[Issue No. N] What Am I Talking About? Konishi Kinoko & Emu no Maiton Edition - Impressions

■ [Issue No. N] What Am I Talking About?Konishi Kinoko&Emu no MaitonEditionI feel like this ZINE should start with a "Nice to meet you." Although I am acquainted with the two authors, I will set that information aside for today and write down my impressions. (*Contains some spoilers)

・Introduction, and then.
A book that reads the life of someone you don't know.
Invited by a guide to the back alleys and a Kyoto University student who keeps playing in the back alleys, I decided to turn the page. They say it's a ZINE depicting "life." Who are these two? With "What Am I Talking About?" as my ticket, my journey begins. Well then, off I go.

■ Chapter 1: "Secrets of Daily Life"
・"We become someone's daily life" - Konishi Kinoko
Is this an observation diary of an old man I don't know? His golf swing definitely delivers a shock to my brain. The switching of perspectives is tremendous. If I had to name it, it's an "Old Man 360-Degree Camera." Moreover, this author is confronting something all alone. "Wow, this person is really struggling. -- No, wait, am I the one struggling?" I am struck by the internal difference of the story, and I realize that the strange narrative style and rhythm were merely an "exchange of daily life." The layering of thoughts and the overwhelmingly vivid daily life. -- Before I knew it, I, too, who had become immersed, was an accomplice.
The boiling point is permanently low. It's a premeditated act. The true identity of Konishi Kinoko is unknown, but I suspect it's either an "old man" or a "happy-go-lucky guy," or perhaps both.

・"Let's play in the back alleys." - Emu no Maiton
After the shock of being hit by a golf club, I sought help from a "Kyoto University PhD." But the story begins with a shocking confession. It's quite an early defeat. However, as I read on, I begin to feel an irresistible endearment for the outline of the man named Emu no Maiton. A brilliant student who once knocked on the gates of Kyoto University saying "It's better to be with everyone" and aimed for the elite path. He writes about even his setbacks with ease. That simple and nonchalant way of walking wafts from the text.
On the other hand, he uses the layout of intellect to vividly distinguish the depth of society into "main streets" and "back alleys." You will witness the moment a person decides their "path." It seems a screw has come loose. I hope he is never found, forever.
The crabs in the back alleys must be surprised by his naked sincerity in peeling off the Bikkuriman sticker of "being the same as everyone else" and choosing a useless path.
I will pretend I didn't see the awakening to being a "pervert."

■ The contrast between Konishi Kinoko and Emu no Maiton is interesting.
Konishi Kinoko is, so to speak, like an "anchor." There is a posture of "waiting" somewhere in the writing. Rather than chasing time, he stays in place, picking up the humor of daily life, yet his gaze is gentle, sincere, and deep.

On the other hand, Emu no Maiton is like a "sail."
He stands tall, catches every wind that comes his way head-on, and unfolds a magnificent state of being lost. While he appears more composed than anyone else, his inner self is more scattered than anyone else's. That is his human charm and his playground of intellect.

■ "Sunny Spot in the Back Alley" - Who the heck is MAX
The sunny spot corner inserted here and there. It's an information board for introducing old men. I want to take a break, but I can't quite rest.

■ The wonder of not being able to fully deconstruct with a "five-chapter structure."
The biggest factor is that "old men" are daily life.
There "are" five chapters. That "are" is a trap in itself. No matter which page you open, an inexplicable "old man" will always appear. The image of the old man that gradually appears takes on a contour, but you can't quite grasp it. However, I have come to love these people helplessly. This is what it means to become a habit.

■ This is the one piece I want to recommend

・Chapter 4: "The Way of the Pervert" - "Colors Hidden Inside" Emu no Maiton
This chapter, where his delusions run wild lightly, is indeed excellent. Among them, "Colors Hidden Inside" is, I think, the piece where his way of the pervert blossomed most vividly.
What is surprising is the strange amount of sincerity at the very center of that perversion. The moment pure interest is combined with intellect, the story reaches its true essence. Thanks to that light writing style like a "sail," the danger seems to be softened at first glance, but the angle of the metaphors is exquisitely off, refusing to be accepted by everyone. That, too, is just like him. He is writing with a very straight face. Probably, very seriously.
As a result of trying to face the other person sincerely without making easy assumptions, I feel an irresistible endearment for his clumsy figure as he gets caught in his own trap. The vividness of his colors is condensed in this one piece.
Even though the logic should be smartly constructed, there is an airiness in the aftertaste that makes you relax your shoulders. That is probably because he sees "interest" before "correctness." The kindness that gently removes people's burdens stands out especially in the short-shorts. My heart unravels strangely, but the scattered intellect cannot be hidden. The women with inner colors stick in my mind. A sinful man.
You can tell just by looking at the page layout. He is definitely an edgy presence who expands people's horizons and stirs up this ZINE in a good way. Because of that flexibility, this story spreads freely wherever it goes. This was a luxurious detour experience through the waste of intellect.

■ Chapter 5: "Even So, Living"
"The Best Past I Can't Find" - Konishi Kinoko
It is a story of inheriting the "memories" of the seventeen-year-old Konishi Kinoko into the "present." I love it. While reading, I really want to show you myself rolling on the floor laughing, saying, "Wow!! What are these two!"
Full-throttle incompetence, the limits of incompetence, and the competent humor. All of that is packed in tightly. Talking about what could be done at that time with today's yardstick. That is just the best. I groan involuntarily at whether memories can be inherited so realistically, and I fall into the feeling that I am in there too.
And above all, the relationship between Takapon and Konishi Kinoko is good. Too good. It's too stiff to call it ridiculous, and I'm still too shallow to call it stupid. I'm even jealous that I don't have a relationship like the one with Takapon. What is there is just pure endearment. Lighthearted conversations roll, laughter wells up, sways again, and I can even see the slightly moist eyes of the serious Takapon. No, I'm already laughing while writing this.
An helplessly daily place. The helpless struggle of the two. Two people living seriously in the present while worrying about tomorrow.
Wild literature. I laugh until my stomach hurts at its destructive power. From beginning to end, what are these people talking about?

-- No. Isn't it incredibly cool?

I am already a captive. I am relieved from the bottom of my heart that Konishi Kinoko was there beyond Takapon's despair. And the look back at the two that is told later is also good. This is "What Am I Talking About?" I have known that concept for a long time.
The characteristic of Konishi Kinoko's writing is his overly excessive power of observation. The distance at which he talks about humor as if it were a normal thing is irresistible. And memories are things that quietly fade if left alone and disappear if not recorded. That is why Konishi Kinoko may be burning his heart to "write."
The words in the "Introduction" are revived here. "I am living because I can write." Not because I want to write. Because I can write.
There might be someone who gave up somewhere while thinking they wanted to live like this.
-- It even starts to seem that way.
This piece is packed with plenty of life. Daily life is not just a pile of time. "What Am I Talking About?" is about drawing the truth, about myself. And it is about finding value in being alive. I laugh so much, and my heart is moved. I just savor the joy of being able to touch this moment.
Meeting this work is definitely a treasure of my life. As a test, shall I buy a water gun? Where I aim is a secret.

■ Conclusion
The miracle that these two met. -- The journey starts here again.
I accidentally witnessed the miraculous first meeting between Konishi Kinoko and Emu no Maiton. I will place the words of the two at that time here and make it the conclusion.

Later, Konishi Kinoko says this.

November 12, 2024, Yokohama.
From here, the journey of these two begins.
The two who look opposite at first glance have clicked together. I don't need a map of the correct answer anymore. With this anchor, I won't lose sight of myself, and with this sail, I can enjoy myself as far as I want.

That day, was I able to become the third old man? No, if I became a companion who could say "I'm home" when lost in the surging waves, that is enough.

Thank you for creating a place I love.
The best voyage is in sight. Probably.
Ah, that was fun ♡♡

#WhatAreYouTalkingAbout