[Originally posted December 8, 2022]
Welcome to the second part of my review of the TIME anthology.
This part covers pages 31 – 78
HALF
Our first story is HALF, written by Mai Yotsuya (四谷舞) and illustrated by Soushi Satsuki (五月草子).
The clang of the Memorial Church bells rang out, drowning out the sound of Garma’s footsteps. He was on his way to the office of Professor Christensen to discuss a paper he submitted yesterday. It was late in the day, with the low light of the red sky casting long shadows in the corridor. With a sigh, Garma approached the door and knocked three times.
“Come in.”
It wasn’t the professor who answered, but he recognized that voice.
“Knocking right as the last Memorial Church bell rings… I’m in awe of your meticulousness. Are all Germans like that?”
Inside the office was not the professor, but his classmate Char. He explained that the professor asked him to relay a message –
I’m sorry to call you here, but I have to leave for an urgent matter for about 30 minutes. I will be back as soon as I can, so please wait for me
“That’s what he said.”
“I understand.”
Yet even after delivering the message, Char did not leave, continuing to stand there in the red evening glow, leaning against a bookshelf. He stared at Garma, who was still in the doorway. Garma was slightly annoyed by the development, as he really doesn’t want to deal with the confident Frenchman while in such a heavy mood.
“Why don’t you sit down?”
For some backstory, Char and Garma are exchange students at this prestigious American school, with the former from France and the latter from Germany. Despite being French, Char spoke perfect American English just as well as his mother tongue, and with an intimidating persuasiveness. The fact that he’s a foreigner didn’t seem to hold him back at all; rather, he’s able to argue from a broader perspective than the average student. As such, he’s at the top of his class.
“You’re just going to stand there?”
Garma shook his head.
“Germans like to stand”
It seemed his sarcasm hadn’t phased Char.
“Suit yourself.”
He turned back to the book in his hand.
The cramped room was filled with an awkward tension.
Even though they were both international students, Garma had a hard time dealing with Char. He would come up to him out of nowhere, say a few words, and then leave. It puzzled him that this man always seemed to be trying to get his attention. After all, Char got along just fine with the other German students, and it wasn’t like he was the only German student in the Economic Department either. He could only assume that Char had it out for him specifically, and thus tried to avoid him as much as possible.
However, in these current circumstances, it felt uncomfortable to just be standing here, not saying anything.
Garma looked at Char as if searching for a clue. A light chill filled the air.
Before him, Char’s brilliant blonde hair caught the light of the fading sun. All of the girls talked about how envious they were of it, and at that moment even Garma couldn’t help but think of how beautiful it was too.
Though Garma had come to accept his odd purple hair color, he was a bit jealous of Char and his perfect Germanic looking appearance. It wasn’t just in the looks department either – no matter what, when compared to Char, Garma always fell short. Char was able to captivate people so easily with his words in a way Garma could never dream of. Even though he was just a student, Char carried himself like a proper executive and businessman.
It’s a man like Char who will go on to business school and rule Wall Street, just like my brother Gihren…
No matter how hard Garma worked to be like that, how much he yearned for it, it was impossible. He knew he would have to give up.
“Is it true you’re not going to business school?”
“Eh?!”
Garma had become so engrossed in his own thoughts that Char’s words startled him.
“It’s not like there’s anything in particular that I want to learn… I guess an MBA (Master of Business Administration) title would be acceptable in Germany, but that’s a different matter…”
“Don’t lie.”
With a snap, Char closed the book in his hand. His harsh tone struck a chord.
“What reason do I have to lie? Besides, whether I go to business school or not is my problem, not yours.”
Though impatient with this turn of events, Garma immediately regretted using such a harsh tone of voice.
“I’m sorry…I was out of line. But I’m still not sure myself, since I don’t know if I’ll pass the exam or not in the first place. I’ll go home this Christmas break and talk to my parents about it…”
Trying to diffuse some of the awkward tension, he had begun babbling and making excuses.
“Are you still going to lie to me?”
Although not able to see too well in the dimly lit room, Garma could sense a quiet rage as Char approached.
“Professor Christensen called you here to ask you the same thing. I’m sure you’re aware of that…”
“Yes…I was planning on telling the professor as well.”
“Garma. As the youngest son of the Zabi family, you know you don’t actually have a choice. Plus your mother has long since passed.”
Char took a step closer.
“I know very well. It’s not uncommon to see the sons from wealthy families here…but this is about you.”
“So I assume you’ve been checking my grades as well?!”
Garma said with a bit of a self deprecating smile.
“What do you mean? You’re the highest ranked international student.”
“Highest rank? No, I’m not. You know who the highest rank is, right? It’s you, Char.”
“Many of my subjects are not as good as yours.”
At once, any anger Garma felt from Char disappeared.
“I see…Well, I don’t think it’s worth arguing about this with you. I’ll come back later.”
Tired of this painful conversation, Garma reached for the door handle, but Char stopped him.
“Wait.”
Garma turned around to face the other man in disgust.
“Why do you avoid me? Garma… do you hate me that much? Or is it because I get better grades than you?”
It was the first time Garma had ever seen Char’s face so close, and with such a serious expression. Nothing like the lighthearted, sarcastic tone when he usually spoke. Perhaps that’s why he felt no anger, despite Char’s harsh words.
“Huh… that’s not true. You’re the one who hates me, right?”
“Eh!!”
Garma was shocked by both Char’s genuine surprise and the defenseless expression on his face, but continued.
“Well, you’re French. You probably don’t like me because I’m German.”
“You think I’m that narrow minded!?”
Char interrupted angrily, eyes burning with rage.
Sensing Garma’s fear at the sudden outburst, Char shook his head and muttered something to himself.
“No matter what I do, it’s useless… I didn’t think I was bad at this kind of thing, but if the other party is a man… it’s different.”
He looked Garma squarely in the eye.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Garma was barely able to spit out the words.
“That means…”
Char’s bright blonde hair tangled in Garma’s purple locks as he leaned in, kissing him on the lips.
“I like you, Garma.”
Char said very naturally.
Frozen for a moment in shock, Garma quickly regained his composure and reflexively punched Char on the cheek.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t like those kinds of jokes in this country. In Germany it’s forbidden by law!”
“It’s not a joke. I’m serious.”
Garma was unable to suppress his anger at Char’s indifferent attitude.
“No, that’s even worse! I’m not going to judge people based on their sexual preferences. This is America, the land of the free, and I recognize your human rights, but I’m not like that -”
“I love you.”
Char interrupted him.
“Char!! Listen to what I’m saying!”
“I’ve been watching you this whole time.”
Char was in no mood to be swayed by anything Garma said. Of course, that just made Garma all the more irritated.
He put his arm up to strike Char again, but the other man easily grabbed it before he could.
“I don’t want to be hit twice after just one kiss.”
Having his arm pulled so suddenly made Garma lose his balance and he fell forward into Char’s chest.
“Will you forgive me if I say my name is Casval… Casval Rem Deikun?”
Char whispered in his ear. Garma, who had been struggling in Char’s arms, stopped resisting.
“Casval…Casval is…”
“We used to play together at the villa in Lausanne. I recognized you at first sight, but you didn’t even notice me. How heartless…”
With those words, he loosened his grip.
Garma couldn’t contain his surprise, staring back at Char’s close face. Come to think of it, his eyes and hair were the same as Casval from back then. Still in Char’s arms, he began to recall a distant memory.
In Lausanne, where even in summer you can see the snow-capped mountains, the Zabi and Deikun families’ villas were next to each other. He and Casval often played together by the river that marked the boundary between them.
Casval was from the south of France, and spoke German very well even at a young age.
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
Garma asked Char, his feelings of anger replaced by nostalgia.
“Do you think I could just say that? Can’t you guess why I changed my name?”
Char smiled as he ran his fingers through Garma’s purple hair.
“For the past three years, every time I’ve seen you, I’ve always wanted to touch your beautiful hair like I used to. The long summers we spent together at the villa in Lausanne were the happiest times of my life. I believed those days would never come again…”
“But Casval – “
“Please, call me Char.”
Garma felt Char’s grip around his back tighten once more, so he put up an arm to increase the distance between them.
“Please stop kidding around. I’m sorry for not noticing for so long. But why are you here? You even changed your name…”
“Do you think the professors, students, or anyone else here would ever leave me alone if they knew I was the son of the collapsed Steel King Deikun family?! How could the media not be interested in why we came from France? I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Why didn’t you at least tell me? I’m not the type who’d go around blabbing to everyone. The way you talk is rather heartless.”
Char gave Garma’s cheek a light tap.
“You still act like such a kid, Garma. Go ask Professor Foraker if you can read the old newspapers from thirteen years ago, and the gossip papers from that time while you’re at it.”
“Professor Foraker specializes in corporate bankruptcy…oh!!”
Garma quickly covered his mouth while Char looked on, gaze expressionless.
“But that, really… When I asked my brother Gihren about it before, he said it was just a rumor.”
“Whether or not the Zabi conglomerate was the mastermind behind pushing the Deikun family to destruction, there is no doubt that my father made a huge investment in a third world African nation. After that, I came here believing it was due to my father’s naivete that he was unable to predict that the previous government would be overthrown by revolution.”
Char’s words were devoid of all emotion, as if speaking about someone else rather than himself. A pale flame burned in his cold eyes as he stared off into the distance. Garma could easily guess Char’s painful past from that change. The nostalgia of the reunion now filled Garma with dark thoughts.
“Char. You really hate me, don’t you?”
“No.”
A clear denial.
“Then why are you treating me with that kind of attitude…”
“What kind of attitude?”
He tilted his head slightly, the cold glint now gone from his eyes.
“You kept saying things in a way that bothered me. At first I thought it was because I’m German. but I wouldn’t say that. If anything, it’s me.”
Garma was at a loss as he tried to express his frustration. The Char in front of him now wasn’t the confident, snobbish Frenchman Char Aznable. It was the grown-up version of his childhood best friend, Casval Rem Deikun.
“You misunderstand, Garma. It’s certainly true that I kept repeating those harsh words in class because they got to you. Even before I found out that the youngest child of the Zabi family was studying abroad, I knew it was you. On the sixth step in the staircase in front of class, I recognized you at first sight.”
“It’s probably because purple hair is so rare.”
He muttered while looking down. Without meaning to, his tone had returned to that of the old days.
“Maybe so, but there are others out there with purple hair. Regardless, I knew it was you.”
“That’s why you hated me so much…”
“Garma, you’re wrong. I thought I was supposed to hate you, but when I saw you, nostalgia prevailed over hatred. That’s not a lie. I couldn’t believe it myself, so I purposefully asked questions to embarrass you in class. Each time you would look at me with hurt in your eyes, and I would regret it, but then scold myself because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. It was like that over and over, every time.”
He whispered while grabbing Garma’s shoulders roughly. It didn’t seem like he was lying, although there were many things that Garma still couldn’t understand.
“Then why are you telling me this now? If you don’t hate me, why did you keep quiet about it for three years?!”
Garma twisted and shook away from Char’s grasp. Instead of following him, Char took a step back and leaned against the door, folded his arms and fell silent, staring at his feet.
A heavy silence filled the room. Garma felt somewhat miserable as he waited for an answer.
Finally Char slowly looked up and exhaled heavily, as if he had made up his mind.
“Garma, I think it’s understandable that you don’t believe me. I can hardly believe it myself… I’ve been watching you for a long time. Among the nearly 100 libraries, it was my daily routine to find the one you were using that day. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t painful either. At first, I thought I was just keeping an eye on the Zabi boy. I thought I would find out what kind of man he had grown up to be, and find out his weaknesses. But before I knew it, I was purely pursuing you.”
“Char.”
“Je vous aime…I love you.”
Char gave a slightly embarrassed smile.
“No matter how long I lived in America, I still wanted to say that one phrase in French. I can say it in German too.”
“Are you serious?”
Garma suddenly replied in German.
“Oui.”
The two looked at each other and let out a chuckle. It was similar to the laughter they exchanged after doing something mischievous as children.
“So, Garma. I noticed that you’ve been looking much more tired lately, so please tell me what’s been going on and what’s bothering you. That’s why I told you the truth.”
Char’s sincere attitude more than made up for the thirteen years that had passed between them.
“As an honors student, you wouldn’t understand. But…but…”
“Garma.”
Only now did Garma notice he was crying, tears streaming from his eyes. He was sobbing so hard he could barely speak. Char hugged him gently, and Garma rested his head on his shoulder, no longer putting up any resistance between them.
“My brother Gihren is at Cambridge, my other brother Dozle is at a military academy, and even my sister Kycilia…all of my siblings…they’re all naturally top performers. Despite my best efforts, I’m the only one who can’t make it…I’m the only one…that’s why…”
“So that’s why you thought it would be a bad idea to go to business school.”
Garma nodded as Char patted him gently on the shoulder. His limp arm wrapped around Char’s back as if seeking something to cling to.
“You’re an unbelievable softie, is what I’d like to say…but, Garma. You’re tired. You’ve been studying too hard.”
“But I have to do more…”
“Don’t embarrass me by talking like a teenager. You haven’t even been to the other side of the Charles River since you came here, have you?”
Garma nodded through his tears.
“You’re tired, and it’s not good to worry too much. Let’s go to the market on our next day off. You could be the top of the class if you just relaxed a little. So stop crying, Garma.”
Char’s voice was pleasant in Garma’s ears. He obeyed his words like a child being soothed.
“At this rate, Professor Christensen will think I was bullying you.”
He raised up Garma’s chin with his hand and wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Your eyes are red. Won’t the professor get angry?”
Garma smiled at Char’s slightly annoyed words.
“Smile, just like the old days…That’s all I want…”
“Char…Char…”
Garma clung to Char’s neck with both arms. He wanted to convey his feelings to Char as much as possible, but couldn’t get the words out.
Just then, there was a knock.
“Garma, can you open the door?”
“Professor Christensen.”
Char quickly pulled away from Garma and opened the door.
“Oh, were you waiting for me too?”
After helping the professor with the stack of books in his hands, he turns to Garma.
“I was just about to leave.”
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Garma. It’s so dark. Why don’t you turn on the light?”
With the early sunset of the beginning of winter, the sun was beyond the horizon.
He said this, noticing how it was too dark for the two of them. When Char flipped the switch, the outline of the room became clear. Garma could easily recognize Char’s expression even in such darkness.
“I had you waiting, thinking I would be back soon. Sorry about that.”
“No, Professor. I wanted to ask for advice…I was wondering what the theme of my graduation thesis should be in order to acquire an MBA…”
Char, who was about to open the door and leave the room, stopped at those words. Garma said to his back –
“Don’t forget your promise to take me across the Charles River, Char.”
END
I love you…Sayonara
Next up is the comic I love you Sayonara by Mika Tadano (只野みか).
The style for this comic is a bit different than the one I covered previously, with lots of SFX and small aside text. I’ve done my best to preserve as much of the original as possible while also providing a translation where I can.
I’ve also added some translator notes at the end, referenced in the text by small numbers, similar to footnotes.
Content warning:
Some violence and sexual themes, although nothing is explicitly depicted
Notes
- Nouveau riche means “new rich”, and is a usually derogatory term used to describe someone who has recently become very rich and likes to publicly show it off. The term in Japanese is 成金 (narikin), which also refers to when a piece is promoted to gold general in shogi
- Sanpaku eyes (三白眼) means literally “three whites”, and refers to eyes in which either the white space above or below the iris is revealed. According to Japanese medical face reading, people with this condition have a physical imbalance in the body and tend to attract accidents and violence. Quattro’s eyes are a good example.
- In Aichi prefecture (where Nagoya is located), channel 10 was the affiliate for TV Tokyo. Maybe this is the channel Gundam was shown on in the 80s? I haven’t been able to confirm that though
- The Japanese used here is 金時の火事見舞い (Kintoki visiting the fire), which is used to describe a person’s red face, usually after drinking
- Ai Ushio, another artist featured in this book
- The pose depicted here is similar to a statue of Ninomiya Sontoku
- In the movie Platoon, Barnes finds Elias alone and shoots him, then tells the others that Elias was killed by the enemy.
After this is, as promised, Saint Seiya, with some really cute art by Ushio & Makoto (潮藍 & 盾乃誡) (left) Modo Mirai (みらい戻) (right)
The next page is another illustration, this one by Azusa Kurokawa (黒川あづさ)
雲 (Kumo)
The final short story for this article is Kumo, or “Cloud” in English, written by Otoko Ubukata (生方音子) and illustrated by Makoto Tateno (盾乃誡). Here’s a summary.
Content warning:
Discussion of animal (dog) death
When Garma left Char’s side and quickly got married, Char couldn’t help but feel unreasonably angry. But instead of showing it, he was right there to celebrate with the rest of Garma’s friends at his wedding.
As the bride came down the stairs, clinging tightly to him, wearing a fluffy dress made of many layers of thin white cloth, to Char it looked as if Garma seemed to be embracing a cloud.
Soon after, the couple went south for their honeymoon, and Char left for the desert to work on a geological survey.
A year has passed since then.
But now, after a sudden invitation over the phone, Char is on his way to visit him.
Their house was in a suburban residential area surrounded by trees. It was already late when Char finally arrived. He hesitated, but figuring he had already been invited and came all this way, he rang the doorbell anyway, but there was no answer.
He waited for a bit and rang it again. Still no answer. Char thinks for a moment if he should just go back to the station for the night and work on his dissertation until he falls asleep on a bench.
Just as he was about to leave, the door opened.
“Char – !”
“I thought you weren’t home.”
Garma apologized for the trouble and let Char in. He couldn’t help but notice his friend’s eyes were a little red, as if he had been crying.
He led Char to the living room sofa before turning his gaze towards the home bar.
“I’m sorry, can I leave you for a minute? I’ll be right back.”
After a moment of hesitation, Char stopped him as he was about to leave.
“Congratulations on your wedding.”
Garma laughed a little.
“It’s been over a year.”
But this was the first time Char had properly said it.
Once Garma left, Char walked over to the large window at the front of the room. It overlooked a beautiful garden, lit up by Japanese style lanterns.
Then he noticed two figures in the distance, a man and a woman.
Is it a quarrel between husband and wife?
Seeing such a thing annoyed Char a little. Out in the desert, he didn’t have to deal with complicated human relationship problems. He wished they’d just settled whatever argument this was while he wasn’t there.
Suddenly to Char’s surprise, Garma slapped the woman on the cheek and yelled,
“Then don’t ever get a dog again!”
The woman covered her face with her hands and ran into the house. Garma waited for a few moments before heading back, where his eyes met Char’s in the window.
Realizing he had no choice, Char opened the door and went out to meet him.
He attempted to calm Garma down and smooth things over, but Garma didn’t want to hear any of it. Char had always hated him for this kind of indifference to other people’s feelings, as much as he liked him as his friend.
Char continued to follow Garma as he walked away. In the corner of the yard was something covered by a white sheet. Finally, he caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Garma told him to go back inside, but Char had already made up his mind.
“Are you going to bury it?”
He hesitated, then nodded.
Char offered to help, that it’s no big deal. He could tell Garma was upset, both from the situation and for showing “death” to a friend he hasn’t seen in a long time.
He is a happy man, Char thought. He had no worries in life, at least in the immediate future, so he can afford to be afraid of such a vague thing as death.
Long ago there was a king who had everything: gold and silver treasures, fast horses, beautiful wives – everything you could want in the world! But one day he threw it away and created a potion of immortality. He feared nothing, except for one thing…
“And that thing was death.”
“Eh?”
Char got to his feet, confused, but Garma replied he was just talking to himself. Realizing his friend wasn’t in the mood to chat, he offered to go to his room and leave him alone.
“Goodnight.”
“Char!”
Garma stood up and grabbed Char by the elbow, startling him.
The two of them stared at each other in silence.
“Are you worried you’ll see the dog’s ghost?”
He shook his head.
“Then…?”
He didn’t say anything, so Char reluctantly sat down on the sofa again.
“Sorry…!”
Finally, he spoke in a soft voice, resting both hands on Char’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry you had to come all this way, Char. It’s been a bit of a mess…”
He brought his face closer to Char’s.
“I missed you.”
Char sighed. Despite all of Garma’s faults, when sitting together like this, he couldn’t deny how much his friend meant to him. He really couldn’t believe that they’d been apart for a whole year, or that he was married and now belonged to someone else.
“But still…”
“Hm?”
“You shouldn’t hit your wife like that.”
He told him to go apologize to her, but Garma shook his head.
“Even if I don’t apologize, it’ll work out somehow.”
Garma’s reply made Char’s heart ache. Why would he say something like that?
“What were you fighting about?”
“I told her to help me bury the dog, but she said she didn’t want to do it because it was dirty.”
“That’s your fault.”
“Yes…”
At least he’s honest, thought Char.
Garma agreed that a good husband would just bury the dog himself, comfort her, and ask her if she wants to get a new one, but something else is bothering him. What about when he dies?
“I’m sure she won’t even touch me after I’m dead, calling me dirty.”
“Garma!”
He was suddenly taken aback by Char’s voice.
“That’s too much!”
Garma apologized. Of course his wife hadn’t done anything wrong. This was his mistake.
“You look a bit pale. Are you drunk?”
He replied that he wasn’t feeling well, and started crying. Oh you, Char thought, as he looked on.
“You married her because you love her, right? Why don’t you let her be a princess forever? Why don’t you just take care of the dirty things and let her see the beautiful things!”
It was a bit painful for him to say that. Garma laughed a little.
“She likes flowers, birds, and beautiful living things… But she doesn’t seem to understand that everything alive also one day will die. By not acknowledging that, she also can’t see what’s alive, right Char?”
Char hugged him. He hated this kind of thing.
“Char?”
He’s afraid of seeing “death”, Char thought. But if two people are together, and one refuses to acknowledge it, then the full burden falls on the other. What a terrible thing.
Char wonders why he couldn’t be Garma’s partner instead. After all, he wasn’t afraid of dying. It was just in his nature.
That’s why he loved him so much. He who is so serious about things in this world, and yet so naive, and so endearing. That was the reason for his unreasonable anger when he said he was going to get married. But at this moment, he held his warm body in his hands.
“Won’t you come to the desert with me?”
He made a dubious face.
“Are you suggesting I quit my day job?”
No matter what, you’ll hide your fears, even from yourself. So why not take action?
In a calm voice, he called Char’s name.
“You’re saying that because I was complaining?”
Char shook his head.
Garma let go of Char’s arm, then, on his own accord, hugged him.
“I’m sorry for saying such weird things. I’ll stop now.”
Char also apologized.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were happy.”
“…? Happy?”
He laughed a little.
“I see. I guess you don’t like it when I’m not picture-perfectly happy.”
Garma put his hand around Char’s back.
“You’re like a selfish child, Char.”
Char was surprised. So that’s what they both thought of each other.
“There’s no such thing as picture-perfect happiness… anywhere”
He said, sadly.
“It’s something you only find in paintings.”
Just then, there was a sudden noise. It was his wife, leaning against the doorway, saying she was feeling nauseous. Garma ran over to catch her as she was about to fall.
A doctor was called, and they found out she was pregnant.
Char woke the next morning to the sound of rain and a record playing.
When he went down to the kitchen, he found that Garma and his wife had reconciled.
It was a bright morning.
Yesterday had been so full of “death”.
Char decided to leave without saying goodbye.
He couldn’t help but think if they actually had that child, their lives would become a complete mess. For a moment, he wished the child would never be born.
Char had failed to make Garma his own. Without him, he’s nothing – no skin, no bones, just air…no, like a cloud.
Come to think of it, Garma had been holding a “cloud” at his wedding too. That cloud who had taken him, and was about to become a mother. And he, a father. The sands of time would fall on that young, warm body that he had hugged yesterday.
What a sad thing, Char thought, as if it was someone else’s problem. Perhaps he will not fall victim to the sands of time. Because he still did not feel alive himself. Char, who lost him, was just a cloud in the sky somewhere, watching the wind draw and erase the shapes of happiness on the ground.
When he turned to look back, the house he had just left was nothing but a speck, shrouded in rain.
We’ll wrap things up with an illustration that I believe is by Ai Ushio (潮藍) again, but it’s not credited.
End of Part 2