Twelve Days: Eleven Pipers Piping

Or: A Discovery of Forbidden Scrolls

The discovery of a certain manga is usually not a story to be passed down through the generations. Indeed, the specifics of how I fell across Forbidden Scrollery are so forgettable I appear to have forgotten them myself. Regardless, the reading of the aforementioned series takes but a moment for it is so terribly short^[1].

Forbidden Scrollery is a lightly comedic anthology of short stories, each of which are centred in some way about a library and its young mistress, Kosuzu Motoori. The young lady in question is a bit of a bibliophile, and enjoys collecting a certain type of rare books.

Kosuzu has a well-respected, affluent friend who comes from a very good family. Nevertheless, said friend is somewhat excitable at times. This difference is reasonably amusing; both because of how it is different to her public image, but also because of how she is portrayed in similar works. Both Kosuzu and her friend are presented as two young ladies of business, who later came to know one another through their multiple interactions. Their friendship is believable and well-rounded, as much as such things usually are.

The third main character is an affable trickster. A young lady of intelligence, of quick wits, and of transparent motives^[2]. This adds a bit of meat to the proceedings. Each story takes the form of a simple mystery, with a touch of magic thrown in for good measure. The art is really quite nice too.

How this moment might be a Moment is really quite simple, and exceedingly subjective: it is an eminently enjoyable manga. I first read it following the last of my exams, and occasionally dip back into it even now. More than a 4-koma, yet less than an involved series of ten volumes. It is quirky, short, and pleasant. A good pick-me-up at the end of a long week – or indeed, at the end of an examination period.

Footnotes

1. Yes, it’s technically unfinished but let’s not mind the minor details.  ↩
2. Of course, this can actually mean two things. Either that one’s motives are obvious for all to see, or that one’s motives cannot be seen. Unlike Havelock, Lord Vetinari, the motives of the character in question are of the latter kind.  ↩

Post Scriptum

For those that have yet to twig: Forbidden Scrollery is one of the few official Touhou manga, but don’t let that put you off. Whilst I’m here, I would probably also recommend Monologue. It is less official, but also very good.