Hey Everyone! First off, I decided to read this book because I was very intrigued by the art style of the movie that's currently on HBO Max. My husband and I watched the movie a couple of months back and while it was beautifully designed, we thought it was a bit confusing and it wasn't on the top of
our favorite movies list. Fast forward and I was in an anime book store in Austin and found that the movie was based
off the book. So I got the book to help me see if it would make the story
better, because I kept reading all these positive reviews and even the cashier was surprised when I told him we weren't the biggest fans of the movie. I wanted to
desperately find something I may have been missing. Read more to find out my full thoughts on
The Night is Short, Walk on Girl by
Tomihiko Morimi.
About the Author
Before I get into my thoughts, let's talk about the author. Tomihiko Morimi was born in Nara Prefecture, Tomihiko Morimi graduated from Kyoto University, and his works often has Kyoto as setting. He has written other fun reads, some that have gone on to be animated, including Penguin Highway, Fox Tales, and The Tatami Galaxy. Many of his main characters in his novels are about dull college students, but his literary style is colorful and really gets into the suspension of disbelief. In 2003, Moirimi won the 15th Japan Fantasy Novel Award for Taiyou no Tou and in 2006 he was nominated for the Seiun Prize for his novel Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei.
About the Book
Now that I've talked about the author, let me give you a synopsis of the story. A college students spends an evening out, unwittingly attracting the attention of various men whose paths she crosses. One in particular, an upperclassman who has been nursing a crush on her for some time, has chosen this night to make his true feelings known. Will the two come together, or will this girl just keep on walking?
My Thoughts
The synopsis given for this book is not what it appears to be. If I were to elaborate on the plot, you'd probably think I'm on drugs. There are 4 different stories going on that connect and contain the same characters through the 4 different seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. The first story is titled The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, which is the main story the anime adaptation sticks and what I thought would be the entire book. Though that wasn't the case, I found myself enjoying the different scenarios and seasons and tests that our characters are put through in each story.
My favorite part had to have been the third story. While each story felt unique and its own, I felt that the third story that takes place at a college school festival was the most fun to read. It had humor, it had suspense and it was a pretty wild ride throughout the third part. I also really liked that it was a meta-drama, a play within a play. It reminded me of a crazy Shakespearean story and I really enjoyed that part.
I did find myself getting confused at times though. There were parts where I wasn't sure who's point of view it was or just getting confused on the multitude of characters. Thus, I would have moments where I was super into the book and moments where I was ready to get on to the next part.
Overall, it's a very magical and fun read that kind of seems all over the place at times and can get a little frusterating reading, but there's just something about it that makes it charming and fun. If you were into the movie version or are an anime fan, you might enjoy this one. Otherwise, I may say it's a pass, unless you want something a little quirky. Until next time, Happy Reading!
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