Currently, Tamura Yumi is serializing her new work "Hyouka" in the monthly magazine Flowers. She continues to produce works with a unique worldview and expressiveness, and works that are so complex and interesting that you can't tell what's going on in her head. I would like to introduce Tamura Yumi's new work, "Hyouka" and other interesting works by Tamura Yumi!
Tamura Yumi's Work ① "Hyouka"
The police suddenly arrive at the apartment of Kuno Tono, a second-year university student whose hobby is making curry on the weekends. There's a murder in a nearby park, and the victim is a university student who is a classmate of Otsuka. There are also eyewitness accounts of a person who resembles Otsuka, and Otsuka is brought to the interrogation room, where he chats about something unrelated to the case. However, what he says hits home surprisingly well for the individual in charge of the interrogation. Otsuka is an unusual student, but he has a sharp mind and excellent observation skills, and by observing people closely, he is able to get to the heart of the matter in an indirect way.
Before you know it, will you arrive at the truth?
Despite going off on one tangent after another in conversations unrelated to the case, Sei was able to solve the case from the information he gained and clear his name of the false accusation. In addition to his ability to be called a great detective, this man also had the power to get involved in cases. Although he himself is not one to get involved with others, cases just come to him.
Thoughts on "Hyouka"
This is a work that makes you wonder if it's a mystery, since it's not like a shojo manga in a shojo manga magazine. BASARA and 7SEEDS were still cloaked in the guise of shojo manga, but this isn't even a shojo manga anymore. The main character is an eccentric college student with naturally curly hair who looks like a detective, but there is no heroine-like girl at the moment. Although she may show her heroine powers in future developments, the girls that appear at the moment are only those involved in the incident or those who are likely to be involved in the incident in the future. It's a free-for-all, but it's so interesting that you can see why it's a hot topic everywhere!
What's not a mystery?
As the title suggests, this work is a bit different from a mystery. To explain how it's different, I think it would be best to say that the beginning and end are mysteries, but the process is not. The main character, Osamu Kuno, goes through a process of obtaining information that leads to the culprit or the core of the case by chatting away. So, although it's not a mystery, if I had to say, I'd say it's more like philosophy, counseling, profiling, or life advice.
Works by Yumi Tamura② "BASARA"
At the end of the 20th century, the world was on the brink of extinction due to an unknown disaster, but humanity was not wiped out. However, civilization declined, democracy and republicanism were abolished, and people suffered under the oppression of tyrants. Meanwhile, twin siblings Tatara and Sarasa were born in the village of Byakko, and Tatara was called the "child of destiny" who would save the country. However, Tatara was killed by the Red King's army. Sarasa became everyone's hope and took Tatara's place to lead everyone. However, the destined child was Sarasa. Tatara became a substitute to protect Sarasa. Meanwhile, Sarasa meets a young man named Shuri and develops a bond with him, but Shuri is the Red King who killed her brother Tatara.
Thoughts on "BASARA"
A shojo manga version of a shojo manga fictional war story that unfolds a grand story on par with a shojo manga in a shojo manga magazine. While retaining the romance elements of shojo manga, the story revolves around a destined child who saves people from oppression and the oppressive royal family, and the scale of the story is epic. On top of that, there's the classic plot where the protagonist falls in love with the enemy she must defeat, and she meets various characters along the way, all of whom are unique. Although it's a girls' manga, it does things like a boys' manga, but it also has the fun of a girls' manga. Above all, the dialogue and plot developments are uniquely interesting, and there are many elements that make this a work that makes you want to know what happens next.
Yumi Tamura's work③ "7SEEDS"
In the future, a giant meteorite will rain down on the Earth, and humanity will die out and return to the age of the dinosaurs. In order to preserve the species, the leaders of each country launch a project to put young, healthy men and women into cold sleep and revive them after the disaster. In Japan, 5 teams of 7 people were created through this project, the "7SEEDS Project." Then, after a disaster occurs and the world collapses, the members of each team will wake up and live in the collapsed world.
Impressions on "7SEEDS"
A sci-fi survival manga version of a shoujo manga that develops a grand sci-fi work in a shoujo manga magazine. But while retaining the elements of a shoujo manga, the scale of this full-scale sci-fi is still grand. The scale is still the characters and their circumstances. It is an omnibus story of five groups that wake up from cold sleep, each with their own unique members, and how do the five groups with their own unique personalities act and live in a harsh environment? And it is incredibly interesting to see how each group intersects. Recently, an anime version has been made and released on Netflix.
Yumi Tamura's work ④ "LIVEALIVE SF Edition"
In a distant future where space travel has become a reality, a robot with learning capabilities is created on the transport ship Cogito Ergosum. The robot, named Cube (changeable), deepens its interactions with the crew and learns various things. However, the human relationships on board the ship are very strained. At that time, the communication antenna for communication breaks down, and the crew member who went to repair it dies in an accident. Furthermore, someone releases the extraterrestrial life form Behemoth, which was stored in a container, into the ship, causing panic on board. Cube and the remaining crew investigate the incident and discover the unexpected culprit who murdered the crew.
Impressions on "LIVEALIVE SF Edition"
She was in charge of character design and short manga for the Super Famicom software "LIVEALIVE" released by Square in 1995. There are scenarios for the seven + one protagonists, each with their own worldview, and Yumi Tamura is in charge of character design for the SF edition, which is sure to leave a traumatic impression. Although it is a role-playing game, the SF edition is a scenario with almost no combat and the content is spine-chilling panic, but it is an interesting scenario that will remain in the history of RPGs. Besides Tamura Yumi, six other manga artists were in charge of character design, all of whom are well-known writers. Perhaps that's why a remake seems hopeless...
【Hyouka, Mystery is Forever】Tamura Yumi's Works Summary
Tamura Yumi, a leading figure who has been releasing works since the Heisei era and continues to produce interesting works, has a magnificent collection of works that are so detailed, intelligent, and interesting that you'll want to know what's going on in her head. Although Hyouka, Mystery is not a mystery, it's already a work that should be read even by girls. But once you start reading, you can't stop. Tamura Yumi's works are all like that, so I recommend it! Please give it a read!
