Riya - Thoughts on Reading for October 7th

In Scattered All Over the Earth, the main character being a linguist was an interesting touch, and even though he used this to his advantage to meet Hiruko (which was very creepy). The switching perspectives was interesting (from chapter to chapter), and I wonder what Japan disappearing implies. Here, Japan has disappeared because of climate change and evil politicians, leaving little to no survivors save Hiruko. This was an interesting contrast to those who claimed their country disappeared (when really the borders on maps changed), as it really emphasizes/weighs the effects of climate change vs. regular politics (vastly different outcomes). I feel bad for the girl Hiruko, as all her friends and family disappeared, as she seems to be longing for a connecting to her old home again--it is very isolating. This world also seems to have a fantasy element, as apparently when you eat certain types of fish, you can get pregnant with 20+ fetuses. I wonder why this detail was added, or more so what this meant. 

In The Easy Life in Kamusari, Yuki was a little annoying at first, but I understood his general resentment, especially when acknowledging he is a teenager. It was fun seeing his character arc from blaming his mom and the world around him to acknowledging his own downfalls and growing his empathy as he learned hard work and immersed himself in nature. I liked that he acknowledged his change in attitude, and is becoming a better person by throwing himself into nature and growing his self esteem. It was also funny how Yoki chased Yuki around everywhere -- it was very entertaining (and I enjoyed their mentor-mentee relationship). 

In Memory Police, the mother carved figures called tapirs; assuming she carved the animals, after googling I found they have a very unique look to them! To me, this story overall seems to be about censorship and being complicit as everything people cherish/love gets taken away from them, and no one does (or maybe no one can do) anything about it. Another interpretation was the memory police could also represent some form of depression, as it takes the color out of the world, represses memories (avoidance), leaving her house as she left it, etc. -- but that is just a guess. 

In The Little Woods in Fukushima, it was informative learning about the mushroom business and also learning about the economic challenges for farms as a fallout to the nuclear testing nearby. I felt bad, as every single regulation or new news article regarding the radioactive infestation in the soil set Hideo's family's business back every single time. It was interesting how Hideo always wanted to escape, and how he eventually did escape.