Almost Transparent Blue

is a 1976 novel, written by Japanese author Ryū Murakami, that features a portrait of narrator Ryū and his friends trapped in a cycle of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll during the 1970s. Plot Narrated by the main character Ryū, the novel focuses on his small group of young friends in the mid-1970s. Living in a Japanese town with an American air force base, their lives revolve around sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. The near-plotless story weaves a vividly raw, image-intensive journey through the daily monotony of drug-induced hallucinations, vicious acts of violence, overdoses, suicide, and group sex. Characters Ryū – Narrator. 19-year-old bisexual substance abuser. Lilly – Ryū's prostitute friend and casual sex partner. Reiko – Okinawan friend of Ryū and girlfriend of Okinawa. Okinawa – drug-addicted Okinawan friend of Ryū and boyfriend of Reiko. Yoshiyama – Unemployed junkie friend of Ryū and abusive boyfriend of Kei. Kei – Friend of Ryū and girlfriend of Yoshiyama. Kazuo – Male friend of Ryū. Moko – Substance abuser friend of Ryū. Jackson – African American Airman at the local AFB, he arranges for group sex escapades between his base comrades and Ryū's group.