月夜の島渡り

by Kōtarō Tsunekawa, 恒川 光太郎

両親と島を訪れた少年は、集落の祭りの夜に妖しい女と出会う。彼女はその場で少年の未来を予言する――（「月夜の夢の、帰り道」）。美しい海と島々を擁する沖縄が異界に変容する。『私はフーイー』を改題し文庫化。※本作品は、二〇一二年十一月にメディアファクトリーより刊行された単行本『私はフーイー　沖縄怪談短篇集』を改題して文庫化したものが底本です。

Paperback Bunko

Published December 25, 2014

About the author

Associated Names:
* Kōtarō Tsunekawa
* 恒川 光太郎 (Japanese)

Reviews

[Meow Meow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of several short stories, all of which are set partially, if not completely, in islands of Okinawa, where the author now lives. All of the stories mention in one way or another that islands in Okinawa are these otherworldly places that really have monsters and other supernatural stuff, unlike other places where they just exist in people’s imagination. I feel like the author is trying too hard to burnish a mysterious image of Okinawa. Interestingly enough, Tsunekawa has been billed as an horror writer since his debut but after reading quite a few of his works, this is the only work that I finally feel some sort of horror. On the other hand, it doesn’t have the usual unique whimsical vibe that I have come to love his stories. I think readers who harbor some kind of mysterious impression toward Okinawa may enjoy this book far more that I did.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little horror anthology is very Tsunekawa: moody, focused on ordinary people with troubled interpersonal relationships, with fantastical elements being used to drive the characters to action rather than being an end in and of themselves. There are the usual intense moments and blink-and-you'll-miss-it connections linking the stories together that make a Tsunekawa short-story collection into a special experience.

My main critique is that sometimes a story's flow gets hijacked by a "My First History of Ryukyu" feeling. Yes, invasion and assimilation by the Japanese government, and then invasion and occupation by the US, are major aspects of Okinawan history. The way these elements were integrated felt sudden and poorly-integrated, though, especially after repeated appearances.

The final story, 「私はフーイー」 (which was the collection's title in a previous run) also seemed not to end so much as taper off. It feels like the setup for a longer and more convoluted fantasy epic that got wrapped up in a rush, and was a bit of a disappointing end to the collection as a whole.

Overall, though, a good read as always, and an interesting if not especially deep glimpse into Okinawa and its history, dialect, and geographic feel.