Impressions of the Creative Awards: Yukimi, Perrot, and Leon-san

There are times when the reader can tell that the author is having fun while writing. I don't know what kind of feelings the author had when posting this, and I don't think it's necessary to know. But I'm sure they are still feeling nervous right now. I felt that this was a work written with the determination to swing in one direction, even within the author herself.

Her usual writing style varies widely, from thematic analysis and essays to food writing. All of them are interesting, and while she may seem to be cutting corners, she draws people in with a unique style that is hers alone, incorporating humor while piercing the core of the subject. However, what I feel most deeply at the root of it all is her exploration of herself through writing, and the way she greedily fights to make people read and to get her message across. She doesn't hide that.

That is why I make it a point to read her articles. Because I, too, am always fighting. I am always thinking about my own writing style, my own expression, and whether I can write something interesting. That is why I decided to write my impressions if she were to write a novel.

This is a quote from the afterword, written by the character "Bluebeard Perrot" that she created. In other words, he is a character who feels perfectly natural explaining things independently from the story. I was impressed that she could come up with such a character. Perhaps there is a part of her own inner self that holds these kinds of thoughts. That is how independent and lively he is.

This "Bluebeard Perrot" is described by a character in the text as follows: A 35-year-old man living in Fukuoka. He has a complex about his blue beard. However, while it is a complex, he seems to take pride in his blue beard. Up to this point, I think it's hard to understand. But this is an mysterious feature of Bluebeard Perrot, where he posts articles in a unique style while attracting many readers as "Bluebeard Perrot's Marriage Hunting Diary," and it is set up so that Bluebeard Perrot himself has an account in the world of note.

The way the articles are written is so interesting that it makes you think Bluebeard Perrot might actually exist.

The writing style and sensibility are so off the charts that I think it would be interesting if this Bluebeard Perrot account actually existed. He could be a main character. In fact, Bluebeard Perrot himself thinks he is the main character when he writes articles on note. He is playing right on the fine line of "someone who seems like they could exist but doesn't."

This "someone who seems like they could exist but doesn't" character draws the reader in. It's because you can go back and forth on the boundary of "This guy would do that, and it's forgivable."

The protagonist, Yukimi Shirayuki, commonly known as Yukimi-chan, also lives with a certain complex. "This isn't fat, it's plump!" Even this one line makes her look cute. And her thoroughly positive and lovable personality makes the reader want to imagine the character's image. The way she uses dialect a lot after being complimented on it by a handsome man—I've never met such a cute girl. I've even looked back on my life and felt jealous, that's how cute she is.

This work is thoroughly forward-looking, excluding scenes of conflict or sadness as much as possible. In terms of giving depth to characters, depicting their inner lives is an important element. It's so that the reader isn't left behind by the story. It's because we empathize with the characters by knowing their past encounters and the transition of their thoughts. However, she chose to leave that out without describing it in detail.

She clearly focuses only on "rhythm and fun" and what is happening in the present. I feel this leads to making it easier to visualize the scenes in one's head.

Before I knew it, I had entered Yukimi's world, was imagining Yukimi, and was cheering for Yukimi just like her friends. The story features an interaction between Bluebeard Perrot and Yukimi within one episode. The way this interaction happens is also interesting. It's because it hits that fine line where we think something like this might actually be happening in reality. That's why I can imagine it and laugh. Yukimi, who had been reading Bluebeard Perrot's note, suspects "Could this be him?" from the moment she spots that blue beard.

Thanks to her swinging toward entertainment, she can brightly cut into the physical negatives of romance. This is thanks to a writing style that makes you not think of a complex as a complex. And since she chose the land of Fukuoka, which she likely loves, as the stage, it means there will be more episodes of Yukimi at delicious places and wonderful spots in the future. I feel it becomes even more interesting if you consider this Yukimi story as the romance arc.

Her usual food essays are exceptionally interesting. I can still feel elements where she can freely play with these aspects, using her beloved Fukuoka as the stage, having Yukimi talk while eating, or having Bluebeard Perrot turn it into a shady article. I think she can incorporate the interesting qualities she naturally possesses. I even wonder if this story hasn't really begun as a story yet.

Of course, this romance turmoil is interesting and charming, and you can even laugh at it, but what I felt most was that these characters could be developed further. There is the pleasure of reading a completed story, and while I think this work is also complete, as someone who reads her usual writing, I can't help but feel that the characters she created would shine even more if she infused them with more of her essence.

I feel a margin where she could involve Fukuoka with settings and stages suitable for Yukimi and Bluebeard Perrot, solve some big incident, or provide small moments of inspiration. Because no matter what they do, it's believable and forgivable for these people.

I hope you will continue to cherish and nurture these slightly strange characters. It might even be interesting if they eventually become like partners who never cross paths.

I hope that in the future, this work will catch someone's eye, and that she will meet people who will create with her, expand on her ideas, and help make the work itself fun and big, and I hope the story develops so that it reaches even more people.