The boy is standing there, eyes wide, murmuring something like “This is amazing… they’re actually going to charge money for this…” while surrounded by shelves of Higashino’s work. The pure, unfiltered book-nerd ecstasy is what made it spread — that rare moment when a kid treats a mystery novel the way most people treat a new game console or limited-edition sneakers.
Higashino is the perfect author for this reaction too: twisty, tightly plotted, and extremely popular in Japan, so the kid isn’t just hyped for “books,” he’s hyped for his guy’s books. The grainy security-cam-style footage of the store entrance + the close-ups of the boy just sell the whole pure-joy vibe.
This video from 2013 still feels fresh even now, doesn't it? Just knowing there's an elementary school kid who says they like Keigo Higashino is encouraging. You don't often see kids reacting like that in bookstores.