九十九十九

by Otaro Maijo, 舞城 王太郎

611 pages, Paperback Bunko

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Otaro Maijo ( 舞城王太郎) is a Japanese Novelist.

Reviews

[Anto · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Seiryouin Ryuusui readers should soon become adults and start participating in society, hopefully."
Warning for minor spoilers.
Tsukumojuku was an absolutely wild read and all the praise I heard about it is absolutely deserved. I'd consider it my favorite Maijo Otaro novel that I read as of right now (small sample pool as it is).
While I'm usually a fan of murder mystery novels that follow a single case through the entire length of the book, Maijo still managed to make some of the most elaborate and fun murder mysteries possible despite having a new one occur every new chapter, and I loved it. The first five chapters were brilliant without a shadow of a doubt, yet the final two (most likely due to my limited understanding of them) left me a bit underwhelmed. Despite that, I completely understand why others might love the ending and I am glad they enjoyed it.
Shoutout to everyone who worked on the English translation, the quality of the translation was beyond superb despite the little error where they got chapters 4 & 5, as well as chapters 6 & 7 mixed up in order. Worry not I made sure to skip straight to chapter 4 after finishing chapter 3 after which I moved to chapter 5, and the same goes for chapters 6 & 7 (/S).
This novel gives me hope that Maijo Otaro could perhaps actually be a good author, well let's hope Smoke Soil or Sacrifices can enforce that belief further.

Let's be honest though, the real reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because Mercury C never showed up. Hallelujah!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give Tsukumojuuku a score of 9.99/10

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literature

[pareidolia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallelujah indeed.

There's a defiant optimism to Maijo's edgyness; even if it means crawling through blood, destroying the world, and ripping the fabric of the universe apart, love is worth fighting for.

Maybe one day, when I've structured my thoughts, I'll write a review. So long: thanks for the excellent translation and kudos for the redraws.

[Zakdj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel where telling you anything feels like a major spoiler, so this review is very bare. Apologises for such, but I pray if you read this it’s a blind read.

While ultimately preferring Disco Wednesdayyy, this is a exceptionally niche work that feels like only one human could not only conceptualise but execute as well as Otaro has. I have a hard time finding people who would like it, but if it clicks it’ll really click.

Similar criticism to Maijo’s works apply, mainly attempts at going too far can feel try hard and shocking for the sake of being shocking, but there’s a bizarre level of hope that shines through this novel. For as graphic and unsettling as it can get, I almost cried during some moments and I am a liar if I denied the emotions it got me to feel. This book is a emotional ride and is extremely hard not to want to see what happens next.

I feel some chapters and especially ending could be a bit longer and more fleshed out, but that can be just skill issue of not getting what the novel was putting down everytime. My biggest issue with the work is wanting more of it, and if thats the biggest issue that’s usually a good sign

I hope when his Natsukawa Family Saga gets a translation, I can find more works of his I love. Otaro is a one of a kind author, and while that can make him extremely easy to dislike, the world needs authors like him. It’d be undeniably less interesting if we didn’t.

God bless
Farewell
Hallelujah.

[Hach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took a lot of time to incentivise this claim, potter it into shape and read through countless reflections on my growing dilemma around the sect of mystery fiction, and my visceral stand-ins with fiction in general. Through that journey however this book accepted all of my anxiety and I always felt its unseething-ly,hurtful pat on my shoulder. Essentially all that was audible was a voice that whispered "You were written about. And He screams for his God the same way you do"

And then i started thinking about this uncomfortable piece of art, not for its mind numbing structure but was instead awed at how much it calculated, pierced and even soothed me. I was written about. "I" was spoken about. It pandered to all the ugly, despondent and yet respondent, courageous thoughts I had. The visible, total, assimilation of my self, with its beauty, the impending horror and much more that I haven't figured about yet. But this book exists. A beam between me and this book, exists

This might be my favorite fictional work of all time, in gist

[Aescwine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving it a five-star feels like an insult to Maijo Otaro.

[7esus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallelujah!