May Inui 11/5/25

 “The Cage of Zeus” was probably my least favorite piece, though I appreciated Ueda’s descriptive language. I found the story a bit difficult to follow and it didn’t leave much of an impression on me, likely because I’m not a big fan of science fiction. However, I did like Shirosaki’s character, he came across as grounded and the most human of the characters. He seemed capable of genuine emotion, as shown when he says, “But they're also living beings. In that sense, they're no different than we are.” This line highlights his empathy in contrast to the coldness around him. I enjoyed “The Place of Shells.” The fact that Nomiya is a ghost and the city is described as being "steeped in memories" made me think about the fragility of life on Earth and the cycle of life and death. I appreciated the incorporation of historical events like Covid and the 3.11 earthquake. The story was slow but continuous, keeping me wondering what would happen next. At first, I was both confused and intrigued by the story, it raised many questions, but I liked that everything eventually started to click, especially when it was revealed that Nomiya had died in the earthquake. I liked “Self-Reference Engine.” It got me thinking about the Japanese language, which I usually don’t reflect on much since it’s my native language and something I learned naturally. I enjoyed reading about it and found myself appreciating the complexity of the language in a new way. It took me a while to realize that the story was dystopian, but once I did, I appreciated reading it through that lens, especially throughout the latter half of the piece. I really enjoyed “Life Ceremony.” The idea that human-made items such as clothes and furniture were considered luxuries and highly sought-after made me feel a bit uneasy at first, and I found myself agreeing with Naoki. However, when Naoki bended and changed his opinion after seeing the veil made from his father, it made me think that perhaps knowing the person makes it easier to appreciate such an item, almost like a memento of the person. Still, the thought of wearing something like that made me feel a little uncomfortable. “On High” and “The Missing One” were both short and sweet, although I have to admit they weren’t as memorable for me. I found myself really liking the detailed description of Himeji in “The Missing One.” For some reason I was kind of expecting the stories to be scarier, since Japanese ghost stories are often known for being quite scary, but that’s just my personal opinion.