- ***Warning! This Page Contains Spoilers!***
Fukubei's Group[]
In the childhood years of the story, around 1970', a group of four children grew into a small club, evolving around its member Fukubei.
The Fukubei Group Formation:[]
Kenji's Boyhood Group as a Catalyst:[]
Fukubei's group almost grew 'around' Kenji's Boyhood Group (KBG). The KBG was large, fun, and exciting. Despite being bullied by Yanbo and Mabo, the KBG were recipients of near constant social attention and largely liked by their peers. They stuck up for their friends and were rarely intentionally mean to others. However, they could also be rather oblivious and selfish (the self-centeredness common in youth). Tendencies for naivete Kenji's group was rather tight knit, and it was difficult to enter without capturing their attention. For example, Donkey was not an original member of the KBG. At first, Donkey was avoided. The KBG were 'grossed out' by the snot towel that hung around Donkey's neck. However, when some of the KBG started to sink in an (extremely dangerous) gravel lake pit, it was Donkey who came to the rescue. He tied his snot towel to barely-too-short rope and managed to pull the boys up to safety. This feat helped the KBG realize what an amazing person Donkey is. Unfortunately, not many children have the bravery or clearness of mind to rescue another, and opportunities for others to impress or capture the KBG's attention were difficult at best.
Outcasts, who maybe admired, envied, or even hated the KBG, often felt disliked and unwanted by Kenji and his friends. Some saw the group as unfair and exclusionary. And, while some outcasts hated the group, they envied the friendship the KBG enjoyed. As a result, a group of socially unskilled and invisible boys grew. The Fukubei's Friend Formation (FFF).
Fukube's Friend Formation:[]
The original creator of the FFF appears to be Fukubei, who began the group by collecting SadaKiyo and Yamane. It is unclear when Katsumata joined the group, and even more unclear as to whether he or Fukubei 'controlled' the group. All the boys involved in the group were largely unnoticed by their peers. Two of them felt a great distaste for their peers (and humanity in general).
One of the first goals of the group was in direct consequence of their anger with the KBG: to think up a 'superior' humanity annihilation plan than Kenji's. The FFF had seen The Prophecy Book created by Kenji and the KBG, but they found the ideas anti-climatic and too easy to counteract. Instead of dismissing the idea as childish, the FFF wrote The New Prophecy Book to record their "[b]etter" plans. It is their book that guides the majority of actions taken against the world after the year 2000.
Fukube's 'Friend' Formation:[]
To be continued.