kitsunebi_reads's review
5.0
Tara A. Devlin has compiled a great collection of some of the more well know and some of the not so well known Japanese urban legends. From the Slit-mouth Woman to Hanako-San of the toilet each story contains their possible origins and myths. Perfect for those who are new to the world of Japanese urban legends or those who are just looking for a deeper understanding. Absolutely a thrill to read!
hekate24's review
5.0
Admittedly I skipped the section on medical urban legends because I have hypochondriac tendencies and don't need more in my life, hahaha.
Anyway, this was a very interesting read! It reminded me of poring over Snopes in middle school, learning about the provenance of urban legends and the existential fears they tend to reveal about humanity. i.e. all those urban legends about young adults in lovers' lanes being attacked by crazed serial killers with hooks for hands... those were probably exacerbated by fears over free love and highly publicized cases involving serial killers attacking couples in cars (think Zodiac and the Son of Sam.)
This book has a similar structure to Snopes. it will share the most common telling of an urban, get into the different iterations of a tale, and then talk about what - in society at the time - might have fueled its popularity. Some are very unique to Japanese cultural context. The creepy doll story of Mary-san has an underpinning of anxiety about American goods flooding the Japanese market after WW2. Others bare a resemblance to tales told all over the world. Apparently it's common to have stories about women being abducted in malls and sold on the black market! My favorite stories were definitely the two different urban legends about Edo era villages going off the grid, ravaged by dark magic, and not beholden to the Japanese constitution.
This is probably a book to read by day! I read some of these stories alone in a literal cabin in the woods and the ghost stories that were like "if you hear this story this vengeful ghost will COME FOR YOU" definitely creeped me out.
A very interesting read overall.
Anyway, this was a very interesting read! It reminded me of poring over Snopes in middle school, learning about the provenance of urban legends and the existential fears they tend to reveal about humanity. i.e. all those urban legends about young adults in lovers' lanes being attacked by crazed serial killers with hooks for hands... those were probably exacerbated by fears over free love and highly publicized cases involving serial killers attacking couples in cars (think Zodiac and the Son of Sam.)
This book has a similar structure to Snopes. it will share the most common telling of an urban, get into the different iterations of a tale, and then talk about what - in society at the time - might have fueled its popularity. Some are very unique to Japanese cultural context. The creepy doll story of Mary-san has an underpinning of anxiety about American goods flooding the Japanese market after WW2. Others bare a resemblance to tales told all over the world. Apparently it's common to have stories about women being abducted in malls and sold on the black market! My favorite stories were definitely the two different urban legends about Edo era villages going off the grid, ravaged by dark magic, and not beholden to the Japanese constitution.
This is probably a book to read by day! I read some of these stories alone in a literal cabin in the woods and the ghost stories that were like "if you hear this story this vengeful ghost will COME FOR YOU" definitely creeped me out.
A very interesting read overall.
lkmreads's review
4.0
It's a great collection of stories. It's not really masterfully written, and it seemed a bit disorganized even though it tried to be organized, but the stories are great and it's pretty cool to get some background inormation on possible origins of the legends and the different versions.
I do wish the kanji had been included along with the romaji when presenting Japanese words, though.
I do wish the kanji had been included along with the romaji when presenting Japanese words, though.
dee2799d's review
3.0
(Shelved as non-fiction not because the stories really happened, but because they are urban legends that are actually told in Japan compiled in a book.)
I started reading some of Tara Devlin's posts on the Kowabana site but decided to buy the ebooks for urban legends as well because it's handier to have it all arranged and ready to be read as a book instead of having to load each page separately. Also they're cheap enough and good worth for your money.
- there are a couple (like two) typos in the copy, but that's fine.
- what I really liked is that Devlin also tries to explain how the urban legend might have come about and if there is a kernel of truth on which they are based. Really good if, like me, you want questions answered and looking for the logic of things. She also explains the cultural background of a story if needed.
I highly recommend if you're interested in urban legends, Japanese culture, and generally freaking yourself out over hitori kakurenbo in the middle of the night while you stare at an innocent plush toy.
I started reading some of Tara Devlin's posts on the Kowabana site but decided to buy the ebooks for urban legends as well because it's handier to have it all arranged and ready to be read as a book instead of having to load each page separately. Also they're cheap enough and good worth for your money.
- there are a couple (like two) typos in the copy, but that's fine.
- what I really liked is that Devlin also tries to explain how the urban legend might have come about and if there is a kernel of truth on which they are based. Really good if, like me, you want questions answered and looking for the logic of things. She also explains the cultural background of a story if needed.
I highly recommend if you're interested in urban legends, Japanese culture, and generally freaking yourself out over hitori kakurenbo in the middle of the night while you stare at an innocent plush toy.
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