The Tatami Galaxy
Tomihiko Morimi, Emily Balistrieri (translation)Our protagonist, an unnamed junior at a prestigious university in Kyoto, is on the verge of dropping out. After rebelling against the dictatorial jock president of the film club, he & his worst & only friend, the diabolical creep Ozu, are personas non grata on campus. For two years, our protagonist has made all the wrong decisions, & now he's about to make another mistake. He & Ozu are preparing for revenge—a fireworks attack at the film club's welcoming party for new members. Then, a chance encounter with a self-proclaimed god sets the confused & distraught young man on a new course. Destiny will bring him together with Akashi, the blunt but charming sophomore he has a crush on—if he’s brave enough to make a move.
Yet our protagonist cannot get beyond his profound disillusionment & the moment is lost. But what if there's a universe where he did join the club of his dreams, ditched Ozu for good, & was confident enough to get the girl? A realm of possibility opens up for our protagonist as time rewinds, & from the four-and-a-half-mat tatami floor of his dorm room, he is plunged into a series of adventures that will take him to four parallel universes. In each universe, he is given the opportunity to start over as a freshman, in search of a rose-colored campus life.
The inspiration behind the much-loved anime series, Tomihiko Morimi's contemporary classic is a fantastic journey through time & space, where a half-eaten castella cake, a photograph from Rome, & a giant cavity in a wisdom tooth hold the keys to self-discovery. A time-traveling romp that speaks to everyone who has wondered what if, The Tatami Galaxy will win readers’ hearts over . . . and over . . . and over again.
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Tomihiko Morimi was born & raised in Nara Prefecture, Japan. His first novel Tower of the Sun, which he wrote while studying at Kyoto University, won the 15th Japan Fantasy Novel Award.