Super Frog Saves Tokyo Review – Cute & Coffee Table-Worthy
Summary: Nothing meaty, just a Murakami story to read over a cup of tea replete with cute visuals on every page.
4
Short & Stylish
Super Frog Saves Tokyo is a short story about a man who really has nothing going for him, yet he keeps working diligently anyway, and how maybe that’s the most heroic thing anyone’s ever done. Yet, in true Murakami fashion, it’s silly, surreal, and not-so-straightforward. It’s just as much about perseverance as it is about a man being visited by a giant frog, about good versus evil, and about being a debt collector.
The story was one of many Murakami stories inspired by the 1995 earthquake, and was first published in 2001 for GQ magazine. Murakami’s After The Quake collects this and five other stories written around the earthquake, which are well worth reading, but this edition of the story is a special, fully-illustrated lone release. So, as much as this release is about Katagiri and his friend Frog, it’s a celebration charmingly designed and illustrated by Suzanne Dean.
Printed in full colour, the vibrant and cute abstractions are simple and make for the perfect gift for fans or would-be fans, but as a reader, I feel it’s a little off-base. The story might sound cute, but it gets pretty heavy at times, and the childish storybook aesthetic undercuts some of the more dramatic moments. The story includes mentions of gangsters, intimidation, abandonment, loneliness and a nightmare about being covered in bugs. The grounded, serious world Katagiri lives in is part of the reason that Frog’s whimsical adventure seems so appealing.
Still, it’s hard to fault it for livening up a popular older story of Murakami’s. In fact, I’d like to see more of Murakami’s short stories done this way so that I can give them away as gifts. It’s hard to inspire people to read these days, even if it’s just a short story, and an aesthetically-pleasing and engaging coffee table book like this is the perfect way to do it. If I can suggest more stories for the illustrated treatment, Murakami’s Confessions of a Shinigawa Monkey would be perfect. And if I can push the envelope a little further, stories like Yasutaka Tsutsui’s Rumours About Me, or Sayaka Murata’s Eating the City would be similarly perfect coffee table books.
“Coffee table book” really does sum up this release. It’s a charming story, subtly sweet, and a favourite of Murakami fans, but it’s not going to beat out a short story collection on its own. Instead, it’s a great starting point for budding Murakami fans, and the perfect gift for people wanting to inspire a reading habit in their friends and family.
About the Author
Branden Zavaleta Based in Perth, Branden writes on the arts for a handful of Australian outlets. He's also a street & creative portrait photographer, who's work can be found @brandenzp on Instagram.
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