A Dove Beyond the Storm

Eriko and Michiko, from the frontispiece for the one-shot.

**A Dove Beyond the Storm** ( 小鳩は嵐をこえて ) is a 1957 one-shot by Fujio Akatsuka, published in Shueisha's Shojo Book.

## Overview

Eriko and Michiko are a pair of sisters that live in the Tohoku countryside in northern Japan. One day however, their mother falls terribly ill, necessitating them to have to travel to Tokyo and live with relatives. Though their aunt and cousin are horribly cruel and other challenges rise, Eriko must do what she can to stay strong and try to get something positive out of the experience.

Michiko had previously appeared in White Angel, while Eriko would also star in The Girl Who Disappeared.

## Characters

### Eriko Yamaji ("Eri-chan")

(山路エリ子)

The elder of the two sisters. No matter how cruel her aunt gets, Eriko prays and tries to persevere for something better. She is protective of her younger sister and tries to assure her that everything will be fine.

Later in the story, she attempts to find her sister but on the return back to her aunt's, she sees that the house has caught fire and that the woman and Ritsuko are trapped. After Eriko is injured in the process of rescuing the two, they become more appreciative and grateful.

Eriko and Michiko are last seen observing a train coming into Tokyo from the Tohoku region, that turns out to have their recuperating mother arriving to join them.

### Michiko Yamaji ("Micchan")

(山路ミチ子)

The younger sister. She misses the countryside and her mother greatly, and has more trouble adjusting to the new surroundings. Micchan eventually tries to run away and escape, in a futile hope to find a way to return to Tohoku and her mother. However, Yuji finds her quickly and encourages her to go back to the house with him.

### Aunt

A tall, smug woman wearing glasses. She laughs in a stereotypical rich woman way, going "Hohoho~" in her speeches. Her husband is out in America at this time. She offers for Eriko to wear one of her daughter's dresses to school, but this sets her up to be bullied and tormented in class by Ritsuko and her friends.
Aside from being demanding and verbally imposing, she will also get physically abusive and slap and punch Eriko for any perceived slights and shame brought to her. However, Eriko's mercy and help during the fire seems to immediately spark a change in her and Ritsuko's attitudes.

### Ritsuko

(リツ子)

The daughter of the above woman, a fancy but rude and condescending young woman who is only encouraged further by her mother. She is assisted in her casual cruelty at school by a lackey named Kon-chan.

### Yuji

(勇二)

The brother-in-law to the aunt, being the somewhat younger brother of her husband. He is much kinder and approachable to the girls, providing a brief break from the toxicity around them.

### Yoshiko Minamida

(南田よし子)

One of Eriko's new classmates, who seems to be the only girl kind enough to scold the rest after Ritsuko initiates the bullying. Yoshiko is last seen storming Eriko's hospital room along with the rest of the class and their teacher, all hoping to wish her well as a doctor scolds them.

## Serialization

* Shōjo Book (Shueisha): August 10, 1957 summer special

## Reprints

* Shogakukan (2002): Reprinted as part of the "1950s" collection in the Fujio Akatsuka Complete Works DVD-ROM set.
* eBookJapan: Reprinted as part of the "1950s" eBook compilation