Character Information

Green Eyes

  • Supplier of some drugs, sometimes not real ones

Jackson

  • Medic
  • Gives out morphine

Kazuo

  • Photographer

Kei

  • Half Japanese
  • Uses fake accent
  • Takes a beating to finally break up with Yoshiyama

Lilly

  • Used to be a model
  • Separated from other group
  • Involved with Ryuu

Moko

  • Model
  • Shoplifts

Okinawa

  • Was in rehab
  • Involved with Reiko

Reiko

  • Half Japanese

Ryuu

  • Organizes parties between Japanese and foreigners
  • Played the flute
  • Protagonist

Yoshiyama

  • Oldest in the group
  • Mother dead
  • Involved with Kei

Plot Summary

Murakami quickly introduces the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll lifestyles of the narrator Ryu and his friends as he opens the story. Ryu plans a party with Reiko, Moko, Kei and some of the black soldiers stationed at the nearby base during a get together at Kei's house. An orgy, replete with food, lurid sex, and drugs ensues when they meet with the black soldiers.
Later, Ryu heads to Lilly’s house and, after using mescaline, they set out in Lilly’s car. Their trip quickly takes a more sinister turn as Lilly decides to leave the car and go running through a tomato field in the pouring ain. Eventually they end near an air field as a plane begins to take off and they are knocked to the ground. Lilly nonchalantly asks Ryu to kill her as she draws on herself with lipstick.
In the morning, Ryu, Reiko, Kei, Moko, Yoshiyama, and Kazuo are woken up by the police, who are disappointed in their choice of lifestyle. After turning in an apology form, they go to an open air concert. Kazuo, unable to buy a ticket, is caught jumping a fence and beaten by a guard, who is later found by Kazuo’s friends and beaten.
The next day Yoshiyama tries to calm everything down between himself and Kei, offering to get her anything she wants. After being turned down, Yoshiyama savagely beats her, and afterwards, upset and regretful, slits one of his wrists open.
After taking Yoshiyama to the hospital, Ryu returns to Lilly's house. His physical perceptions of the world start to become distorted. He tries to tell Lilly of the bird outside but she doesn’t know what he’s talking about and runs out. Ryuu stabs his arm with glass. Later, when leaving the hospital he takes out a piece of glass, and, noticing the white curves reflecting off of it, he thinks of how he wants to show others the curves reflected in himself.

Almost Transparent Blue

Adam Beckerman

Robert Fischer

Stephanie Graves

Torsten Van Wassenhove