Shirei

Synopsis

Shirei is one of his Shirato Sanpei's earliest works, published the year after his 1957 debut Kogarashi Kenshi. It is notable for remaining unreprinted to this day, even as many of his earlier works have been reprinted or reissued. While the title on the cover is Shirei, the title on the frontispiece is Noroi no Kage. Set in Showa-era Japan shortly after the end of the Pacific War, the story depicts a father and son tormented by the vengeful spirits of the dead that repeatedly attack them, and their struggle to confront these forces. The exact reason why it has not been reprinted or reissued for so long since its initial publication is unclear, but it is thought that the vivid depictions of the military oppressing innocent civilians in the South Pacific during the war—inserted as the protagonist’s father’s flashbacks in the first half of the story—and the gravity of the content may be factors contributing to the delay in its reissue. (Source: Mandarake, translated)