祝・映画化！原作小説『ブラック・ショーマンと名もなき町の殺人』について語りたい！｜東野圭吾｜ミステリー小説

祝・映画化！原作小説『ブラック・ショーマンと名もなき町の殺人』について語りたい！｜東野圭吾｜ミステリー小説

Welcome to Free Atelier Sei! This is Sei. Yesterday, on September 12, 2025, the film “The Black Showman,” based on the novel by Keigo Higashino, was released. Masaharu Fukuyama plays the detective and Kasumi Arimura plays his assistant. Has anyone already seen it? Today, I’d like to talk in detail about the original novel, “The Black Showman and the Murder in the Nameless Town,” which is the basis for the film! I hope to convey the appeal of the original novel to those who have seen the film and those who haven’t yet. The golden duo of Keigo Higashino and Masaharu Fukuyama, known for the “Galileo” series, have teamed up again to create a new dark hero! Masaharu Fukuyama plays Takeshi Kamio, a former magician with extraordinary insight. Kasumi Arimura plays Mayo Kamio, Takeshi’s niece and assistant who solves the mystery of his father’s murder. I read the novel after hearing about this casting, and the image of the two actors was perfect! In fact, the character of Kamio Takeshi was written with Masaharu Fukuyama in mind. Fukuyama asked Higashino, “What would happen if someone with the clarity of mind of Yukawa Manabu from the Galileo series succumbed to the dark side?” This is how “Black Showman” was born. It seems Fukuyama was a key factor in the production. First of all, Masaharu Fukuyama began practicing two to three months in advance for his role as a magician. Apparently, he was so immersed in the role that even in his private life, his sharpness in handing out credit cards led store clerks to laugh at him. Kamio Takeshi, who plays Kamio, demonstrates his magician’s skills not only on stage but also in everyday life, such as instantly removing a smartphone from a pocket. I’m sure Masaharu Fukuyama would pull it off! Kasumi Arimura also plays the role of assistant. Despite grieving the murder of her father, she investigates with her uncle, Takeshi Kamio, to uncover the truth. Apparently, Kasumi Arimura had a photo of her father, Toru Nakamura, as her smartphone wallpaper while filming, revealing her meticulous preparation for the role. However, after reading the original novel, I felt it was a very challenging role. Confused by her father’s sudden death, she searches for the culprit and also engages in comical exchanges with her eccentric uncle. The contrast between serious and comedic elements is stark, but the talented actress Kasumi Arimura will ensure she’ll be comfortable. I’ll make a video about my impressions of the film once I see it. Sorry for the wait! From here, I’ll be discussing the original novel in detail! The first half will be spoiler-free for those who haven’t read it, and the second half will be spoiler-filled for those who have! This work is a full-length mystery novel by Keigo Higashino, originally published in hardcover by Kobunsha on November 30, 2020, and in paperback on November 14, 2023. This is the first book in the Black Showman series, and a sequel, “The Black Showman and the Awakening Women,” was published on January 24, 2024, officially making it a full-length series. I also read the sequel, which is a collection of six short stories. The hugely popular Galileo series also has a similar structure, with five of its ten books being short story collections. If enough stories are accumulated, it’s possible that it could be adapted into a TV drama or film. The story is set in March 2021, in an unnamed town that could be found anywhere in Japan, where tourists have been shunned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kamio Mayo, an architect with two months to go before her wedding, receives a call that her father, Eiichi, who lives alone in his hometown, has been murdered by an unknown assailant in their home. Mayo hastily returns to her hometown, but the police refuse to provide details of the investigation. Then, her estranged uncle, Kamio Takeshi, shows up. A former magician, he begins his own investigation, using his uncanny wit and sleight-of-hand tricks. This mystery uncovers the truth behind the murder of his father, with the help of his daughter and uncle. The character of Takeshi is unique. He uses his magic tricks to remove the detective’s smartphone from his pocket, prying for information he wants, and skillfully extracting information by lying. He’s a truly “black” showman, and at first, you wonder if he’s alright, but as you read, you begin to see his own sense of justice and kindness. One of the appeals of this work is its careful portrayal of the historical backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Set in March 2021, the story realistically recreates real-life experiences we’ve all experienced, including a stalled town revitalization plan, deserted shopping districts, repeated state of emergency declarations and travel restrictions, marital troubles due to telework, and changes in weddings and funerals . While this is a “mystery entertainment” featuring a quirky detective, I also felt it was a “history book” documenting how COVID-19 has changed people’s lives. I believe that when future generations look back on this era, they will be able to sense the atmosphere of that time from this novel. I thought the setting of the “Nameless Town” in the title was excellent. It’s a regional town that relies on tourism, making it easy for readers to empathize, thinking, “Oh, this could be my town.” In fact, there are many such tourist destinations throughout Japan, and many places have likely suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting the story in such a universal location makes the characters feel more relatable. Before the incident, the protagonist mentions an upcoming junior high school reunion. For this, Mayo talks to a friend on the phone, and at this point, the names of many of her classmates are mentioned. I found myself wondering, “Could one of them be the culprit?” There are a total of 10 suspects. ① Mayo’s fiance, ② Mayo’s friend and ③ her husband, ④ the classmate of the first person to discover the crime, ⑤ the classmate on the elite track, ⑥ the classmate who became a super-famous manga artist, ⑦ the classmate who acts like his manager, and ⑧, ⑨, ⑩ three classmates working on a town revitalization project. Each of them has their own suspicious aspects, and the culprit remains a mystery until the very end. With so many suspects, it’s fun to solve the mystery. Who do you think is the most suspicious? Let me know in the comments! From here on, I’ll be sharing my thoughts, including spoilers. If you haven’t read it yet, please do so before coming back! I would also encourage those who have seen the movie and, if possible, the original novel . What particularly impressed me as I read it was the repeated cycle of “investigation → information organization.” The work is 514 pages long and has 31 chapters, including the prologue and epilogue. Thanks to this careful structure, I was able to read it without getting confused. However, it’s true that Takeshi’s methods of stealing information from people’s smartphones and lying to get information out of them became a bit repetitive with each episode. At first, I thought Mayo’s fiancé was suspicious. He contacted her so frequently, it felt like he was trying to find out something. But the mystery was solved in the epilogue. Because Mayo hadn’t contacted her, it felt like she was the one contacting him first. The information that her late father had been to Tokyo misled us into thinking her fiancé, who was in Tokyo, was suspicious. In the end, it wasn’t until Takeshi’s final show, where the suspects were narrowed down, that we finally found the culprit. What a shame! Did anyone realize “that person is suspicious!” before the show started? I thought Eiichi would have reluctantly nodded if she’d asked him to keep it a secret. However , the depiction of a “strict teacher” in the story may have been a hint. The culprit probably assumed the teacher would not forgive him because he remembered him as a “strict teacher” from middle school. Even so, I was surprised at his short-sightedness in starting a fire without any hesitation, even though he could have used his imagination to realize that stealing files alone would raise suspicion. On the other hand, perhaps he continued to send New Year’s cards to Tsukumi’s mother every year because he still felt guilty. People are truly complicated. As I mentioned in the spoiler-free section, this film is a detailed history of the COVID-19 pandemic. It covers the stalled Gen Rabbi House construction plan, people who lost money on investments, and business owners struggling with declining customer numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some people died from COVID-19, and others had their daily routines disrupted by family members working remotely. I also switched to a fully remote work system around March 2020, but since I lived alone, I considered myself lucky that I could use my commute time for leisure. However, I imagine it must have been difficult for those with families. Since there are many opportunities to speak out loud during meetings, some may have been stressed out over trying to avoid having their microphones pick up everyday noises. While the film depicts such a realistic COVID-19 situation, I personally liked the fact that the perpetrator’s motive was unrelated to COVID-19. I felt that even in such a turbulent time, the essence of human nature remains the same. That concludes my review of Keigo Higashino’s “The Black Showman and the Murder in the Nameless Town”! I’m sure many of you are drawn to the golden combination of Keigo Higashino and Masaharu Fukuyama . If you enjoyed the film, I recommend you also pick up the original novel and the sequel, “The Black Showman and the Awakening Women.” Personally, I’m curious about what happened in Takeshi’s past and why he quit his job as a magician in the United States and returned to Japan. Please let me know what you think! If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe and click the like button. Thank you for watching until the end! See you in the next video!

ご視聴いただきありがとうございます！
（せい☃️）

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🔗関連サイト
　東野圭吾先生の作品一覧｜どれから読む？デビュー作から直木賞受賞作まで刊行順に紹介
　https://www.freeatelier-sei.com/nv-000011/

📚ご紹介した作品(PR)
　📘『ブラック・ショーマンと名もなき町の殺人』東野圭吾（光文社）
　　Amazon ▶️ https://amzn.to/4g8ZECS
　　楽天　　▶️ https://a.r10.to/h8sP0l

　📙『ブラック・ショーマンと覚醒する女たち』東野圭吾（光文社）
　　Amazon ▶️ https://amzn.to/4mQRXnk
　　楽天　　▶️ https://a.r10.to/hkt0U9

🎞️映画情報
公式サイト：https://blackshowman.jp/
本予告映像：https://youtu.be/uMPRMo92pRU?si=GVap1-2y7HgKnEHH

原作：#東野圭吾『ブラック・ショーマンと名もなき町の殺人』（光文社文庫刊）
監督：田中亮（「コンフィデンスマンJP」シリーズ、「イチケイのカラス」シリーズ）
脚本：橋本夏（「１１９エマージェンシーコール」「降り積もれ孤独な死よ」）
音楽：佐藤直紀
テーマソング：「幻界」福山雅治（アミューズ / Polydor Records）
出演：#福山雅治 #有村架純
成田凌 生田絵梨花 木村昴 森永悠希 秋山寛貴（ハナコ） 犬飼貴丈 岡崎紗絵
森崎ウィン 丸山智己 濱田マリ 伊藤淳史 生瀬勝久 仲村トオル
配給：東宝
©2025映画『ブラック・ショーマン』製作委員会

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