Lit of Comics & Graphic Narratives

 This. This is what representation looks like, not yaoi. This is not a romanticized work, although the bara men are very obviously the author's forte. This is fictional, yes, but one of the most wholesome representations of the gay community. I'm actually really glad Yaichi was homophobic at the beginning because a lot of the plot was centered around changing his ideals and considering the view of those around him. Lot's of great character development! I'm also so glad he included Kana because I read somewhere that said this really well- children learn discrimination from the adults around them. It's a thing they are taught and not something that they inherently believe unless told differently. So I'm genuinely so glad Kana was there to be an unbiased character who steers Yaichi in the better direction to understanding people who are not like him. Mike is just a big lovely man... I love how human he is. "He's not a thing," like Yaichi mentioned in ...

 I usually love media that expresses emotion. Emotion is one of my favorite things that we have as humans, and this manga made me feel a lot. I could relate a lot to the character in terms of depression and anxiety, but I also felt like I learned a lot about myself reading it. I think that was the author's indirect intention. She had such a hard time understanding her own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, that she ended up expelling all of the pent up anxiety about it into her work; this indirectly lets readers experience what life looks like in her eyes, and ends up making them sympathize/empathize with her a lot easier. That's what I assume at least, because that's what happened to me. Figuring out your life without having your expectations of your parents is no easy feat and something I can relate to very much. I'm really hoping she's feeling a lot better than when she started, although I'm aware mental illness is an inherent and chronic struggle for the rest...

 I wasn't sure how I felt about this comic when I started reading it considering it starts with Luna being executed and put into slavery... But it really grew on me the more I read. I started identifying themes and morals the story was trying to tell. Luna is the epitome of a kind person. She doesn't let Byouma die even whens he was trying to kill her for the entirety of the comic. She thinks everyone is a person with a life and soul and no one should be hurt if she can help it. I really appreciate the character exposition and growth we see from each of the characters as well. Eiji just wants to live his own life and resents his family in the beginning but once their father is assassinated and his mother is left to live in a much more humble home, he is reminded of how much family means to him. This goes for the entirety of the Kusuhara family- each of them is reminded what family really means by the end of the story, and despite them having next to nothing- it doesn't matt...

 So I have a confession... I knew Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer but I actually didn't know what in specific he did. I remember I heard this title came out as a movie back in 2017-2018 and I watched the trailer for it. It seemed really interesting, but I didn't know it was based on this comic that was a real account of a guy knowing this horrible person. Wow, was that a ride. Well, Backderf does an amazing job retelling this through his comic. I think he's riding a slippery slope by creating art based off of a serial killer, but he did it very eloquently. And he states multiple times that he made it as a critique of society and how we treat kids, but that getting this experience he has genuinely lived through in his life was worth sharing. I would have to agree, I mean, can you imagine being Backderf? Imagine knowing this kid and knowing something about him is off so you try not to get involved and kind of do anyway, but then the kid eventually goes down as one of the m...

  This story was extremely insightful. It’s best to read as an American since we are so ill-informed of other countries, especially Middle Eastern destinations. It was fascinating to learn about Persian culture and how it evolved just throughout Marjane’s life alone. By the end of the war, I was still a little confused how some women could be all dolled up with their hair visible and makeup on, but majorly had to stick to the regime other times. I think when Marjane met them they were hanging out in private, but I’m unsure. Either way, learning about the mental toll it took on our protagonist to have to mold yourself to fit in with different cultures at just 14 is unimaginable. I wasn’t surprised to see her indulge herself in drugs and get caught in depression later, it was such a hard thing for her to have to go through. Additionally, there’s A TON of political talk that I wasn’t fully understanding but got the gist for the most part. And yes, there’s also a lot I did not agree wi...

  This piece was beautifully illustrated and written, and really knew how to pack a punch right to the heart-strings. The way they constructed the narrative of the little girl being the one to tie all of these people together is brilliantly done. Sadly, the story itself is not really an uplifting one.  I wasn't aware of what happened to other countries during WWII. When they taught us in school they spoke about only the bombing of Pearl Harbor and told us that the holocaust was the worst thing to happen in human history. But getting to know the finer details of things is really what makes us educated and I had no idea what was happening in the Eastern countries. I'm touched that at the end of Nanking, the woman says she forgave the Japanese for what happened because nothing good could come out of war anyway. But she had lost everything and everyone she had in that awful siege of Nanking. They may have took all she had that was left, but thankfully she had people who were there...