A review by elliotism
Decapitation: Kubikiri Cycle by NISIOISIN

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Zaregoto most certainly is not at all what it entails initially. This is not simply a murder mystery but the beginning of a now 10 book long character study on somebody who truly lacks any sense of self worth, of somebody who can't do anything but put himself into the position of the narrator and judge other people based on his limited view of their outward appearances. I find it fascinating that so many people who review this book view it as if it were simply a cheap copy or an imitation of other greats in the genre like "And Then There Were None". Isin surely takes inspiration from them no questions asked but if anything he makes fun of the sheer lunacy of such a crime drama. The stupid amount of plot twists, the bigger than life characters and of course the main character who has to spurt out the entire solution to everything at the end. But in fact, Isin actually doesn't do anything akin to that. He astoundingly makes use of these tropes and works them in only to totally diverge from what you would expect to happen. I'm writing this only having read Decapitation and a few of his other works so I cannot judge as to how good of an entrypoint it serves but for now it is an excellent book with far more excellent ideas and even more excellent characters. (As for why this is not anything higher than 4 stars, I believe for this to be a mere introduction and thus lacking in actual high highs besides the final act which indeed was magnificent but not enough for me to rate it any higher)