This is the story of a young man in the near future—where “voluntary death” has been legalized—who attempts to uncover his late mother’s “true feelings” using AI.
It is a profound, multi-layered novel that intertwines themes of life and death, otherness, “dividualism” (the concept of the self as a collection of multiple personas), social inequality, and the ethics of technology.
While it poses quiet, philosophical questions, the story also unfolds with mystery-like elements, leaving a deep, lingering impression on the reader.
🧭 Synopsis
The setting is Japan in the 2040s—a world where “voluntary death” (allowing individuals to choose their own end) is legal, social inequality has widened, and the metaverse has become part of daily life. The protagonist, Sakuya Ishikawa, seeks to understand the “true feelings” of his mother, Oriko, who died in an accident.
To do this, he creates a “VF” (Virtual Figure) of his mother—a recreation using AI and VR. The VF is an entity that reproduces his mother’s personality based on her vast “life logs” (digital records of her life).
As Sakuya engages in repeated conversations with this “mother,”
he tries to discover why she desired “voluntary death” while seemingly at the peak of happiness. However, the VF mother does not know the reason she wanted to die;
that information was not included in the learning data. Sakuya visits people who knew her—such as old friends, her attending physician, and a writer she was once close to—
gradually encountering the side of his mother that existed as a separate individual—an “other.” Through this process, Sakuya himself undergoes a transformation;
he quits his job as a “Real Avatar”
and begins to re-examine his own way of living amidst new human relationships.
🧩 Core Themes of the Story: Voluntary Death
To what extent is self-determination regarding one’s life permissible?
What was the meaning behind his mother’s words, “I’ve had enough”? Dividualism
A person is not a single, fixed personality, but an aggregate of different “dividuals” (partial selves) depending on whom they interact with.
His mother, too, possessed a “face as an other”—an aspect of herself unknown to Sakuya. The Otherness of a Loved One
No matter how deeply you love someone, you can never fully understand their inner self.
The VF can only recreate the “mother as seen from the outside.” The Double-Edged Sword of Technology
Technology that recreates the deceased can be both a source of salvation and a means of exploitation.
The story vividly portrays corporate monetization models and the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots.
✍️ Reflections (From a Reader’s Perspective)
- The premise of “resurrecting one’s mother via AI” packs a powerful punch. At first, one feels a sense of unease—wondering, “Is it right to do such a thing?”
However, as the story unfolds, Sakuya’s loneliness and remorse resonate deeply,
and his conversations with the “VF” (Virtual Figure) version of his mother begin to feel profoundly earnest. - True intentions remain unknowable until the very end—such is the essence of humanity. As many readers have noted,
the reason behind his mother’s choice of “voluntary death” is never “fully understood.”
This is not a cold conclusion;
rather, it reflects a gentle philosophy of “accepting the otherness of others.” - The depiction of the near future is eerily realistic and unsettling. Criminal proxy services akin to “dark part-time jobs,” AI-driven businesses recreating the dead, and the widening social divide—
these elements feel like a direct extension of our current reality, resembling “future news reporting” more than traditional science fiction.
4. It is also a beautiful story of Sakuya’s personal growth. The journey to uncover his mother’s true feelings
turns out to be a journey for Sakuya himself to discover the “meaning of life.”
The ending is quiet and carries a touch of melancholy, yet it leaves behind a lingering warmth.
