The Heart That Never Gives Up, Taught by the Starry Sky: "Watching the Stars This Summer" by Mizuki Tsujimura

"Watching the Stars This Summer" by Mizuki Tsujimura

Summary

"Watching the Stars This Summer" by Mizuki Tsujimura
Set in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a coming-of-age ensemble drama about middle and high school students who connect from afar to plan an astronomical observation. I was deeply moved by their ability to look forward and ask, "What can we do?" even under circumstances filled with restrictions.

1. A positive attitude that creates connections through creativity and ingenuity without despairing, even in unprecedented situations.
2. The brilliance of these characters who refuse to give up, which resonates with hearts that have become accustomed to giving up.
3. A powerful hope for an uncertain era, proving that one's "passions" and curiosity can never be taken away by anyone.
This is a work that gives you the courage to take a step forward when you feel stuck in your daily life.

This is a book I highly recommend to anyone who is about to give up on something or needs a boost of energy. Like the stars in the night sky, it quietly and brightly illuminates our hearts. Have you looked up at the starry sky lately?
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Review

"Watching the Stars This Summer" by Mizuki Tsujimura
2020, a year struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. The story begins in that period when everyone was careful even about breathing. It is a coming-of-age ensemble drama about middle and high school students living far apart in Ibaraki, Tokyo, and Nagasaki who connect online to plan a simultaneous astronomical observation.
In an unprecedented situation that even adults found confusing, they never simply despaired at the "circumstances beyond their control." They kept asking, "What can we do? How can we make it happen?" and searched for ways to look up at the same starry sky even while apart. This positive process of not just accepting restrictions, but thinking ahead toward the future, is a major highlight of this work.
What struck me most was that through these activities, they never let go of the "passions, interests, and curiosity they felt at the beginning." In my own life, amidst days filled with uncertainty and restrictions, it had become natural for me to give up on things, thinking, "It can't be helped right now." That is precisely why, in contrast to my own habit of giving up, I felt a deep sense of relief and dazzlement at their ability to create connections through ingenuity and protect their "passions" straight on, even in difficult circumstances.
Even in an uncertain and anxious era, the pure desire to look up at the stars and one's curiosity can never be taken away by anyone. This book is a work that provides such powerful hope. When you feel stuck in your daily life, it makes you pause and think positively about "what I can do right now." Like the stars in the night sky, it was a wonderful work that quietly, yet surely, illuminated the reader's heart.
#FinishedReading #MizukiTsujimura #WatchingTheStarsThisSummer

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