Genki Kawamura has novelised his surreal movie, Exit 8, in Japanese in 2026. I recently got to read the English translation by Sameeha Anwar and what a ride it has been even for someone who has not seen the movie or played the game.

The book has layers of meaning about the inertia of modern life portrayed through a magic realism theme that sometimes make the walls bleed and sometimes draw in a tsunami in an underground tunnel. The projection of the subconscious in this thriller novel is done so superbly that the readers become more concerned with the plot than the underlying message. I like books with subtle messaging and this fits in perfectly.

With that, let’s dive in!

Plot of ‘Exit 8’: What really happens in the book?

A nameless narrator gets stuck in the subway of the metro alone. No matter how far he goes, he is looping into the same hallway. There are instructions to go out via Exit 8, he has to turn back if he sees any anomalies or keep going if he cannot find any anomalies. While the Exit number is stuck at 0, he has to play this bizarre game of finding anomalies to get the number to go up to 8.

The protagonist plays this game without other contestants and audience to escape this hellish loop.

While he is alone in the game, there are other NPCs in the tunnel. Interactions with them add to the anomalies. From an older salaryman, a homeless man to a small boy, the narrator meets all kinds of people in the tunnel. In the chapter from the salaryman’s perspective, he meets a young woman as well before he chooses to go through a false exit and turn into an NPC for the game.

The primary narrator is smarter than that. But his loop is also more personalised as he gets a call from his ex-girlfriend who he was talking to before he walked into the loop. They are discussing the fact that the woman is pregnant and if she wishes to keep the baby.

The glimpse of life we get before the loop commences is all about the inertia of modern society. When the protagonist sees an older office worker go off on the mother of a crying baby in the metro, he simply watches before looking away to not get dragged into the situation. When he turns to his phone, he is scrolling past violent news from across the world. It is just the algorithm, he neither cares, nor is particularly bothered by the implications of the footage he is seeing.

When his ex informs him about the pregnancy, he is oddly subdued in his response. He is on his way to work. But he is operating on autopilot. Life is happening to him passively. He is already stuck in a loop in his life long before he actually gets stuck in a magic-realism world that is based on the trauma of his life so far.

The story is about the anxiety of not being able to take control of your own life. The loop is tantamount to the drudgery of life that has us going to work and home on repeat like mindless NPCs ourselves. It is intriguing to see the past traumas coming for the nameless protagonist and him struggling to find the courage to face them and fight through them.

My Verdict: Should you read ‘Exit 8’ by Genki Kawamura?

This was the first book I read that was a novelisation of a movie based on a game. While the nuances of the adaptations are of extreme interest to me, it has definitely opened up a whole new side of literature for me. I am looking forward to at least watching to movie soon.

The theme of inertia is highlighted by the regrets of the protagonist. A fatherless upbringing meant a complex childhood for him. This translated into detached attachment styles and not wanting to have a family. He gets another chance to make different choices in life when he is thrown into this random loop.

The bizarreness of the plot is fascinating. The narrative was gripping from the get-go. While it was a short read, I did end up reading it in one sitting.

The human capacity to make informed decision is disrupted by the hamster wheel of capitalism. After 16-hour shifts at work, who has the time to contemplate life? Most of us are happy to doomscroll our life away during the short time we are not at work. This is a scathing critique of modern lifestyle and society.

The fact that the protagonist considers this to be a game to entertain millionaires is a very real callback to the popular Squid Game. He chooses to play, to participate, to escape the system. But he has to go through grueling rounds of the game for a chance to make it out. He is risking his life for other’s entertainment. The sad reality of the situation even beyond the loop is glaring in this depiction.

If you like “show, don’t tell” style of narratives, this would be a good book to read for you. In 101 pages, Exit 8 by Genki Kawamura draws up social criticism like nothing I have read before.

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Have you read any of Exit 8 book or seen the movie by Genki Kawamura yet? Pick up a copy of Exit 8 here: buy book.

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