Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

Commentary - Hiro Arikawa

I confess. I cried. I lost to this unabashedly strange straightforwardness. Damn it.

To be honest, I was kind of busy when I was asked to write this commentary, so I won't deny I felt a tinge of annoyance.

So in order to finish my obligation as soon as possible, I started reading over the manuscript as soon as it arrived. But what was this? It was quite engrossing.

I felt as though the manuscript was pulling me inside by the sleeves. Yikes, I would have been totally swallowed if I weren't careful. Since I had been asked to write a commentary, I didn't just read through it arbitrarily, thinking about it from just my perspective.

In a panic, I repositioned my back in my chair, but it kept pulling me back in. Or was it fishing me in? I was the fish and the manuscript was the fishing line. It was some tough line!

After reading the whole thing in one sitting and crying, I somehow managed to pull myself out. I had lost the tug of war. But how could I complain?

It was like a fairy tale composed of simple chapters.

Just like a fairy tale set long, long ago in a faraway land doesn't have much of a detailed setting, there aren't too many details regarding location in this story either.

There's no need for it. It doesn't matter if this story takes place long ago or in a faraway place. It doesn't matter at all.

The story doesn't have a sense of topic, and it might seem a bit lacking, but this is simply the engrossing fairy tale of one Mimizuku.

And then this Mimizuku meets the King of Night, and that is simply the story. They then surround other characters with their story. They are taken by Mimizuku's lovable personality and unable to go free.

For people (and in this story I guess monsters too?), it is very simple and very difficult to be yourself. Some want to change, but struggle and end up changing nothing, while others simply resign themselves.

Before those people appears a small night bird that drops a small piece. It is an insignificant piece that may or may not help them change. The bird drops it without any regard as to whether or not it has meaning, but that is why I think this bird is lovable.

Everyone, please see with your own eyes what occurred the first time that this little bird held a clear, strong will. Or maybe leave it for later.

Please accept the conclusion to this unabashedly strange straightforwardness, as I had. What will jump into your heart is a lovable bird.

If you embrace this bird, you may be able to obtain something special.