DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

OVA DramaKubikiri Cycle: Aoiro Savant to Zaregotozukai
NOVEL ActionJinrui Saikyou no Hatsukoi
NOVEL ComedyKubishime Romanticist: Ningen Shikkaku - Zerozaki Hitoshiki

REVIEWS

• 

  Railgun

  100/100
  Nonsensical Genius - Zaregoto

  ---

  "It's all just nonsense anyway"

  ---

  ___ Now before even talking about its contents, I think it's important to understand why I originally dived into this book series. The reasons could be interpreted as simple. Firstly, Zaregoto is the author [Nisi Oisin](https://anilist.co/staff/100254/NISIOISIN)'s first published piece of work - before entries such as the Monogatari Series or Katangatari. As someone who would place the former series in his top 5 favourites of all time and a huge fan of the mystery genre in general, I certainly had more than enough of a reason to read the novel. Though, as one might understand, reading a book series is a lot more challenging than simply watching a 24-episode TV series. However, after hearing praise on Zaregoto, and hearing some go as far as to call it a 'masterpiece', it seemed that I had no choice but to begin. ___ ##### This review covers 'The Kubikiri Cycle' (Volume 1) to 'Uprooted Radical' (Volume 9) ___ # Story: 100/100 ___ The Zaregoto Series contains 9 volumes with 6 different significant arcs. As expected of a murder series, each volume often contains a mysterious murder that miraculously always involves our protagonist, Ii (N.B. I will be covering my views on his character later on in the review). One may ask why I am praising the narrative of Zaregoto so highly, and having the nerve to award it full marks. To that, I would first retort to be patient and wait for my response but would say that it isn't exactly someone that can be answered. The Nonsense Series is excellent in setting the scene and can foreshadow events through minute details that the reader would more likely than not be able to notice. Zaregoto creates a false sense of certainty when the reader feels that they can solve the mystery that our protagonist is faced with. Contrary to expectations, however, this clarity is crushed and destroyed without fail - with the help of the [World's Strongest Contractor](https://anilist.co/character/29595/Jun-Aikawa). Each case presents itself with a seemingly straightforward format (take Volume 2 - Strangulation Romanticist) per se where the answer appears to be solvable by the snap of a finger but such a thought is devoured by the volume's conclusion. It's not to say that the story is without a hint of eerieness. Characters introduced include serial killers and such who appear briefly and then fade away by the end of the arc. However, it would be naïve to dismiss them as simple throw-away characters as each serves their importance. As importantly, Zaregoto enjoys bringing up philosophical ideas that challenge the minds of all, meaning both the characters in the story and the reader. It doesn't just let you read the story but also ensures that you have much to think about. The story of Zaregoto is one that I am unwilling to spoil - it simply is that exquisite. ___ # Characters: 100/100 ___ ___ The series' characters are brilliant, though my immense adoration of the cast is indescribable in words alone. I will, however, attempt to briefly explain why this is the case. ___ # Ii _ ##  戯言遣い ___ Our protagonist Ii, Ii-chan, the Nonsense User (whatever you would like to call him) appears to be uncaring about the world around him, and baths in supposed self-centeredness dabbles in simplicity but ultimately coats himself in indifference. Contrarily, to the impressions one has already constructed in their mind, Ii is not only intelligent but is possibly one of the most in-depth characters in media. The user of 'Nonsense' is much more than meets the eye and as the narrative progresses, the mysteries of our protagonist are unravelled, unfolded and revealed. This is done in an ingenious, subtle manner that creates a sense of both attachment and wild curiosity for the reader. Ii is certainly a well-developed, well-crafted and beautifully written character, certainly surpassing popular MCs like YouZitsu's [Ayanokouji](https://anilist.co/character/123212/Kiyotaka-Ayanokouji) and Nisio Oisin's successor of [Araragi](https://anilist.co/character/22036/Koyomi-Araragi) from the Monogatari Series - at least in my books. __ The other characters in the series can certainly not be ignored either, though to maintain my sanity I shall refrain from analysing them in detail. That being said, several characters certainly do stick out to me - Jun Aikawa, [Tomo Kunagisa](https://anilist.co/character/29594/Tomo-Kunagisa) and [Hitoshiki Zerozaki](https://anilist.co/character/34293/Hitoshiki-Zerozaki). Though perhaps not at the same level as our MC, these characters also play an irreplaceable role in the story that should not be ignored in the slightest. On a side note, I think it's interesting to see how certain characters have served as a basis or inspiration at the very least in the future work of the author. I see a resemblance of Jun Aikawa in several characters featured in Monogatari - namely [Izuko Gaen](https://anilist.co/character/87115/Izuko-Gaen). It would leave a slightly bitter taste in my mouth if I did not at the very least share my favourite characters in the series. Ii is one of my favourite protagonists of all time, and my favourite male characters currently. In second place is [Ichihime Yukariki](https://anilist.co/character/44993/Ichihime-Yukariki), please read on to understand. Finally, the last podium place is shared by the trio mentioned in the previous paragraphs, as they are also characters that I have grown to love. ___ # *Worthy of a Mention - My Favourite Quotes* Volume 5 - Psycho Logical Part 2 Spoilers I hated deciding. I hated choosing. I was unable to be interested in others. I was unable to be interested in myself. I hated conflict with people. I hated being laughed at. I could not laugh. I could not cry. I could not enjoy nor get angry. I could not do anything. I did not feel anything. I did not attain anything. I broke them because I could. I wanted them but I could not so I destroyed them. I wanted them so I threw them away. I wanted to trust them so I betrayed them. I liked them so I rejected them. I wanted to protect them so I hurt them. It felt homely so I escaped. We were friendly so I was lonely. I was envious so I crushed them. Necessities until they were unnecessary. Fondness until hatred. I acted like a cold person. I acted like a shallow person. I acted like a wise person. I acted like a smart person. I acted like a foolish person. I acted like a person. I mimicked someone else. I was unable to mimic someone else. Volume 6 - Cannibal Magical Spoilers Why didn’t I notice that until now? That I was so blessed. That I was so happy. Remember it. Remember it all. Hime-chan’s words. Hime-chan’s appearance. Down to the last strand of hair….. I couldn’t forget her even if I tried. It would be so much easier for me to forget her but, even then, I couldn’t. How could I have forgotten that even though it was so much fun? I want to shout it out. Even now, I want to go and tell her with all my heart. That even if it was only for a short while, you’ve managed to bring joy to a single hopeless person, to someone who had no happiness in his life. And not to just me. To Miiko-san and everyone else too. I’m sure to Aikawa-san too. What was I born for? With what meaning was I born? At the very least… not to feel like this. If it was to feel like this, then I would rather have not been born. If it was for this pathetic feeling, for the feeling like it would be far better to just die, I would rather have not been born. That’s what I had thought. I don’t have any intention to take it back. There’s no way I could take it back. I came to think that everything was a mistake. I came to think that living itself was a mistake. I came to think that everything was a failure. I came to think that not dying itself was a failure. Then why is it? Really, why is it? That I still wouldn’t wish that I had never known Hime-chan…. __ So I closed my eyes... I'm starting to feel sleepy... Let's just fall asleep like that. I don't know if I'm going to wake up tomorrow. That too will depend on the Story to come. If I'm not going to die, I won't die, no matter what. If I'm going to die here, then that would be it. No matter how much I struggle it's useless. After all, it's not like I have anything I want to do. I have neither hopes nor wishes. That's why it's fine either way. Either way, it doesn't matter. Do as you like. It's always been like this. I don't know if I'm alive or dead. Vague and unclear, half-assed and hazy, not choosing anything and letting myself go along with other people, I've led an uncertain and unambiguous life, that's why... "...I don't want to die..." Like that. I realised I was alive I learned that at what moments I cried. ___ # Uprooted Radical Part 3 Spoilers Goodbye, Kunagisa Tomo. You go die. I will kill you and go on living. ___ # Enjoyment: 100/100 I can easily say that reading through the Nonsense Series was an exciting, thrilling and utterly supreme adventure that I enjoyed every minute of. I don't reckon that I need to say anymore. ___ # Final Thoughts The Zaregoto Series is certainly an existence that I can easily call a masterpiece, probably the second-to-best anime or book series that I have had the honour of consuming (after Madoka Magica). If you managed to read through the entire review, I would first like to thank you, I do appreciate it - I really do. I hope you have enjoyed my review on Zaregoto! ___ ___
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• 

  Akameg4k1ll

  92/100
  Zaregoto series, the begin of the Nonsense series

  INTRODUCTION

  I decided to start writing a review for each of the zaregoto volumes because at a certain point I realized how interesting this series was both as a mystery and as a psychological one and how it was taking me a lot.
  Given therefore that this review of all volumes (I hope to be able to do it in a very concise way) was also created to make this series known and appreciated to others, ONLY MINOR SPOILERS will be made that do not go to ruin the story, having said that good reading and I hope you like my review.

  

  Short Summary

  the story is about a group of people considered geniuses in their respective fields who are invited to Wet Crow's Feather Island by Akagami Iria, the exiled daughter of a powerful family.
  Among the guests is Tomo Kunagisa who has brought with him an unnamed boy who will be called Ii-chan, our protagonist and the only one of the guests who is not a genius.
  Our protagonist here, as in the whole story, wants to keep himself out of trouble but on the island there will be a murder, a beheading and it will be up to him to solve the mystery.

  General Plot

  As a presentation of the main characters, a really good job was done, a very captivating story that takes the reader and gives him all the information to be able to reveal the culprit, also following the reasoning of the protagonist and obviously paying attention to the details that at a first look might seem superfluous, but they prove to be essential.
  The topos of the villa isolated from everything and everyone and the topos of the very famous closed-door murder is resumed, but the latter is reconstructed and exploited then adding other murders going to tangle the skein and tease the reader while keeping his interest active.
  In general, therefore, a typical narrative of a self-respecting mystery, perhaps with some dialogue that is a bit too long which risks dampening the narrative rhythm; but overall the book is read very quickly until you reach the conclusion that it could leave you confused but instead reserve a pleasant surprise .....

  Characters

  
  <img width='220' src='https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b29593-Q0d2dIVBmhbU.png'>
  <span class='markdown_spoiler'><span>Our protagonist is a very interesting character and perhaps I would say one of the most interesting of the whole series because unlike many of the protagonists he does not have brilliant skills or hidden abilities, his only ability is to be the weakest, and it is precisely this ability that makes him incredible in my opinion because just being the weakest he is able to do things that others would not do.
  But his weakness must not only be understood as physical but also mental and character weakness, all this is accentuated by the first-person story that manages very well to get you into his mind and to follow all his reasonings that are very simple and trivial but that despite this they manage to make you feel like a detective because of the great ease of identification that you can have with this character, because it is much easier to feel the weak in the midst of the genes at times rather than the genius among the genes.</span></span>
  
  __Tomo Kunagisa__
  <img width='220' src='https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b29594-RUOTa0CcXLPm.jpg'>
  <span class='markdown_spoiler'><span>Tomo Kunagisa is a very particular character just for his condition, but above all for the very controversial relationship he has with Ii-chan.
  Her character has something similar even if distant to Angelman syndrome for some symptoms, for example the fact that she mainly expresses happiness or that she is much younger than the age she shows, this has also led her in my opinion to manifest superior skills in other scientific fields that have made her what she is, a genius.
  Personally I find her character very curious but also very shrouded in mystery, precisely because little or nothing is known about her, we do not know why she loves Ii so much or why she cannot climb the stairs, because if we are given slight reasons you feel that there is something in the shadows, something that the author will reserve for the story later on.
  Her relationship with Ii-chan is very indefinite because they go from looking like lovers to seeming strangers to looking like brother and sister while maintaining an aura of mystery even if this point, also hinting here some things that happened in the past, when the protagonist says for example that he has felt something intimate with her, forcing her in a way.
  What you can guess is that maybe the two were together and then they broke up I think because of the protagonist because she still seems to love him and longs for him while Ii-chan seems to almost hate her to death and love her desperately at the same time.
  
  </span></span>__Aikawa Jun__
  <img width='220' src='https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b29595-pZvcUzUhVTtm.png'>
  <span class='markdown_spoiler'><span>And here comes my favorite character of the series, known as Humanity Strongest, she represents in the first volume the classic detective who always knows everything and who manages to make impossible connections to a reader, enhancing an out of the ordinary intelligence.
  Her style and character are also strong and unique, they would allow you to recognize her in the midst of a thousand, but the really incredible thing is the contrast that is created between her and the protagonist who are two opposite poles, or the weaker comparing with the strongest; I really appreciated the narrative choice of inserting such a peculiar character only at the end because she helps to keep the interest very high and to create further hype for the following volumes.
  Another interesting thing about the confrontation with Ii-chan is that theirs represents the confrontation between the omniscient detective who always manages to connect everything and find the most brilliant plans and the reader who becomes an investigator but who cannot and cannot solve the case. for lack of basic knowledge, really an incredible contrast and a really brilliant thought.</span></span>
  
  __Ibuki Kanami  &   Akane Sonoyama__
  <img width='220' src='https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b36586-xbMKMb2clogm.png'> <img width='220' src='https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b36585-RvkUSmA8xXgY.png'>
  <span class='markdown_spoiler'><span>I couldn't help but put together the following characters as I think that they more than Ii-chan and Aikawa Jun can be considered literally two complementary, because of the confusing ending but also for their interactions during the plot.
  They represent the two worlds in which knowledge is divided, namely the scientific one (Akane) and the humanistic one (Ibuki) which are obviously in contrast with each other as one believes in mathematics and how to understand the world with it brings progress and she hates the profession of the other that, being that of the painter, according to her, it does not contribute to human development and that it is not useful for progress.
  
  P.S.  _the dialogue between Akane and Ii-chan was interesting for understanding the relationship with him and Tomo and she was in general a nice character that get along with all, instead of Ibuki that was more lonely._
  </span></span>
  __Ikari Chiga__
  <img width='220' src='https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b36563-c6UKj6cS828G.png'>
  <span class='markdown_spoiler'><span>I wanted to insert this character over others not only because it will return later but also because in my opinion she represents the way in which the reader from the outside sees the relationship between Ii-chan and Tomo Kunagisa, in fact she a bit like us in the moment where groups are created to move, he begins to question their relationship; and always at that moment she becomes friends with Ii-chan and Tomo Kunagisa, creating a sort of bond with them, despite the fact that she disagrees with the protagonist about his employer and the way in which he is handling the situation in the villa of she.</span></span>
  
  __Other Characters__
  Other characters not mentioned above are the medium Maki Himena, the artist's assistant Shinya Sakaki, the head waitress Rei Handa, the other 2 twin sisters of Ikari Chiga, the owner of the villa Iria Akagami and finally Yayoi Sachirono the brilliant chief.
  Among them only 2 or 3 are interesting while the others serve only to enrich the story of characters and possible suspects, among these there is the artist's assistant who demonstrates a great fidelity that is always maintained until the end by demonstrating some similarity with the relationship between the protagonist and Tomo; and the owner of the island who appears to be responsible for the death of her twin sister due to the D.L.L.R. Syndrome and for this exiled from the family, even if it will eventually prove false. Interesting is the comparison between her and the protagonist regarding the unforgivability of a murder that she sees in stark contrast (and she will not be the only one to think differently of him in the series).
  Finally, the last interesting character is the seer Himena only because he despises and teases the protagonist because as a seer he is able to read his mind and see his weaknesses but also the horrible things that the protagonist has done, said this as he will later say the protagonist she is nothing more than a parasite and her presence is just a nuisance.<center>
  
  >___Final Part___
  
  I found the final part very interesting and also the most beautiful and fastest part to read, the best parts are Tomo's effort in climbing the stairs for the protagonist demonstrating his great attachment to him, and the final dialogue with Aikawa which is a beautiful comparison between a person with talent and one without.
  Both are my favorite parts as they represent a bit of the whole book capturing both the feeling for the first and the logic / philosophy for the second.
  Finally, the way in which they built the crime itself I really liked it because it is as if it had been divided into two floors, that is the resolution of Ii-chan which is the easiest and fastest one that leaves out details but still gets to the culprit, and finally that of Aikawa who explains everything makes everything fit together leaving no doubts about it; an ending that you care in a way also because when you read the first resolution at the beginning you say: "Is that all?" while then you read the second you connect all the points and it is precisely there that you see the great genius of the author and makes this work unique in its kind.
  
  </center><img width='220' src='https://pm1.narvii.com/6958/9881a9c9b7cf7805025641b23b3a6e170fb765c8r1-512-364v2_hq.jpg'>~~~
  
  To conclude, therefore, I recommend this beautiful novel to all those who love the mystery genre because they will be able to appreciate something certainly original that earned its author the 23rd Mephisto Award at 20 years of age.
  I hope you enjoyed reading, and that the readers appreciated my review and if you liked it please do not hesitate to leave an encouraging like

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