Genji Is in the Ramune Bottle

I watched episode one of Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle yesterday, and was struck by the remarkable similarity between Chitose and Genji. No, not that Genji—I mean the main character of Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of the Genji, a twelfth-century novel.

What sparked this connection was actually the critique my friend Gaharet made of episode one:

It’s Chitose’s town, baby… Not in vain is his name in the title: everyone else talks about him, thinks about him, and mostly exists to exchange quasi-monologues with him. … He is so cool and self-confident that he might as well be playing on easy mode.

Upon reading this, I said to myself, “This description rings a bell. Where have I encountered such a character before? Aha!” Genji, of course. The two have several things in common, though also at least one key difference.

What possible similarities can be found between the bastard son of a medieval emperor and a modern high school pretty boy?

A harem

’Nuff said. That’s kind of the whole motif of Tale of the Genji—the MC really gets around. And Chitose has quite a few female friends who cater to his every whim and make no secret of wanting to be his girl. The nature of the “harem” changes according to the setting, but it’s still there.

Privilege

Genji, as the emperor’s illegitimate kid, has the best of all possible worlds: a secure position among the rich and powerful, yet no responsibilities whatsoever. And as Gaharet points out, Chitose is “playing on easy mode”—if we define “privilege” as a lack of serious problems or obstacles, Chitose certainly fits the bill here in episode one, with no indication that this will change for the foreseeable future.

Popularity

Both are surrounded by friends and well-wishers, not just among their peers but among the powers that be, a kind of social privilege. Heck, they might as well be the main characters in-universe, not just from our perspective.

Style & Social Grace

Genji composes flawless poetry on the fly as naturally as breathing, and he can win any dance-off. Chitose speaks very gracefully and sounds quite cultured for a high school student; he can quote random foreign novels from memory and even recognize the difference between two different translations of the same work—something that I, who studied literature from all over the world for eleven years in college, would be hard-pressed to do. Just how well-read is this kid?

Looks

Both are said to be quite physically attractive.

Is Chitose just a modern Genji, then?

Not quite, I’d say. For one thing, the Tale of the Genji details the whole arc of Genji’s life, including his decline in old age when he no longer has his looks and his social smoothness is no longer at its peak. I doubt that Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle will cover so much of Chitose’s life! But will it at least show eventually, as Tale of the Genji does, the ultimate emptiness of such fleeting treasures as looks, popularity, and the like? At this point, I couldn’t say. I’m not exactly holding my breath—but I’m willing to be surprised.