In/Spectre
Ja kanji虚構推理
Ja romajiKyokō Suiri
Genre
In/Spectre
novel
AuthorKyo Shirodaira
IllustratorHiro Kiyohara
PublisherKodansha
Imprint
  • Kodansha Novels
  • Kodansha Bunko
PublishedMay 11, 2011
In/Spectre
manga
AuthorKyo Shirodaira
IllustratorChasiba Katase
PublisherKodansha
Magazine
FirstApril 20, 2015
Volumes25
In/Spectre
novel series
AuthorKyo Shirodaira
IllustratorChasiba Katase
PublisherKodansha
MagazineMephisto
ImprintKodansha Taiga
FirstDecember 20, 2018
Volumes6
In/Spectre
TV series
DirectorKeiji Gotoh
WriterNoboru Takagi
MusicAkihiro Manabe
StudioBrain's Base
Licensee
Network
FirstJanuary 11, 2020
LastMarch 27, 2023
Episodes24
Episode listList of In/Spectre episodes

In/Spectre (虚構推理, Kyokō Suiri), also known as Invented Inference in Japan, is a 2011 Japanese novel published by Kodansha and written by Kyo Shirodaira with illustrations by Hiro Kyohara. In 2019 it was republished with illustrations by Chasiba Katase as part of a series. A manga adaptation with art by Katase has been serialized since April 2015 in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Shōnen Magazine R and since December 2019, also in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. It has been collected in twenty-five tankōbon volumes. The manga is published in North America by Kodansha Comics. An anime television series adaptation produced by Brain's Base aired between January and March 2020, with the second season aired between January and March 2023.

Plot

While struggling to get past a break-up with his girlfriend, Kuro Sakuragawa was approached by Kotoko Iwanaga, a girl who declared that she has been in love with Kuro since she met him two years ago. She then tells him that she is a sort of Goddess of Wisdom where she serves as the intermediary between the real world and the supernatural world. Kuro, of course, doubts her at first but after fighting a yōkai in a library and revealing to each other their true identities (Kuro is actually a monster due to having eaten two different yōkai flesh, giving him the powers of immortality and near-absolute precognition), Kuro agrees to help Kotoko on her various adventures as the peace-keeping Goddess of Wisdom.

Characters

Main characters

Kotoko Iwanaga (岩永琴子, Iwanaga Kotoko)
[4]
A young university student with one eye and one leg, which she adapted at the age of 11 after becoming acquainted with the yōkai's request of her wisdom.
Kurō Sakuragawa (桜川九郎, Sakuragawa Kurō)
[4]
A young university student with instantaneous healing abilities, which he acquired at the age of 11 due to his grandmother pursuing experiments performed by their ancestors by having him unknowingly consume yōkai flesh.
Saki Yumihara (弓原紗季, Yumihara Saki)
[4]
A young police officer and Kuro's former girlfriend.
Karin Nanase (七瀬かりん, Nanase Karin)
[4]
A gravure idol who gained a niche following after starring in a late night TV drama.
Tokunosuke Terada (寺田 徳之助, Terada Tokunosuke)
A police detective and an associate of Yumihara.
Rikka Sakuragawa (桜川六花, Sakuragawa Rikka)
[4]
The older cousin of Kuro Sakuragawa and the reason he visits the hospital on a regular basis.
Masayuki Muroi (室井昌幸, Muroi Masayuki)
Kazuyuki Konno
Marumi Oki

Yōkai

Kappa (河童)
[5]
Ochimusha (落武者)
[5]
Ushi no Ayakashi (牛のあやかし)
[5]
Yama no Ayakashi (山のあやかし)
[5]
Komainu (black) (狛犬(黒))
Komainu (white) (狛犬(白))
Yōko (妖狐)
[5]
Bakedanuki (化け狸)
Nushi no Orochi (ヌシの大蛇)
Yosuzume (夜雀)
Kodama no Genichirō (木魂の源一郎)
[5]
Bakeneko (化け猫)
[5]
Yuki-Onna (雪女)

Media

Novel

In/Spectre is a novel written by Kyo Shirodaira with illustrations by Hiro Kyohara that was released in 2011 on Kodansha's Kodansha Novels imprint (as Invented Inference: Steel Lady Nanase (虚構推理 鋼人瀬, Kyokou Suiri: Kojin Nanase)) and was republished in 2015 under Kodansha Bunko imprint without the subtitle. In 2018, it changed imprint to Kodansha Taiga and the illustrator to Chasiba Katase, and has continued as a series since then, with the original novel republished as part of the series in 2019. Some short stories collected in the series have been previously published in the Mephisto magazine.

Manga

A manga adaptation by Chasiba Katase originally began on the Kodansha's Shōnen Magazine R in April 2015. In October 2019, Kodansha announced that Shōnen Magazine R would stop its print publication and be a digital-only publication, and with it, they also announced that the manga would be published in Monthly Shōnen Magazine, starting on December 6, 2019, along with the digital release on Shōnen Magazine R and on the Magazine Pocket app.[6][7][8] Shōnen Magazine R was discontinued in January 2023.[9] The manga is published in North America by Kodansha Comics.[10]

Anime

See also: List of In/Spectre episodes

An anime television series adaptation of the manga series was announced on January 14, 2019. It is produced by Brain's Base and directed by Keiji Gotoh, with Noboru Takagi writing the scripts and Takatoshi Honda designing the characters.[1] It aired between January 11 and March 28, 2020, on TV Asahi, MBS, and BS-NTV for 12 episodes.[5][11][12] Lie and a Chameleon performed the series' opening theme song "Mononoke in the Fiction" (モノノケ・イン・ザ・フィクション), while Mamoru Miyano performed the series' ending theme song "Last Dance".[13][14]

The anime was co-produced by Crunchyroll, as part of their "Crunchyroll Originals" brand, streaming it on their service.[5][11][4] Viz Media released the series on home video.[15]

On November 26, 2020, it was announced that the series would receive a second season.[16] The staff reprised their roles, with Kentarou Matsumoto replacing Takatoshi Honda as character designer and chief animation director. The series was scheduled to air in October 2022,[17] but was later delayed.[18] It aired from January 9 to March 27, 2023, on Tokyo MX and BS-NTV.[19] The opening theme song is "Yotogibanashi" (ヨトギバナシ) by KanoeRana, while the ending theme song is "Invincible Love" by Mamoru Miyano.[20]

Reception

The manga had over two million volumes in print by 2019.[1] In 2018, it was nominated for Best Shōnen Manga at the 42nd annual Kodansha Manga Award.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ Loo, Egan (January 14, 2019). "In/Spectre Supernatural Mystery Gets TV Anime by Brain's Base". Anime News Network. Archived March 28, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  2. ^ Gilson, Che (September 23, 2017). "In/Spectre [Manga Review]". Otaku USA. Archived June 26, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 24, 2020. In/Spectre is a entertaining supernatural thriller peppered with romance and plenty of yokai (Japanese monsters)
  3. ^ Coats, Cayla (March 30, 2020). "EXCLUSIVE: In/Spectre Producer On the Challenges of Turning Manga into Anime". Crunchyroll. Archived March 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (February 28, 2020). "In/Spectre Anime's English Dub Reveals Cast, February 29 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived February 28, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  5. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (November 21, 2019). "In/Spectre Anime Reveals TV Ads, More Cast, January 11 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived January 16, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 18, 2019). "In/Spectre Manga to Also Serialize in Monthly Shonen Magazine". Anime News Network. Archived October 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  7. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 18, 2019). "Shōnen Magazine R Switches to Digital-Only, New Monthly Schedule". Anime News Network. Archived June 7, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "ja:「人馬」の墨佳遼が次号月刊少年マガジンに登場、「虚構推理」は3媒体での連載に" (in Japanese). Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. December 6, 2019. Archived October 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "Kodansha's Shonen Magazine R Ends Publication in January". Anime News Network. November 21, 2022. Archived December 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  10. ^ Ressler, Karen (March 22, 2016). "Kodansha Comics Licenses In/Spectre Manga, Plans Sweetness & Lightning Print Release". Anime News Network. Archived March 3, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  11. ^ "New Key Visual, Air Dates, and Additional Characters Revealed for Crunchyroll Co-Production In/Spectre". Crunchyroll. November 21, 2019. Archived December 21, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  12. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (January 6, 2020). "In/Spectre TV Anime Listed With 12 Episodes". Anime News Network. Archived January 16, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  13. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 5, 2019). "Mamoru Miyano Performs In/Spectre Anime's Ending Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived November 8, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  14. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 4, 2020). "In/Spectre TV Anime's 3rd Promo Video Previews Mamoru Miyano's Ending Theme". Anime News Network. Archived February 27, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  15. ^ Luster, Joseph (March 30, 2021). "Crunchyroll and VIZ Media to Bring BURN THE WITCH, Tower of God, JUJUTSU KAISEN, and More to Home Video". Crunchyroll. Archived March 30, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  16. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 26, 2020). "In/Spectre Anime Gets 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Archived October 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 3, 2022). "In/Spectre Anime Season 2 Reveals More Cast, October Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived March 5, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  18. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 2, 2022). "In/Spectre Anime Season 2 Delayed to January 2023". Anime News Network. Archived October 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  19. ^ "ja:「虚構推理」2期は来年1月8日放送開始、第3弾PVと桜川六花役・佐古真弓のコメントも" (in Japanese). Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. November 16, 2022. Archived November 16, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  20. ^ Mateo, Alex (October 21, 2022). "KanoeRana, Mamoru Miyano Perform Theme Songs for In/Spectre Anime's 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Archived October 21, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 21, 2022.