Mr. Children released HERO as a single in 2002; in 2005 I heard it, found the lyrics, listened to the song on loop endlessly and finally, in 2006, decided to write a story about what I thought the song was trying to say.

Mr. Children is a subject I could write phone-book-sized essays on, so to save you reading a lot of my drivel here are some useful links instead:
♥ HERO lyrics - translated to English by Brian Stewart & Takako Sakuma from centigrade-j.com.
♥ HERO (original MV) - a simple claymation video that plays out rather like a Murakami story.
♥ HERO Live at Bank Band - Sakurai broke down and cried, unable to sing the beginning of the last chorus; the audience sang for him until he was able to resume.

Italo Calvino wrote Invisible Cities in 1972; a small, compact story composed not of other stories, but of cities that existed more in human hearts and heads than in actual steel and glass and stone. If you have read it before attempting to read HERO I am sure you will recognize immediately the idea of invisible cities, some of the chapter titles, and the comicgenesis domain; it was my idea of paying homage where homage is due :3 If you have not read it I am duly shocked and stunned and insist that you must! It amplified my already mild and irrational love of London to some kind of obsession.

Like everyone else and their brother I read L'Etranger first and am slowly plowing through everything else. I like his short stories more (L'Etranger really dragged, for such a short book). The reason Albert Camus is on this page is, of course, because I love his philosphy xD and some of this story will very likely contain at least one absurd hero. I think in some ways he is right, there is no grand reason we are in this world, but having come to accept that, it is possible (and enjoyable, and heroic) to go on anyway and try to make people you love happy. I love the way he wrote that; and how he writes about Algers, and summer, and the sea. Although I really like the story about D'Arast the most, and L'Etranger less; but I can't remember the name of the story, let alone find the cover of the book. ANYWAY. M.Camus is here. Love him :3

The Duck is based on the Ducati 749S, a truly gorgeous monster of a machine that I probably never be able to afford or ride. Thank god for always being able to draw one and make it go `♥`! Giant mecha who go `♥` never fail to make my day.