Jimmy's post

 The Greengrocer's Daughter with a Bundle of Love" by Yaoya Oshichi

Love is in the air again. As Oshichi is trying to remove the samurai's splinter you can feel the love in the air between the two. But it gets to a point for which this girl will do anything to see this man. Defying her mother, defying her father, making deals and creating scandals. This relationship feels forbidden from the very start. Even to the point where the woman commits arson in order to meet the lover of hers. Even sneaking out during storms. 

The love was too much, destroying her own life in the process. Love to grand for her heart to bear without he significant other. Shows how powerful love can be, to the point where the male lover wanted to commit suicide after finding out she had passed. She had no remorse to committing arson, all for the sake of love. 

But even so the male lover lived in the end to become a priest, with the persuasion of the female lover's mom, for which the family had forgiven the male lover. An ending honestly unexpected form such an old tale, however a nice, peaceful ending. 

"Silently Burning" by Aoko Matsuda

Like a recap of someone's life. How every story goes. But this one felt more personal in a way, for which I could hear their voice in my head talking to me about their calligraphy. A nice short story about someone working on their job in calligraphy. Having standards and expectations put on them because of clients. Short stories like this are rare. Stories about people's lives that I have never expected here. 

As another theme of the book, love is an important part of the story. Where 3's, women who are passionate about the temple. As they come, they worship the Oshichi's temple as for the lady that loved her husband so much burned her own house down in order to stay with their love of their life as he worked in the temple.

There is sacrifice for love in this reading, as a respect. 

"Dojoji" 

A story of centuries, decades, years. This story seems old but has a lesson. Again, with love. Love blinded the Dancer, or should I say the girl that fell in love with the Priest a long time ago. This priest made a joke, however in that age she did not think of it as a joke. She wanted the Priest to claim her as her husband. She ended up not being able to take rejection. Just like toxic relationships today. She burns the priest and ironically burns her spirit in the future. 

A story that had a new pace, different characters playing and temptation being prevalent in the story, as well as greed. The irony of the Bell being there for both stories, all I can say is, sometimes love can blind morals. 

"Smartening Up" by Aoko Matsuda

A niece and auntie, talking about their past experiences and relationships. A loving bonding moment between two family members. Connected to the story Dojiko. Interesting enough the niece recounts the story of what happened. Telling the audience about the idol that the niece had toward the woman. Because she herself has gone through that same process where the man relationship she had played her, and she could not see it because she was blinded by love. 

But she imagines herself talking to her aunt, she must have been a real remodel for her. Since the aunt had killed herself the year before... But this girl always listens to her aunt's advice. Especially when it came to hair, she was so conscious about it, almost kind of weird in a way. But she has bad memories of her overthinking about her unkept hair right when her boyfriend broke up with her for another woman. 

Wow, even when she turned into a monster. She loved herself, she did not waiver in her belief with there aunt, and she continued to love her hair. Even if she looked like an ape, she groomed her hair, she made sure she brushed it, honestly marvelous ending even if it was somewhat supernatural and odd. 

"The Ice Man" by Haruki Murakami

An odd book I may say. I loved the story in the beginning. The awkwardness, the start of a crush and the ending of love. I say this book has two stories in one. Just like in the movies, the two people fall in love, ignore everyone and have the most amazing time of their lives (but this one was not an amazing one to my standards. They were homebodies and did not travel, which I LOVEEE doing). But their story was pure, everyone hated the Ice Man for he was too mysterious for everyone else, but then he was able to find love. Somebody with no past but can see everyone else's, a man like that is not an ordinary one. They are why people strayed. However, he was a pure heart. 

But then again, there are two parts to every story. We ended up losing the main character of this story the wife, the woman, the brave and most well hearted woman in this story. Trying to balance her own marriage but as well as everyone else's ideology of her own husband that nobody ever warms up too. She is strong, however gets put into the worst predicament ever. Being a housewife, and a curious human by nature. Of course, she would want to go travel and see the world, be somewhere nice with her husband (just like how I would love to be), she mistakenly chooses a place where she should have never gone. We are not told in the story about where the Ice Man is from, but they end up going to the South Pole. I believe she chooses that place to appease her husband. But that was the beginning of her mistakes, or should I say dating him was her first. I take that back; love is an extraordinary thing. Being able to love somebody and how you feel about them should never be a mistake. However, going down to the South Pole was, the Ice Man was able to talk to natives, there was always a cold glint in his eyes, and put down the woman whenever she wanted to back out. She married the Ice Man because he was warm, but he ended up with a cold heart trapping her in the North Pole.

"Straw Husband" by Yukiko Motoya 

Running is a motif, as the husband ironically tries to help the human wife run although he himself will fly away as he runs, yet he does not. This must be because of all the instruments he was hiding, his emotions, his rage. 

Being attached to his car, is every typical man. I will say I do myself get angry at people whenever they leave my car dirty or damage my car. It is never a polite thing to do, but no matter who it is I do get angry. But the way the straw man got angry made him seem like a toddler. A little kid that just wants to get what he wants. Unfortunate that the wife had to marry this man, but he ended up making it up to her.

The wife and straw man relationship is love at first, then toxicity, then love again. Almost like in ever typical marriage they go through it. They build each other up again, but there are thoughts behind their relationship they do not act on, like the wife burning her husband. Almost sociopath logical or crazy I may add. But again, love is a part of this story as well.