blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review
1.0
The main character was so depressing it was painful, and the plot never really materialized. On the plus side the book is short, so the reader is only bored/annoyed for a small amount of time.
liomane's review
5.0
I only knew about this book because I saw a YouTube video in which Lars Martinson described how Tonoharu took him over a decade to make. The end product is some of my favorite art that I have ever seen. You can tell that he certainly did not slack off on the art, which captures the despair and loneliness of the protagonist completely as well as the rural Japanese setting. For some reason, the narrator's story hit me hard. Even if I had not seen the YouTube video, I would have guessed that the author had personal experience with the protagonist's job.
mhall's review
3.0
Going to teach English in Japan is not a cure for loneliness. Daniel is assigned to a rural village and becomes increasingly isolated as the book goes on. I think I would have preferred this to be released as a whole novel rather than just the first part, because it just ends...
ceciliamagoogle's review
3.0
An American goes to Japan to assist in English classes but never gets past feeling lonely and isolated.
bick_mcswiney's review
4.0
a different culture than the one i immersed myself in, but still contained some parallels with my experience. looking forward to vol. ii
crystabrittany's review
2.0
As a stand-alone, this book is hardly worth the small amount of weight it'll add to your bag carrying home. The art is lovely in many places, but there is absolutely no resolution to any of the small conflicts by the end - you must read part 2, or leave completely dissatisfied (as I did).
brizreading's review against another edition
2.0
A brief, spare comix about some young people doing the Japanese English teacher program (where you spend a year or two in Japan teaching English in schools). I loved the art, and really appreciated the change in perspective - from the Guy That Arrived This Year, to (zooming back) the Guy That Just Left. That made me do a double-take, and I appreciated it. Interesting storytelling!
But, as others have noted, the guy we spend a lot of time with (the Guy That Just Left) is really a gratingly passive sad sack. The comix feels both sympathetic and critical of his behavior - I mean, he's just a shy kid, basically, fresh out of college and paralyzed by culture shock - but it does wear on you, the reader. He is juxtaposed against the fellow English teacher girl from the neighboring town, who seems to be a social butterfly. I kinda just wanted to shake him. But, then again, that can happen when you're an expat: you don't get over the culture shock hump, but just kinda wallow in alienation and loneliness.
But, as others have noted, the guy we spend a lot of time with (the Guy That Just Left) is really a gratingly passive sad sack. The comix feels both sympathetic and critical of his behavior - I mean, he's just a shy kid, basically, fresh out of college and paralyzed by culture shock - but it does wear on you, the reader. He is juxtaposed against the fellow English teacher girl from the neighboring town, who seems to be a social butterfly. I kinda just wanted to shake him. But, then again, that can happen when you're an expat: you don't get over the culture shock hump, but just kinda wallow in alienation and loneliness.
michelleful's review against another edition
2.0
The protagonist of this graphic novel really annoyed me. He's a JET (or AET, not sure what the difference is) in Japan - they're teaching aides for English classes in Japanese schools. He goes because he wants to learn Japanese, wants to teach, etc., etc. Instead he finds himself isolated by the language. But he doesn't seem to study, instead spending the time wallowing in self-pity, desperately seeking out other foreigners in Tonoharu to hang out with. Okay, I get that language isolation can be really debilitating, but, seriously? After two months, he can't order a cup of coffee in Japanese? You can do that out of a phrasebook in two seconds! Learning languages is not that hard. You just need to try. What protagonist doesn't even *try*?