What then?

Author: Akizuki Junichi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Akizuki has almost become the spokesperson for the elderly. He believes that people must have love in their lives, and it is a need that lasts a lifetime. Love and romance are not exclusive to the young; the elderly need them just as much, and they can experience them just as intensely, perhaps even more passionately than younger people. In the book, Akizuki divides chapters to depict men's love as "Playful Men," women's love as "Fleeting Women," and playful interactions between men and women as "Nude Art," "Couple Combinations," "Love Desserts," and more. In That's How It Is, there is a description of a love triangle. Ms. Hashimoto, who is petite, introverted, and like a quiet orchid blooming in a mountain valley, and Ms. Ebi, who is active, lively, and like a rampant rose in full bloom, both fall in love with Mr. Tatsuki. The two women express their love for Mr. Tatsuki in different ways, showing their jealousy and employing various tricks, all in the pursuit of his affection. Mr. Tatsuki, on the one hand, is seen with Ms. Ebi, and on the other, with Ms. Hashimoto, as if lost in a paradise of love, becoming a coveted figure in the senior apartment complex. Such a scenario should, in my opinion, occur among the young, not the elderly. I never believe that old people can have such passionate love. Akizuki is himself growing older, and he hopes to be able to love and be loved even as he ages, and to express his love openly. That's why he wrote That's How It Is. If society as a whole accepts this model, the elderly will live more freely, happily, and spontaneously than they do now, and Akizuki would undoubtedly thrive in such an environment. Akizuki writes about the ideal life for the elderly in his vision. I sincerely wish Mr. Akizuki all his heart's desires come true, and that he is always loved and has someone he loves deeply.