This work, "Tonari no Yokai," will be broadcast as an anime in 2024. What do you think is the appeal of this work? This work began serialization mainly on SNS, and was quickly accepted by many manga fans, and was made into an anime. It is a work that has the ability to make it to anime in one go among many manga works. Therefore, it is undoubtedly a very attractive work compared to other works, and it is undoubtedly a manga work that is particularly noteworthy among the manga works serialized in 2024 this year. However, even though many people want to convey the appeal of this work to many people, there are probably many fans who cannot succinctly describe the appeal of this work. Although it is an attractive work, it is surprisingly difficult to spread the word because the setting is complicated, and the difficulty of spreading the word about this work is a big problem. So, this time I would like to briefly introduce the appeal of this work through an article. I will focus on why this work is recommended compared to other manga works, so if you want to convey the appeal of this work to other manga fans, please check it out.
Japanese folklore and other things make a brief appearance
One of the interesting things about this work is that Japanese folklore and other things appear in every depiction. Of course, these folklore are sometimes depicted as the main focus, but even in the small depictions that are not depicted as the main focus, various Japanese folklore and myths are hidden, and these depictions are a very pleasing element for Japanese culture nerds who are knowledgeable about Japanese folklore.
Marrying a snake, etc.
For example, a white snake appears in this work, and it is depicted as if the white snake had been married to a human in the past. If you just skip over this scene, it doesn't bother you that much, but in fact, the legend of marrying a snake is a famous legend in various parts of Japan. Snakes are sacred beings and were considered to be a kind of god, so there are many legends in various places about gods marrying humans.
Is there even an urban legend on the Internet? ?
In addition, this work depicts not only ancient legends such as marriage with snakes, but also many recent urban legends that are well known to many people, mainly on the Internet, such as Kisaragi Station. Since there are no detailed explanations in the work, some people may pass by without noticing, but in this work, the story progresses with various urban legends and stairs as motifs regardless of the era.
A wide range of ghost stories and urban legends covered
One of the attractions of this work is that you can enjoy legends and urban legends from a wide range of eras. Through this work, you can experience urban legends and ghost stories from various eras, so if you are a fan who is interested in these stories, be sure to check out this work.
Detailed settings regarding the yokai
In addition to detailed depictions of urban legends, this work also features extremely detailed depictions of the yokai that appear as characters in the work. Recent manga works that deal with yokai tend to feature many characters with original elements, but in this work, the yokai are basically faithfully reproduced based on actual legends.
Recreating a Yokai Based on the Legend
For example, there are legends about Deidarabochi in various regions that say it has the ability to control the weather, and in many areas there are stories that if you see Deidarabochi, it will rain. This kind of depiction is also well-drawn in this work, and you can see that it is not just a typical setting of Deidarabochi as "a mysterious giant found on a mountain path," but is depicted in a way that is in line with the original legend of "changing the weather."
Human-like Yokai
The yokai that appear in this work are reproduced very faithfully in accordance with their legends. However, at the same time, the characters in this work are depicted with very human personalities as part of the charming characters that appear in the work. The charm of the yokai in this work is that even in this faithfulness, they reflect the unique character traits of manga.
Worries of Yokai
The yokai that appear in this work are all characters who have the same feelings as humans, so they often have troubles that are unique to yokai that humans do not feel. Yokai are slightly scary beings in various legends, but in this work, the emphasis is on their friendliness towards humans rather than on their scary nature.
The depth of the setting that separates gods and monsters
Another setting that I would like you to pay attention to in this work is that monsters and gods are clearly separated. In Japanese thought, monsters and gods are completely different beings, and if you write a manga work based on correct Japanese culture, it is essential to reflect these settings. However, there is a question of whether it is necessary to reflect Japanese cultural ideas so precisely in manga works that many people enjoy, but this work does not shy away from these expressions and firmly reflects Japanese culture, depicting gods and monsters separately.
Settings based on Shintoism
The Japanese are a people who live in an agricultural society where farming is the main activity, and it is believed that monsters and gods are personifications of various natural phenomena. Gods are beings that benefit humans and are clearly the subject of worship, but monsters are not recognized in this beneficial aspect, and although there is no doubt that they are beings that transcend humans, they have been understood as beings with a rather unclear relationship to humans.
How to think about God
The interesting thing about Japanese gods is that they are beings that we don't know if they have a 100% positive effect on humans. As I mentioned earlier, gods are personifications of natural phenomena, so we don't know whether natural phenomena have a good or bad effect on humans. For that reason, Japanese gods are often portrayed as characters with quite arbitrary personalities.
Yokai created by humans
On the other hand, yokai are not only personifications of natural phenomena, but also beings that reflect human emotions. For example, since ancient times, there has been a belief that humans who have strong negative emotions become living spirits, and this can be said to be a type of yokai. While gods are mainly personifications of natural phenomena, yokai also have the aspect of personifying the human heart.
It will change the way you look at everyday life
This work has a variety of detailed settings, allowing you to enjoy the story deeply, but it also has the appeal of being a slice-of-life manga. From here, I would like to briefly introduce the appeal of this work as a slice-of-life manga.
Works that depict everyday life
This work features youkai as the main characters, but it focuses on depicting the everyday lives of humans and youkai. Therefore, just because youkai appear, there are no special battle scenes, and it is a world view in which the mysterious existence of youkai is simply added to the everyday life we normally lead.
Enrich your daily life by depicting the invisible
Just because youkai exist doesn't mean that human life changes drastically. Traditional events such as Obon are still held in the story, and children go to school and live in harmony. The presence of mysterious beings such as youkai in this ordinary daily life gives us small realizations that we don't feel in our normal daily lives. This also means that by gaining such realizations, the way we see our daily lives will change little by little.
A work worth reading
As a result, by continuing to read this work, it will add a new perspective of yokai to your everyday life, which you normally don't think about. There are many works that are inspiring and courageous, but there are quite a few works that give you new insights into the everyday life you are exposed to on a regular basis, so it can be said that this is a valuable work.
Charming Characters
The characters of the yokai are also one of the attractions of this work. As mentioned earlier, this work features many yokai that are actually part of Japanese folklore, so many people may have a rather scary image of the industry, but the yokai that actually play an active role in this work are very friendly characters towards humans.
Yokai as characters
The yokai that appear in this work are characterized by their characters whose personalities and character traits are very easy to understand. There are many yokai with very easy-to-understand characters, such as Buchio, who has a modest personality and is always worried, and Jiro, who is kind and has a sense of mission to protect the village.
Contrasts are fully utilized
It is precisely because so many characters with such easy-to-understand personalities interact with each other that the work is able to effectively depict the differences and contrasts between the characters' ways of thinking. For example, the differences in how the characters think about their families and how they approach their missions are clearly and clearly depicted in this work, which is why it can be said that the work is able to depict the characters on an easy-to-understand axis of contrast.
The "reason for existence" of the yokai
And the unique setting of this work, in which the yokai need a reason to exist, is also an element that gives depth to the yokai's characters. In this work, the yokai need a reason for existence and a role, and these roles are reflected in the yokai's personalities. It is because of this mechanism that even readers who are not used to human dramas can easily understand what role each character plays in the story.
Deepness that anyone can enjoy
As you can see, this work has very detailed depictions, and the more you dig into the setting, the more interesting it becomes. However, without getting hung up on such difficulty, it is a work that focuses on settings and stories that anyone can enjoy, so that many anime fans can enjoy it. Therefore, this work has a very wide receptacle and can be accepted by any anime fan.
Enjoyable for Otaku
For example, this work can be enjoyed by otaku who are knowledgeable about monsters and Japanese culture. As mentioned at the beginning, the depictions of urban legends and the settings of the monsters in this work are very detailed, so even those who are studying Japanese culture in earnest can enjoy it.
The basic theme is about family
On the other hand, the main theme of this work is about family, so any viewer can empathize with the content and be moved by it. Each setting is detailed, but the theme itself is acceptable to many people.
The depth of a work of daily life
While the main focus is on very niche themes such as monsters and Japanese mythology, the work is also accepted by a wide range of anime fans by depicting it as a daily life work with a focus on family. This is a work that makes full use of the advantages of a daily life work, so please pay attention to the cleverness of the setting of this work.
Summary
What did you think? This time, we have introduced the appeal of this work, "My Neighbor is a Yokai-san," and the interesting setting. The appeal of this work cannot be fully explained in one article, but the interesting perspective of the manga and the excellent setting construction of the author as a work dealing with Japanese culture are remarkable. It can be said that this work is particularly elaborate in its setting among the manga works that will be animated in 2024 this year, so if you are interested in this work after reading this article, please be sure to tell other anime fans about the appeal of this work.
