Ⅰ Jump up
Ⅱ Sprout
Ⅲ Rise up
Ⅳ Spring comes

References
Translator's Note

Beyond the limits of the novel
The pinnacle of a genius storyteller

Yorozu Haru, a boy who seeks to find the 'shape of this world' through dance, encounters ballet at the age of eight, and at the age of fifteen, crosses the ocean to study abroad, becoming a full-fledged dancer and choreographer.
The story is told in turn by Jun Fukatsu, a dancer who attended ballet school with Haru; Uncle Minoru, who was in charge of her education; Nanase Takizawa, a composer and fellow musical "muse"; and Haru herself, each from their own perspectives, intriguingly depicting Haru's journey to reach the god of ballet.


Riku Onda, a genius storyteller who has always lived up to readers' expectations with every new work he publishes.
When it became known that he, who has perfectly sublimated the passionate presence of the stage into letters on paper, had taken on the challenge of a 'ballet novel', he became the center of attention, creating an explosive response in the publishing world as well as the dance world.
It received praise such as, “A masterpiece created with a deep love and respect for ballet,” “Succeeded in combining lovely innocence with terrifying genius,” and “I felt like every scene and music was flowing through me.”
In Korea, novelist Son Bo-mi, Cine21 reporter Lee Da-hye, and dancer Kim Mu-gan, among others, who first encountered the work, all unanimously expressed their admiration for the deep insight into dance presented in Spring and the language that accurately expresses it.
Want to see the pinnacle of a genius storyteller who transcends the limits of fiction?
Well, now it's time to see it with your own eyes.


Dedicated to the god of ballet
The shape of the world drawn through dance

Haru, a young boy who just quietly observes the world and goes about his daily life.
One day, while touring a gymnastics club with his mother, he observes the gymnasts' movements and hears a clicking sound inside his body.
And while jumping and turning alone on the street to find out what the sound was, he happens to catch the eye of Tsukasa, his ballet academy teacher.
This is the opportunity for her to start attending ballet school, and one day, she finally begins to communicate with the world through ballet.


『Spring』 is composed of four parts.
Each part features a different narrator, illuminating Yorozu Haru's life from their own perspective.
The four perspectives that follow the traces of the day come together to complete his growth process as a world-class dancer and choreographer.
Part 1 depicts Haru's teenage years, a time of exceptional talent, through the eyes of Jun Fukatsu, a friend and fellow dancer from her ballet school days.
In Part 2, Uncle Minoru, the narrator, records Haru's mental and technical growth from a very young age, along with his physical growth, and the surprising anecdotes that follow.
As Uncle Minoru, a professor of English literature, was in charge of Haru's education, the time Haru spent at his uncle's house became the source of the world of works he would later build as a choreographer.
In Part 3, the narrator is Nanase Takizawa, a childhood ballet friend and composer who later writes music for Haru's choreography.
A glimpse into Nanase's collaboration with Haru reveals the close relationship between choreographer and composer, as well as the genius of both.
In the last four chapters, Haru himself appears as the narrator, reversing the perspective that had been directed from the outside to the inside until then.
His very personal and intimate stories that had been hidden for so long are revealed, and the story reaches a climax as the heart and spirit of his approach to dancing are dramatically revealed through the process of creating and performing the solo dance “The Rite of Spring.”

Bringing back the joy of reading novels
The return of a veteran storyteller

What does it mean to continuously create new worlds for 30 years?
Riku Onda, a representative Japanese novelist who has been active for many years and has earned the nickname “The Wizard of Nostalgia,” refuses to be confined to a specific genre.
He has amassed a loyal fan base through his works that simultaneously quench readers' diverse thirsts. His spectrum is diverse, ranging from mystery novels based on eerie ghost stories, lively and cheerful comic novels, feel-good novels depicting the struggles and growth of youth, and "artist novels" that delve into the beautiful expressions of genius artists.
Among them, the "artist novels" that lead to "Chocolate Cosmos," "Bees and Thunder," and "Spring" are Onda Riku's exclusive patents, written with the author's utmost love and devotion, and which no one can imitate.
It may seem like an inevitable choice for the author to write the ballet novel, Spring, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his debut.


We live in an age where content that stimulates our eyes and ears and completely captivates our minds, from movies and dramas to all sorts of short-form videos, is endlessly pouring out every minute and every second.
But most of these peripheral pleasures are fleeting and ultimately leave behind only dopamine addiction.
Because of this, many people complain that their attention span is extremely short and they have difficulty sitting still and reading a book.
Perhaps Onda Riku's "Spring" could serve as an antidote to such addiction.
In other words, 『Spring』 is a novel that brings back the original pleasure of reading novels.
When reading this work, the beautiful movements of the dancers naturally come into view, and the orchestral music that fills the air with delicate vibrations comes into your ears.
The images and music created by the brain through imagination stay in our hearts for a longer time and bring unique pleasure.
At the end of the fearless challenge of these vivid characters who live out their own rhythm, the god of ballet, whom they love so much, also makes a glimpse of himself.
A joy that can only be felt through print! That is the ultimate joy found only in Onda Riku's writing.