Real World

US Paperback Edition Cover

***Real World*** is a 2003 novel written by Natsuo Kirino.

The novel follows four teenage girls as they become involved with a boy nicknamed Worm, who runs away from his home after murdering his mother.

*Real World* has been described as a mosaic novel due to its frequent alternations between the perspectives of all of the main characters, including Worm, who narrates two out of the eight chapters. The novel covers themes such as consumerism, materialism, and the dangers that women face.

## Characters

**Toshiko "Toshi" Yamanaka:** a dependable, self-preserved girl who uses the alias Ninna Hori in public in order to protect herself from danger. She is known for her generosity, which is often recognized by the other characters.

**Kazuko Terauchi, known as Terauchi:** an intelligent, relaxed girl whose intelligence is often undermined because of her looks. She advises Toshi to use an alias in public due to having knowledge about being sexually harassed from when she was younger.

**Kiyomi "Yuzan" Kaibara:** a tomboyish, emotional girl who is believed to be a lesbian due to her masculine appearance. Her masculinity is only heightened by the death of her mother, which greatly devastates her. She assumes the nickname Yuzan because she believes that her real name is too feminine.

**Kirari "Kirarin" Higashiyama:** a seductive, cheerful girl who spends her time going to parties and exploring her sexuality.

**Worm:** a reclusive, awkward boy who goes through a personality change after murdering his mother. Toshi gives him the nickname Worm because of his lanky, dispirited appearance. He is characterized as a pervert who spies on women while they change.

## Names

*Real World* creates an emphasis on the usage of aliases and nicknames. Each character is referred to as a nickname that they created that has a correlation with their character.

### Toshi

Toshi's full name is Toshiko Yamanaka, though her friends refer to her as Toshi through dialogue or narration. When she is in public, Toshi uses the alias Ninna Hori in order to conceal her true identity from predators. She was persuaded to do this by Terauchi, who claimed that she used an alias to defend herself from creepy men she would encounter on the train rides to her school. Toshi claims that her alias has grown on her, and she feels safe whenever using it. The two chapters that Toshi narrates are both titled "Ninna Hori."

### Terauchi

Terauchi's full name is Kazuko Terauchi, though she prefers to be called just Terauchi due to disliking her first name. When she was younger, Terauchi would often encounter creepy men on the train rides to and from her school, which enabled her to begin doing a series of things in order to defend herself, including using an alias. After years of experience, Terauchi influenced Toshi into using aliases as well.

### Yuzan

Yuzan's real name is Kiyomi Kaibara. Yuzan takes her nickname from the *Oishinbo* character Yuzan Kaibara, and prefers to be referred as Kazue instead of her real name, which she deems too feminine.

### Kirarin

Kirarin's true name is Kirari Higashiyama. There is not much information on why she chooses to be called Kirarin, but she is known to feel pressured to maintain her identity.

### Worm

Worm's real name is never revealed, though, through interactions with his mother, there are implications that this name is Ryo. Worm is a nickname given to him by Toshi, who notices his lanky, awkward appearance, which reminds her of a worm. He chooses to masquerade under this nickname, and has no objections whenever any of the characters refer to him as such.

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