Kyokou Suiri is a mystery novel by Shirodaira Kyo. It has also been adapted into a comic book and will be made into an anime in 2020. The first novel, "Kyokou Suiri: Steel Man Nanase," tells the story of a one-eyed, one-legged girl named Iwanaga Kotoko, an immortal man named Sakuragawa Kuro, and the urban legend monster "Steel Man Nanase." The legendary Steel Man Nanase cannot be eliminated by normal means, so today we'll be revealing how to defeat him!
Isn't it just an urban legend? What exactly is Steel Man Nanase?
Steel Man Nanase is an urban legend based on the circumstances surrounding the death of the idol "Nanase Karin," who died in an accident. It is said that she appears in the form of an idol with her face crushed, wields a steel beam, and attacks people every night. However, in this world, monsters and other such creatures do exist, and Steel Man Nanase does indeed exist, wields a steel beam, and attacks people.
Spoiler alert! This is Steel Man Nanase's true identity!
Steel Man Nanase's true identity is the embodiment of the image depicted on the "Steel Man Nanase Summary Site." In other words, she is a monster born from the imagination of the site's inhabitants. However, there is also a mastermind who launched the site, incited the public to believe she actually existed, and guided the tone of discussion until she materialized. It was this mastermind who created Steel Man Nanase.
Steel Man Nanase: Cannot Be Killed by Normal Means
Steel Man Nanase was born on the "Steel Man Nanase Summary Site" and is a monster born of the imagination. As such, it cannot be eliminated by physical means. Furthermore, its ferocity is also influenced by the tone of the posts. When Terada, a detective and colleague of Saki Yumihara, a police officer and ex-girlfriend of Kuro Sakuragawa, was murdered by Steel Man Nanase, the circumstances of the murder made it "unbelievable that a monster could have done it," making the existence of Steel Man Nanase clear, and Steel Man Nanase's powers grew even stronger.
To defeat Steel Man Nanase, we must create a narrative that says "Steel Man Nanase doesn't exist!"
Steel Man Nanase is a figment of the imagination of aggregator site viewers. The only way to eliminate Steel Man Nanase is to lead the reader to believe that "Steel Man Nanase doesn't exist" within the aggregator site. However, because Steel Man Nanase murdered a police officer, the argument leaned toward "Steel Man Nanase exists." Even framing someone would be proof that Steel Man Nanase exists if proven innocent. Furthermore, the existence of a mastermind made it extremely difficult to manipulate public opinion.
How to Defeat Steel Man Nanase: Theory 1: "Steel Man Nanase is a phantom designed to murder Terada."
In an effort to create the argument that Steel Man Nanase doesn't exist, Kotoko Iwanaga presented four theories—or rather, fabrications—on a compilation website. The first theory, the most problematic one, addresses the motive for Detective Terada's murder. Kotoko fabricates a culprit: "A weak individual, unimaginable in the image of Steel Man Nanase, used the rumors about Steel Man Nanase to murder Terada."
Is Saki the culprit?
However, the theory that the culprit is a female police officer colleague whom Terada had feelings for and was troubled by her actions is undoubtedly Saki Miyahara, and this comment could have potentially damaged Saki's reputation. However, since Saki is on Saki's side and knows the situation, the damage to her reputation is inevitable. Perhaps Kotoko's personal grudge is also mixed in.
How to Defeat Steel Man Nanase, Theory #2: "Is Steel Man Nanase a Real Ghost?"
The first theory didn't quite capture the plot, but it did pique the reader's interest. This is followed by the second theory, which is a super-deduction: "Steel Man Nanase is a real ghost." Nanase Karin, also known as Nanase Haruko, who inspired Steel Man Nanase, was pursued by the media following the suspicious death of her father. However, he deduces that even without any evidence, the intelligent idol Nanase Haruko would never have chosen a murder method that would seem suspicious.
Even with super-deduction skills, if we could manipulate the image of Steel Man Nanase, would that be possible?
The truth unfolds: "Haruko's father, jealous of her, staged the murder himself." He deduces that Steel Man Nanase appeared to expose her. Later, after reuniting with her father in the afterlife and learning the truth, she launches a wild theory that Nanase Haruko became Steel Man Nanase. However, the key point is that her father's suspicious death was staged, and Haruko's despair led to a connection between her and Steel Man Nanase.
How to Defeat Steel Man Nanase: Theory #3: "Haruko Nanase's Body Swap Theory"
What remains unsettling about Nanase Haruko's case is that her sister, Nanase Hatsumi, herself is not convinced of her death. Haruko's death was close to suicide, but the real reason she became so desperate was because her older sister, Hatsumi, leaked their father's diary to the media, driving her to the brink. This ultimately resulted in Haruko's death, which shocked Hatsumi. Despite becoming the prime suspect, she insists that Haruko's death was not a suicide.
Frilly clothes, big breasts, and no body above the neck... Ah
Haruko's death involved crushing her body above the neck. This led Hatsumi, in a state of confusion, to a certain possibility. It was possible that Haruko was alive and had swapped places with someone else. If that were the case, the living Haruko would soon come to the conclusion that it was she who leaked her father's notes, and would be convinced that she was waiting for an opportunity for revenge. If that were the case, then Steel Man Nanase's existence would be linked to Haruko's death, and his true identity would be someone connected to Nanase Hatsumi, who wanted to relieve her anxiety. That's my deduction.
How to Defeat Steel Man Nanase, Theory #4: "The Final Theory"
The third theory also points out that the culprit doesn't need to be such a terrifying figure. However, parts of the three theories are still plausible. The previous theories were just setups, and Kotoko develops her final theory. This theory posits that Nanase Karin, also known as Nanase Haruko, is still alive. She deduces that she prepared a substitute while alive, and then killed the substitute to take her place.
The culprit is... you! (Big lie)
Nanase Karin, also known as Nanase Haruko, prepared a lookalike, killed her, and took her place. However, she didn't know when or where her true identity would be discovered. So she decided to create Steel Man Nanase. If Steel Man Nanase's existence were true, then Nanase Haruko would be dead. To achieve this, she fabricated Steel Man Nanase. Furthermore, she has consistently opposed the idea that "Steel Man Nanase doesn't exist." I deduce that the person who would do such a thing is the one who must claim that Steel Man Nanase is the real one: Nanase Haruko, the administrator of this website.
The Truth Behind Terada's Murder (Fiction)
The reason Terada, a detective, was murdered was because his true identity was discovered. Terada was killed without resisting because the supposedly dead Haruko Nanase was still alive, presenting an opening for the assassin to kill him. Just to be clear, this theory is a complete lie. It's fiction. The truth is, "Haruko Nanase was really dead, and the reason for her death was an accidental death that was very close to suicide." The real reason Terada was murdered was because "he was helplessly murdered by a real monster born of his imagination."
Disappearing into thin air
Of course, this theory is a complete lie, but if you piece together the previous theories, the conclusion that the site administrator is Nanase Haruko is very interesting. Site visitors will pursue the theory that the site administrator is Nanase Haruko because it's more interesting, and the existence of Steel Man Nanase will be denied and disappear. Kotoko's previous theories have fragmentarily supported the theory that the site administrator is Nanase Haruko, ultimately creating the argument that "it would be more interesting to assume Steel Man Nanase doesn't exist." :
[Instantiation] Summary of How to Defeat Steel Man Nanase
Instantiation uses the idea of defeating a monster born from fiction with fiction itself. The idea of the detective blatantly lying and deceiving everyone after revealing the entire truth is novel and fascinating. It's like a werewolf game where the werewolf wins with a perfect move, and I'm looking forward to seeing it adapted into an anime. The anime will begin airing in winter 2020, so I'm excited!
