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Although
Takeshi Kitano is primarily known in the West for his artistic
albeit violent yakuza films, he is quite the Renaissance
man in his native Japan. Kitano's abrasiveness and quick wit
helped him launch careers as an actor, a talk show host, and
a film director. However, he is also an accomplished writer,
producing volume after volume of social criticism and film
criticism alongside an impressive output of humorous essays,
short story collections, and novels.
While
most of Kitano's films have reached English-speaking audiences
through licensed distributors, not a single story or novel
had been translated until the release of Boy. Written
in 1987, the book collects three stories, each concentrating
on a young man facing either a trying time or a life-changing
event. In "The Champion in the Padded Kimono," a man named
Mamoru reminisces about a field day that occurred some 30
years ago, in which he not only dreaded his brother's participation
in the 80-meter dash but anticipated the run of Airhead, an
athletically gifted, but mentally lacking, sixth grader whose
athletic abilities were known throughout the schoolyard.
"Nest
of Stars" tells of two brothers who move from Tokyo to Osaka
after their father dies. Their mother, always distant from
the rest of the family, has found a new boyfriend, so the
brothers seek solace gazing at the stars through the telescope
given to the eldest by their deceased father. However, such
activities do not protect them from the brutalities of local
bullies.
The final
and best story "Okamesan" centers on Ichiro Aoki, who, after
having an argument with his father, goes to Kyoto in order
to delve deeply into his main love: ancient Japanese history.
However, during his trip, he meets a girl named Jun and his
focus on history becomes a little skewed.
The collection
of stories itself is quite brief and simple. However, despite
its brevity and simplicity, the collection is a fine read
because of cohesive themes within the book. The son of a father
who was absent most of his life, Kitano often displays a mistrust
of adults—especially parental figures—in his films.
Parents are often completely absent or busy with other aspects
of their lives. The parents within Boy are drunk, dead,
involved in new relationships, or so caught up with their
own careers or the future careers of their children that they
cease to be parents and are instead adults with whom the children
share a home. Instead of depending on adults, the boys within
these short stories learn to depend on themselves, siblings,
or a loved one. This theme casts a dark shadow over an overall
light collection, but it is relevant in showing the importance
of individuality and in showing the shifting of the times
in which absent fathers and distant mothers are becoming the
norm.
The story
collection might be a bit weak for those who are not familiar
with Kitano's films or acting career because the stories seem
to be strengthened more by the personality writing them than
by the stories' own merits. Without knowing Kitano's background,
the stories would seem to be a bit too simple and drenched
with nostalgic images. If not for the name printed on the
cover, its brevity and simplicity would go unappreciated.
(January,
2008)
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