Tokyo Ever After Quotes

“I don't have an American half and a Japanese half. I am a whole person. Nobody gets to tell me if I am Japanese enough or too American.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I used to think the world belonged to me. But I was wrong. I belong to the world. And sometimes … I guess sometimes, our choices have to reflect that.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Shout out to all the girls who apologize too much.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I have snacks."
Ah, the real three words every girl longs to hear.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Now I understand
How lonely the sun must be
The unending job
To rise again and again
Setting fire to all it sees”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Feelings are a real son of a bitch.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Born a foreigner
I carry two halves with me
Loose skin I pull on
To go places and don't fit
Like apple pie and mochi”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“But if I had know I had a daughter, I would have found a solution." He studies me, waiting until my eyes raise to meet his. "I would have swum across the oceans. I would have scaled mountains. I would have crossed deserts. I would have found a way.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“The earth forgets but I will always remember

Karaoke bars

Pharmacies and cups of tea

And plates of dorayaki”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“If you don't fly too high, you don't have too far to fall.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I'm still a work in progress."
"Aren't we all?”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“While I cry, Tamagotchi sleeps. He's not much of an emotional support animal. Our relationship is distinctly one-sided. I feed him treats and he burps in my face. Such is life.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Originally I wanted to get to know my father. But it's bigger than that. I came to figure out who I am, where I'm from. Finding somewhere I belong.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Do I have a code name? II'm pretty sure I get a code name. I'd like to choose it."
His fingers fall from my elbow. A pity. "Yes," he says. "As a matter of fact, you do have a code name."
"I knew it!" My twirl is the glee-filled kind. "What is it? Sidewinder or Lightning or maybe Pegasus?"
"We were calling you Butterfly."
Huh. "That's nice, I guess." A little soft, but okay.
"Then, the tabloids gave you the moniker. The Lost Butterfly, so we had to change it."
I perk up.
"I suggested it," he baits.
"What did you suggest?" I look up at Akio with stars in my eyes. The possibilities are endless---Sunshine, Moonflower, Cherry Blossom. My thoughts are a runaway train. Maybe he likes me. Maybe he's not as mean as he seems. Maybe I've terribly misjudged him and this is just a rocky start to a friendship that turns to love that will last the ages. Our affair will inspire folksy campfire ballads.
It's the first time I see Akio smile. It's part evil, part satisfied, as if he's just won a bet with himself. "Radish.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“You are a world unto yourself. Build your own space. One meant uniquely for you.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I have no excuse for my awful behavior. But sometimes when you're down, you can't help but try to pull others into the gutter with you. It's lonely at the bottom.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Radish, I'm so heartsick for you.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I want to understand myself. I want to put my hands in the earth and pull up roots.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“We wouldn’t have worked out long-term anyway. He likes girls who don’t wear makeup. I like guys who don’t tell girls what to do with their bodies.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Don't have an American half and a Japanese half. I am a whole person. Nobody gets to tell me if I am Japanese enough or too American.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“In my own life, I’ve never been the leading role. I just don’t have that star power. Wasn’t born with it. I’ve always been a sidekick. My singular purpose is to bolster heroes, stay in the background, and maybe, in one big on-screen moment, sacrifice my life for the greater good.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I’m going to pay for that genealogy thing when I get home. Fingers crossed it shows I’m fifty percent Targaryen, thirty percent British royals, and one hundred percent Oprah’s long-lost sister.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Anyway, we get it. We all know what it’s like to roll with the cultural punches. Noora gets questioned about why she doesn’t wear a hijab. People wonder if Glory was adopted when she’s with her white dad. Hansani endures Mr. Apu accents—wrong country, for starters.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“What had I pictured? That we’d run into each other’s arms? That our shared DNA would act as opposite ends of a magnet pulling us together? He is not a dad returning from deployment. I am not a child eagerly awaiting his arrival. There are no memories to anchor our relationship. He did not tuck me in at night, hold me while I raged with a fever, or cheer me on when I stole home playing softball.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Staring at the clouds
I find it impossible
To walk, to run... To stay
How to remain grounded when
I am always filled with sky?”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“A bold silkworm has left the safety of the mulberry and parchment cradle. It inches its way toward my pinkie nail. The little chalk-colored fella is slightly hairy and fat—its rotund body reminds me of how my stomach feels every Thanksgiving. Forget the AGG and the Black Bear Diner, these suckers are really living their best lives, crunching on mulberry while being gently warmed under lights”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“I think you're very serious about the things you care about. I think you lead with your heart.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“Now I understand
How lonely the sun must be
To rise again and again
Setting fire to all it sees”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“It appears this butterfly’s wings have been clipped. What could HIH Princess Izumi have possibly done to warrant an expulsion from the Tokyo imperial estate? No one has a clue. But somebody is definitely in trouble . . .”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After

“You can't possibly think you can date a member of the working class."
"Sachiko is marrying a commoner."
"Sachiko is marrying an heir to a rice empire related to the Takamoris. Ryu can support the life she is accustomed to. Takai, takai, takai." The three words are a well-known cliché, playing off the meanings. Good income, good school, and tall. Ideal characteristics for potential male love interests.”
― Emiko Jean, Tokyo Ever After