Author Archives: dayoung

Searchers : Uzumaki Volume 2

I did a little research on the volume 2 of Uzumaki by Junji Ito.
While the story of Uzumaki volume 1 and volume 2 interconnects, the great thing about the two books are in that you dont have to read first volume to make sense of volume 2.

Volume 2 also evolves around the story of spirals.
The book’s format is much like of the Volume 1.

  • Jack-in-the-Box
  • Snail People
  • Dark Lighthouse
  • Mosquitoes
  • Umbilical Cord
  • The Storm

Volume 2 also consists of many disturbing scenes however the art of telling story of horror through mystery of spiral is as skillful and artful.

Also, the book seems to suggest the continuation of story to another volume. This will be interesting to read .

Respondent-Shannon-Bechdel’s Feelings about her Dad

My interpretation of Allison’s relationship with her dad is of those unsolved and unanswered attachment and of awkwardness. Allison’s feeling toward her dad is not a simple attitude. Instead they are mixed feelings of dissatisfaction and also at the same time the search of approval.

Allison and Her dad shares the kind of world that no one else in the family can approach in the same way. Both of their homosexuality separates them in a world of their own and makes the boundary to the others outside. They share the same kind of interest such as their understanding and appreciation of many complicated philosophers and authors. They also share the same kind of taste in manliness such as muscularity and clothing styles.

Their conflict comes in how they act on these preferences. Allison’s father wants to accomplish his wants and interests through Allison, who in her own wants to be like man, refuses it.

They coexist in the harmony of shared interests and also dissonance caused from their different sexuality.

Searchers : uzumaki to Film

As many famous Japanese mangas, Uzumaki was also made into film.

There are some clips from this movie on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd8a6BJT2cc&feature=related

Ny times calls this movie very dissapointing portray of the manga. They claim that film has failed to captivate the most essential parts of the comic.

NYtime Review on the movie :

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9903EFDB1731F932A35756C0A9649C8B63

It is interesting to see the transition of the manga into movie and how they often fail to capture the most essential parts of the manga.

First Reader – Persepolis

I picked up the book persepolis, without being aware of any of its content or what the story is about. First I found the book agreeable and pleasing. The contents of the Persepolis in which it describes the history of Iranian revolution, was interesting especially it is told through a narrative of a kid who seems to form her allegiance and opinion rather quickly and strongly on the matter.

The subject of the story itself could be rather doom and heavy for a comic book material. However, through the naive and innocent and particularly opinionated child Marji’s narration, Persepolis succeeds to handle the heavy subject without being too serious and hard on the readers.

Yet, it would not be fair to say that Persepolis tells the story of Iranian Revolution only light heartedly.

In the part where they talk about how the prisoners were tortured, the novel achieves to emphasize the seriousness and makes the story even more horrible by having it told through Child’s eye. Readers are forced to sympathize and because it is being told through Child’s narratives, we feel worse about hearing these stories.

Black and White color scheme of the novel also seems to adds to the characteristics of the story. It is serious and heavy material therefore the colorfulness would not suit the story. Also, the simple drawing style of the novel and its color scheme seems to represent the Iranian tradition as well; their separation of female and male in public and the secretiveness they pursue with the exposure of the skin.

Response to Monkey King

 

To be honest, I was not aware of what this particular monkey king myth was refering to until I read the post about origin of Monkey King.

The story of Monkey King is very famous in China, including near eastern Asian Country. It is not only a popular novel written in 16th century but also been put into comics and anime numerous times.

Since I have not yet finished the entire book, My mind wandered on how the exact story of monkey king fits and correlates to the story of the kid who is struggling to fit into America.

Monkey King feel like the alien of the groups (deity) that is around him. He feels somewhat ridiculed and put down as inferior as these other forms of deities look down on him. Not only that he feels awkard himself being different.

This is how Jing feels among these group of Americans whom are not yet willing to accept him as equal and one of them.

The struggle to fit in and be not different (while not wanting to accept it and be known to others that he cant) touches my mind as I was a foriegner who moved into very white community few years ago.

In that sense, the book “American born Chinese” is rather personal story to me.

Searchers: Crematoria and Gas Chambers

After reading the first 100 pages of Book II in Maus,

It interested me to look for more information on the crematoria explained on page 70-72

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/augas.html

This page has a real pictures and the blue prints of the crematoria during the holocaust.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3EeTFtYr5E

is the virtual reconstruction of the Crematoria II described by Vladek.

Free from Mask?

Chapter 7 of the watchmen shows an interesting turn of events. Two people who seemed to be most free from their mask through out the book, were shown that they too are the captives of the mask Identity.

Dan Dreiberg and Laurie are the two people through out the previous chapter, shown as people who live their normal life after retiring mask hero life. However, chapter 7 too shows that they both were never truly free from the disturbed internal struggles that most masked heroes (comedian, Rorschach etc) seemed to exhibit. Previous to their mask adventure, Dan seems so unstable and nervous and unsure of himself. (For exaple, page 10 of chapter 7, 6th box, Dan is unable to evenput his hands slightly n Laurie from lack of confidence).

Contrastingly, on Page 26 of Chapter 7, we are shown of dan on the rooftop of his airship, He is drawn as confident and even smiling. His face is portrayed from as if the viewers are looking up to him, making him look more confident and higher being. He is also able to command people and keep them relaxed as he releases the people he rescued from fire.

Dan Dreiberg was unstable and unsure without the mask, however with his mask, he is sure of himself and carries himself with power and control(example he is able to reach to Laurie after the masked adventure).

It is truly interesting how, noone, seems to be truly free from their masked identity after the years have passed.

Respondent: Moriah Jones

In agreement to Moriah Jones’ analogy of the heroes and their disgusting twist of views on humanity, I would like to add the effect of these heroes to people around them.

Rorschach admits that he wasn’t always the “Rorschach”. He was aware of humanity and played hero under the mask. However his mask consumed his true self. The mask seems to not just have the affect on himself but also to those who tries to find the meanings inside the Rorschach mask. Especially in case of Dr.Malcolm, the change of his personality and view are so strikingly evident. On page 8 of chapter 6, Dr. Malcolm’s personality is described as “Nicest, most positive person”. However, during chapter 6, Dr. Malcolm’s positive view on the humanity begin to change as he attempts to fix Rorschach. Dr.Malcolm’s positive character is partially devoted to his wealthiness and the well beings of his social correspondents. However this begins to seriously crumble as he examines the inner side of Rorschach.

Dr. Malcolm thinks he is able to fix Rorschach, in the process however, he himself begins to fall and get sucked into Rorschach’s dark view of world. Dr. Malcolm slowly begins to resemble Rorschach. His detachment to his wife and the social life, and disabillity to distinguish what is socially acceptable or not(his dinner ending with disturbing stories), his weird obsession with Rorschach(as Rorschach was obsessed with proposed mask killer). As Rorschach says, on page 13, “I’m  not locked up in here with you. You’re locked up in here with ME”, the watchmen portrays the society where heros are not heros and may even be a villain.