Since the 1980s, Japan's orthodox mystery genre had been in a state of stagnation—plentiful in quantity but lacking significant quality. Newcomers lacked the courage to enter the field, and established writers struggled to replicate their former glory.
Therefore, when Hikigaya Hachiman, who had debuted less than a year prior, declared at the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award Ceremony that he would create a "true orthodox mystery," many veteran writers and readers were extremely excited. The field was in desperate need of a talented young writer, and such a figure had not appeared for far too long.
Later, Hachiman created Disintegration of Various Causes. Although, according to his own statement, this was just a "small attempt" at orthodox-style reasoning, in the eyes of the industry, the book was enough to impress them. It contained numerous genius designs, any one of which might have been enough for another author to base an entire book on. Yet, for Mr. Hachiman, this was merely an attempt.
Finally, The Clockwork Museum Incident arrived. This work, representing his first official foray into the orthodox field, genuinely made many in the industry sweat, and the reason was simple: as a starting point, it set the bar impossibly high.
As a detective novel, its core lies in the murderer's trick, supplemented by exciting adventure, a fascinating atmosphere, and a shocking plot. The Clockwork Museum Incident managed to include all these elements and achieved near perfection in each.
"The most valuable thing about this book is that there is almost no filler in the plot. Every word in the 260,000-word novel is a key part," commented a member of Kyoto University's famous mystery club. This club was known for its purist approach to the genre, and many famous mystery writers had emerged from its ranks. After Hachiman's rise to fame through social mysteries—a subgenre they didn't even consider true mystery—the club had been very resistant to him.
However, after the release of The Clockwork Museum Incident, the club transformed almost overnight into a Hikigaya Hachiman fan club. Eight members stayed up late writing detailed reading notes, which they then published publicly. The next day, the members gathered in their activity room to read the book a second time and exchange opinions, vowing to become the most thorough scholars of the novel in all of Japan.
"I still prefer your previous rebellious look," the club's instructor couldn't help but sigh, observing the members studying with intense seriousness.
In the teacher's opinion, Hachiman was a magical writer. Many had questioned him, yet he never made any targeted public remarks in response. His Twitter was only for sharing his daily life and advertising his books; he could even be considered somewhat aloof. Yet, it was this writer who could delve into the extreme side of human nature in Confessions and Malice, and also craft the romantic, gorgeous, and imaginative tricks of The Clockwork Museum Incident.
He never made enemies of his critics. He simply reminded them, again and again through his works, that questioning him was like throwing an axe into the sky. No matter how high or far you throw it, it can't hurt the sky; in the end, it will only fall back down and hit you.
"Teacher," a student in the room suggested, "how about we just change the name of this club to the 'Writer Hachiman Works Research Club'?" This student had been a fan since Hachiman's debut and had been excluded from the club for a long time because of it. Now, he was completely vindicated, walking around proudly, even receiving bows from the senior members.
"Bullshit! Absolute bullshit!" the instructor snapped, momentarily losing his composure. "The Kyoto University Mystery Fiction Research Society has existed for thirty years! How can we just change the name? Go ask those alumni who are now managers at the Mystery Writers Association if they would agree!" He had been a member twenty years ago, and several of his classmates from that time had become mystery writers themselves. He had a very deep affection for the club.
"Sorry," he apologized after calming down. "I got a little excited and shouldn't have used foul language. In short, it's a blessing for us and the entire mystery literature community that Mr. Hachiman has created such an excellent work. Everyone must study this book carefully. The members of our club are different from ordinary readers. In the future, you will all publish true mystery literature!" he declared, giving a speech to all the members.
"But I still want to remind you," he cautioned, "the purpose of studying excellent works is to get inspiration from them. It is not just imitation, or even plagiarism! That would make Mr. Hachiman and the entire industry look down on us. All of you here must take some responsibility for the reputation of Kyoto University's Research Society. Well, that's all I have to say. You can continue your research."
The Kyoto University club was just one of many groups that Hikigaya Hachiman had convinced with the sheer quality of his work. In fact, after the release of The Clockwork Museum Incident, a large number of people and groups who had previously criticized him began frantically deleting their old statements and praising the work in ways even more exaggerated than his most devoted fans.
More than a week passed, and many readers had already finished the book more than once. A large number of literary critics and YouTubers began expressing their opinions across various channels. The conclusions they reached were highly consistent: The Clockwork Museum Incident was undoubtedly the highest masterpiece born in the Japanese orthodox mystery literary world since The Astrology Murder Magic in 1980. The scale and magnificence of its tricks were unprecedented. It was a groundbreaking, milestone classic.
"It is foreseeable that all future orthodox mystery writers will be more or less influenced by this work. The elements within it will be borrowed, imitated, and even plagiarized countless times. The reason is very simple: The Clockwork Museum Incident contains all the essential elements of new orthodox mystery. It is the best definition of the term 'new orthodox' itself."
This was from a literary review published by Weekly Bunshun two weeks after the novel's release. It was also a subtle reminder from Sakuraba Publishing House to other authors and publishers: all of you who want to ride the hurricane created by this book, don't forget where your inspiration came from.
All in all, this was a great work destined to forever stand on the throne of Japanese mystery literature.
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