Hijiri Sakurai

Sachiko lost her parents at an early age and lived together with her only sister Nobuko who worked for a newspaper. Out of the blue, she is told that Nobuko is killed in an accident, but she simply cannot believe it because her sister had told her she was going to an entirely different place. She begins her investigations on her sister’s mysterious death with the help of Nobuko’s colleague and journalist Ryoichi. And when another colleague, Tomoe commits suicide, Sachiko has a gut feeling that a well-known figure is involved in the death of her sister...

Una muñeca hinchable de tamaño natural vive en un modesto piso de Tokio. Es la única compañía de su solitario amo, un hombre de mediana edad. Él le habla, la baña y le hace el amor cada día cuando vuelve del trabajo. Sin embargo, esta rutina se rompe cuando, de repente, la Muñeca Hinchable cobra vida y con ella un alma. Acaba de nacer y no entiende lo que ocurre a su alrededor, aunque se da cuenta de que existe otro mundo más allá de las paredes del piso. Cuando, por fin, se atreve a salir al mundo exterior, se siente fascinada por todo lo que ve. Conoce a mucha gente, pero nadie es capaz de explicarle qué significa "estar viva". Un día, entra en un videoclub y conoce a Junichi, el vendedor, del que se enamora inmediatamente...

Would-be writer Ryunosuke Chagawa is still living across the street from Norifumi Suzuki and his auto repair shop, though now he shares his home with Junnosuke, an orphan he's taken under his wing at the urging of pretty Hiroi, who continues to manage a nearby tavern. Chagawa dreams of publishing a successful novel and settling down with Hiroi and Junnosuke, but his day job running the candy store keeps him busy, and Hiroi mistakes his tight schedule for a lack of interest in her. Hiroi has also embarked on a secret career as a burlesque dancer, which isn't doing much to improve her opinion of men. At the Suzuki household, seven-year-old Ippei isn't happy to be sharing the house with a guest, his distant cousin Mika who is the same age but far more demanding. Mutsuko, the apprentice female auto mechanic, is still staying with the Suzukis, and she's becomes the object of the affections of Takeo, a downbeat young man who is studying cooking.