Botchan (Master Darling)

Botchan is one of Japan's most popular novels for young people for its meditations upon Japanese culture lively characters and coming-of-age theme. The titular character is a young headstrong and reckless youth who is nevertheless possessed of a serious sense of honor and integrity. Although his temper and impulsiveness create problems Botchan's moral convictions underpin his journey: indeed whether he will compromise his morals is the central question. After taking a job as a junior teacher in a local middle school Botchan comes into conflict with Red Shirt; his school's eloquent but manipulative and conniving head teacher. Vying for the hand of a local beauty Red Shirt will stop at nothing to achieve his aims using his position and the system to undermine or defeat others. However a hot tempered but justice-seeking mathematics teacher Yama Arashi is determined to oppose such underhand behavior. Who will Botchan side with in the end?