In this comic, Gen’s views on women (which I do not share) are inspired by “The Broom Tree,” a chapter of The Tale of Genji, written in the early 1000s. In it, Genji, the Shining Prince, and his buddy Tō no Chūjō spend a rainy evening with a couple of fellow courtiers debating what makes the perfect woman.
Get this. According to the guys, a woman should be:
- Intelligent, but not so smart that she makes a man feel inferior.
- Forgiving of her husband’s affairs, but also a little jealous.
- Lively and interesting, but also demure and understated.
And so on…
The author, Lady Murasaki Shikibu, has the men list impossible standards all night without ever reaching a conclusion, and the scene is often read as satire of the men themselves. Maybe they should have settled for fictional women and body pillows.
Will our Gen ever get a real girlfriend, or is he doomed to be a weeb forever? Stay tuned… winter is coming. ❄️