에도가와 란포 소설의 어댑테이션 ─ BL화 하는 『외딴섬 악마』 ─ = Adaptation of Edogawa Ranpo’s Novel The Demon of the Lonely Isle: Its Transformation to Boys’ Love

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Among all of Edogawa Ranpo’s novels, The Demon of the Lonely Isle (1929–1930) is highly regarded. Its historical rarity and originality lie in its depiction of same-sex love as a theme woven into emotional relationships, and narrative of the main characters. These qualities have led to its adaptation into various media over time, where each version provided new interpretations and expressions.
An examination of the different adaptations of The Demon of the Lonely Isle revealed a trend toward its transformation into Boys’ Love (BL) starting around 2015, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Ranpo’s death. This BL marketing aligned with the BL boom in the manga publishing industry since the 1990s, reflecting the influence of the changing media environment. However, such shift raises critical concerns as the emphasis on genre conventions typical of commercially oriented BL targeted at female readers may result in loss of certain messages.
The present study investigated the external factors that prompted these adaptations and analyzed the changes that occurred when the textual medium transitioned to visual media. The current research explored the internal factors that have driven the divergence between the original work and its adaptations, This study also focused on how the differences in media characteristics influenced representations, directions, and character interpretations. By examining these adaptations, the current study also proposed a new approach to understand The Demon of the Lonely Isle.