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Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
Keith Yatsuhashi’s Kojiki introduces Keiko Yamada, who is searching for a particular ‘gate’ described by her late father through a cryptic message and a death poem. When she thinks she finally discovers what she’s looking for, chaos erupts and an ancient malevolent god, Vissyus, appears. The only ones that can stop him are the other gods and their guardians. Keiko not only learns about primordial conflicts between the gods, but also the truth about her lineage and her significant role in saving the world.
A large portion of the story is set in Japan, along with other locations such as Miami and Nepal. Being a fan of Japanese anime and with my basic understanding of the language, I eased through the Japanese phrases that are appropriately sparse on every page in Kojiki. However, the phrases are easy to understand without directly know their meaning, as Yatsuhashi’s prose upholds the golden rule of writing – show, don’t tell. Yatsuhashi also does a commendable job of adding depth to the characters, and the multifaceted plot gives the story a firm degree of maturity. I gravitated toward Keiko and Yui Akiko, the young god of Light and Spirit, although the other cast members are equally impressive and well-crafted. That said, despite the straightforward and detail-rich prose, I struggled a bit in imagining the battle scenes. Some are effortless to visualize, others make me wish for a few illustrations.
Overall, Kojiki is immensely enjoyable. All my favorite elements are at play – Japanese culture, fantasy, ancient gods, dragon guardians and strong female protagonists. There’s no indication about a sequel, yet I hope there’s a continuation to the story, particularly one that revolves around Yui and Keiko’s friendship.
