The Story Log
天帝妖狐

天帝妖狐

てんていようこ
Details
Author 乙一 (おついち) · Otsuichi
Language Japanese
Format Short Stories
Published 2001
Pages 256
Read 2026-07-14 → 2026-07-20
Finished ★★★★★
Short Stories
1
A Masked Ball
2
天帝妖狐
てんていようこ

Review

★★★★★

天帝妖狐 was first published in 1998, but it really doesn’t feel like something someone could write at the age of 20~. It has those recurring themes of loneliness and friendships, but the setting and plot felt very unique compared to the other short stories I read. I really loved it, as well as the other short story from the collection, A Masked Ball.

Updates

100%

Finished 天帝妖狐! I

75%

I started the short story 天帝妖狐, and it’s really good, I’m amazed that this should be one of Otsuichi’s first writings!

50%

I finished the first short story/novella, A Masked Ball, it was incredibly engrossing, the idea of the communication through graffiti was so great. The plot and the end are both excellent.

25%

I just started it, there’s a story called A Masked Ball before 天帝妖狐, and it’s so so good!
For once, there are actually several characters named, but I just went on reading, and didn’t make a list. Don’t really need lists anyway for short stories.

Characters

天帝妖狐
夜木 Other
やぎYagi
writes the letter
鈴木杏子 Other
すずき きょうこSuzuki Kyoko
recipient of the letter
田中正美 Other
たなか まさみTanaka Masami
Rent the second floor of the Suzuki house
俊一 Other
しゅんいちShunichi
Kyoko’s big brother
博 Other
ひろしHiroshi
Masami’s son
早苗 Other
さなえSanae
Yagi’s interlocutor
木嶋 Other
きじまKijima
Yagi’s teacher
弘樹 Other
ひろきHiroki
Yagi’s friend
秋山 Other
あきやまAkiyama
Shunichi’s friend
井上 Other
いのうえInoue
Shuninchi’s friend