Dissecting Misogyny, A Live Demonstration was sensually interesting to read. I liked how systemic misogyny personified, when dissected, revealed how the brain rotted away, overall was something that smelled disgusting, and many more gruesome details that accurately described the real-life implications of misogyny on various levels. This was a fun story, and I enjoyed how Matsuda "dissected" misogyny to its roots, analyzing its more abstract impacts.
In Picnic, it seems the husband doesn't fully understand his wife. They seem to have fallen into a routine, where Kyoko for the most part goes through the motions, the husband leads for the most part to satisfy his desires, but then he fails to understand the significance of picnics to his wife. I was intrigued by Kyoko's statement about being able to see the main character more clearly during picnics. Maybe this could mean she only feels seen or feels her needs are being tended to when they do the things that she enjoys/wants, as it is something just for her and provides a freeing feeling as opposed to the burdensome "duties" of their marriage.
In Tomo-chan's Happiness, I despised all the men in the story. I liked how reflective Tomo-chan was, even after going through one horrible event after another. I am glad the disgusting rapist received some kind of karma, and I wonder if that was the mysterious force. While reading, I wondered what the mysterious force watching over her was. It could be the gaze of bystanders, who do nothing despite seeing suffering. It could also be Tomo-chan watching her own back, as a way to portray self-reliance and identity in the face of a higher being. Maybe they represent some form of resilience having faced adversity. Side note, I hope it works out with the new guy and Tomo-chan can move on.
In Sea Horse, I once again despised all the men in the story. Everyone sucked, and I hate how they make the narrator suffer on their own whims, feeling a sense of entitlement over her. I believe the ocean/sea represents the main character's life, and her longing for it represents her wanting to return to the freedom of her life where she makes decisions, unbound and finally free her abusive marriages (where the ring around her neck would represent an engagement ring that suffocates her, as her marraige does). I wonder what the implication of the last husband yearning for the ocean would mean, and how he visits sometimes (would it represent his longing for her to get her freedom back, or for his own personal freedom)? I was also thinking about how the husbands expected her to return to the sea. I also wonder what the role of the daughter plays: maybe she represents a generational aspect, where she inherited her mother's pressures, with the sole difference that she is escaping the cycle of expectation that women have to play certain roles and endure the suffocation of loveless, abusive marriages.
In Realizing Fun Things Through Water, I really liked the main character and her connection to her sister. This story definitely was lighter than the other ones, which I appreciated. Her speaking to the water made me think that it could be an analogy to her reflecting on herself by pouring out her thoughts and feelings to her self-reflection (literally self reflecting). I disliked how Hakozaki was trying to "fix" Hatsuoka; marriag should not give people the entitlement to even claim something like that. In the first place, Hatsuoka chose him more so because he seemed "less scary" than a choice out of love. I liked how she prioritized her sister in this, though I do wonder why the sister disappeared. Maybe her absence could represent Hatsuoka's hesitance about marriage (a big change in her life), and her sister coming back at the end could imply Hatsuoka might feel better about going into this marriage both emotionally and mentally.
Convenience Store Woman was a really fun read. I like the main character and the way she is written. She is very practical, always choosing the most logical option (evident by her reasoning for why she hit the kid over the head with the garden tool). Everyone around her kept questioning and judging her at every turn. It was only when she complied, or let that misogynistic loser Shirata move in to seem like she was in a relationship, that they backed off, even inviting her into their circle fully. I loved how at the end, the main character realized her happiness was at her work, and I'm glad she decided to follow that happiness, regardless of what those around her and the loser Shirata think.
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