I really liked Ko. It was short and sweet, and I found myself very drawn to Ko’s character throughout. The idea of adoption was probably a little controversial back then. Her stories usually take place over different generations and focus a lot on family. She often uses a circular way of storytelling that makes her stories feel connected. A lot of her work also deals with the themes of war and the effects of nuclear events. I really liked Abandoning a Cat. It was very touching to me, and the line “It’s the accumulation of insignificant things like this that has made me the person I am” struck me, I think it’s a beautiful line. Like Kobayashi’s work, it touches on the circle of life: “Despite our differences, looking at my emaciated father I did feel a connection, a bond between us.” The story also reflects on the impact of war. I found “Love Isn’t Easy When You’re the National Anthem” very interesting, especially with the point of view coming from the Japanese national anthem itself. I’m curious about what motivated the author to write something like this, and I actually found it almost comedic. Reading the Japanese quote from the original made me want to read the full story in Japanese, since I really liked the tone of it. It also made me think more about the relevance of national anthems. I remembered how I always felt a bit uncomfortable singing the US national anthem in high school, compared to when I sang it in elementary school without giving it much thought. As for Tokyo Ueno Station, I really like the way Miri writes- her style feels very poetic. I felt a personal connection to the story when I read that the narrator was twelve when the war ended, just like my grandpa. It made me think that he might have gone through similar experiences and struggles during that time in Japan. I want to read the rest of the book and also see what led the narrator to become homeless.
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