Where to find it: Both books are available in the US in very good English translation from the Kindle store or wherever your local independent bookseller can get you one!
What is it, in summary?: City boy gets unceremoniously dumped in the mountainous sticks to work in the forestry industry and learns a lot about aborists, himself, and community along the way! Bonus super-light sprinkles of maybe magical realism/Japanese mythology put fantasy decorations on top of a novel set in real-world Japan.
What do you love about it?: This easy-to-read series is like a Studio Ghibli movie smashed together with modern life in the most relaxed and heart-warming of ways. It's literally like watching a slice-of-life anime, except it's a book. If you want to be wrapped in a warm blanket of descriptions about quiet mountainside forests, village life, the magic of nature and community, this is for you. Especially because it's told from the point-of-view of a Yokohama boy who has no idea what he's doing here...
You might know Miura Shion from previous Yuletides (or in general) for Fune o Amu/The Great Passage, which was about making dictionaries. She does a fantastic outsider perspective into niche, competence-porn-y worlds. The narrator of Kamusari is HILARIOUS, but like all of her characters nuanced and just a joy to be with for the too-few pages you'll be spending with him and the amazing villagers of Kamusari. Maybe her next book will be about making paper, and the trifecta will be complete! Then there is an ensemble cast of oddball villagers, some of them old folk who are just so good at being themselves.
There's also a light dusting of magical realism and mythology thrown in: there're deep beliefs about the forest and a little bit of maybe!kamikakushi. But it's all layered underneath being in the village of Kamusari, and whether the magic is real or Kamusari itself is the magic is wholly debatable. SO GOOD.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding, or more-of-the-canon-same gen, or mashups with general Japanese mythology!
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The first book was adapted in Japan into the movie WOOD JOB!〜神去なあなあ日常〜, which I haven't watched anything except the trailer of. It's hilarious and you might know it from the trailer too, because phalluses it's so... visually memorable. I've got to go watch this now...
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Can't think of any off the top of my head, though you might find one of the village's traditions a bit Wtf Masculinity, but no harm comes to anyone from it.
no subject
Media: Book
Approx length: 2 books, neither particularly long. Goodreads series page.
Where to find it: Both books are available in the US in very good English translation from the Kindle store or wherever your local independent bookseller can get you one!
What is it, in summary?: City boy gets unceremoniously dumped in the mountainous sticks to work in the forestry industry and learns a lot about aborists, himself, and community along the way! Bonus super-light sprinkles of maybe magical realism/Japanese mythology put fantasy decorations on top of a novel set in real-world Japan.
What do you love about it?: This easy-to-read series is like a Studio Ghibli movie smashed together with modern life in the most relaxed and heart-warming of ways. It's literally like watching a slice-of-life anime, except it's a book. If you want to be wrapped in a warm blanket of descriptions about quiet mountainside forests, village life, the magic of nature and community, this is for you. Especially because it's told from the point-of-view of a Yokohama boy who has no idea what he's doing here...
You might know Miura Shion from previous Yuletides (or in general) for Fune o Amu/The Great Passage, which was about making dictionaries. She does a fantastic outsider perspective into niche, competence-porn-y worlds. The narrator of Kamusari is HILARIOUS, but like all of her characters nuanced and just a joy to be with for the too-few pages you'll be spending with him and the amazing villagers of Kamusari.
Maybe her next book will be about making paper, and the trifecta will be complete!Then there is an ensemble cast of oddball villagers, some of them old folk who are just so good at being themselves.There's also a light dusting of magical realism and mythology thrown in: there're deep beliefs about the forest and a little bit of maybe!kamikakushi. But it's all layered underneath being in the village of Kamusari, and whether the magic is real or Kamusari itself is the magic is wholly debatable. SO GOOD.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding, or more-of-the-canon-same gen, or mashups with general Japanese mythology!
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The first book was adapted in Japan into the movie WOOD JOB!〜神去なあなあ日常〜, which I haven't watched anything except the trailer of. It's hilarious and you might know it from the trailer too, because
phallusesit's so... visually memorable. I've got to go watch this now...Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Can't think of any off the top of my head, though you might find one of the village's traditions a bit Wtf Masculinity, but no harm comes to anyone from it.