Rest in peace, Clemens.

For all its pros and cons, social media remains an extremely powerful force in the world. It’s a way to tap into the public consciousness unlike any other medium before, and while many companies, celebrities, and politicians have tried to harness this power, few have managed to reach social media’s full potential. But sometimes it reveals itself in unlikely places, like a tweet from beyond the grave.

At exactly 8:00 p.m. on 14 October, 22-year-old Kanaru Nakayama tweeted the following:

▼ “Gwegh, I’m deadngo”

The English translation is an approximation since the original Japanese is laced with classic Internet slang going back to the heyday of the 2channel message board. The initial “gue” is a cartoonish onomatopoeia of someone’s death rattle. The middle point is a straightforward Japanese “shinda” which means “died.”

The final suffix of “-ngo” comes from Domingo Guzman, a former pitcher for the Rakuten Eagles who once closed a game in such a disastrous fashion that his name, particularly the “-ngo” part, became a meme that has a very loose meaning, but embodies a certain sense of incompetence or lackadaisical attitude for something. In a way, “I’m deadngo” might equate to “I’m ded, lulz.”

The phrase is a somewhat common retort to online abuse. A very common way to say “F you” in Japanese is simply to tell them to “Die!” So, a way to show their verbal abuse had no impact would be to reply, “Gwegh, I’m deadngo!”

But what caught people’s attention about this tweet was that Nakayama really was dead. The day before, a friend logged onto his account to announce that he lost his battle to epithelioid sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, on 12 October. It was assumed from the precise time of Nakayama’s final tweet that he had scheduled it in advance in the event of his actual death.

The university student blogged and posted in a frank but positive way about his experiences ever since he was diagnosed with cancer in 2023. His Twitter profile even reads, “I like cute girls. I also have cancer.”

25 October, 2023
I was diagnosed with cancer. It looks like the surgery will involve removing my entire rib. There’s a chance they’ll use skin grafts from my thigh, so I’ll probably be in pain afterward and need to stay in the hospital for several months. I heard the side effects of the surgery are really severe, and I’ll need to do chemotherapy to prevent a recurrence, so I’ll be in the hospital for two weeks and then home for one week until March or April. My hospital stay starts the day after tomorrow, and it’s my first time being hospitalized, so I’m a little excited.

26 October, 2023
I didn’t have any reason to go to the hospital today, but I didn’t feel like going to class either, so I played Monster Strike all day. My biology and Ainu literature profs told me they can make arrangements so I can still get credits even if I can’t attend. I really appreciate that. I’ll be going to the hospital tomorrow, so I’m really excited.

Nearly two years later, Nakayama understood things weren’t going well and on 10 October, tweeted “I’ll probably die soon.” It was later reported that he would schedule the “Gwegh” tweet every day, and if he lived to see the next day, he would reschedule it for two more days in advance.

While his plan worked, I don’t think Nakayama would have ever imagined the impact it would have on the entire country and beyond. His final tweet was viewed over 300 million times and received over 9,000 replies, many of which wrote, “Rest in peace, Clemens!” This is another bit of Internet baseball meme-speak in which “Clemens” refers to former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens. Clemens is alive and well, but his name is used as a distortion of “kudasai” which is Japanese for “please.”

While some who were unaware of this slang felt that it was an inappropriate sentiment, others explained that it was the perfect thing to say, akin to answering “See you later alligator,” with “In a while crocodile.”

However, the influence of Nakayama and his “Gwegh, I’m deadngo” tweet went far beyond online “thoughts and prayers.” It also triggered a massive outpouring of support for cancer research in Japan.

When making a donation to the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, a number is displayed that indicates how many other donations have been made. Based on reports from those who have donated, the total number of contributions has been in the range of 30,000 to 40,000 and counting, many with comments of “Condolencesngo.” Others who don’t have much money also vowed to donate hair for wigs and bone marrow.

The sheer scale of this support even amazed prominent cancer specialist Satoru Osauka.

▼ “I have worked in cancer research for a long time, but have never seen anything like this movement. I’m blown away by it. A promising young person schedules a post from their hospital bed: ‘Gwegh, I’m deadngo.’ It’s heartbreaking to think of his situation. We cancer researchers have to work hard to develop life-saving treatments.

Rest in peace, Clemens.”

Nakayama isn’t the first person whose death had been reported on social media, especially due to cancer. But there was something special about his tweet that really resonated with people everywhere. Perhaps it was the fact that he left life on his own terms with a joke, refusing to let his condition dictate what he should do and how he should act. It’s the kind of attitude that tends to not only make people feel sympathy but also inspire them to take action as well.

It’s probably cold comfort to his parents, but at least they can be proud that their son not only reached so many people but made a significant impact on cancer research. If you’d like to honor his life too, you can support cancer research and treatments, or simply say, “Rest in peace, Clemens.”

Source: Asahi Shimbun, IT Media, Twitter/@nkym7856, Note/Nakayama
Top image: Pakutaso
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