Tomihiko Morimi’s “The Tatami Galaxy,” first published in Japan in 2004, is a frolicking novel packed with slacker hijinks and escapades. At its core lies pithy wisdom about choice and destiny. Many anime fans are already familiar with the “Tatami Galaxy” world, thanks to the TV series adaptation helmed by Masaaki Yuasa in 2010. In novel form, Morimi’s sci-fi fusion of fun and the unfathomable offers a light touch that makes a lasting impression.
Now translated into English by Emily Balistrieri, the verve of Morimi’s style leaps off the page. “Of course, the fans of the anime have been looking forward to the novel in English, but the book deserves a wider audience,” Balistrieri says. “Morimi’s novels have also been adapted into a stage play, and a live-action movie is rumored to be in the works. He’s definitely a figure in popular culture here in Japan as opposed to a light novelist, which is how he’s been presented so far in English.”