#aoko matsuda

[radedneko]

Time and time again, I'd been healed by the softness of her fur, the way she would leap up onto my shoulders or my lap, the mewling sound she made was just so very catlike, the sight of her gazing out of the window, how she looked when she woke up--I was soothed by everything about her, in fact. […] Tortie was a wonderful being. Maybe all cats are.

~"Loved One" in Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda; trans. Polly Barton

[judgingbooksbycovers]

The Woman Dies

By Aoko Matsuda.

[peter1001r]

Onde vivem as monstras de Aoko Matsuda

Mais uma leitura que faz parte do Clube do 30 Minutos. Foi interessante conhecer esses contos inspirados em histórias tradicionais japonesas, com a temática sobrenatural. Não esperava que haveria uma conexão tal como foi feita nos contos. Quando estava acabando o último conto, me peguei relembrando de todos os anteriores e de como a relação entre eles muda a cada história. Alguns contos foram muito bons e me deixaram bastante curioso. A ideia da empresa, as "habilidades" das pessoas e dos funcionários, a ligação com a natureza, tudo isso desperta a curiosidade, mas sem cair nas coisas que geralmente vemos ao ler histórias sobre esses temas. A perspectiva feminina acerca desses contos e das visões tradicionais foi bem interessante. A única coisa que eu percebi ao longo da leitura, é que eu não consegui me prender à leitura logo, demorei a pegar no ritmo de leitura e senti que faltava alguma coisa para me cativar a continuar lendo. Apesar disso, recomendo muito a leitura.

[animefeminist]

Folktales, gender and transformation in Where the Wild Ladies Are

Content warnings: discussions of sexism and physical abuse

Matsuda Aoko’s award-winning folklore collection, Where the Wild Ladies Are, is a feminist retelling of traditional Japanese ghost stories. Each short story offers a different perspective on a mysterious company which employs both the living and the dead. The stories often veer into the supernatural in unpredictable ways and even if you’re trying to guess how the plot will connect to ghosts, Aoko’s lively imagination will surprise you.

Transformation is key throughout the collection, with characters’ inner journeys embodied by shifts into spirits, ghosts, and animals, and these transformations are integral to Aoko’s commentary on both ancient and modern gender expectations.

Women and Passion

Throughout Where the Wild Ladies Are, Aoko explores how women are socially discouraged from pursuing challenging work. Kuzuha, the protagonist of “A Fox’s Life,”is one of the collection’s most frequently recurring characters. She is exceptional at everything she does, with nothing demanding real effort from her. Yet Kuzuha fears that misogyny will render her talents pointless, and as such decides not to explore her potential. One poignant section of her story reads “She knew that however hard she tried, the road ahead would be blocked to her at some point. History proved it, society proved it, various statistics proved it. […] Could anybody really blame Kuzuha for concluding that it was, in fact, wiser not to dream big and become instead a person who didn’t offend anyone?” When Kuzuha refuses to go to university, her belief that it is unwise for women to “dream big” is validated by the reaction she receives: “Well, I guess she is a girl, after all.” It’s a common refrain that extends to real life.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[tinynavajoreads]

Currently Reading: Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Masters, translated by Polly Barton

Grabbed this from my work library before we closed for the winter break and I'm liking it so far! A series of short stories that are kind of based on Japanese folklore and yokai. It's lovely to see how these can be interpreted and interesting to read a little bit of backstory of the original tale the short story is based off of.

[high-on-passiflora]

Era como se pedrinhas fossem se acumulando dentro do meu corpo.

Onde Vivem as Monstras (Aoko Matsuda)

[funeral]

The woman dies. She dies to provide a plot twist. She dies to develop the narrative. She dies for cathartic effect. She dies because no one could think of what else to do with her. Dies because there weren’t any better story ideas around. Dies because her death was the very best idea that anyone could come up with ... And so, the woman dies. The woman dies so the man can be sad about it. The woman dies so the man can suffer. She dies to give him a destiny. Dies so he can fall to the dark side. Dies so he can lament her death. As he stands there, brimming with grief, brimming with life, the woman lies there in silence. The woman dies for him. We watch it happen. We read about it happening. We come to know it well.

Aoko Matsuda, The Woman Dies

[smokefalls]

Title: Where the Wild Ladies Are Author: Aoko Matsuda Translator: Polly Barton Publication Year of Translation: 2020 Publisher: Tilted Axis Press Genre: fiction, fantasy, short stories

This is an interconnected short story collection that puts a feminist spin on different Japanese folktales and ghost stories. Revolving almost completely around women, Matsuda takes a deep dive to question how women are perceived and upheld to particular standards in Japanese society, often using wit and humor. I do think that this collection will be far more enjoyable for those who are already familiar with the original stories. Even with the brief explanations provided though, I still felt fairly disconnected from (and, thus, not entirely engaged with) most of these stories because I couldn't entirely follow the references being made.

Overall, a quirky collection to read, though a bit hard to work with if you're not familiar with the original material.

Content Warning: body shaming, death, suicide, domestic abuse, rape mentions, sexual harassment mentions