Endless Myth and Hana no Keiji
— Cosmic Myth and the Aesthetics of the “Kabukimono” —
The novel Endless Myth and Hana no Keiji may seem completely different at first glance.
One is a multiversal cosmic mythology, while the other is a historical story centered on the life of a single warrior in the Sengoku era.
Yet both works share a common pursuit: pushing the question of existence to its extreme.
This article compares them through myth structure, character, aesthetics, and the meaning of life itself.
1. Form of Myth: Cosmic Structure vs. Individual Myth
Endless Myth is an infinitely expanding mythology.
The universe itself becomes the narrative.
Hana no Keiji turns an individual life into myth.
Maeda Keiji becomes the embodiment of the story itself.
In short:
Endless Myth: myth of the cosmos
Hana no Keiji: myth of the individual
2. Worldview: Cosmos vs. Historical Reality
Endless Myth operates in an abstract realm of time, space, and infinity.
Hana no Keiji is grounded in historical reality—the Sengoku period.
Yet within that reality, human life is elevated to a mythic level.
Thus:
Endless Myth: abstract universe
Hana no Keiji: myth within reality
3. Characters: Conceptual Entities vs. the Kabukimono
Characters in Endless Myth often embody elements of cosmic structure.
In Hana no Keiji, the protagonist Maeda Keiji represents the ideal of the kabukimono—
a figure who lives outside convention, guided only by personal aesthetics and conviction.
4. Aesthetics: Structure vs. Way of Living
Endless Myth finds beauty in structure.
The infinite system itself becomes an aesthetic.
Hana no Keiji finds beauty in how one lives.
Every action—how one fights, lives, and dies—becomes an expression of style and philosophy.
5. Life and Death: Infinity vs. the Moment
In Endless Myth, existence extends infinitely.
Even death is part of a larger structure.
In Hana no Keiji, life is fleeting.
Its value lies in how intensely that brief moment is lived.
6. Essence of Myth: Existence vs. Resolve
Endless Myth presents existence itself as myth.
Hana no Keiji presents resolve as myth—
the determination of how to live and how to die.
Conclusion: Does Myth Exist in the Cosmos or in Human Life?
Endless Myth and Hana no Keiji represent two extremes of mythology:
Endless Myth: myth as the cosmos itself
Hana no Keiji: myth as human life
The former finds meaning in infinity.
The latter creates meaning within a single fleeting life.
And this comparison leads to a fundamental question:
Does myth exist in the vast structure of the universe—
or is it born from the way a human being chooses to live?


