Japanese / Japan
Bokutachi no Riaru
(Our Riaru)
Tomori, Shiruko
(text)
Satō, Makiko
(illus.)
Tōkyō: Kōdansha, 2016. – 222 p.
ISBN 978-4-06-220073-8
Family | Friendship | Homosexuality | School | Perfectionism
Reading age: 11+
White Ravens issue: 2017
Riaru is a special boy. He is perfect at everything. His family is not, however. When his young brother died four years ago in an accident, his mother’s mental health suffered. She’s been living apart from the family since then, but only some of of Riaru’s classmates know this – as Wataru, his childhood friend. Unlike Riaru, Wataru does not want to stand out, but he doesn’t like how Riaru makes him feel inferior. However, when friendship grows between Wataru, Riaru, and Saji, a new student, Wataru comes to realize that the class expectation for Riaru to be perfect might be an unfair burden. He also notices Saji’s suppressed love for Riaru. In supporting them, he finds his own strengths. “Bokutachi no Riaru” shows that unrequited love can sometimes lead to special, long-lasting friendship. This book about homosexual love, which is still an unusual topic in Japanese literature for young readers, is the author’s first novel. She has written a second novel that focuses on a transgendered person.