/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>20322758
Zounose's stories are rarely grimdark for the sake of it. The only one that was lolgrimdark was Canni-can, and even then there are people who think it's a perfectly viable story that could have happened in Gensokyo.

Instead he often explores the results of alien sense of morality and bizarre social structure, but not without love or friendship. Look at Vintage or Kaminare. There is often true friendship between humans and youkai/gods, real fondness, but marred by an absolutely alien sense of propriety and morality. Because curse gods and ultimate predators ultimately don't think like humans, no matter how prettily they coat themselves.

If you have a predator Youkai-like morality, Vintage is a very sweet friendship story about a master acceding to the wishes of her servant, even against the master's very wants. That it involves cannibalism to make a point is but secondary.

If you have a thousand years old curse-goddess mentality, Kaminare is a cute coming of age story about a human accepting her inheritance to rise amongst equals. The little orphan being ritually eaten is certainly sad, but no more than a cute doe being slaughtered for the butcher.

Zounose's stories are quite dark, but never because he wanted people to be grossed out by cannibalism or whatnot. Instead he often has a point. His Marisa is remarkably enticing: she is slowly becoming more alien in thoughts by virtue of starting to become a magician, and sees no particular issues with going past human morality matter-of-factly.