Crossfire

Review by Michael Sullivan

Crossfire is the third novel by Miyuki Miyabe to be published in English. Originally this was a bestseller in Japan and was adapted into a movie in 2000 called Pyrokinesis [クロスファイア]. It was directed by Shusuke Kaneko [金子 修介], and starred Akiko Yada [矢田亜希子] and Hideaki Ito [伊藤 英明]. Miyabe is a full time writer and has received numerous literary prizes including the Naoki Prize.

Crossfire is an apt name for the plot of this book, specifically in regard to the innocents who lose their lives because of crossfire. Junko Aoki is an amazing person who can create fire through willpower alone; her powers are so great that she routinely has to find a safe place where she can release her power to stop it building up. Believing herself to be an instrument of justice, a punisher of those who would commit crimes, she is also very dangerous. By chance she happens across a crime, a kidnapping involving a couple which leads her on a journey of death destroying all those implicated in the crime, and everyone in the way. The idea of right and wrong becomes blurred as she can’t let anyone get in her way, and leaves behind her a trail of corpses and burned out buildings which attract media, and police attention. Detective Chikako Ishizu has a grown up son, and has struggled for years just to achieve her position. However, being in the arson squad normally keeps her behind a desk and she has to constantly assert her own independence and will. When the first burnt corpses turn up a link is drawn with a similar murder some years previously, it gives her the chance to examine the scene and begin her own investigation. The plot thickens when a young girl who could be another possible candidate for pyrokinetic powers is discovered, and it turns out that there is an organisation which would like to train her to work for them, and their own brand of justice. At the same time this secret organisation seems to have ties with the police, and is actively seeking out Junko to recruit her. As the story progresses all of the characters, and the secret organisation, seem to be linked in a circle which is gradually becoming tighter. Junko finds herself being recruited by the organisation to train a pyrokinetic candidate, and detective Chikako works to protect the young girl and to find Junko, while having to face the possibility that people with extraordinary powers exist. The link between all of them appears to be leading to an unavoidable showdown.

This novel is well written, and the most striking features are the powers Junko possesses, which seem to be triggered by emotion. The angrier she is, the more power she has, and the more power she has the more she loses control. It is hard not to draw parallels with Japanese anime, movies, etc, where quite often there is a theme of repressed emotions leading to angry outbursts, specifically on occasions where other people can get hurt because of a loss of control. This is very pertinent in regards to Japanese society where everyone is very careful to hide their feelings, but in moments of anger, or alcohol intoxication, can commit regrettable deeds. Detective Chikako represents a theme of masculine domination in the police, she got her promotion because there had been pressure to appoint more female detectives. While she is determined to show herself worthy of the position she isn’t given many opportunities to do so. At the same time she has to fight with her own reluctance to believe that people with extraordinary powers exist, while facing increasing evidence that they do. It is easy to be drawn into the plot of this book as there are deeper meanings in the story beyond the surface, while plenty of mystery is created by the existence of a secret organisation. It is shown that as strong as Junko is, her isolation from others has created a person missing love, while Chikako in her quest to prove herself has to confront some unpleasant truths.