Ōtarō Maijō

Ōtarō Maijō (舞城 王太郎, Maijō Ōtarō^?, born 1973) is a Japanese novelist from Fukui Prefecture. Winner of the 19th Mephisto Award for Smoke, Soil, and Sacrifices, and the 16th Yukio Mishima award for Ashura Girl. His short story, Drill Hole in the Brain was translated into English as part of Del Rey's Faust anthology, and described by the Anime News Network as the "crowning glory" of the anthology.^[1]

Style

Many of Maijō's novels are set in Fukui and make extensive use of that dialect. He is known for an aggressive, colloquial writing style. His early works were mystery novels, but he has branched out into literary magazines. He illustrates much of his own work, and has contributed several brief manga to Faust.

Works^[2][3]

• Smoke, Soil or Sacrifices (Kemuri ka Tsuchi ka Kuimono) 2001 (Kodansha novels), 2004 (bunko)
• The Childish Darkness (Kurayami no Naka de Kodomo) 2001 (Kodansha novels)
• The World is Made Out of Closed Rooms (Sekai wa Misshitsu de Dekiteiru) 2001 (Kodansha novels), 2005 (bunko)
• Kuma no Basho (short story collection; 2004 (Kodansha novels), 2006 (bunko)
  • Kuma no Basho (appeared in Gunzou magazine, September 2001)
  • Bat Otoko (Gunzou, February 2002)
  • Beacon! (later adapted into a manga by Kei Aoyama)
• Ashura Girl, 2003 (Shinchosha), 2005 (bunko)
  • Kawa wo Oyoide Wataru Hebi (short story, appeared in Shincho Magazine 2003, appeared only in the bunko edition of Ashura Girl)
• Tsukumo Juku, 2005 (Kodansha novels), 2007 (bunko)
  • Set in the world of Ryusui Seiryoin's JDC novels
• Yama n Naka no Shimitomo Naruo, 2003 (Kodansha), 2005 (Kodansha novels), 2007 (bunko)
  • Originally appeared in Gunzou, July 2003
• Suki Suki Daisuki Cho Ai shiteru, 2004 (Kodansha), 2006 (Kodansha novels)
  • Suki Suki Daisuki Cho Ai Shiteru (Gunzou, January 2004)
  • Drill Hole in My Brain (Faust), 2003 vol. 1
• Minna Genki, 2004 (Shinchosha), 2007 (bunko - in two volumes, Minna Genki and School Attack Syndrome)
  • Minna Genki, (Shincho, September 2004)
  • Dead for Good
  • Wagaya no Totoro (Shincho, June 2003)
  • Ya wo Tomeru Gowa no Kuchinashidori (Shincho, June 2004)
  • School Attack Syndrome (Shincho, January 2004)
• Speedboy, (Kodansha Box, 2006)

Real Coffee

Currently, Otaro Maijo is part of the Real Coffee Project, which, according to their website, is attempting to inspire new and better Japanese movies. Maijo has written and illustrated a number of flash movies, which are hosted on the website.

References