Ichigo Domei (いちご同盟)(Alliance of the 15's) is a dramatic slice of life novel by Mita Masahiro. The book was originally published in Japan in 1991 by Shueisha.
Kitazawa Ryoichi is a 3rd year middle school student in a small town. He is the older of two sons; his father runs a building firm and his mother teaches piano in their house. His brother Kosuke is the prodigy of the family; attending a prestigious school, good at sports and full of confidence. Ryoichi struggles with the direction his life is heading. His piano abilities are not up to snuff and his academic abilities lack any substance. His third year of middle school begins with him uncertain about his life. He is quiet, keeps to himself and stays in the background, avoiding bullying to most extents. His habits on the piano forces him to seek outside tutaledge as his mother refuses to teach him. Left mostly to his own and having no real purpose, Ryoichi is enamored with suicide and collects published works by young people who have killed themselves.
To his surprise, the star of the school baseball team, Hanegi Testuya, asks him to film him playing in an upcoming game. Taken back and unable to get out of it, Ryoichi finds himself filming the star in action. The purpose is to show off the game and his abilities to his childhood friend, Uehara Naomi, who is hospitalized. Being as weak willed as he is, Ryoichi is wrangled into accompanying Tetsuya to show her the tape. The pale bed ridden girl surprises him with her humor and sharp criticism. He can tell without asking that Tetsuya and her share a deep and old bond. Feeling like the outsider he is, he makes his exit as soon as possible. A time later Tetsuya makes him film another game for Naomi. After the filming he finds himself again in the same room with the girl who has begun to invade his mind.
Ryoichi struggles to justify his interference in the friends time together. Due to his growing obsession with her he visit's Naomi by himself but the exchanges are one sided and confusing. At one point he talks about his obsession with young people who commit suicide, creating a tense environment. Naomi questions why someone who is completely healthy and has the world available to them would choose to end their life. She on the other hand is bed ridden with a serious disease that she has already lost a leg to. This stark view of a spoiled existence causes Ryoichi to reflect on his own life and the way he views himself. Where Naomi is unable to live a normal life as she chooses, he is busy wallowing in uncertainty and trepidation. When she asks him if he wants to commit double suicide with her his mind races.
Reflecting on her existence, he decides to put some effort into advancing in life. But in reality the time he suddenly devotes to his studies are an excuse to stop him from visiting the dying girl he is falling in love with. He realizes that the chances of improving his academic standing are non-existant. His hopes of entering a music high school are slim with no real chance at a successful career. Yet he pushes on, trying to keep his mind off of his heart. As summer ends Tetsuya confronts him about why he has been avoiding Naomi. He forces Ryoichi to visit her again, knowing the feelings he is harboring for his old friend. At the same time Tetsuya is relying on Ryuichi so he doesn't have to face her inevitable death alone.
Ryoichi begins to visit Naomi again but the disease has become more invasive. Ryoichi admits he is falling in love with her and Naomi understands that their time together is limited. Things turn for the worse after a difficult surgery. As complications set in Tetsuya demands that Ryuichi remain alive with him to keep Naomi's memory until they are a hundred years old. Tetsuya fears what will happen to his resolve and attitude when she is gone, as she is the one person that grounds the devious traits he inherited from his absent father. Tetsuya needs Ryoichi in her place to carry on that control, he needs Ryoichi to continue to live for his and her sakes. Naomi confides in Ryoichi that she feels as strongly for him as he for her but by then it is already too late. The boys say a final farewell to the bed ridden girl who brought them together for what could be a life long friendship.
I found this novel via the manga of Your Lie In April. There is a scene in that story were one of the main characters, who is hospitalized, has the book in her lap and utters the 'commit double suicide with me' phrase to the main character. It goes with out saying that this book greatly influenced that manga. There are many differences but some of the themes are the same as are some of the character personalities. Ichigo Domei is a novel about coming to terms with life and finding motivation in a world that seems pointless. Ryoichi is obsessed with suicide and the things that would make someone seek that out. As with everything in his life though, his devotion to actually committing suicide is rather non-existent. He struggles with the meaning for his life as so many around him have purpose and direction. Even the classmates that are worse off than he is seem more alive than him. From his view point his life is pointless and uneventful, even if he were to be a delinquent that would at least make an impression. He struggles with his identity beyond being a vessel. This is juxtaposed in the last portion of the book when a classmate who dropped out in the first year due to bullying ended up dying in an accident. He comments about the soul leaving the body and it only being a lifeless form that used to be human. You can sense that Ryoichi feels that way about himself when he looks at his accomplishments and prospects.
The story is told through the first person perspective of Ryoichi and mostly deals with his internal dialogues and account of the world around him. The first half focused, almost annoyingly so, on the two baseball games he films for Tetsuya. These segments become obsessive to the point of boredom. I skipped through the second one quite a bit due to the annoyance I felt at them. The second half settles in nicely on fleshing out the characters around Ryoichi and pushing the story forward. Through interactions with those around him you see a clear picture of his life. From the dysfunction in his family between his workaholic father and his stern, opressive mother. His jealousy and admiration for his younger brother. His concerned piano teacher and the likeable music teacher. He interacts with only a few other classmates and those interactions are meaningful for fleshing out the story and his personality issues. All together the 10 or so characters detailed in the story are done in a manner that bring the reader closer to understanding Ryoichi's mindset. Unfortunately the one character that does not get the attention she deserves is Naomi. Sadly little time is actually spent with her and you only get a feel for what she is really like. At some points her reactions seem strange without the background into her psyche that is sorely needed. Instead you feel like she is more of an object, a reference point for Ryuichi and Tetsuya to move around, the catalyst for their growing relationship with each other. The Naomi that is shown is enjoyable though. I just wish a little more would have been given to flesh this lonely girls reality out. Perhaps its better that way as the story is done though Ryuichi's eyes and ultimately he himself does not get to truely understand who the girl he falls in love with is.
I was lucky to find an academic translation of this story. It is unlikely it will ever see an official English version but is available in Japanese and Korean. It did see a theatrical movie in 1997 and a TV drama on NHK in 1999, neither of which are available to the Enlgish speaking world.
Kitazawa Ryoichi is a 3rd year middle school student in a small town. He is the older of two sons; his father runs a building firm and his mother teaches piano in their house. His brother Kosuke is the prodigy of the family; attending a prestigious school, good at sports and full of confidence. Ryoichi struggles with the direction his life is heading. His piano abilities are not up to snuff and his academic abilities lack any substance. His third year of middle school begins with him uncertain about his life. He is quiet, keeps to himself and stays in the background, avoiding bullying to most extents. His habits on the piano forces him to seek outside tutaledge as his mother refuses to teach him. Left mostly to his own and having no real purpose, Ryoichi is enamored with suicide and collects published works by young people who have killed themselves.
To his surprise, the star of the school baseball team, Hanegi Testuya, asks him to film him playing in an upcoming game. Taken back and unable to get out of it, Ryoichi finds himself filming the star in action. The purpose is to show off the game and his abilities to his childhood friend, Uehara Naomi, who is hospitalized. Being as weak willed as he is, Ryoichi is wrangled into accompanying Tetsuya to show her the tape. The pale bed ridden girl surprises him with her humor and sharp criticism. He can tell without asking that Tetsuya and her share a deep and old bond. Feeling like the outsider he is, he makes his exit as soon as possible. A time later Tetsuya makes him film another game for Naomi. After the filming he finds himself again in the same room with the girl who has begun to invade his mind.
Ryoichi struggles to justify his interference in the friends time together. Due to his growing obsession with her he visit's Naomi by himself but the exchanges are one sided and confusing. At one point he talks about his obsession with young people who commit suicide, creating a tense environment. Naomi questions why someone who is completely healthy and has the world available to them would choose to end their life. She on the other hand is bed ridden with a serious disease that she has already lost a leg to. This stark view of a spoiled existence causes Ryoichi to reflect on his own life and the way he views himself. Where Naomi is unable to live a normal life as she chooses, he is busy wallowing in uncertainty and trepidation. When she asks him if he wants to commit double suicide with her his mind races.
Reflecting on her existence, he decides to put some effort into advancing in life. But in reality the time he suddenly devotes to his studies are an excuse to stop him from visiting the dying girl he is falling in love with. He realizes that the chances of improving his academic standing are non-existant. His hopes of entering a music high school are slim with no real chance at a successful career. Yet he pushes on, trying to keep his mind off of his heart. As summer ends Tetsuya confronts him about why he has been avoiding Naomi. He forces Ryoichi to visit her again, knowing the feelings he is harboring for his old friend. At the same time Tetsuya is relying on Ryuichi so he doesn't have to face her inevitable death alone.
Ryoichi begins to visit Naomi again but the disease has become more invasive. Ryoichi admits he is falling in love with her and Naomi understands that their time together is limited. Things turn for the worse after a difficult surgery. As complications set in Tetsuya demands that Ryuichi remain alive with him to keep Naomi's memory until they are a hundred years old. Tetsuya fears what will happen to his resolve and attitude when she is gone, as she is the one person that grounds the devious traits he inherited from his absent father. Tetsuya needs Ryoichi in her place to carry on that control, he needs Ryoichi to continue to live for his and her sakes. Naomi confides in Ryoichi that she feels as strongly for him as he for her but by then it is already too late. The boys say a final farewell to the bed ridden girl who brought them together for what could be a life long friendship.
I found this novel via the manga of Your Lie In April. There is a scene in that story were one of the main characters, who is hospitalized, has the book in her lap and utters the 'commit double suicide with me' phrase to the main character. It goes with out saying that this book greatly influenced that manga. There are many differences but some of the themes are the same as are some of the character personalities. Ichigo Domei is a novel about coming to terms with life and finding motivation in a world that seems pointless. Ryoichi is obsessed with suicide and the things that would make someone seek that out. As with everything in his life though, his devotion to actually committing suicide is rather non-existent. He struggles with the meaning for his life as so many around him have purpose and direction. Even the classmates that are worse off than he is seem more alive than him. From his view point his life is pointless and uneventful, even if he were to be a delinquent that would at least make an impression. He struggles with his identity beyond being a vessel. This is juxtaposed in the last portion of the book when a classmate who dropped out in the first year due to bullying ended up dying in an accident. He comments about the soul leaving the body and it only being a lifeless form that used to be human. You can sense that Ryoichi feels that way about himself when he looks at his accomplishments and prospects.
The story is told through the first person perspective of Ryoichi and mostly deals with his internal dialogues and account of the world around him. The first half focused, almost annoyingly so, on the two baseball games he films for Tetsuya. These segments become obsessive to the point of boredom. I skipped through the second one quite a bit due to the annoyance I felt at them. The second half settles in nicely on fleshing out the characters around Ryoichi and pushing the story forward. Through interactions with those around him you see a clear picture of his life. From the dysfunction in his family between his workaholic father and his stern, opressive mother. His jealousy and admiration for his younger brother. His concerned piano teacher and the likeable music teacher. He interacts with only a few other classmates and those interactions are meaningful for fleshing out the story and his personality issues. All together the 10 or so characters detailed in the story are done in a manner that bring the reader closer to understanding Ryoichi's mindset. Unfortunately the one character that does not get the attention she deserves is Naomi. Sadly little time is actually spent with her and you only get a feel for what she is really like. At some points her reactions seem strange without the background into her psyche that is sorely needed. Instead you feel like she is more of an object, a reference point for Ryuichi and Tetsuya to move around, the catalyst for their growing relationship with each other. The Naomi that is shown is enjoyable though. I just wish a little more would have been given to flesh this lonely girls reality out. Perhaps its better that way as the story is done though Ryuichi's eyes and ultimately he himself does not get to truely understand who the girl he falls in love with is.
I was lucky to find an academic translation of this story. It is unlikely it will ever see an official English version but is available in Japanese and Korean. It did see a theatrical movie in 1997 and a TV drama on NHK in 1999, neither of which are available to the Enlgish speaking world.
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