and thought it was just okay, I highly recommend that you read the second volume.

I suspect that once you get hooked on this appeal, you will find yourself unable to stop reading the rest of the series... yes.

This work has been adapted into anime and live-action, but I think the original work is the most interesting, so I hope you will read "Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari" and "Zoku Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari" as a set.

+ + + + + +

As an aside, Natsuhiko Kyogoku has another popular series called the "Hyakki Yako" series. The "Hyakki Yako" series is structured to solve mysteries that appear to be the work of yokai as real-life incidents. In other words, the fact that it has the opposite structure to this "
Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari" series is another interesting point.

It has already been 15 years since the main story of that "Hyakki Yako" series was interrupted, so I keep thinking it's about time for a continuation... but that is a topic for another article...

*