A disturbing and original novel by Uketsu, the masked YouTuber that revolutionized contemporary crime with a plot made of enigmatic designs, mysteries and twists.
At the top of the general classification of the best -selling books in Italy in recent weeks there is a Japanese novel that is titled Strange drawingspublished at the end of June by Einaudi. A thriller that has its roots in restlessness and mystery, capturing the reader from the first pages, and which represents a significant turning point with respect to the latest successes signed by authors of the Rising Sun as Until the coffee is hot by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.
Its author, its author, Uketsu, Japanese YouTuber who hides behind a white mask of papier-mâché and a black suit with the hood, inspired by the character of without-volumes, also arouses great curiosity. The enchanted city by Hayao Miyazaki. His identity is unknown and his channel, active since 2018, has over 1.7 million subscribers and videos that often exceed 10 million views. His voice, modified to seem that of a child, together with the surreal and slightly disturbing videos, have created an aura of mystery that amplifies the charm of his works.
Who is Uketsu, the author of Strange drawings
Uketsu, from Kanagawa and probably around the age of thirty, began his artistic career by writing stories for the Omokoro comic site, but he felt the need to also use the images to tell. His YouTube channel and his peculiar narrative style was born, which blends word and image also in his novels.
The name Uketsu does not have a precise meaning, but is made up of Japanese characters for “hole” and “rain”, a combination that he himself described as “a humid and gloomy impression”, perfect for the tone of his works.
The attention of the Japanese editorial world to Uketsu exploded in 2020 with a thriller video on YouTube linked to the planimetries of some apartments, which exceeded 24 million views. From there a first novel was born, Strange housessold in Japan in over 2 million copies, followed by two other books, including Strange drawings.
The plot of Strange drawings
Strange drawings It is a novel that intertwines three stories linked by a common thread: the decoding of drawings that hide disturbing meanings and messages. The novel intertwines different characters and temporal lines in a complex plot that revolves around the identification of a murderer. The numerous illustrations in the book are not simple decorations but represent enigmas to be deciphered, key elements that guide the narrative and allow to reveal new clues and twists. The resolution of the mystery is not linear and requires the reader to make continuous attempts and intuitions, changing perspective as the story unfolds. In his statements, the author underlines the intention to describe “the fragility that torments the executioners”, offering a human and psychological point of view that makes the story even more engaging.
Behind the apparent narrative order is hidden a complex architecture made of symbolic obsessions, such as the triangles that appear from the beginning, or repeated events that create an almost hallucinatory atmosphere. Mirror between characters, exchanges of roles and repetitions of situations generate a sense of disorientation that challenges the reader to orient themselves in history. Despite these nuances, the dry and immersive style maintains tension and interest high, making the pages flow almost without realizing it.
