Re-reading this again after 5 years and it was still a wacky full of wits and so quirkily told for me. I followed a nameless narrator on his attempt to escape Tokyo recalling all the heart-throbbing moments from his 3 failed relationships— a vignette of past that came flashing during his final escape plan (after thrice failed), a rant of hope and that feeling of entrapment he felt after losing so much of what he had longed throughout his life.

A narrative that paid homage to Haruki Murakami’s short story ‘A Slow Boat To China’ (Furukawa written this in his own voice and interpretation yet you can still find the similarities) that explored on one’s alienation, regrets and the sense of loss which consumed the narrator to scatter his perspective and emotional weight— too dramatic at times but energetically amusing and enthralled me much for how his narration engagingly grasped that struggles and his psychological mess of dealing with flaws and inner crisis— a stage of life that could resonate to anyone when you feel at the most bottom and just want to escape.

Loved the knife girl character the most and I too find his tale on the last girl as much entertaining compared to the previous two. Can be sensual a bit, familial related and almost bizarrely dreamlike too, I do wish he had more ex-girlfriends so I can get more hopeless melancholic chapters on his musings and lovestories.

Such a fun, short and quick to read novella if you are okay with a nonlinear-styled narrative or fragmented storytelling. 4/5 stars!

Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted review copy!