Is it abnormal to think 'I don't want to have children'? The 2026 choice depicted in the novel 'The Perfect Children'
Can you imagine the moment when 'normal' crumbles away?
Do you want to have children in the future?
How would you answer this question? 'I don't know yet,' 'I'd like to if possible,' 'Honestly, I don't want any'—the answers vary from person to person. But what if every child of a certain generation answered 'I don't want any' immediately? And what if they weren't sick or unhappy, but were in a state where they were truly convinced of it themselves?
The novel 'The Perfect Children: In a World That Refuses Maturity' is a work that depicts such an 'impossible future' with terrifying realism.
The setting is 2026. Japan, just a few years from now. Pediatrician Megumi Mizuno notices an anomaly in her examination room. There is a sudden increase in middle school girls who have not started their periods. There are also more boys whose voices have not changed. Even after testing, there are no abnormalities anywhere. Hormone levels are normal, and genes are normal. Yet, their bodies simply—refuse to enter puberty.
The cause was the 'fish' we eat without a second thought. Environmentally friendly farmed fish that grow but do not mature. The children who ate those fish developed unexpected side effects.
👉 You can read 'The Perfect Children: In a World That Refuses Maturity' here The Perfect Children: In a World That Refuses Maturity
The true horror is that 'no one is troubled'
The scariness of this story is not that zombies are attacking or that the world is collapsing. The true horror is that the children themselves, who are the ones involved, are not troubled at all.
'It's easy not having period pain,' 'I don't have to be swayed by sexual desire,' 'I have no obligation to bear children.'
They call themselves 'perfect beings,' connect on social media, and form new values. Parents cry, doctors are confused, and the government is busy responding. But the children themselves—seem happy.
Here, the reader realizes something. This is not a 'story about a disease.' It is a 'story about values.'
We unconsciously think that 'becoming an adult' and 'having children' are natural. But are they really necessary? Who decided that? If a generation appears that refuses them, who can say they are 'wrong'?
There is no clear villain in this story. The companies, the government, the parents, the doctors—no one is evil. The world is simply changing quietly.
An unpredictable development woven from five perspectives
The story consists of five chapters, each depicted from a different perspective.
A pediatrician who first notices the anomaly. A bureaucrat chasing the cause. A corporate researcher. And—a 15-year-old child who is directly involved. The final chapter is the world 10 years later.
Especially breathtaking is the perspective of the person involved in Chapter 3. The voice of the 15-year-old saying, 'We aren't sick. We're just different from adults,' is so calm and logical—which is exactly why it sends a chill down your spine.
And Chapter 5. Japan in 2036. The birth rate has fallen to 0.28, and the sound of children has disappeared from the streets. In a university lecture, a student asks a professor a question.
'Teacher, if we go extinct, who does it actually hurt?'
Can you answer this question?
Declining birthrates, reproductive choices, and generational divides—this is modern Japan itself.
This work strikes a chord because it is by no means a distant sci-fi future.
Japan's birthrate has actually fallen below 1.2. The number of people choosing 'not to have children' continues to rise. Gen Z is said to be 'turning away from romance' and 'turning away from sexual desire,' forming their values on social media and choosing a way of life clearly different from that of their parents' generation.
This novel takes that reality and pushes it to the extreme: 'What if this happened on a biological level?'
That is why, while reading it, you will pause again and again, thinking, 'Isn't this already starting?'
A question without an answer, for you
This story does not provide a clear conclusion. It doesn't say 'this is the right answer' or 'this is wrong.' It simply asks.
What is maturity? What does it mean to be an adult? Is there really any meaning in having children? Should humanity continue?
After reading it, you will definitely want to talk to someone about it, asking, 'What do you think?' And you will realize that there is no answer.
And that is fine. This work exists not to provide answers, but to pose questions.
The reason to read it now
The setting of 2026 is just around the corner. The future depicted in this work is the very choice we may soon face.
Quiet, heavy, yet impossible to look away from. I hope you, too, will have this reading experience.
👉 You can read 'The Perfect Children: In a World That Refused Maturity' here The Perfect Children: In a World That Refused Maturity