One love Chigusa by Soji Shimada
Translated by David Warren
Back in July 2019, I made the acquaintance of the Red Circle Minis. A new initiative from Red Circle Authors, who describe themselves as a home for authors from, or living in, Japan, the Minis are short works that are first being published in English. As they’re usually bite-sizes books, this makes them a wonderful way to explore authors who you might not have come across before. More titles have been released, and the most recent is the longest so far; at 115 pages it really deserves the title novella. And a fascinating piece of writing it is!
The book is “One Love Chigusa” and the author is Soji Shimada. Apparently something of a legend in Japan, he’s probably best known in the UK for his crime fiction (both Murder in the Crooked House and The Tokyo Zodiac Murders are published by the Pushkin Vertigo imprint). However, “One Love…” is a very different kind of book, exploring potential futures and how technology may affect our perceptions…
“One Love” is set in Beijing in the late 21st century; a man called Xie, the story’s protagonist, suffers terrible injuries in an accident. However, technology has reached a point where he can be very much rebuilt (shades of the old TV series “The Bionic Man”, for those with long enough memories). And talking of memories, Xie’s is also rebuilt and he’s given some kind of Quantum memory drive. He returns to his former life and job; but things are looking a little different…
Of course, that’s why the indicator was needed. Perhaps the effects of speech and action were being measured as cash values. People without religion, ideology or faith, only trust money as the measure of worth and value.
Xie suddenly finds that his fellow humans have changed almost beyond recognition. The women have angry red demonic faces; men have indicators on their chests with ever changing numbers. Xie is frightened by the changes and unclear as to what’s going on, becoming driven to thoughts of suicide; until one day he spots one woman, Chigusa, who not only is normal but is also the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. His pursuit of her will consume him (and much of the rest of the book) – but is even she what she seems?
I shan’t say too much more about the plot; but it’s obvious that “One Love…” has many sci fi tropes with the futuristic technologies, the modernistic settings described in Beijing and the AI elements built into Xie. However, underlying these trappings is a story of obsession; Xie becomes convinced that Chigusa is the only person who can save him in his current state; however, there is so much more to the world than he sees and understands, and this is gradually played out through the narrative.
The world was deteriorating rapidly. The news on the Internet was full of terrible incidents… He didn’t know when all this had started to happen. Morality seemed to have disappeared from the world. Making money, winning and losing, dog eat dog – these were the principles of survival. And they were being sharpened up. This was all that mattered now.
“One Love Chigusa” is actually an unexpectedly gripping read; as the tale progresses, the mysteries surrounding Xie’s skewed perceptions and gradual revelations add levels of intrigue to the plot, and there are plenty of twists. One I perhaps had an inkling of, but much I didn’t foresee – which is always satisfying. I did enjoy the book and Shimada’s writing very much, though I do have to say that I felt slightly uneasy with the portrayal of women, particularly Chigusa, who is extremely objectified to a point where it’s really uncomfortable; and when you add that to the fact that Xie basically stalks her it becomes very unsettling. It may be that this was deliberate so as to emphasise Xie’s distress at his changed perceptions and then extreme reaction when he meets someone he sees as beautiful. However, I don’t think it necessarily added anything to the narrative and could definitely have been toned down a bit.
Putting that aside, “One Love Chigusa” is a really fascinating work, full of all sorts of ideas about the effects of technology on we humans, and many intriguing layers. Shimada captures the strangeness of the events and emotions Xie is living through brilliantly, reminding us how many aspects of the world that we use and take for granted every day are actually not really understood by us. The Red Circle Minis are a really wonderful initiative; every one I’ve read has been so different and so good; and “One Love Chigusa” is an excellent addition to the series! 😀
I wrote about the Red Circle Minis for Shiny New Books here, and also reviewed the first three in the series on SNB here. I also covered the second batch here on the blog!
MarinaSofia
Sep 16, 2020 @ 08:09:38
I have to say this objectification of women is all too common in Japanese literature written by men. And I don’t mean just older literature either! It must be so ingrained in the culture that it is hard for these authors to even see it.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 13:38:18
I did wonder that but didn’t like to assume… As you say, if this kind of attitude is ingrained, it must be difficult to recognise it and move past it.
BookerTalk
Sep 24, 2020 @ 21:58:54
You can indeed still see it in evidence today with lots of girls dressing up to look much younger with short skirts, socks up to the knees and hair in bunches….
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 25, 2020 @ 09:29:47
Yes, that kind of infantilisation is so worrying. Hate it…
BookerTalk
Sep 25, 2020 @ 16:51:21
It made me very uncomfortable. There are even cafes where all the staff dress like that
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 25, 2020 @ 18:38:03
Yikes!
louloureads
Sep 16, 2020 @ 08:37:19
I read Murder in the Crooked House earlier this year, and although I enjoyed it, I found the portrayal of the female characters extremely unsettling for much the same reasons, even though it’s a smaller part of the plot there.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 13:37:37
Oh, that’s interesting – I wonder if this is a tendency of the author’s writing then? I must admit, it *is* a little unsettling in this day and age..
A Life in Books
Sep 16, 2020 @ 08:40:19
I’d not come across the Red Circle Minis before. What an excellent idea! Thanks for the introduction.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 13:19:21
It’s a great initiative, and a wonderfully varied selection of titles!
madamebibilophile
Sep 16, 2020 @ 08:48:30
I’m not a big reader of sci-fi but maybe a novella is a good way to dip a toe in its futuristic waters!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 13:18:59
It’s certainly what I’d call gentle sci fi – more futuristic than really hard-core space battle stuff – so certainly a good intro!
Liz Dexter
Sep 16, 2020 @ 13:02:58
This publishing initiative is great, isn’t it – but it also needs people like you to say out loud what is uncomfortable in the books!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 13:18:24
It is, and I’ve enjoyed all of the books so far. But although I loved this and thought it was a really clever book, I did feel the need to mention the attitude to women – it would be dishonest not to!
JacquiWine
Sep 16, 2020 @ 15:14:08
Ah, I thought the author’s name rang a bell. Pushkin Vertigo – that’s where I’ve heard of him before! This does sound rather different to the murder mysteries, something that suggests a degree of breadth to Shimada’s skills as a writer. It’s a pity about the portrayal of female characters, though – especially given the futuristic setting!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:32:08
Yes, I’ve seen the Pushkin titles and I am drawn to them as I like a bit of crime writing which pushes the envelope. And the writing here was excellent, even though the characterisation was lacking for the women…
Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead
Sep 16, 2020 @ 16:22:18
Ohhhh I love minis! Must check these out (you’ve done it again Kaggsy! that TBR pile is now spawing offspring). Aside from the format, Shimada’s story itself sounds quite gripping (you’d expect a twisty plot from a writer of crime fiction). Since I love sci-fi, the futuristic elements are just fine. I’m very glad you pointed out the objectification of women issue; a necessary step to achieving the critical mass necessary for change. Not to be cavalier, however, we lady bloggers wouldn’t be reading much fiction if we weren’t able to read around it.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:12:11
Sorry about that (not…) Definitely check out the Minis, they’re fab. And yes – as a woman you have to deal with the bad writing about women, but it needs calling out.
Julé Cunningham
Sep 16, 2020 @ 16:57:13
What a great idea behind the Red Circle books and the Minis. With Japan’s rapid adaption to technology throughout their society, getting their fictional take on it seems especially interesting. But I think MarinaSofia is right about the very backward attitudes to women being deeply ingrained. More women’s voices are needed.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:11:23
It’s a grand idea and a wonderful way to get to know new authors. I do understand that some cultures have still to move on with attitudes to women but in civilised nations it should have happened by now…
heavenali
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:30:46
I can remember being slightly irritated with Murakami’s portrayal of women in the only book of his I have read – a collection of stories. As Marina says it may well be completely ingrained into the culture. The premise of the story is great though. Another great publishing initiative.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:34:54
Yes, I’ve only read one Muarakami and had the same sensation. But the Minis themselves are a wonderful thing, and the story here was very clever!
WordsAndPeace
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:38:51
I so need to start reading him
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2020 @ 20:43:47
So many books, so little time…. 😉
TravellinPenguin
Sep 16, 2020 @ 23:33:44
I don’t read much sci fi but I do like the sound of this series of ‘little books’.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 17, 2020 @ 11:23:24
It’s not too sci fi, so it’s a fun read!
BookerTalk
Sep 24, 2020 @ 22:01:01
This particular title wouldn’t be a good fit for me with its sci fi, futuristic theme but i love the idea of the minis. Though I struggle with short stories, I do love a good novella.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 25, 2020 @ 09:23:45
They’re a great idea, and that novella format is a good one because you can dip in and explore a new author without having to commit to a full length work!
buriedinprint
Sep 25, 2020 @ 19:45:32
That’s a nice looking, tidy stack in your final image. And it must be rewarding to become more familiar with their offerings, so that you are better able to predict how you will (and won’t) connect with certain works. As for the question of objectification of women, it’s also hard, I think, to decipher where that pattern of behaviour is actually being critiqued (presented as part of the character) and when it’s a facet of the creative person behind the story (the authorial voice). Sometimes I feel like I’d have to read a book more than once to figure this out (and sometimes that isn’t palatable).
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 25, 2020 @ 20:11:34
They make a very neat pile, don’t they? And I’ve enjoyed the variety of the collection very much – I do like the fact that there’s such a range. As for the attitude towards women, I did struggle a little as to how to interpret this – the generous part of me wanted to think it was a necessary part of the characterisation and nothing else. But I *am* aware of some cultural difficulties so I felt I had to highlight it. Nevertheless, there are such interesting things in these books that it isn’t a major criticism.