s.penkevich's Reviews > This is Amiko, Do You Copy?

The world is rarely kind to those who are different, those who stand out from what society has deemed “acceptable” behavoir. And that can make the world a lonely place. This is Amiko, Do You Copy? by Natsuko Imamura, author of The Woman in the Purple Skirt, positions the reader into this sort of isolated existence as the story follows Amiko, a girl who seems to float through life as equally unaware of the bullying she receives as she is to how her own actions set her apart from others. Tender yet ultimately tragic, this is a story of the spreading consequences from misconceptions all seen through the eyes of a girl who can’t quite follow the thread of emotions and events. The story is best emphasized in a pivotal scene where Amiko speaks into her walkie-talkie, calling out to the world and receiving no response beyond, at one point when she hears ‘what sounded like a faint voice amid all the grating noise.’ Addressing neurodivergence and the ways people are misunderstood even by those closest to them, This is Amiko, Do You Copy? is a moving and rather heartbreaking story beautifully presented in a simplistic style (translated here by Hitomi Yoshio) that subtly implies far more than its own words.

I had enjoyed the way Imamura’s The Woman in the Purple Skirt left a lot unsaid but managed to make those omissions speak the loudest and found that this is a talent she carries over into This Amiko, Do You Copy?. The whole novella is overflowing in dramatic irony where the reader is far more aware of the interpersonal dynamics and emotional currents than Amiko herself, through whom the story is told. It is written in third person, though only offers Amiko’s perspective, and the prose is rather simplistic in order to capture the impressions of the world the way a child would (Amiko goes from being a young child to a teenager over the course of the story). Being third person instead of first gives us a sense that Amiko’s own life feels at a remove from herself.

‘She wanted to be kind. But the more she wanted to be kind, the sadder she got. She couldn’t find the words. She couldn’t say a word.’

Many of the events of the story simply pass by without much special emphasis or investigation in order to embody the way that, for Amiko, even the most dramatic of moments don’t seem to register as such to her. Aside from her brief moments with Nori, a classmate for whom she has developed a strong affection despite not reading his social cues of utter annoyance at her presence, Amiko is rather unaffected by everything around her. And, initially, rather blissfully so. ‘It’s like you’re free,’ a classmate admits before adding, ‘well, it’s also why you get bullied…’ The tragedy of the novella is that, because Amiko doesn’t pick up on social cues or socially acceptable behavior, some of her actions cause great offense and sadness to her own family. There are some deeply uncomfortable scenes, though we also recognize how Amiko meant no offense and doesn't even realize that she has offended.

While a revelation about her family comes quite late in the novella, it is almost brushed aside in the text which can feel a bit frustrating as it feels underexplored. And this feeling of frustration the reader may feel should hopefully be eye opening as to why the people around Amiko act so cruelly towards her instead of stopping to think about how that is just the way she is. They misunderstand her and are cold to her instead of accommodating, they mock her behavior, and even her extremely protective brother eventually finds her to be too much for him. I also found the presentation of the narrative, winding around itself and weaving back and forth across the timeline, to not only be a great way to tease out the story but also represent the way Amiko processes her experience in roundabout ways.

This is Amiko, Do You Copy? is a heartfelt yet heartbreaking story that serves as an expression on neurodivergence in a society that is not equipped to be accommodating. I'd be curious to read how those with more experience on the subject matter find the representation, and I'm also curious how the conversation around neurodivergence has changed since this was originally published in 2011. The book has been compared to Convenience Store Woman, though the two novels take fairly different approaches but both still become rather tragic social criticisms. Short, moving, and rather powerful, this book is a good reminder to have patience and understanding with others, and to show kindness instead of the cruelty Amiko finds here.

3.5/5