A Superficial Look at Nishida Higashi's The Man, the Wraith, and the Romance Novelist

 

The Man, the Wraith, and the Romance Novelist

Nishida Higashi

Novelist Yukio Kawakami was understandably anxious about how to write a cutesy romance novel, while spending his days in anguish, haunted by the supernatural without realizing it. Despite having little to no experience penning on romantic subjects, he grew intrigued with watching a strange woman dancing alone in a cemetery in the midst of the night from afar. How would someone term such a feeling?

The Man, the Wraith, and the Romance Novelist is currently only available in digital format, and no Taiwanese publishing houses have expressed an interest in it, yet. I had to purchase this work through CMOA, read it raw with various translation tools.

Nishida sensei's artistic style has undergone a significant evolution in recent years. Her collaboration with Akaneshinsha's EDGE COMIX, known for its wide range of themes, has resulted in a variety of distinctive works. Already an exceptional author, Nishida sensei's latest creations further showcase her impressive writing talents.

The Man, the Wraith, and the Romance Novelist was the subsequent publication to Romantic, for which I had previously conducted a comprehensive examination. Upon reading this work, I was overwhelmed by a sense of disbelief, as if I had been trampled by a stampede. Although this situation was not as severe as when I had finished Romantic (in that I was utterly perplexed afterward), it was still a challenging endeavor. I read it numerous times before I could validate my conclusions.

A relatively straightforward storyline this story was, revolving around a man who was constrained by his past and developed feelings for another individual whom he finds attractive/lovable. However, he was unable to reconcile the discrepancy between his idealized perception and the reality of the situation. 

Underwent Nishida sensei's writing, the work, which features an adorable yokai, or ghost, spirit, or monster? It had evolved into a melancholic comedy with a multilayered and interconnected narrative tinged with magical realism.

For the sake of convenience, let us designate the object designed by Nishida sensei, which resembles a snake and a deflated balloon, as“Obake.”

Last year, I attempted to provide a basic summary of sensei's creative characteristics. One method I identified involved employing narration or characters' inner thoughts, presented as spoken words, to guide readers to feelings that may be at odds with the real scenarios.

The Man, the Wraith, and the Romance Novelist has an analogous style, while its utilization of words appears more adventurous. The narration texts and the characters' inner thoughts alternate rapidly, switching between the protagonists Kawakami and Maeda, as well as an invisible“third-person narrator.”

With a third-person perspective that hovered over the actual drawings, the narrator elucidated Obake's intentions and actions in the frames in tones that alternated between a detached and an elated register. As for the two human protagonists, Maeda, a former dancer, used his ideal appearance to fuel himself, while Kawakami, a novelist, frequently offered criticism or concocted fictional stories based on actual happenings.

Their thoughts were full of labor, as opposed to the motionless visuals of comics. The primary similarity among these three characters was that they were all pursuing “self-realization,” regardless of the reader's perspective:

For the Obake, it was to attain the aim of causing Kawakami to feel fretful.

For Maeda, it was finally stepping out of a passive role.

For Kawakami, it was the realization of a perfect love story.

Consequently, the aforementioned “narration-turned-narrative” was akin to the characters' own prophecies, or perhaps they themselves had inadvertently written their own futures. For me, I could discern a hint of disharmony in the script. Or perhaps I was merely overthinking the matter.

In addition to the characters, what is the central theme of this narrative?

Foremost, this work is filled with and synthesizes all kinds of fears described in sensei's past works. It is so realistic that sometimes it can be nauseating (this work is really full of golden sentences that are just pure pain), especially the hesitation and confrontation between feelings and reality. And the fear of losing control.

However, before we are fully engulfed by the abyss, we humans retain a modicum of survival instinct, even if we perceive our lives as futile and overwhelming. It is conceivable that we aspire to a better life. Alternatively, this aspiration may be viewed as a test and a self-sacrifice, if we endure pain and discomfort in pursuit of a superior goal.

For Kawakami, a character who has experienced the heart of darkness, happiness is something he does not believe he deserves. Therefore, in a romance manga, the consummation of love is what he fears most.

While perusing, I found the concept of Obake most intriguing. I was particularly interested in attempting to grasp its essence. After completing this review, I felt as though I had written it by accident, yet I was unsure if I had written it clearly. However, this should not be a concern.

At the end, what really matters is Obake’s overloaded cuteness. 

The Obake, secretly consuming the food cooked by its possessed partner. The man in question was so melancholy that he was unaware of the Obake's actions.