E-Book, Englisch, 240 Seiten
Uketsu Strange Pictures
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-80533-540-5
Verlag: Pushkin Vertigo
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark
The Chilling Japanese Mystery Sensation
E-Book, Englisch, 240 Seiten
ISBN: 978-1-80533-540-5
Verlag: Pushkin Vertigo
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark
Uketsu is an enigmatic Youtuber and author, specializing in horror and mystery. He always appear in videos wearing a white mask and black body stocking, with his voice digitally distorted. His true identity is unknown. Strange Pictures has already sold more than 600,000 copies in Japan and the foreign translation rights are being quickly bought up across the world. Strange Houses and Strange Buildings are also forthcoming from Pushkin Vertigo.
Weitere Infos & Material
Shuhei Sasaki, 19th May 2014
In the window of an old apartment in a working-class Tokyo neighbourhood, a light glimmered despite the late hour.
The apartment’s sole resident was twenty-one-year-old Shuhei Sasaki, a university student. He really should have been revising for exams or working on a CV for his upcoming job search, but that night he was staring at his computer screen for a different reason.
‘So, this must be the blog Kurihara was talking about,’ he muttered to himself.
Kurihara was a younger student. He and Sasaki were both members of the university’s Paranormal Club. That afternoon, Sasaki had run into him in the university cafeteria, and they had ended up having lunch together. Sasaki had been too busy with job hunting lately to come to any club meetings, so he had enjoyed talking with his clubmate after so long away.
After they’d finished catching up and discussing a planned overnight outing with the club, naturally the talk turned to their shared interest in the bizarre and unexplained.
‘So, Sasaki, have you gathered any intel lately?’
Kurihara had an odd expression on his face as he spoke. In their club, ‘gathering intel’ was what they called watching or reading anything related to the paranormal.
‘None. I haven’t had the time. I haven’t seen any movies, read any books or even looked online.’
‘All right then, I’ll give you something good. I just recently found a very strange blog.’
‘A blog? What about?’
‘It’s called Oh No, Not Raku! At first glance, it seems perfectly normal, but there’s something there. Something strange about it. I can guarantee a chill, at the very least, so do give it a read.’
‘Right…’
In Sasaki’s experience, Kurihara was an easy-going kind of guy. He always seemed to hang back and stay out of things. So, when he spoke with such conviction, Sasaki knew he couldn’t ignore it.
. . .
12 a.m. The only sound was the ticking of his clock. Sasaki gulped as he opened the blog Kurihara had told him about.
He felt… nostalgic, rather than nervous. Once, there had been so many blogs like this.
Ah, blogs. The concept, a simple website where people could post their thoughts and pictures, was now almost quaint. Everyone had a different take on theirs. The blogs came in all sorts of styles: some were simple diaries, some hobby sites, others collections of political rants… There was so much freedom in it, there was even a time when you could find blogs ‘written by’ cats or rice spatulas. But these past few years, the boom had died down, and you saw far fewer than you once had.
Looking at the title, you’d imagine the author would be someone named Raku, but it was it was an unusual, suggestive name. A pen name? Probably.
And that ‘Oh no’ part was such a weak attempt at a joke. The kind of empty silliness that was the hallmark of your average daily diary.
The latest post was displayed beneath the title. It was dated 28th November 2012. So, about a year and a half old. Meaning the blog hadn’t been updated since then.
The post read:
‘To the one I love most’ 28/11/2012
I am going to stop updating this blog today.
I’ve finally figured out the secret of those three drawings.
I can’t imagine what kind of pain you must have been suffering.
Nor can I understand the depths of whatever sin you committed.
I cannot forgive you. But even so, I will always love you.
Raku
Sasaki read and reread this short, disturbing entry over and over. The more he did, the deeper the mystery got.
He couldn’t imagine what meaning lay behind the phrases ‘To the one I love most’, ‘the secret of those three drawings’ and ‘whatever sin you committed’.
He decided to go back and read past entries to see if they could help him unravel the mystery. The first entry was dated 13th October 2008. It read:
‘Hello world!’ 13/10/2008
I’ve decided to start keeping a blog from today. So, I guess I should begin by introducing myself. My name is Raku.
I was going to post a photo of myself, but while I was setting it up, I was told it’s dangerous to post personal information on the web, so here’s a drawing instead.
It’s actually by my wife.
I’ll just call her Yuki. She’s six years older than me.
I told her I was starting a blog and wanted her to draw a picture of me to use instead of a photo, and it didn’t even take her five minutes. That’s what you get with a former pro illustrator! She’s so talented!
But I think maybe she made me look too handsome…
So, anyway, this is going to be like a diary, just me writing whatever I happen to feel like.
I plan to update every day, so I hope you keep reading!
Raku
‘Anniversary’ 15/10/2008
Hi there, it’s Raku!
I know I said I’d update every day, but I was just so tired yesterday I went to bed without writing. Sorry. I’ll do better from now on!
So, today, 15th October, is a very important day.
It’s our first wedding anniversary!
I bought a whole cake to celebrate. It was a little pricey, but so good!
I ended up eating two pieces, and Yuki got mad and said, ‘Don’t eat so much! You’ll get fat!’ She’s so mean! (SOB)
The other four slices went into the fridge. That’s tomorrow’s breakfast. I can’t wait!
Raku
The entries went like that, four or five a week. They were all about pretty tame stuff, ‘I ate so-and-so’ or ‘We went to do such-and-such’, and Sasaki found no hint of anything that could be the ‘sin’ or ‘pain’ mentioned in the final entry.
Along the way, though, the couple’s lives took a turn.
‘Announcement’ 25/12/2008
Hi there, it’s Raku!
So, Yuki woke up not feeling well, and it seems she went to hospital to get checked out this morning.
And, wouldn’t you know it, they said she had a baby in there!
When Yuki told me that, I was so happy I started jumping for joy! This is the best Christmas present ever!
So, I am hereby announcing that we are going to be a mummy and daddy!
Raku
From that point on, the blog was consumed by all things baby. Raku’s entries overflowed with emotional writing about his expected child, as well as with concern for Yuki’s condition.
‘Morning sickness sucks’ 3/1/2009
Yuki’s morning sickness was really bad again today, so she could barely eat any of the New Year’s meal leftovers.
All I can do is rub her back. I feel so powerless.
I’ve always heard that women start craving sour food when they have morning sickness, though I guess everyone’s different.
Anyway, Yuki said she thought she could eat yogurt without feeling sick.
And so, our fridge is now packed with yogurt.
And I’m off to the store to buy more!
Raku
‘Baby bump’ 8/2/2009
Today we are going into our 13th week of pregnancy.
But it seems morning sickness isn’t through with Yuki yet.
She ate a load of yogurt again today. She’s tried a lot of different types, but it seems that the kind with aloe chunks agrees with her stomach the best.
And speaking of her belly, it’s really starting to show that bump.
It’s like I can see how the baby is growing! I’m so happy!
Raku
‘Cherry...
