Digest by Japanese Writers’ House

An Interview with Mizuki Tsujimura on Her New Novel Gōman to zenryō (Arrogance and Virtue): Carefully Writing about Oppressiveness in Marriage

No doubt there are many who, despite their earnest desire to marry, cannot find anyone suitable. Why is this the case? Acclaimed writer Mizuki Tsujimura explores this very question in her newest work Gōman to zenryō (Arrogance and Virtue), a romance novel that incorporates elements of mystery and delicately explores the oppressiveness tied to marriage today.

The protagonists of the novel, the narcissistic Kakeru who soon discovers he is the only one among his friends who has not married, and demure Mami, who has lived all her life bowing to the will of her mother, meet through a marriage-seeking app and marry two years later. The story begins with Kakeru’s perspective, as Mami suddenly vanishes. As he searches for clues, Kakeru slowly begins to uncover Mami’s past.

The title of the novel refers to both characters, with Kakeru’s narcissism being an obvious stand-in for arrogance. On the other hand, Mami’s virtue is represented in her demureness, with Tsujima exploring how love and marriage-seeking can be difficult for those who have always let others make their decisions for them. As noted by a character in the book, “When it comes to people who have a hard time with marriage seeking, they are all modest, with a low sense of self-esteem, while narcissists find marriage-seeking much easier.”

The second half of the book sees the perspective switch to Mami, as their personalities become reversed as the story nears its climax, and a married life filled with narcissism slowly turns into genuine love. “Each time I take on a new challenge, readers accept it as ‘a work by Mizuki Tsujima’ even if the genre is completely different compared to what I normally write.” Tsujima says. “I feel like I have been able to keeping walking forwards together with my readers in the 15 years since my debut novel.”

News Abstract from Article Originally Posted in Asahi Shimbun April 17th 2019