Ryuusui Seiryouin

**Ryuusui Seiryouin** (清涼院(せいりょういん) 流水(りゅうすい), *Seiryōin Ryūsui*), real name **Hidetaka Kanai** (金井(かない) 英貴(ひでたか), *Kanai Hidetaka*), is a Japanese author of mystery fiction, as well as nonfiction, history books and English guidebooks. He is notable for being the winner of the second Mephisto Prize.

Outside of his writing career, he works as an English translator, and is the founder and editor-in-chief of The BBB, a company translating and releasing Japanese books as e-books, made up mostly of Mephisto Prize winners, such as Hiroshi Mori, Takafumi Takada, Kenichi Sobu, Ryousuke Akizuki and others.

## Biography

Seiryouin was born in Nishinomiya City, in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan. He graduated from Kouyou Gakuin high school. While still in school, he was inspired by Yoshiki Tanaka's *Legend of the Galactic Heroes* and wrote a fantasy novel titled *Fantasy Sky Scroll* (夢幻天空絵巻(むげんてんくうえまき), *Mugen Tenkū Emaki*). On February 29, 1992, he decided to become a writer and chose the pen name Seiryouin Ryuusui, inspired by seeing a flowing river.

In 1993, he enrolled in Kyoto University, which is when he mainly began writing mysteries. He joined the Kyoto University Mystery Novel Research Club, famous for producing writers such as Yukito Ayatsuji and Yutaka Maya, where he wrote the first short story of what would later become the *JDC Series*, titled *The Crime Between Black Cats* (黒猫間(くろねこま)の犯罪(はんざい), *Kuronekoma no Hanzai*), which was so well-received by the club that he went on to write one short story per month. Later, he completed *For the Great Downfall* (華麗(かれい)なる没落(ぼつらく)のために, *Kareinaru Botsuraku no Tame ni*), a 700-page manuscript which would serve as a prototype for *Joker*. The work caused a controversy due to its unprecedented nature, which lead to Seiryouin leaving the club.

In 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake destroyed his parents' house, and experiencing the disaster greatly influenced both his outlook on life and his writing, influencing the setting of the manuscript he was working on at the time, *The Legend of the 1200 Year Locked Room* (１２００年密室伝説(ねんみっしつでんせつ), *1200-nen Misshitsu Densetsu*), as well as inspiring his later work, *Carnival*.

In 1996, he submitted *The Legend of the 1200 Year Locked Room* to the Mephisto Prize and won, his work being retitled to *Cosmic: End of Century Detective Myth* and published by Kodansha. Treated as a "once-in-a-decade work", the book was received very positively, both within the world of mytery novel enthusiasts and outside it, being referred to by critics such as Eiji Ootsuka, Hiroki Azuma and Tamaki Saitou.

On January 1, 2001, he dropped out of university, dubbing himself "the first Kyoto University dropout of the new century".

In January 2007, Kodansha began publishing the *Perfect World Series*, a series written by Seiryouin as part of a project in which he and Nisio Isin would each write a twelve volume-long novel series, with a volume released every month for an entire year.

In 2012, he launched The BBB, a e-book publishing company translating Japanese novels into English, with various Mephisto-winning authors assisting the project.

## External Links

* Seiryouin's English Wikipedia Page
* Seiryouin's Japanese Wikipedia Page
* Profile on The BBB Website

## Trivia

* The surname of Seiryouin's real name, Kanai, means "gold well", while the first name is written with the characters for "hero" and "honor".
* The surname of Seiryouin's pen name means "refreshing temple", while the first name means "flowing water".

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cosmic: End of Century Detective Myth (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Joker: Old Testament Detective Myth (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Carnival Eve: Mankind's Greatest Case (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Carnival: Mankind's Final Case (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Carnival Day: Anniversary of the New Generation (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Saimon Family Case (First Half): Gokujou Magic Circus (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Saimon Family Case (Second Half): Gekokujou Masterpiece (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Detective Ritual THE NOVEL: The Mephisto Disease Case (in Japanese). Published by Kadokawa.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 19BOX: New Mystery Genesis (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 L: Japanese National Rock Paper Scissors Tournament (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 U: New Television Project for All Japanese Citizens (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Toprun Episode 1: This is the Front Line (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Toprun Episode 2: The Lover is a Kidnapper (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Toprun Episode 3: Ransom Loan (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Toprun Episode 4: Great Quiz Reversal (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Toprun Episode 5: Focus on the Final Story (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Toprun Final Episode: Run the Great Voyage (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Topland 2001: Angel Episode 1 (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Topland 1980: Gentleman Episode 1 (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Topland 2002: Warrior Episode 1 (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Toprun & Land: The End (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Toku Made Yaru (in Japanese). Published by Tokuma Dual Bunko.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Toku Matsu Case of Yagiri Residence (in Japanese). Published by Tokuma Dual Bunko.
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Toku. (Toku Maru) (in Japanese). Published by Tokuma Dual Bunko.
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 What a Perfect World! Book.1 One Ace (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 What a Perfect World! Book.2 Two to Tango (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 What a Perfect World! Book.3 Three Cheers (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 What a Perfect World! Book.4 Four Winds (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 What a Perfect World! Book.5 Five-Star (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 What a Perfect World! Book.6 Sixth Sense (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 What a Perfect World! Book.7 Seventh Heaven (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 What a Perfect World! Book.8 Figure of Eight (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 What a Perfect World! Book.9 On the Cloud Nine (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 What a Perfect World! Book.10 Ten Commandments (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 What a Perfect World! Book.11 Eleven-Plus (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 What a Perfect World! Book.12 Perfect Twelve (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 Secret Shop (Red) (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Secret Shop (White) (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Secret Shop Bunko: Comprehensible Mystery (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Secret Room Bon (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Secret Room Bon QUIZ SHOW (in Japanese). Published by Kodansha.
42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Misuteriaru Kyara Netto (in Japanese). Published by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Kyara Netto Love $ Detective's Case Files (in Japanese). Published by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Brandish? (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 Red Book: Waltz in the Rain (in Japanese). Published by Gentosha.
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 LOVE LOGIC: Honey and Punishment (in Japanese). Published by Kadokawa Shoten.
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 Cosmic Zero: Japan Extinction Plan (in Japanese). Published by Bungeishunju.
48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 B/W Perfect Crime Study Group (in Japanese). Published by Ohta Publishing.
49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Forgotten Love (in Japanese). Published by Stardust Pictures.