Blue

Name: Blue
ISBN: 9787513345651

叶真中显 / Lü LingzhiNew Star Press · ChinaJan 2023

4.2

Word count: 193K words
Chapters: 59
ISBN: 9787513345651

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Summary

A man was born on the day the Heisei era began and died on the day it ended. His mother said that on the day he was born, the sky outside the window was blue, so she named him Ao—also called Blue. Yet that day it rained all day in Tokyo, and no clear sky was to be seen. In December of the fifteenth year of Heisei, a family of five was murdered in Ome City. Police surmised that the second daughter, Natsuki Shinohara, killed the other four and then died of a heart attack. But fingerprints other than Natsuki's were left at the scene, suggesting an accomplice.

—Blue recalls that he fled on a cold, snowy night, but no snowfall was recorded in the Ome area that day. In April of the thirty-first year of Heisei, a man and a woman were found lying in a pool of blood in an empty room in Tama New Town, Tokyo; the method matched the "Ome case." Investigation showed the deceased were "internet café refugees," and they had two children.

—Blue, I have almost no memory of you, and yet you are my fate.

Editor's review

Blue by Ye Zhenzhongxian is a profound and starkly unsentimental work of social-school mystery fiction, continuing the sharp insight into social reality and human nature the author showed in The Cries. This is not a traditional honkaku puzzle mystery; instead, a murder case spanning many years serves as the thread that links together a panorama of social change in Japan's Heisei era (1989–2012). The story begins with the discovery in 2019 of the unidentified remains of a boy, and the police investigation ultimately leads to a mysterious man named "Blue." Through interwoven multiple perspectives and timelines, the novel depicts the struggles and fates of those marginalized people ground under the wheels of the era amid the social disorder that followed the collapse of the bubble economy—the homeless, missing children, low-wage workers, and those from broken families.

As an editor, I believe the book's core value lies in its strong social concern and its reportage-like texture. Ye Zhenzhongxian cleverly uses suspense as an outer shell to wrap a profound reflection on Japan's "lost thirty years." The reading experience is more like a systematic dissection of the dark side of the Heisei era, with the advancement of suspense tightly interwoven with the depth of social analysis. The characters are rarely evil by nature; instead, under the crushing weight of poverty, alienation, institutional flaws, and lack of opportunity, they slide step by step into the abyss. The character Blue is like a ghost of the era itself, a concrete product of numerous social problems.

Rather than seeking the thrill of clever tricks, this book is better suited to readers who hope to understand complex social causes through fiction and to observe how human nature changes in extreme environments. Its prose is calm and restrained, its narrative pace steady yet full of tension, and its details are solid, offering readers heavy reflection rather than simple reading pleasure. It reveals the wounds beneath the surface of prosperity that are deliberately ignored or forgotten, fulfilling the serious mission of mystery fiction as a "mirror of society."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in social-school mystery fiction and Japanese social issues
Readers who enjoyed The Cries and hope to continue experiencing Ye Zhenzhongxian's stark narrative style
Readers who wish to gain a deeper understanding of social change in Japan's Heisei era through literature
Readers who appreciate complex narrative structures interwoven with multiple perspectives and timelines

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking honkaku puzzle-solving, intricate tricks, or fast-paced action
Readers hoping for light entertainment to relax

Reading tips

While reading, pay attention to the specific years noted in the book and consider how the passage of time and the historical background shape the characters' fates.
Reading it alongside the author's previous work The Cries can help clarify the continuity and deepening of Ye Zhenzhongxian's creative trajectory.
The plot is heavy and the characters' fates are full of hardship; it is advisable to read when in a steady frame of mind and to allow enough time for thought and digestion.

About the publisher

New Star Press China · Founded in 1989

New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.

版权信息
序幕
致Blue
范启莲
藤崎文吾
第一部
致Blue
藤崎文吾
北见美保
藤崎文吾
野野口加津子
致Blue
藤崎文吾
井口夕子
致Blue
藤崎文吾
三泽·马科斯
致Blue
藤崎文吾
三代川修
致Blue
藤崎文吾
幕间
桦岛香织
范启莲
第二部
奥贯绫乃
五条义隆
奥贯绫乃
致Blue
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
奥贯绫乃
芥康介
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
奥贯绫乃
佐藤纱理奈
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
致Blue
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
致Blue
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
奥贯绫乃
致Blue
奥贯绫乃
范启莲
奥贯绫乃
致Blue
奥贯绫乃
致Blue
奥贯绫乃
尾声
致Blue

FAQ

What are the similarities and differences between Blue and The Cries?

Both are typical social-school mysteries, and both center on revealing the connection between social problems and individual tragedy. The difference is that The Cries focuses more on one woman's personal history and family interior, while Blue has a broader scope, attempting to sketch the whole social landscape of the Heisei era through one core mystery; it touches on a wider range of social issues and offers richer group portraiture. In narrative structure, Blue's shifts between timelines and perspectives are also more complex.

Is the mystery/suspense element strong in this book?

The book has a clear suspense mainline (the case of the boy's remains and the mystery of Blue's identity) and uses it to drive the narrative. But its focus is not on an intellectual game of puzzle-solving or reversals; rather, it lies in peeling back hidden social truths layer by layer through the investigation. The investigative process serves more to shape characters and dissect society, and the sense of suspense comes more from exploring the characters' fates and the era's inevitability.

Is the ending dark and hopeless?

Ye Zhenzhongxian's works never offer cheap hope. The ending continues his consistent stark realist style, revealing systemic predicaments and the limits of individual effort. Yet even in utter darkness, by revealing the truth itself and through the faint persistence of certain characters in the process, the work still conveys the courage to face wounds directly and profound humanistic concern. This is not despair but a clear-eyed heaviness.

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About the author

叶真中显 Author

Ye Zhenzhongxian is a Japanese mystery and crime writer. Public information about him is currently limited, and a complete account of his life, education, and awards is not yet available. Four of his works are included in the collection: Zekkyo (The Cry), Blue, Gudo (The Beat), and The Confession of a Wicked Woman, all categorized as mystery and crime fiction. These works show that he excels at using crime, family, and social relationships as entry points, advancing suspense through multiple narrative threads and delicate psychological description. His characters often face a sense of real-world pressure, and his plot twists are calm and restrained. His works have attracted some attention among Chinese-language readers, especially The Cry, which has been discussed for its portrayal of marginalized social circumstances. Overall, Ye Zhenzhongxian's writing emphasizes the intertwining of the dark side of human nature and social issues. His style is somber and his attention to structure is notable, making him an author worth watching in contemporary Japanese mystery writing.

Lü Lingzhi Author · Chinese

Lü Lingzhi is a translator of Japanese and English who holds a master's degree in Japanese from Xiamen University. She has long worked on translating foreign literature and social science books, with more than thirty published translations spanning literature, social science and mystery fiction. Her work covers Japanese authors such as Kawabata Yasunari, Dazai Osamu and Yanagi Muneyoshi, as well as social science and mystery titles including Chizuko Ueno's From Zero: Feminism and Kotaro Isaka's Vacation for the Rest of My Life and Gravity Clown. Forty-five of her translations are included in this catalog, commonly classified under foreign literature, mystery and detective fiction, culture and social culture. In 2023 she was selected for Douban's annual list of translators, and her translations have reached a wide readership in Chinese.