Zaregoto Series
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
novel series written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin
and illustrated by Take. The series was published in Japan between February 5, 2002 and November 2005 by Kodansha Books
. It was followed by a spin-off series also published by Kodansha Books, , focusing on the Zerozaki clan. The first volume of Zaregoto, The Kubikiri Cycle, was released in North America in July 2008 by Del Rey Manga
and the second volume "The Kubishime Romanticist" was released in June 2010, also by Del Rey Manga. No further information regarding the future of the series in English has been released.
. Made mainly of wood, three stories, four-mat room with horrible sound insulation, bare light bulb, shared toilet, no bath; the rent is 10,000 yen per month, though.
.
)", and "Origami(檻神)". Together, they are called the "Four Gods and One Mirror(四神一鏡)".
is the property of the Akagami Plutocrats. Its purpose is to keep the exiled heiress away from the rest of the world. In Russian, it means "The End of Despair". Now, it is a place for geniuses to gather under the invitation of Iria.
*editor's note: I'm sorry if some of the things are wrong since I've never read the English version, so I don't know what the American translator wrote for some of the translation. If there is any difference between the book and this, please change it so it is as the same as the book.
three times as one of the ten best light novels of the year: in 2005 when it ranked second, in 2006 when it topped the list, and in 2007 when it placed third.
The series was a bestseller, and grew in popularity as it went on. While the first volume debuted at number eight on the novel charts, the final volume debuted at number one and remained at the top for three weeks.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
novel series written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin
Nisio Isin
, frequently written as NisiOisiN to emphasize that his pen name is a palindrome, is a Japanese novelist and manga writer. He attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel , which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age...
and illustrated by Take. The series was published in Japan between February 5, 2002 and November 2005 by Kodansha Books
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
. It was followed by a spin-off series also published by Kodansha Books, , focusing on the Zerozaki clan. The first volume of Zaregoto, The Kubikiri Cycle, was released in North America in July 2008 by Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
and the second volume "The Kubishime Romanticist" was released in June 2010, also by Del Rey Manga. No further information regarding the future of the series in English has been released.
Plot
The story revolves around "I" and the mysteries he encounters, but after the second book, the series comes with more and more fighting and action. "I" tends to try in vain to keep out of the story, but instead of being the bystander he wants to be, he always gets dragged into the center of everything. Though it seems "I" does a lot in the story, he always finds out at the end that whatever he did was meaningless.Setting
According to Tomo's explanation, the world is divided into four separate kinds of territories:- The "Outer" World(the word of peace and war) is the normal side of the world. The holder of the highest mediocrity.
- The Economical World(The Four Gods and One Mirror,
) is the holder of the strongest economical powers of the world. The closest to The "Outer" World. - The "Politics" World(The Kunagisa Organization) is the holder of the strongest ruling powers of the world.
- The "Violence" World(The Murdering Name, The Cursing Name) is the holder of all unusual, heterodoxy, special powers of the world. This world is a world with no order, only lawless massacre.
"I"'s relationship
- . The narrator of the Zaregoto series, people call him by all sorts of nicknames like "Ii-chan", "Ii-kun", "Ii-tan". Birthday is in March, birthplace KobeKobe, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. His real name was never revealed, but in Hanging High School he played a name-guessing quiz with Shiogi Hagihara (later mentioned), but the answer was not revealed either. - After graduating eighth grade, he entered the ER3 system (a type of genius raising school) and went to AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Houston for five years; with the death of his good friend, Magokoro Omokage, he withdrew from the system. Now, he is a resident of the Antique Apartment, second floor, and also a student in the Rokumeikan Private University. He consistently downplays his own abilities, but inevitably ends up solving the mysteries he encounters.
- "The Blue Savant". Due to the recessive genes, she has an unusual appearance consisting blue eyes and blue hair, but is still a beauty. Diagnosed with Savant SyndromeSavant syndromeSavant syndrome , sometimes referred to as savantism, is a rare condition in which people with developmental disorders have one or more areas of expertise, ability, or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations...
. 19 years old. - Tomo is Ii-chan's closest friend. She is a genius in the field of computer engineering with a very eccentric personality. While Ii-chan was in Houston, she led a group of notorious computer hacker consisting nine people including herself.
- "Humanity's Strongest". Known famously throughout the world as humanity's strongest contractor. About 24 years old. Whatever legal or illegal, if paid she will get it done. A master of disguising, sound imitating, lock picking (even ones with fingerprint scanners), and mind reading. Presented with the names "the Most Powerful Private Contractor in the World", "the World's Greatest Entrepreneur", "Overkilled Red", "Desert Eagle", "One Against A Thousand", "The Storm Before The Storm"...
- In the first book, Jun was invited to help solve the murder on the island, but she does not appear until the novel's epilogue. At the beginning of the book, Ii-chan presumes that Aikawa is a man.
- "I"'s little sister. When she was young, she was kidnapped by the Kunagisa organization. When "I" and Tomo met, he still didn't know of his little sister's existence, even though she was living almost right beside him. She is one of the few people who knows of "I"'s true name. She died in an airplane accident.
The Residents of the Antique Apartment
The apartment which "I" lives in. The real name of this place is unknown, "I" is the only one calling it The Antique Apartment. Existed before the Meiji periodMeiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. Made mainly of wood, three stories, four-mat room with horrible sound insulation, bare light bulb, shared toilet, no bath; the rent is 10,000 yen per month, though.
- "I"'s neighbor. 22 years-old. A freeter, and also a master of kendoKendo, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
and kenjutsuKenjutsu, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration...
. Kicked out of her previous apartment, she was taken in by Nanami Nanananami after found wandering in the streets. Always keeps her hair in a ponytailPonytailA ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
, usually wears a jinbeiJinbei200 px|thumb|Boy's stylish JinbeiA jinbei , sometimes referred to as hippari, is a kind of traditional Japanese clothing worn by men, women, boys, girls, and even babies during the summer. Women's jinbei have started to become popular in recent years.-Use:Jinbei are usually worn as a form of...
, with kanjiKanjiKanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
representing her emotions at the moment, over casual clothing at home. Miiko hardly expresses her feeling through facial expression, but surprisingly, she has a rough temper when fighting. Once an information is received by her, it will be hard to make any changes to it afterwards. Likes sweet things, sake, and collecting antiques. Owns a Fiat 500Fiat 500The Fiat 500 is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of the Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa....
, which is often borrowed by "I". Can never stop getting into trouble with the guests at a new work place, but still finds a job teaching at a kendo school momentarily. - Miiko is really concerned about "I"'s personality. "I" confessed to Miiko, but she reserved it saying she'll consider about it if "I" becomes a better man. Once had four relationships going at the same time, and three were girls, because she can't resist wanting to help the weak do everything for them.
"I"'s Classmate
In the second book, "I" attends Rokumeikan Private University. It is located in Kinugasa, in Kita Ward of KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
.
- Born on April 20. According to "I"'s assumption, Mikoko is about 155cm and 50kg, a fairly normal girl. Usually has a high temper, and will hit anything nearby randomly. Owns a vespaVespaVespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
(vintage model) and calls it "scoot", which made "I" very angry because he thinks it's disrespecting for the vespa. Likes to use exaggerating metaphors. Will take off clothes when drunk. Have feelings for "I". Tomoe Emoto's first friend, and best friends with Muimi Atemiya.
- Born on May 14, 20 years-old. A petit girl with twin tails, but has an aura of an adult. Likes shiny things. Lives alone. Tomoe stayed in the hospital for a long time during middle school, so she is actually held back for a year. She became friends with Mikoko in high school, because having an inferiority complex made her see Mikoko as an ideal being. Will become a kissing maniac when drunk. One of the few girls "I" is interested in. The witness of the beginning of the Kyoto serial killing.
- A yankeeYankeeThe term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
(delinquent). Brown hair. Has a little sister named Muri(Muimi means no meaning, Muri means unreasonable). Been smoking since elementary, but she doesn't smoke around non-smokers. She went to the same elementary school as Mikoko, and became friends with her because she saved Muimi from the depths of delinquency.
- Went to the same high school as Mikoko. Brown hair. A very normal human being, "I" can never remember what he looks like. Has a frivolous personality. After the second book ends, "I" completely forgets about his existence.
The Police
- A police officer, teamed up with Ikaruga. Has a business like relationship with Jun Aikawa. Kyoto Prefectural Investigation group, First Division(murder cases) chief. Straight black hair with a cool and calm mind.
- A police officer, teamed up with Sasa. Kyoto Prefectural Investigation group, First Division member. Wears a sun glasses, black hair combed all back, tall. A normal person.
The "Violence" World
- The Killing Names consists of seven families, "Niounomiya(匂宮)", "Yamiguchi(闇口)", "Zerozaki(零崎)", "Susukino(薄野)", "Hakamori(墓森)", "Tenbuki(天吹)", "Ishinagi(石凪)". The sequence starts with the strongest. These families possess incredibly ridiculous killing abilities.
- The Cursing Names consists of six families, "Tokinomiya(時宮)", "Tsumiguchi(罪口)", "Kino(奇野)", "Nukumori(拭森)", "Shibugi(死吹)", "Toganagi(咎凪)". The sequence starts with the strongest. These families refuse any physical battle, but the deaths caused by them are no less than The Killing Names. They attack their enemies through abnormal ways such as hypnotism, poison, and other ways; to defeat their enemies, they will not hesitate to deceit their allies as well. Every family has an opposing side in the different Names, for example: Niounomiya's opposing family is Tokinomiya(the second kanjiKanjiKanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
in their names are the same)...The only exception is the Zerozaki family.
Zerozaki
Known as the "Zerozaki Bandits". Rank third in The Killing Names. A group of unreasonable serial killers gathered not by blood relations, but by the thirst for blood. Contains twenty to twenty-five members. The only family without an opposing family in The Cusing Names.- The Human Failure. A child born through incestuous action(no blood relations, meaning two Zerozakis gave birth to him), a Zerozaki in the Zerozaki. The serial killer of the KyotoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
serial killing. "I" was supposed to become one of his victims when he encounter him on Friday 13th under the bridge. Has a tattoo on the right side of his face, dyed hair, three earrings on the right ear and one cellphone strap on the left ear. He is about 150cm tall. Zerozaki is the mirror self of "I", hence the other way around, too. Always wears a vest full of knives.
The "Economical" World
The "Economical" world consists of five big plutocrats, "Akagami(赤神)", "Iigami(謂神)", "Ujigami(氏神)", "Ekagami(絵鏡)", and "Origami(檻神)". Together, they are called the "Four Gods and One Mirror(四神一鏡)".
Akagami Plutocrat
- A true princess of the Akagami plutocrat, but was exiled to Wet Crow's Feather Island due to D.L.L.R Syndrome(a sickness that makes people want to kill). The little sister of the twins. Now, she is the owner of the island and has an inexhaustible amount of time and money.
- Has an unshakable trust towards Jun. 21years-old.
- Rei is the head maid on Wet Crow's Feather Island.
- The eldest of the triplets. A maid on Wet Crow's Island. Has an upheaval personality, but very smart. 27 years-old.
- The second of the triplets. A maid on Wet Crow's Island. Likes to haggle, has a bit of mysophobiaMysophobiaMysophobia is a term used to describe a pathological fear of contamination and germs. Someone who has such a fear is referred to as a mysophobe. The term was introduced by Dr. William Alexander Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of obsessive-compulsive disorder exhibited in repeatedly washing...
. 27 years-old.
- The third of the triplets. A maid on Wet Crow's Island. Rarely talks, but if she opens her mouth, only lies will come out. Iria's bodyguard, has superior fighting skills(quote Hikari," Invincible in short range" ). 27 years-old. Once defeated the notorious Kishishiki Zerozaki wearing an iron mask, so was known as the "Masked Maid". The only triplet who wears glasses.
Guests on Wet Crow's island
Wet Crow's Islandis the property of the Akagami Plutocrats. Its purpose is to keep the exiled heiress away from the rest of the world. In Russian, it means "The End of Despair". Now, it is a place for geniuses to gather under the invitation of Iria.
- Genius scholar. One of the Seven Fools in the ER3 system, and the first Japanese to enter in her twenties. 30 years-old. Raised out of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, so she is bad at yojijukugoYojijukugois a Japanese lexeme consisting of four kanji, or "Chinese characters". English translations of yojijukugo include "four-character compound", "four-character idiom", "four-character idiomatic phrase", and "four-character idiomatic compound"....
, but very proud of her math and English abilities. Black straight hair, tall for a woman with a slender body. Went to a normal public high school. Severed her ties with her family. Champion of a karateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
tournament. - She was the second murder victim.
- Blue-eyed, blond genius painter. The ultimate individualist. Was blind several years ago, now, her body is weak and handicapped, uses a wheel chair. She doesn't have a fixed style of painting. 29 years-old. She always has an air of mystery around her, likes to keep a clean and neat appearance corresponding her huge pride. Her catchphrase is," Don't you know?"
- She was the first murder victim.
- One of the two none geniuses invited(Shinya and "I"). The caretaker and former teacher of Kanami. 32 years-old.
- Real name is . A genius fortune-teller, has a cynical personality. 29 years-old. An ESPer, has the ability to see the past, see the future, use telepathy, see through, hear everything. She described her ability as watching large amounts of TV about other people without her on will, but she can only see two more years in her own future. Blond ponytail. Her catch phrase is," I know the past, the future, people, and the world. I am an ESPer who knows everything."
- She constantly picks on Ii-chan due to his personality.
- The genius chef of Wet Crow's Island. Can create the ultimate delicacy for the diners preference. Short hair with a straightforward personality. 30 years-old. Has absolute pitchAbsolute pitchAbsolute pitch , widely referred to as perfect pitch, is the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of an external reference.-Definition:...
and absolute tasteTasteTaste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
. Can identify up to twenty thousand different kinds of tastes and twenty different levels of pitches. - The most frightened after the murdering started, which is to say the most normal one since nobody except her was influenced by the dangerous atmosphere.
*editor's note: I'm sorry if some of the things are wrong since I've never read the English version, so I don't know what the American translator wrote for some of the translation. If there is any difference between the book and this, please change it so it is as the same as the book.
Novels
Development
The Beheading Cycle went through a number of drafts; Tomo Kunagisa was originally intended to be the series' protagonist, but during the rewriting process, Nisio Isin realized that Ii-chan had become more important. After finally completing the novel, Nisio proceeded to write Strangulation Romanticist in three days. With Hanging High School, Nisio began consciously moving the series away from traditional mystery novel structure.Reception
The series has been selected by Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!
is an annual light novel guide book published by Takarajimasha. The guide book publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels and their characters according to readers polled on the Internet. An introduction to each of the works comes with each listing, along with an interview of the...
three times as one of the ten best light novels of the year: in 2005 when it ranked second, in 2006 when it topped the list, and in 2007 when it placed third.
The series was a bestseller, and grew in popularity as it went on. While the first volume debuted at number eight on the novel charts, the final volume debuted at number one and remained at the top for three weeks.