I’ve read several Kindaichi stories that I just haven’t reviewed because they’ve all been bad, but not quite as bad as It Walks By Night, so it felt difficult to muster the energy to write when I’d just be making the same points as in that review, but with less gusto. However, Death on Gokumon Island may by the best Yokomizo book I’ve read so far. Don’t interpret that as me liking it, because I don’t, but it’s not a steaming pile of problematic trash, which is a nice change of pace for Yokomizo.Gokumon Island takes place in 1946 after the end of World War II, with Kindaichi returning from deployment in New Guinea. His brother-in-arms Chimata Kitou passes away from malaria during the boat ride back to Japan, and on his deathbed Chimata tells Kindaichi that if he dies, his three sisters will be murdered, and begs Kindaichi to protect them. Kindaichi travels to Chimata’s home on Gokumon Island in the Seto Inland Sea, ostensibly to inform Chimata’s family of Chimata’s passing but in truth to protect Chimata’s three sisters.He fails horribly. All three die by the end. While Kindaichi is odd and has his faults his skill as a great detective is constantly praised, which makes no sense considering how many murders happen on his watch. No matter how clearly a murderer broadcasts their intent to kill Kindaichi is never able to help anyone. This happens in multiple books, but is particularly egregious here since Kindaichi knows the three targets from the beginning! Kindaichi never explains his mission, and a compelling reason for this is never given.Nevertheless, this is probably the best Kindaichi mystery I’ve read, for two reasons. First, the murders actually have some thought behind them! In a lot of Yokomizo stories, the weirdness turns out to be some combination of contrivance and coincidence rather than the workings of anything clever. Gokumon’s murders involve tricks… mostly. The sketchiest murder is mostly glossed over, but it’s still a massive improvement from Yokomizo’s other works. I’m also not sure how fair Gokumon really is, since a lot hinges on information Kindaichi obtains either in the last chapter or off-screen.In addition to being (relatively) good, Gokumon isn’t bad! Which is to say that it generally escapes Yokomizo’s worst tendencies. There are still a lot of crazy people running around, but there’s no abnormally beautiful teenage girl that every male character attempts to rape, so I’ll count it as a win for Yokomizo. The women aren’t great, but one is competent, and although one character is extremely misogynistic, considering what it gets them I wouldn’t call Gokumon and endorsement of that viewpoint. The cast as a whole is frustratingly cruel and stupid, so as I said, this isn’t about being good, but not being terrible.The motive—and way the characters act in general—is also ridiculous, and such an extreme overreaction to the situation with an incredibly simple alternative solution. On the other hand, considering how the book ends, perhaps the stupidity of the murders is part of the point, but I don’t really want to give Yokomizo credit that his books could potentially contain societal commentary so we’ll skip over that.Death on Gokumon Island is a Yokomizo that I can say positive things about, which makes it quite the rare specimen. Obviously I still have plenty of complaints, but they aren’t nearly as severe as normal for Yokomizo. So if you’re going to read a Yokomizo, I guess it should be this one (but if possible I’d still recommend that instead you read something that’s, y’know, good).
Jan 15, 2026 • Subscribe
More like this
Nagi’s Island (凪の島, Masahiko Nagasawa, 2022)
A young girl begins to put the past behind her while comforted by an idyllic island community in Masahiko Nagasawa’s gentle human drama.
Blue Island (憂鬱之島, Chan Tze-Woon, 2022)
Chan Tze-Woon’s melancholy documentary places the protestors of today into the protests of the past and asks them what is Hong Kong that Hong Kong means to them.
Resident Evil: Death Island Creatives Share Thoughts on Assembling the Team
Director Eiichirō Hasumi pairs up with returning writer Makoto Fukami, and longtime Resident Evil producer Masachika Kawata to build an exciting mission for the five characters on San…
Resident Evil: Death Island Creatives Share Thoughts on Assembling the Team
Director Eiichirō Hasumi pairs up with returning writer Makoto Fukami, and longtime Resident Evil producer Masachika Kawata to build an exciting mission for the five characters on San…
Resident Evil Death Island – Coming Summer 2023
CAPCOM released the trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil Series, Resident Evil Dead Island. 'Dead Island' is the 6th CGI film, following the 2017 film Resident Evil: Vendetta…
Finding Paradise on Boracay Island
After spending a relaxing weekending in Manila, I decided to fly to the Philippines’s #1 getaway and party destination: Boracay Island. Boracay is a small island located in…
No Man is an Island (沒有人該成為孤島, Jay Chern, 2022)
Jay Chern’s hopeful documentary captures the love and care displayed by the staff at a small hotel agreeing to host travellers quarantining after returning to Taiwan from overseas
Mikio Naruse: Adventures on Harumi Island
I got a pleasant surprise recently when I watched Mikio Naruse’s AUTUMN HAS ALREADY STARTED (1960). At a key point in the narrative, the two child protagonists living…
Resident Evil: Death Island Screening Brings Together Fans and Cast
Death Island brings together the video games' most recognizable characters for a thrilling mission filled with iconic zombies.
Rashomon (羅生門, Akira Kurosawa, 1950)
A series of witnesses give conflicting accounts of a death in the forest in Akira Kurosawa’s exploration of the limits of objective truth.
Chasing Sunsets on Sakurajima, Kagoshima’s Volcanic Island
View of Sakurajima from the Arimura Lava Observatory. Right before my expedition to Ogawa Falls in the remote city of Kanoya, I decided to make a brief pitstop…
Death on the Nile (1937)
A blog focused on gaining experience about art. Writing in particular.
The Island Closest to Heaven (天国にいちばん近い島, Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1984)
A young woman comes to a new understanding of herself while travelling abroad in Nobuhiko Obayashi’s laidback kadokawa idol movie.
Episode 584: On Another Island with my Smartphone
This week on Anime Pulse Joseph tells us about the Christmas presents he bought for his family and friends, and Andrew goes straight into community stuff with questioning…
“Hello Kitty Island Adventure” Launches on July 28
Hello Kitty Island Adventure, a cozy, life-sim game! Join forces with Hello Kitty to restore cuteness to a desolate theme park and restore former glory; Create the ultimate…
Resident Evil: Death Island Cast Jokes About Getting Weird in the Recording Booth
"I want to feel that character. It matters to me what happens with that. If something's happening, I need to get my body into that state so that,…
Trouble Island
detective fiction, 推理小説、games, mystery, murder, locked room, Japanese, translations,
Hōzuki Island
A deeply unsettling horror manga. Not because it's scary or anything. God no. But because it had to be really weird. 4:08 - Hōzuki Island 28:51 - My Hero Academia…
Jigoku Hanazono (地獄の花園)
Jigoku Hanazono (地獄の花園) is absolute trash, hilarious and unforgivable, and probably puzzling to anyone who isn’t deeply interested in girl-gang lore. It’s a movie tailored almost …
The Inferno (地獄, Tatsumi Kumashiro, 1979)
No one can escape from their sins according to the ominous voiceover that opens Tatsumi Kumashiro’s loose reimagining of Nobuo Nakagawa’s Jigoku, The Inferno (地獄, Jigoku). Then again,…
Love Live! Superstar!! – Episode 5 – Fun on an Island
Episode impressions of Love Live! Superstar!! Episode 5 as Sumire joins the school idol club. Of course, Kanon and her friends find out that it’s too hot to…
On Writing Yuri with a Death Wish
12 Days of Aniblogging 2022, Day 2 This is the second half of a larger essay. Click here for the first part. Iori Miyazawa is a madman. If you don’t…
Yurikuma Arashi, Otherside Picnic, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Revue Starlight
On Reading Yuri with a Death Wish
12 Days of Aniblogging 2022, Day 1 This essay will discuss suicide. Existentialism is the study of why you shouldn’t kill yourself. This is a noble pursuit, because I’m never…
Death Notes on Camp: Repurposing a classic
New layers and new ways to appreciate the series emerge when it’s considered as a campy melodrama rather than the brooding thriller that writer Ohba Tsugumi intended it…
Love of Kill – 06 – Death On Denial
Chateau isn’t aboard the Artemisia long before she encounters Song, and immediately takes him aside to ask what he’s up to. He’s his usual coy self; his target…
Goats From a Small Island – Some Thoughts on Cucuruz Doan’s Island (that aren’t about its production history)
There is not much to say about the peculiar production history of Cucuruz Doan’s Island – the “missing episode” of Mobile Suit Gundam – that has not already…
Takashi Kojima【小島崇史】Sakuga MAD
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhBN0qkUcE Takashi Kojima is an animator of enormous talent and skill, with the ability to draw any character design perfectly while still maintaining his own unique style. I've…
Remember Me (金門留念, Hung Chun-hsiu, 2022)
Hung’s contemplative doc looks back at age of conflict on which the guns have now fallen silent even as tensions with the Mainland continue to simmer.
Cucuruz Doan’s Island
By Andrew Osmond. The film Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island goes all the way back to the start of the Gundam franchise. Gundam is like Star Trek;…
Dick Fight Island
Warrior representatives from Pulau Yong'unda's eight islands battle in a sexual endurance tournament to decide the next king of the islands. Continue reading →
Dick Fight Island
A cursed episode about... well... the title really says it all. 5:32 - Dick Fight Island 13:51 - My Hero Academia 363 24:23 - Undead Unluck 123 32:05 - Boruto: Naruto Next…
One Piece, Black Clover, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Dororo, Dororo
Dick Fight Island!!
Thoughts The manga starts off with introductions to the characters, and I really love how we get a panel showcasing all of them by their weapons. So as…
Metallic Rouge #06 — Death on the Space Nile
"Out of my way. I want to punch your dog." Impressions: Another pretty weird episode, and that's saying something for this show. They're up on a space…
Akira Toriyama Commented on His Health Before Death
Akira Toriyama stated in a written award ceremony message that he was not confident about his health prior to his death. Read the details and my analysis. On…
‘My Instant Death Ability’ or How I’m Worse than a Death Note on Steroids
My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered that no One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! Initial Series Review By RJ Writing Ink A few…
The Last Dance (破·地獄, Anselm Chan, 2024)
A wedding-planner turned undertaker finds himself in conflict with an irascible Taoist priest in Anselm Chan’s touching dramedy.
Portrait of Hell (地獄変, Shiro Toyoda, 1969)
An artist finds himself in conflict with a cruel feudal lord when asked to paint a picture of heaven in Shiro Toyoda’s haunting adaptation of the Akutagawa story.
An Adventure on Egghead Island! - One Piece Episode 1090 1091 REACTION
An Adventure on Egghead Island! - One Piece Episode 1090 1091 REACTION Become a member! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xIqX93EXRtB4z58AbCarg/join Discord - https://discord.gg/enRG5QR Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/thekingofrecons Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/OuterHeavenRecon/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/YoshidaShoyou Click here to Subscribe…
Spiraken Mini Movie Review: Death on the Nile 2022
In this mysterious mini movie review, Xan and Gretta get to review the long awaited sequel to Kenneth Branagh's Murder on the Orient Express. Was it as compelling as…
Blood on the Dance Floor Retrospective: Hollywood Death Star
I discuss the final Blood on the Dance Floor album: Hollywood Death Star. Being the final album in the bands discography, how does it hold up?
Review: Island Keeper (2021)
Island Keeper 守岛人 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 124 mins. Director: Chen Li 陈力. Rating: 6/10. Well-played drama, based on a real-life story, of a couple on a lonely…
Review: Island Keeper (2021)
Island Keeper 守岛人 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 124 mins. Director: Chen Li 陈力. Rating: 6/10. Well-played drama, based on a real-life story, of a couple on a lonely…
Review: DICK FIGHT ISLAND
Look, I'm not above cashing in on social media trends around here, especially if it means righting a wrong from last year's Holiday Reviews...
Episode 766, "Loser Island"
On this week’s episode of The One Piece Podcast we have Zach, Ed, Steve & Alex hosting for our recap of One Piece Chapter 1081, “Tenth Ship Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates: Kuzan”! This…
Island Review (Spoiler Free)
We’re at the “drama” instalment of my genre review collection, and for this one I went with Island, which I believe was recommended to me for a different…
OPReadthrough #12, "Fishman Island"
On the twelfth volume of “The Great One Piece Readthrough” we go through the next six or so volumes of One Piece in many segments with hosts Zach and Ed! It’s time to…
Episode 766, "Loser Island"
On this week’s episode of The One Piece Podcast we have Zach, Ed, Steve & Alex hosting for our recap of One Piece Chapter 1081, “Tenth Ship Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates: Kuzan”! This…
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Even if you’re not a Sanrio fan, it’s easy to get pulled into the gentle world of the game, and if you enjoy the cozy exploration experience, this…
OPReadthrough #12, "Fishman Island"
On the twelfth volume of “The Great One Piece Readthrough” we go through the next six or so volumes of One Piece in many segments with hosts Zach and Ed! It’s time to…
The Gate of Youth / 青春の門 / Seishun no mon (1975)
Obscure Japanese Film #165 Tomohiro Tanabe and Sayuri Yoshinaga Based on the first part of a bestselling doorstop novel by Hiroyuki Itsu...
