Munakata Kyouju Ikouroku

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This series, like the original Munakata, isn't for everyone. This series is about a researcher/folklore professor named Munakata who investigates archaeological evidence for Japanese legends. I think that only people who are interested in mythology would like this series. I love mythology, so I think this series is great.

I really enjoyed the first series. I've always loved the darker side of fairy tales and legends, and Munakata really strikes a good balance between intellectual and horrific. This second series is much like the first, but the stories are a bit more interconnected. One of the weaknesses of the first series was a lack of character ... development. The second series does a lot to correct this problem. The side characters, particularly the female side characters, like Imibe (the sister, not the brother), Isabella (the English witch), and Taki (Munakata's niece), are given more development and appear more in multiple stories. It's also a nice break from Munakata saving the day every time to have other characters help him. There's also more of a focus on Munakata's past and on his research focus of legends relating to iron metalworking in ancient times. The legends in this one are just as interesting, which is surprising because I had almost felt as though Hoshino had exhausted every legend that could possibly relate to Japan. I'm glad that this isn't the case. I'd gladly read a third or fourth Munakata series.