#The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park - Michiko Aoyama, Takami Nieda (Translator)

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eternal craterBOT
eternal craterBOT
eternal craterBOT
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@quick bone,@willow patrol,@cold mauve,@shrewd sparrow,@native pier,@torpid river,@main field,@frank idol,@feral laurel,@limber venture,@steady wing,@native spindle,@wanton sand,@frank idol,@cerulean nexus,@crystal thicket,@open mica

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Hey guys 👋🏼, this br will start in few hours !
Some questions to put you in a hippotique atmosphere 🦛

  1. Are you familiar with Japanese literature ?
    2.Are you familiar with Hippopotamus ? (Maybe seen them before in a zoo ) 🙉
  2. Do you like taking strolls in the local park and talk with people from the neighborhood ?
    Happy reading 📚
eternal craterBOT
willow patrol
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  1. Yes! I've read quite a bit of Japanese literature.
  2. I have seen hippos in zoos before. I've seen some other media on them (and pygmy hippos) as well.
  3. I like the idea of taking strolls. I just don't always feel comfortable going by myself, so I don't do this often.
torpid river
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LESSSSS GOOOOO

torpid river
cerulean nexus
shrewd sparrow
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  1. yes, I actually thought I wasn‘t too into it but turns out I am cute
  2. yeah I like the pygmy ones like moo deng hehe
  3. I like going on stressful walks with my reactive dogs and then avoiding people as much as I can yeah
native spindle
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  1. Not really, I've only heard of the library cat book
  2. No! Sorry. I don't like big animals.
  3. Yes, I have a neighbour I go on walks with.
quick bone
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Ch 1 : Very Emotional chapter 😢 💔 I really liked this quote a lot || from Kanato's father : , ‘So you weren’t praised. So what ? Regardless of what anyone says or doesn’t say, flowers will always do their best to bloom.’🌼 Kanato was thinking that his father doesn't have any interest in him but he was wrong obviously. There are many ways to show/express love. Also, this quote is really good from Kanato's classmate Shizukuda : «Shizukuda-san fiddled with her hair, muttering to herself, ‘I think rankings are cruel. If you ask forty-two students to do the same thing at once, someone is going to come in forty-second. There’s always going to be a forty-second. You can’t just make that last spot disappear.’» 🙏 Sometimes in life, I feel like we should enjoy what we do, regardless of rankings.||

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Ch 2 : Sawa is ||a good mother👩‍🍼, She is doing her maximum to protect Mizuho even though at the cost of being looked down or treated differently because fortune has favored her a little better than the other mums (Akemi notably).🙏😢
Glad Kabuhiko/Kinutawa were there For Sawa, no matters how life gets difficult by people's who are jealous or mean, you'll always find good people also.dclover ||

quick bone
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Ch 3 : I believe Chiharu is ||a good person 💛
Her feeling jealous is normal I think, but what isn't normal is acting on it or getting depressed/sad over it etc...AShug «‘Sure, kindness and consideration are all part of imagination. I think someone as anxious as you must be a kind person.’» As the lady who washed her father's suit said.pray🍀
I also liked this passage a lot :  «I am writing to you because I wanted to share that with you. As you know, this is my first marriage. I had always assumed I would remain single. I didn’t think that would be so bad. But then, well into my fifties, I met Yuna and fell in love with her instantly. I’m embarrassed to admit she is my first love.»  Chiharu crying 😢 and getting emotional because she helped someone to be happy, proves to me that she has a good heart.||

limber venture
quick bone
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Ch 4 : Glad that Yuya ||understood that nothing comes easy in life, everything we do needs lot of effort and commitment to have some chances of succeeding.🍀🙏
 «finally realized. What my body and heart hated wasn’t the running itself. It was the idea of everyone seeing me fail. If I had to run alongside all the fast runners, I would fall behind from the start. Everyone I was representing would be mad at me, and I’d be laughed at by everyone – not just on the day of the race; my whole school life from then on would be doomed. That was the story I had convinced myself of. That was why I had been so desperate to avoid it somehow. But Suguru wasn’t the least bit worried about that. About what everyone would think. He had accepted the role that no one else wanted without complaint. Even if he wasn’t good at running, he was determined to give his best effort.» trial and error are part of the learning process, Suguru understood it before Yuya.
«The human body, after it heals, doesn’t necessarily return to the condition before it was injured.’» very intriguing 😀, but not wrong imo, it's up to us to come back stronger 💪🏻 after setbacks.dclover pepeglow ||

feral laurel
# eternal crater Hey guys 👋🏼, this br will start in few hours ! Some questions to put you in a ...
  1. Yep! I think east asian literature has been my jam for the past 3-4 years?
  2. I am and also came across one in a book I'd recently read
  3. I do like taking strolls but not sure how I'd feel about talking with neighbourhood folks... I'm an introvert with some social anxiety but there have been times where I've approached a stranger or two if there was a reason to. If it's just making small talk then no
limber venture
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I opened my copy and saw some art when chapter 1 started, already sold

limber venture
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Chapter 1 || This story was surprisingly too real to me. I was a good student, was in a private middle school, we scored the best in our high school entry exams from our area etc. At the beginning I literally was not studying at all, I had all the knowledge from my previous school and got lazy, started playing games only and who would have thoughts after some months/year it was not enough and my scores dropped a lot. I had some pride problems just like in the story too, but not supportive parents like that, they were a bit unreal kekCry But I do like the moral of just trying your best ||

quick bone
quick bone
limber venture
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Chapter 2 || I don't know about this one. Was pretty meh to me. "These were pretend friendships, they were not real, and I wanted to manage the situation for Mizuho's sake" yeah that does not sound right or healthy. You don't need to be "friends" with other mothers if you don't want to, just acquaintances is enough really. I did like a bit she started saying what she is thinking, and liked that she decided to go back and find work to do what she likes and interact with customers ||

quick bone
limber venture
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Chapter 3 || "maybe I could learn to love others - and myself - a little more honestly." I liked that. I can totally relate to the problem of not being able to feel happy enough for others when you are not happy yourself, it's hard even if you want to be happy for them. I am glad the ending was not "nah we are not together and I love you" because I was afraid it will go that way and so relived it didn't. This made so much more sense and was more real with "It was still too soon for me to celebrate the couple without feeling an ache in my chest". That's fine! That's normal and understandable but still you are a bit happy and on the right way to finding your own happiness. Good story ||

limber venture
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Chapter 4 || Not my favourite again, unfortunately. Don't get me wrong it had some good parts and thoughts again the one about being scared to fail when people are watching you, very relatable. It makes you not even want to try which is wrong. It a bit irked me with the whole "Your body and heart are closely connected but your head sits alone, far away. It might be that your mind is mistaking the tension in your skin and muscles as pain" okay not very doctor like especially with your head being alone and not connected to your body and heart? kekCry Wish it was more like how much our brain and thoughts (e.g. placebo) can actually affect our body and how we feel. Maybe it was going for it but if yes then it did not do a good job. And the ending with still trying to keep running even when injured is very 50/50 motivational yes but also stupid, please don't do that if you don't have to you can injure your body long term for no reason? You also have to know when to stop and wish that story conveyed that too but oh well. Maybe I just expected too much from it ||

limber venture
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Chapter 5 || "It isn't just about giving love, but accepting it, too. The kind where you trust someone and let them take care of you. The older you get, the harder that becomes." I did witness that sometimes unfortunately. What I liked in this story is also that we got Himura-san (from Chapter 2) mentioned and that she works at a boutique. We already have people from other stories appearing but this made me more happy than others because it's confirmed she went back to work and customers like she wanted. Not a bad story either! Didn't like it as much as 3rd story but it had it moments for sure. ||

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Oh wow at the end of the book there is (this is not a book spoiler but maybe someone wants to be surprised by what bonus/additional content there is in the book so I spoilered it) ||excerpt from new book that is coming in February 2026||?!

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Finished! || I liked The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park but not as much as What You’re Looking For Is in the Library. It still had some nice, cozy stories but a couple of them (especially Story 2 and Story 4) didn’t really land for me. I liked the concept but after some time hearing YET AGAIN that Kabahiko rhymes with hippo started driving me crazy kekCry I appreciate we got different age groups and different problems but I did not like all resolutions e.g. what I mentioned in story 4 and the ending with still running after the injury. But the end of story 3 was literally almost perfect. So yeah this suffers the problem of every short stories collection which is some stories are better than others. I still liked it, was cozy, bitter sweet and fit starting my autumn vibe. 3.25/5 ⭐ ||

feral laurel
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I’m starting this in sometime! Audiobook’s here surprisingly earlier than expected

limber venture
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Also they will look nice on my bookshelf next to each other

IMG_6556.jpg
feral laurel
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I hadn’t realised how the covers were sort of similar!

shrewd sparrow
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oh my that‘s stunning 1b_wowP2U

quick bone
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Finished birdie_dance_emote Ch 5 :|| "When you got sick or injured, there was always the hope that proper treatment could make you better. But when the cause was ageing, there was nothing you could do. I no longer had the energy or stamina to fend off the various ailments creeping into my body." Kazuhiko is right catjam_emote
There isn't much we can do about getting old and ultimately dying, besides, accepting it.dogchristmasemote I liked how the mc of each chapter met the mc of next one while visiting Kabuhiko, and how the Hippo serves actually as a reflection to our thoughts and ideas. "Your paint-peeled body scarred with dents and scratches. No matter how strong the winds or how heavy the rain, you stand here, steadfast. So many hands have touched you over the years, while seeing their own reflections in you. You must have witnessed the emotions of so many people with those eyes of yours." cat_angry_animated_emote ||

quick bone
feral laurel
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Starting now!

feral laurel
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Ch.1
||He reminds me of myself, I’d always aced academically and come high school and some traumatising events and all, I suddenly fell back and that had a similar affect on me||

wild kelp
quick bone
feral laurel
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Ch. 2
||I think what works here is how each character somehow has something relatable to you and it can be a hit or miss. There are parts of this book that feel relatable but like this chapter in particular felt a bit eh?

I don’t understand why she’s trying so hard to be liked or be friends like is there groupism where she’d be singled out and that in turn affecting the kid?||

feral laurel
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Ch.3
||Her anxiety is so relatable! Anxiety being part of a good imagination is not something I’d ever associated but I think I’m going to have to save this somewhere so I don’t always think negatively of my anxiety

Also, that was so sweet of him to write to her! Shows how much a lot of our assumptions/conclusions drawn by an overactive imagination turns out to be wrong. As a child who learnt to read the room, read faces etc early on also being an empath and AuDHD, it’s been a real hard mix of everything, it’s been HARD hard and I’ve slowly been learning to unpack it all but I know it’s never as easy ||

feral laurel
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Ch.4
||I do like the fact that the chiropractor actually offered some good advice that Yuya could work through and not some scammy bone breaking guy as is often represented.

It was quite sweet at the end, them running together sort of||

feral laurel
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Okay I finished this!
||I think I liked it but maybe I’ve just overexposed myself to this kind of literature and while I liked the gentle warm feelings and the relatability this evoked in me, it didn’t feel quite the same way as What You’re Looking For is in the Library did. Maybe because that one had a whole library and bookish tone in there or maybe because I read that when I’d needed it and right now, I’m just not in the mood for a book like this. All the same, it was a sweet gentle read that I’d love to read between heavier reads and not a book to be reading having coming off some sickness and not having read for a bit. I’m going to give this a 3.5||

quick bone
feral laurel
quick bone
crystal thicket
willow patrol
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I'm afraid that I have to back out of this buddy read. I can't easily find this book at my library/etc. 😭
I will read it when it becomes available, though, just don't see that happening in the timeline set for this.

eternal craterBOT
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@quick bone,@willow patrol,@cold mauve,@shrewd sparrow,@native pier,@torpid river,@main field,@frank idol,@feral laurel,@limber venture,@steady wing,@native spindle,@wanton sand,@frank idol,@cerulean nexus,@crystal thicket,@open mica

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Hey Guys 👋 we've reached half of this B.R
Here is some Hippotic🦛 questions for you !

  1. What story you liked the most and why ?
    2.what role do you think the animal Hippopotamus played in this story ? major role ? or minor role ?
    3.What do you think of the format of the book ? (short stories collection)
eternal craterBOT
crystal thicket
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starting this one 😁

crystal thicket
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first story
|| > ‘Working hard for praise isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But if that’s your only motivation, you’re likely to feel defeated when that praise doesn’t come.’

The story of Kanato reminds me of my school days, when being top of the class was always the main priority, not enjoying school time. 😭 ||

quick bone
frank idol
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first page: ||im ngl ive changed the numbers on my test papers too margeshame ||

crystal thicket
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second story
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I wouldn’t let myself be swept up by the others anymore. I would do what needed to be done and what I wanted to do, carefully, at my own pace.

A mother's difficulty in socializing and openly sharing her opinion with new people. ||

crystal thicket
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third story
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Sometimes, it’s important to redirect your anxious feelings rather than confront them head-on.

Anxiety often makes people feel guilty even about small things, especially when they don’t want to listen to others. ||

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fourth story
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The memory and experience of having been ill or injured are imprinted on the body, the heart and the mind. So, after you recover, you’re a different person than you were before.

Sometimes we feel pessimistic about results that haven't happened yet, and losing self-confidence is something that's hard to change—unless it comes from within ourselves. ||

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last story
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Maybe people really do only see what they want to see,

Human interaction is a bit complicated. A small wrong word or a different tone can cause conflict or misunderstanding — especially when the true meaning is not said directly. ||

and finished ✅

crystal thicket
# eternal crater <@1066318838746054727>,<@406183466817028097>,<@198521454579548160>,<@65800019562...
  1. I liked third story the most because she wants to understand other people better. It felt real and easy to relate to.
  2. The hippopotamus played an important role. It helped people feel calm and think about their feelings. It was like a friend who helps them heal.
  3. I like the short stories format because it shows different people’s problems and how the hippo helps them. It makes the book interesting and easy to read.
quick bone
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  1. I liked the First story and the Third because || Kanato's father is genuine, there are things our parents does for us but we can't understand until much later on. For the Third story, Chiharu has a good heart and is honest with herself.turtleheart || 2. || The Hippo shows that despite all the struggles he is going through, losing his original colour and brighteness, he still smiles and is a very important figure in Hinode park, loved by all.zzAsterHeartHug ||3. I don't mind any format as long as the story is captivating GeorgeReading
quick bone
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Only 3 days for this B.R to end officially 🦛 🦛 🦛 I don't think I'll do an extension because this book is very short and can be read in few hours pepeblessings

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Hope that people who still wanna read it can do so by then frogScream girl_book_read

torpid river
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Starting this today

torpid river
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Completed chapter 1 ...and omg ...this felt TOO RELATABLE and close . I went through a similar situationblobOohCry
I wasn't aware that I'll sob reading this chapter. Detailed thoughts in the morning. I'll just cry myself to sleep thinking about it . catTearsCry

quick bone
torpid river
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i'll continue it today !!!

torpid river
quick bone
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Extra 24 hours frogScream

torpid river
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Chapter 1 thoughts :

shrewd sparrow
torpid river
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|| > general education requirements was fair game
I am highly against this type of approach. your requirement should be to evaluate how much you taught in the classroom not their outside "general knowledge" . Not everyone has sufficient resources to attain general knowledge. what's the point of this all ?

Something’s wrong, I thought. I can’t possibly be this stupid.
omg oh my kanako..

The truth was that I’d sensed the difference in my skill level between my classmates and me during class. The gap was so wide that it felt impossible to catch up.The pace of the lessons was fast, and I frequently couldn’t answer when the teacher called on me. Growing impatient with my silence, the teacher called on another student, and when that student answered correctly, I wanted to crawl into a hole

Can these teacher LET the students communicate ? They should let students know that they can't magically go in their head and figure out what's wrong with them , students have to be vocal about it .
Secondly , patience please?! All students are equal, not everyone will be fast in answering rapid fire questions.

I won’t let anyone call you stupid ever again.
Kabhiko and that " words don't fade away" scene was sad yet deep .

‘It’s not about the results, Kanato. What makes me happy is seeing you putting in the effort.’

So glad her mother said this ..she really needed it .

Personally I loved this short story , it resonated with me in a way , that I went through a similar experience. Lovedddd the theory of " someone has to come last eventually" and " taking part in olampics ones "
In this age , affording education and working towards your passion is indeed a privilege It's a privilege that we get to be part of something big and small . Like not everyone makes it to 10th grade . ||

quick bone
quick bone
shrewd sparrow
quick bone
shrewd sparrow
quick bone
shrewd sparrow
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but okay, thanks for the heads up! keroppi_smile

torpid river
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Chapter 2 :|| is the Michiko girl same from first story?
I'm confused since the child and the girl from first story have the same name ||

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So these stories seem interconnected

eternal craterBOT
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@quick bone,@willow patrol,@cold mauve,@native pier,@torpid river,@main field,@frank idol,@feral laurel,@limber venture,@steady wing,@native spindle,@wanton sand,@frank idol,@cerulean nexus,@crystal thicket,@open mica

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Hey guys👋🏼🦛 We have reached the end of this B.R
Here are some questions to close up

  1. How did you like the fact that || the characters of the previous story appears in the next one ? ||
  2. What is your favourite story in the book and why ?
    3.Would you read more books from this author ?
eternal craterBOT
quick bone
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Finished reading the book cat_book_reading_emote I have : introwertyczka,hanzyyyy,ouistiti,dhirviepages still reading : Minz 096_Psi_salute

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thank you all for taking part in this buddy read e_bow cat_bow

torpid river
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Chapter 2 :

|| > I was living in a fake world, like the computer-generated ad for Advance Hill, merely acting the part of a mum friend. That would have been fine if I actually enjoyed it. But now, I was just trying to get through this unwanted role until the performance was over.

I feel so bad for sawa . Those ladies are NOT friendly at all and trying to downplay her just cuz she was popular back then .
I am able to relate to her character in a way that I don't know how to respond when someone compliments me . Most of the time , it feels like mocking ( it is , maybe 50% ) .
And responding through text can be worse thing you can do ngl . I feel like it can't deliver your tone and emotions well ( in contrast to talking in person )
Sawa was right when she said that woman could have talked to her in private instead of talking bad about her and her child in group . Mizuho is still a child , so it was okay to talk to her guardian but the way and environment was not suitable . She's a child after all , she will learn .

Also I can see how women have to choose between having a career and a family everytime , I think it's unfair cuz she was in the height of her career . But then reading about her thoughts afterwards , I'm glad she is happy with her choice. I guess in the end , she will work both part time and take care of mizuho ?

I wanted to be someone who could communicate well again.
But it wasn’t just about talking more.It was about being able to say what needed to be said.
‘I felt supported when you were the first to speak up.’

Akemi-san's character was nice to read , we can see that she is someone who cares less about what people think of her and just try to give her 100 % .
Sawa finds her behaviour comforting and encouraging.

I could be myself now, without pretence, and in a way that suited me. I wouldn’t let myself be swept up by the others any more. I would do what needed to be done and what I wanted to do, carefully, at my own pace.||

torpid river
# feral laurel Ch. 2 ||I think what works here is how each character somehow has something rela...

|| I had the same question. My mom says that in order to live in community, you have to participate in community. And mostly japanese books keeps emphasizing on that .
Although some of neighbors can be really toxic and exhausting to deal with . In need , it's only the people around you that can help quickly than a friend from far away omg
Also sawa mentioned how she loved interacting with customers and new people , and since she quit her job there was no other way for her to socialize . But yeah I can feel her being uninterested ||

torpid river
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Chapter 3:

||

the doctor asked, ‘Have you been eating?’‘Not much,’ I replied, and my voice seemed to bounce back inside my ears.The doctor nodded. ‘You must have lost weight recently.’His eyes seemed filled with pity. For a moment, I wanted to cry.It was as if he had said, You must be unhappy

Why every story has one or two aspects which you can relate sm omg
This story was kinda complex . Chiharu' s ear condition. Is her anxiety one of the major events which lead to it . I searched up on Google about "Patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction." And it said that one can hear the voices in their heads and their own voice too loudly . It must be so hard for her : (

It’s just … I feel so anxious about everything.' ‘I think anxiety is evidence of a powerful imagination,’ said the woman. ‘Imagination?’ ‘That’s right. Anxiety is something you feel about something that hasn’t happened yet or about others. The fact that you can picture those things shows you have a good imagination.’
I feel anxious because of my imagination? I’d never thought of it that way.

This is such a good perspective.

Help me, Kabahiko. Heal me, please. Restore me to the person I used to be. The person who could wish for the happiness of others.

Although I do symphasize with her cuz of her ear condition but she didn't tell that guy about her feelings so I don't get why she is trying to make him look bad here ?
In my student class I often emphasize " if you are not going to tell, how will I know ? " The same goes with her .

No doubt I had an extraordinary imagination.
And if I could use that imagination to expand my capacity for empathy and kindness, maybe I could learn to love others – and myself – a little more honestly.
||

torpid river
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This story reminded me of this song

torpid river
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Chapter 4 ✅

torpid river
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Thoughts :
Okay I didn't like this specific story .
My problem with this book is || downplaying getting a medical help . While I get that kabahiko can "heal" still as a someone who studied medical for few years , it's better to get professional help than relying on miracles .

‘If you focus too much on the pain or thinking that your leg might not heal, your mind might send the wrong signal.

This is not how it works omg listen to your body kekCry

I finally realized.What my body and heart hated wasn’t the running itself.It was the idea of everyone seeing me fail.If I had to run alongside all the fast runners, I would fall behind from the start.Everyone I was representing would be mad at me, and I’d be laughed at by everyone – not just on the day of the race; my whole school life from then on would be doomed. That was the story I had convinced myself of.That was why I had been so desperate to avoid it somehow.But Suguru wasn’t the least bit worried about that. About what everyone would think.He had accepted the role that no one else wanted without complaint.Even if he wasn’t good at running, he was determined to give his best effort.

This!!!!

As expected, my new life was a bore – nothing to get excited or sad about.But if there was one thing that annoyed me about the school, it was that there were way too many events. There seemed to be some kind of event every month, each one announced with a clear purpose that the principal would explain at morning assembly, emphasizing just how much it would contribute to our personal growth.

These activities are prevalige ngl . Many schools can't afford these co-curriculars and only focus on academic ones . Which is not good for overall growth of children.

Besides, the previous doctor had given me heating pads, and now this one was ordering to ice. What was I supposed to believe?

Jsjsjsj this is so common . 😭 Doctors diagnosis are mostly 180 degree different from others . ||

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Apologies for the delay . I'll complete it today omg

torpid river
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Chapter 5 ✅

quick bone
torpid river
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Chapter 5 thoughts :

The truth was, the closer I got to this world, the softer and more beautiful it became.
It was a perfect way to end the book as we got to see the family of || the sunrise cleaning lady .
I feel like there was a lot of miscommunication between her and her son ( while his wife was trying to mend it . ) also I have noticed that the son had a bad temper .

Ageing was inevitable.
But maybe there was room for adjustment …With the right tools, and the support of trusted companions.
Adapting to change was another form of recovery.

Why some of us are eager to help but hate having help for ourselves ?

When you work in the same place for so long, something more than money exchanges hands,’ she said. ‘It’s the joy of meeting people and talking to them. At some point, it becomes about more than just money. As the number of familiar faces grows, and they tell you how grateful they are the shop is always open, or how reassuring it is to know I’m here, that’s what’s kept me going all these years. I felt like I had to keep going, like I had to challenge myself to see how long I could keep at it.’
The scene where it shows that the wife was visiting her frequently to check up on her even though they weren't in touch was so sad and awe blobOohCry .

Your weakness isn’t your age or how tired your body is. It’s that you try to put on a brave face when you’re hurting or lonely

I'm glad the lady released it's good to take a break now!!

Humans are selfish that way, aren’t they?’ I laughed, thinking about my own habits.Takaoka nodded. ‘But that’s okay. It means we’re always choosing what’s important and necessary at the moment. It’s arrogant to expect to see each and every thing clearly.’||