Kowloon Generic Romance

Episode 7

What does it mean to become one's “Absolute Self?” With Miyuki announcing his intention to pursue this, he s protagonist Reiko Kujirai and her friend Yaomay on the same quest. I take the concept to mean “becoming the person I choose to be, without compromise, regardless of my past.” All three characters have complicated pasts – or, in Kujirai A's case, she doesn't have one of her own, forever comparing herself to the deceased person who bore both her name and face, and who has bequeathed her apartment and all worldly possessions to her doppelganger. While Yaomay's extensive plastic surgery is one drastic way of separating herself from her past, Miyuki's path is darker, tinged with both regret and revenge.

What of Kudo? How does he perceive his own identity? Kujirai A's decisions seem at least partly based on seeking Kudo's approval (or otherwise), whether that's her wavering opinion on whether to move apartments, or whether or not to remain in Kowloon. This episode confirms once and for all that we've only seen one version of Kudo – unlike Gwen and Kujirai, he doesn't seem to have a doppelganger. It may be that a doppelganger of him once existed, but disappeared as soon as the original Kudo crossed the threshold into this strange, ersatz version of Kowloon 2.0.

In an episode crammed with answers about our characters' pasts and motivations, we're left with so many more burning questions, it's hard to know where to start unpicking all of this. It's been three years since Kowloon 2.0 was demolished by the Hebinuma Group, and in a flashback to his very first meeting with Gwen, Miyuki expresses regret about breaking something precious, likely Kowloon, his former childhood home. It's tragic that, in a way, Kowloon is what brings Miyuki together with Gwen, the only person who never questioned his gender identity, who loved and accepted him without question, and it's also Kowloon that separates them. Miyuki's task to use Generic Terra, and by extension Kowloon, to fulfil his father's bidding leads him to painfully separate himself from his lover, to protect him. I'm sure Miyuki himself sees this as a selfless act, even as Gwen's heart breaks.

Finally, we learn Kujirai B's tragic fate – at least the bare bones of it – she ended her own life on summer's end, August 31, three years ago, perhaps coinciding with the end of Kowloon 2.0 itself. We're not yet privy to the details, nor her motivation, but a glimpse at her medical record, gleaned by Miyuki's associate Yulong, reveals she received treatment for insomnia, which can be a pretty major symptom of clinical depression. There's no doubt that Kudo's ongoing trauma and guilt from the death of his fiancée drive his presence in Kowloon 3.0, and no wonder he struggles to process the presence of Kujirai A in his life. What does he want from her? He likely has no idea himself. While Kujirai A determinedly tries to move forward with her life, Kudo is trapped in the past, tortured yet comforted by the familiar yet alien woman before him. What does he intend by turning up at her door at midnight, informing her that it's the anniversary of her predecessor's death? How's Kujirai supposed to process that?

Yaomay's all for helping Kujirai drive forward, preferably without Kudo. Hence, her encouragement to Kujirai to move apartments and leave the past behind, and then her frustration with her friend's ultimate reticence to do so. As an outsider, nothing is keeping Yaomay from popping out of Kowloon to Hong Kong to do shopping, so I don't think we should judge her insistence on bringing Kujirai with her as potentially malevolent. It's just as well Gwen's there to prevent Kujirai from leaving and potentially disappearing. In the worst moment of existential horror for her since the show began, Kujirai realizes she's essentially trapped in a simulation where she's probably not real. While outsiders like Yaomay and Gwen can see her (for reasons not yet clear), the confused pizza delivery guy can't see or even hear her, and to him, Kowloon is nothing but deserted rubble. We're left on a cruel cliffhanger, as even though Kowloon's true nature is slowly coming into focus, that's cold comfort to Kujirai, who may never be able to realize her dreams and see the world.

I wonder about the little questions this illusory Kowloon's nature brings up. If Yaomay's wearing clothes sourced from Kowloon when she leaves for Hong Kong, does that mean most people will see her naked? (I do not expect the story to explore this, you pervs in the audience.) But also what of the food? Gwen sits on his bed sadly munching his way through a box of dry protein bars, while Kujirai, Yaomay, and Kudo enjoy such delicacies as lemon chicken and boiled dumplings daily. It can't just be repurposed rubble, or how else could actual human beings survive any length of time in Kowloon? It very much feels to me like a reference to the pomegranate eaten by Persephone in the underworld. Since partaking of it, she became part of the underworld herself, unable to permanently leave, forced to return during autumn and winter, the planet mourning her absence. What happens to Yaomay and Kudo when their summertime ends?

Miyuki also abstains from Kowloon-sourced food and drink, leading to an odd, unexplained episode where he collapses unconscious. While it may have been dehydration or heat stroke, we've seen something similar before, when Kujirai collapsed when thinking too hard about her past. Does illusory Kowloon have an in-built defense mechanism that affects residents who analyze its nature too closely? Then there are the tremors and the collapsed buildings. Like The Matrix, can too much scrutiny of an aspect of the illusion lead to the collapse of the simulation?

Miyuki describes Kujirai A as neither a clone nor a Zirconian. She's something else, something newer – a “Generic.” While he doesn't elaborate on the details, I take this to mean that Kujirai A is essentially a blank slate with limitless potential. While she's been made to closely resemble/replace Kujirai B, she has free will to become whatever person she wants to be. Kowloon could be filled with a myriad Kujirai A's, and they could all develop individual paths. That Kudo could potentially fall in love with Kujirai A, as her own person, could potentially scupper Miyuki's plans to provide his father with a blank slate Zirconian instead of a replacement for his deceased son. I wonder how this will affect Miyuki's attitude towards her.

It's unbelievable how densely-packed this show is, that every episode can engender such deep musings on its concepts and philosophy. This is a remarkable adaptation of an already fantastic manga. Despite the brisk pace, revelations and developments arise organically, and now that Miyuki and Gwen have been given a larger share of scenes, they've been fleshed out to the point they feel like true deuteragonists rather than mere colorful background characters. I have absolutely no complaints!

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Kowloon Generic Romance is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.