7 Misconceptions of Kishotenketsu

Kishotenketsu is a 4-part narrative structure prevalent in East Asia (specifically China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam). And in recent years, it has made its way into Western writing communities . . . with, unfortunately, some misconceptions and misunderstandings.

But this is no time to reach for the pitchforks; these don't come from a place of malice, but innocence. Nor does this post come from a place of anger--I just want to clear up some of the confusion. Then we can all understand this structure better.

First, though, we should probably review what kishotenketsu is.

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Writing Slice of Life, with Kishotenketsu

When writing slice-of-life scenes, sequences, acts, or whole narrative arcs, it can be tricky to keep them interesting; kishotenketsu story structure can help writers do just that. 

What is Slice of Life?

Slice-of-life moments depict ordinary, everyday life. They can include routines, like walking a dog, making dinner, or even waking up and getting ready for school; or typical social interactions, like hanging out with a friend, asking a spouse about their day, or getting permission from a boss to leave work early. They tend to have low conflict and low stakes, and in fact, they may even have no conflict.

The longer the slice-of-life part is in a story, the trickier it can be to pull off. A bored audience is usually one that won't stick around, and slice-of-life can be rather mundane. 

In a strange way, this often makes slice of life significantly more difficult to write. In a high-stakes, conflict-filled scene, the writer has a lot to work with. If your character is running away from a serial killer, it's innately interesting, and the audience is much more likely to stick around. When a character is doing routine paperwork with little at risk, it can easily, and quickly, turn boring. (And frankly, many unpublished slice-of-life scenes don't contribute enough to the story.)

With that said, what often makes slice of life interesting and enjoyable are the characters and their relationships, and/or the atmosphere and setting. With the "right" characters, a simple trip to the grocery store can be a treat. And if the setting is something like Paris, then everyday experiences there can feel like pleasurable escapism. The target audience may want to linger in a bakery near the Eiffel Tower. 

Many fans of slice of life also cite nostalgia as a draw, and they appreciate reading or watching a story that is actually relaxing. While not a requirement, slice of life tends to be lighthearted. If an entire book or show is slice of life, then often it will be paired with another genre--most commonly comedy or romance. It's typically very difficult to get away with writing something that is pure slice of life (because of some reasons we'll cover below).

Yet, with the rise of slice-of-life vlogs in recent decades, as well as slice of life's close cousin, cozy fiction, it's obvious there is an appetite for "quieter," realistic content.

One of the best ways to handle that content, is to follow kishotenketsu story structure.

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Kishotenketsu Story Structure Explained (with Examples, Visuals, Variations)

Kishōtenketsu is a 4-part narrative structure from East Asia, and over the years, it has slowly been making its way into Western writing communities. From Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, to the award-winning horror film Parasite, to anime and manga like Demon Slayer topping the charts, and the climbing craze for k-dramas, many Westerners have fallen head over heels for the kishotenketsu (pronounced "kee-show-ten-ketsu") storytelling approach (whether they know it or not). Unfortunately, though, there have also been quite a few misunderstandings about what kishotenketsu actually is, and how it works, on its way to the West.

Last year, a student in my writing course asked me to comment on kishotenketsu. And while I will openly admit I'm not an expert on it, or East Asian culture, I'm not completely clueless either. Japan has long held a special place in my heart because my dad, brother, aunt, uncle, and cousins lived there. My best friend's dad did work there. And my other brother's close friend was half-Japanese--he'd sometimes share cool shows with us (fun fact: my first Studio Ghibli film was all in Japanese, no subtitles, thanks to this friend).

I wish I could say these people helped me write this article, but the truth is, they didn't; they haven't studied kishotenketsu or writing in depth . . . and with the research I've done, I know more than them on this topic now. (It probably also helps that I inhaled a lot of anime during my formative years 😉) With that said, I am open to hearing corrections from those who know more than me--I just ask they be given with kindness.

I am not East Asian, but what I am is a professional editor and writing instructor who has studied a lot about stories and their structures. I believe my thoughts on this topic are worth sharing. Also, I did look at sources that were actually East Asian, because I do prefer to learn straight from the originators. My references are listed below.

Let's get into it.

(*Notes: I sometimes use West and East in this article as generic terms; I'm aware they are imprecise, but this allows for simplicity. Based on the content of this article, I'm sure you'll get what I mean. Also, plurals are handled differently in English versus Japanese, so I've coined the word "tens" to reference multiple "ten" for clarity, for my audience--I'm aware this isn't how it's handled in Japanese.

Finally, because this ended up being a longer-than-normal post, I've included a table of contents 😊)

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