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100 Demons 19
Possibly because the last DWJ I read was The Time of the Ghost, but really-- what an Ima Ichiko-like writer she is at times. That sense of things *wrong*, or off; and the misleading clues that require an immediate reread when finished.
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paleaswater remarked on the hard to get-ness of stories 3&4 in vol 19, so I reread. Umm, Bottom of the Stone Stairs seems fairly straightforward except that the action shifts into kekkai-land a lot and Ritsu is a bit more helpful than he usually is. The fourth story OTOH was one I'd dismissed as 'OK whatever' until the reread.
Finally realize that what happened is this: daughter's hair all fell out through stress at work. Wigs being expensive, Mother gave her one that had belonged to either her own mother or her grandmother. (Pesky Japanese habit of referring to people from the POV of the person they're talking to. Is why Kinu refers to her own father as Grandfather, and Aoarashi as Father, when talking to Ritsu. In this case, given relative ages and almost real time time development, I think it must be mother's mother.)
Wig retains the personality and obsessions of Grandma, and possesses daughter. This is why she thinks she's a daughter-in-law of the family, widow of the oldest son who died in South-east Asia. (Malaysia, I assume, during the war, obviously: can't identify where because the place name is in katakana-good-luck. Inpaaru?) Is also, I realize on third read, why she thinks Ritsu's name is Ryou when they first meet. Is why she knows there's valuables hidden in the wall and comes prepared to get them back.
Meanwhile Mom has medical condition I'm not sure of (mild stroke, I think) mimicking first stages of Alzheimer's. I suppose this *might* explain why she thinks a total stranger is her son. That part I find a bit hard to believe, but no matter. Imposter son is the one who insists he's stationed in Okinawa, which may account for the 'is he in Singapore or is he in Okinawa or is he dead?' confusion.
Does that help any?
paleaswater remarked on the hard to get-ness of stories 3&4 in vol 19, so I reread. Umm, Bottom of the Stone Stairs seems fairly straightforward except that the action shifts into kekkai-land a lot and Ritsu is a bit more helpful than he usually is. The fourth story OTOH was one I'd dismissed as 'OK whatever' until the reread.Finally realize that what happened is this: daughter's hair all fell out through stress at work. Wigs being expensive, Mother gave her one that had belonged to either her own mother or her grandmother. (Pesky Japanese habit of referring to people from the POV of the person they're talking to. Is why Kinu refers to her own father as Grandfather, and Aoarashi as Father, when talking to Ritsu. In this case, given relative ages and almost real time time development, I think it must be mother's mother.)
Wig retains the personality and obsessions of Grandma, and possesses daughter. This is why she thinks she's a daughter-in-law of the family, widow of the oldest son who died in South-east Asia. (Malaysia, I assume, during the war, obviously: can't identify where because the place name is in katakana-good-luck. Inpaaru?) Is also, I realize on third read, why she thinks Ritsu's name is Ryou when they first meet. Is why she knows there's valuables hidden in the wall and comes prepared to get them back.
Meanwhile Mom has medical condition I'm not sure of (mild stroke, I think) mimicking first stages of Alzheimer's. I suppose this *might* explain why she thinks a total stranger is her son. That part I find a bit hard to believe, but no matter. Imposter son is the one who insists he's stationed in Okinawa, which may account for the 'is he in Singapore or is he in Okinawa or is he dead?' confusion.
Does that help any?
no subject
I thought that the tree and the 'red general' subplot was rather eerie, but it was just really confusing, even in Chinese. i think I'll go for my fourth read with the information you just proved. Thanks. ^_^
no subject
The series kind of happens in real time but kind of not, because only 2 or 3 years have passed in manga time, but that story dates from a good ten years earlier.
The red general thing, yes, is eerie, especially since his passing causes real death and disaster.
ETA: I still don't quite know what to do with daughter's insistence that her mother(-in-law, as she sees it) doesn't want to let her into the house. This has to be a memory of Grandmother's, but Ritsu seems to say it was actually the mother. Nor can I parse his sudden realization that both mother and daughter have been fighting each other unwittingly because of something in the house. Daughter, yes, but what has hold of Mom?