Ready Player One Read-Through: Chapter 25

Content warning: suicide, racism, death, references to self-harm.



Whelp, we're back and worse off than ever. It just keeps going. It doesn't get any easier.

So the chapter opens with Shoto landing on Wade's asteroid in a vessel that is a reference to Cowboy Bebop.  When they meet up, Shoto is in black mourning robes:


"Parzival-san," he said, bowing low.
    "Shoto-san," I returned the bow respectfully, then stretched out my palm, a gesture he recognized from the time we'd spent questing together. Grinning, he reached out and slipped me some skin. (Page 241)


Shoto had seriously never heard of the concept of shaking hands before meeting Wade. Did Cline seriously think that Japanese people never ever shake hands? That bowing is literally the only form of greeting they know? This goes beyond racist stereotyping, but something more sinister. Like something someone would make up on a white supremacist website.

And what the fuck: Shoto has seen thousands of examples of western media - he must have for Halliday's egg hunt, to have gotten as far as he has. Hell, this is confirmed a paragraph later when he enters Wade's sitting room, that is "a re-creation of the living room set from Family Ties", and "Shoto recognized the decor and nodded his silent approval." Are you telling me that he had seen no handshaking of any kind in any of those shows and movies and cartoons? The bullshit sundae just keeps topping itself, doesn't it?

Shoto ignores the furniture in Wade's stronghold and sits "seiza-style" in the center of the floor. He's in mourning, clearly traumatized, so maybe this isn't another example of crass racial stereotyping. At least Wade does the same, and they address each other in that position for the majority of the chapter.

Shoto tells Wade that the Sixers killed Daito in the real world. His real name was Toshiro Yoshiaki, and the Japanese newspapers are dismissing his tragic death as "ANOTHER OTAKU SUICIDE". Shoto's real name is Akihide, and even though Wade gives away his own name in return, he will continue to call him Shoto throughout the rest of the book. So much for taking reality seriously for once. And the two samurai avatars were not really brothers, not in blood. They never met in reality.


When Shoto saw that I'd finished reading, he closed the window. I hesitated before asking, "Are you sure he didn't really commit suicide? Because his avatar had been killed?"
    "No," Shoto said. "Daito did not commit seppuku. (Page 242)


Cline, you do know that "seppuku" does not directly translate to "suicide", right?

It means "abdomen/belly cutting", or "to cut", as in death by disembowelment; usually by a sword or other sharp blades, like a tantō, which was used by samurai in feudal Japan. Daito supposedly killed himself by jumping from his apartment and falling to his death. It had nothing to do with cutting himself open. The right word you are looking for here is jigai, which does mean "suicide" in Japanese. A few minutes spent on Google would have told you that.

This is what happens when you rely on stereotyping from Family Guy for research on ethnic characterization. It is infuriatingly insensitive and disrespectful; not a good look in an American book. How did an editor not pick up on this?

Also, Wade, why would you think that Daito killed himself just because his avatar died? You didn't know him personally, for real; but on your virtual quests together, did he seem like he would do something like that? And you have the nerve to voice this opinion to the grieving Shoto?

Believe it or not, Wade Watts, not everyone is as blase about taking their own lives as you are! The OASIS - a "game" and an easy way of life in a shithole world - is supposed to be fun, remember?

Lots of bowing ensues (what did anyone expect?), and Wade detects from Shoto's voice that he might be crying in the real world. He responds by giving this sage comfort:


"We're gunters," I said, trying to fill the awkward silence. "We live here, in the OASIS. For us, this is the only reality that has any meaning." (Page 243)


No comment.

Actually, I do have to comment: Wade, you sound like a cult leader. Taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable.

You really, really suck at comforting people. You are incapable of grief yourself. Incapable of social skills. Incapable of empathy. You are a sociopath.

Next Shoto expositions to his caring and not creepy friend on what happened to him and Daito, leading up to the battle on Frobozz. In Japan there is an OASIS support group for hikikomori, for individuals who have cut themselves off completely from society and reality to live in isolation in the OASIS. It got worse once Halliday's egg hunt began five years previously - millions locked away in search of the egg, and missing from their families. Sounds sane, healthy, and sustainable. Economically, morally and financially sound - no horrifying implications to be garnered there.

It's never brought up again, in case you were wondering. At least in this infodump there are no references to otaku. The Japanese stereotyping is embarrassing enough.

Shoto/Akihide was always well-versed in American pop culture - then how did he not recognize handshaking!? - and he and Daito/Toshiro were a good team of gunters, grown close like real brothers in the OASIS, despite not even knowing each other's true names. They were famous in Japan, and a cartoon and live-action show were made about them (what do I even say to that?). Apparently Daito "had flown into a rage and stopped speaking to Shoto for several days." when Shoto suggested they finally meet in person. He never spoke of it again afterwards. Sounds like a healthy and trustworthy relationship they had. As healthy and trustworthy as it could be when it was based on absolutely nothing solid or, you know, real.

Finally the boy gets to how Daito/Toshiro died. They had both planted tracking devices on Sixer ships - how the hell they achieved this is never explained - and followed them to Frobozz. Shoto shows Wade the vidfeed of the battle they had on Frobozz, where an admittedly cool action scene took place. Daito had used the Beta Capsule to turn into Ultraman, and smashed up the Sixers ships around him, defending Shoto as he completed the quest for the Jade Key inside a copy of the white house. Pity the reader knows how this all ends.

When Shoto had acquired a copy of the Key, he escaped the Sixers on his ship, but not before Daito's voice on the comlink broke in to warn him about Sixers being in his apartment, right before he is killed for real. His avatar froze in place at logout:


Logging out of your OASIS account while you were engaged in combat was the same thing as committing suicide. During the log-out sequence. your avatar froze in place for sixty seconds, during which time you were totally defenseless and susceptible to attack. The log-out sequence was designed this way to prevent avatars from using it as an easy way to escape a fight. (Page 246)


No, Wade. It is not the same as committing suicide, you fucking arsehole. Stop casually referring to it!

Plus, preventing any avatars from escaping a fight, whether they willingly entered one or not, sounds like an evil thing to do. Thanks again, Halliday. Both you and Wade are thoughtless, megalomaniacal, violent arseholes.

More infodumping later and we get to the end of the vidfeed and Shoto's story. Wade remarks, "Luckily for Shoto, his brother had wiped out most of the Sixer gunships in the vicinity, and reinforcements had yet to arrive." (Page 247) - "Lucky" mention - take a shot!

Shoto barely survived the battle on Frobozz, and his Cowboy Bebop ship took heavy damage. Was this mentioned at the beginning of the chapter? Surely Wade would have noticed this about the ship. Did Shoto get it repaired at a garage while he was grieving?

Anyway, Daito's item left to Wade in his will is the Beta Capsule. The only one in existence (what about other people who would have won a copy of it in the Ultraman episode quest?). Very valuable. More valuable than lightsabers, as Wade cares to comment on.

Further bowing, then Wade demonstrates his complete lack of empathy and understanding of human emotions on a bigger scale when he asks Shoto, "You haven't given up yet, have you?" 

HE IS GRIEVING, YOU INSENSITIVE TWAT! HE IS TRAUMATIZED! UNLIKE YOU, HE IS ACTUALLY AFFECTED BY THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE! PRIORITIES!


"Of course not." He straightened his body and gave me a dark smile. "But finding the egg is no longer my goal. I have a new quest. A far more important one."
    "And that is?"
    "Revenge." (Page 247)


Hmm. Wade, could you perhaps talk carefully and gently to Akihide, the young, bereaved, upset and angry boy, who has lived in the fictional OASIS his whole life, about how revenge is not the answer? That it is meaningless and dangerous in real life? Not as satisfactory as it is shown in movies, TV and video games?

Wade, could this be your chance to finally, finally show some responsibility? Be an adult? A mentor? To an impressionable child who looks up to you and is like your younger, more naive self?


I nodded. Then I walked  over and took down one of the samurai swords mounted on the wall and presented it to Shoto. "Please," I said. "Accept this gift. To aid you in your new quest." (Page 247)


Nah! This is Male Power Fantasy: The Book, after all. Revenge is awesome! Totally acceptable.

This goes nowhere. Shoto's vendetta against the Sixers is not really touched upon again.

Great writing.

Despite the effort to characterize him properly and develop him in the chapter, Shoto remains nothing but a token. A plot device.

 Practically every one of his words and actions come across as ethnic stereotyping.


Shoto bowed again to show his gratitude. "Arigato." (Page 248)


By my count, bowing is mentioned seven times in this eight-page chapter. Again, the poor boy is grieving, so I won't be too harsh on this. Is it normal, though, in any context?

He boards his ship and departs. Wade is no longer thinking about killing himself, so I guess Shoto gave him a reason to keep going. The Sixers have not won the egg yet. End chapter.

Wade is a white saviour. Daito/Toshiro is a dead POC in a novel where white is the default, whose tragedy motivates the white hero to continue on his journey, saving him from the brink. A POC character's death is made about him. Just like a typical white saviour story, it is all about the white hero and not the people of colour, who are not given a chance to tell their own stories, except when it helps the white man.

Fuck this.

Back to the usual BS next. Wade finds the Second Gate easily and immediately. I repeat: what did anyone expect?