Insanity Reasoning is a novel by Shirodaira Kyo, who is famous for writing Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning and Zetsuen no Tempest, and has also been adapted into a comic by Magazine R. While it is technically a mystery, it does not follow the standard mystery formula of uncovering the truth, but rather explores how to manipulate public opinion by deceiving others in order to hide an inconvenient truth. In other words, it is a novel work that turns fiction into truth. Now that Insanity Reasoning is being made into an anime, I would like to discuss the truth behind the incidents that have been published in the comic version.
Part 1: What exactly was Steel Man Nanase's purpose?
Steel Man Nanase is a monster rumored to attack people every night, wearing a frilly dress and a ribbon on her head, yet with large breasts and a face painted completely black, resembling Mami-san. She wields a giant steel beam. It's rumored that she's the aftermath of "Karin Nanase," who died under mysterious circumstances earlier this year. While this is essentially just a ridiculous urban legend, numerous eyewitness accounts emerge, and eventually, protagonist Kotoko Iwanaga and her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, police officer Saki Yumihara, encounter and attack the rumored Steel Man Nanase.
Their motives are a mystery
In fact, in this world, occult elements such as monsters and ghosts do exist. However, protagonists Kotoko Iwanaga and Kuro Sakuragawa take their existence for granted, and are in fact close to them. Even Saki Yumihara, a representative of the general public, has seen ghosts and spirits. For them, the occult is a familiar presence. Yet, Steel Man Nanase lacks any motive or principle of action, such as resentment or hatred. This makes her an alien presence, even to Kotoko and Kuro.
The Truth: Steel Man Nanase Has No Purpose
Why does Steel Man Nanase wear frilly clothes and attack people with steel beams? There's no purpose. That's because Steel Man Nanase is, in the first place, a "rumor embodied," and the urban legend surrounding her is her true identity. In other words, Steel Man Nanase was based on a vague urban legend that Nanase Karin became a ghost and appears to attack people in order to get revenge on the world, so the image of Nanase Karin's ghost dressed as an idol and dying with steel beams in an attempt to get revenge is directly linked to Steel Man Nanase's actions. However, while Steel Man Nanase had no goal, the person who created her did.
Part 2: What is the truth behind the deaths of Nanase Karin, also known as Nanase Haruko, and her father?
The incident that gave rise to this urban legend is the mysterious death of Karin Nanase, whose real name is Haruko Nanase. Haruko Nanase was known for her strong will, ambitious personality, and intelligence, and was often portrayed as a tough, villainous woman. Her cause of death was reportedly caused by a falling steel beam at a construction site. Since there were no signs of defense, the police investigated the possibility of accident, suicide, or murder, but ultimately concluded that it was an accident. However, her surviving sister, Hatsumi Nanase, was not convinced by this conclusion. Hatsumi, who knew her sister well, believed that "Haruko could never have died like that."
Father's Death
In fact, shortly before Haruko Nanase's death, her father also fell down the stairs to his death. The incident was treated as an accident, but the media picked up on it after her father complained about Haruko during his lifetime and a note was discovered in which he wrote, "I sense murderous intent from Haruko."
The Truth: Haruko Nanase's Death Was "An Accident That Was Almost Suicide"
The police concluded that Haruko Nanase's cause of death was "an accident that was almost suicide." While it was essentially an accident, they concluded that Haruko Nanase was driven to the brink of mental breakdown by her father's death and the media scrutiny of her family, leading her to choose death without defense. The police's reasoning was perfectly accurate. Moreover, the way they discovered the truth was through a ghost who had been at the construction site and witnessed the accident that day, a daring ploy that made one wonder if such a solution was even possible. Dead men tell tales.
Father's Death
There are some mysterious aspects to her father's death, but the truth has not yet been fully uncovered. In an attempt to convince online users, Kotoko presents the theory that "Karin Nanase's father was jealous of his own daughter and intentionally committed suicide, leaving behind testimony and evidence that would cast doubt on him." Having many enemies, she was hounded by the media because of this, but she argues that, as a smart girl, if she had truly intended to kill her father, she would never have taken such a step that would cast suspicion on herself. The truth behind this remains a mystery, but Kotoko herself believed it was possible.
Part 3: The Mastermind and Purpose Behind the Creation of Steel Man Nanase
Steel Man Nanase is a "monster embodied by rumors," but if such monsters continued to appear, the world would be overflowing with monsters. Someone who possessed the "power to determine the future" created the monster known as Steel Man Nanase by fully utilizing online message boards and their own abilities. The site administrator who launched a website compiling Steel Man Nanase's stories and skillfully manipulated public opinion to amplify Steel Man Nanase's power is a person who could be called the mastermind.
The Truth: The Mastermind Behind the Ruin is Kuro Sakuragawa's Cousin, Rikka Sakuragawa
The being who created Nanase the Steel Man was Kuro Sakuragawa's cousin, Rikka Sakuragawa. Like Kuro, Rikka feeds on mermaids and the aforementioned flesh, giving her an immortal body and the ability to determine the future. Her reason for creating Nanase the Steel Man by launching the aggregator site was to use the power of rumors to create monsters, and ultimately to create monsters with the power to restore their own bodies.
Public Opinion Manipulation
Kuro and Kotoko continued to manipulate public opinion about Rikka and Steel Man Nanase on the aggregator site, until Kotoko, through a mostly lies-filled fabrication, finally managed to convince the public that revealing Steel Man Nanase's true identity would be more interesting. However, it seems Rikka hasn't given up yet and will continue to operate in the shadows.
[Instantiation] Summary of the Truth Behind Instantiation
Instantiation begins with the conclusion that the crime was committed by a real monster, and then, after the protagonist himself learns the truth, he is persuaded by a contrived motive and trick, rather than a real monster. There was a similar scene in the previous work, Zetsuen no Tempest. It was interesting to see the plot twists that were laid out and resolved in unexpected ways. Zetsuen no Tempest was also a worthwhile watch, so I think Instantiation will also be a worthwhile anime. Instantiation will begin airing in winter 2020!
