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kellysreads 's review for:
Ink
by Amanda Sun
With a strikingly beautiful setting and an obvious understanding of Japanese culture, Ink captured my attention with its exotic and luscious descriptions of such a foreign landscape. Unfortunately, while the setting proved to be unique and imaginative, Ink’s characterization was oh-so-stereotypical and cliched, and the fantasy elements were mostly left unexplained.
Easily the reason I finished Ink was because of it’s absolutely stunning setting. Amanda Sun showed a deep understanding of the Japanese culture, slowly evolving Katie’s mannerisms to match the level of shame one would experience for acting too Western; using someone’s first name when addressing them, for example. I loved learning about the various customs or habits enforced by the Japanese, and couldn’t help but admire how refined their culture came across. Sun’s level of detail spoke to her obvious research or first-hand experience with Japanese culture, as it was immaculate. Ink’s descriptions of the setting were, at times, truly breathtaking; Katie’s first experience with the Sakura trees in full bloom felt like my first experience, even though I’ve never actually been to Japan.
Unfortunately, my enchantment with Ink ends there. Katie was not a protagonist I related to. Having been relocated to a new country, thrown into a completely new culture and way of living, and forced into learning a new language after her mother’s sudden passing, I was expecting to at least sympathize with Katie’s situation. The way her past is introduced, however, did little to build my sympathies. I wasn’t able to equate her odd behaviours with culture shock or grief, because she didn’t seem affected by either until she was struck by some strange impulse to make the worst possible decision. Her infatuation with Tomohiro was unhealthy and bordered on stalking.
Once she finally captured Tomohiro’s attentions, their relationship quickly escalated into the type of relationship where the couple was inexplicably linked and would be forever entwined. While I know this comparison is overdone, I couldn’t help but balk at the similarities to Twilight.
But as disappointed as I was with the romance, I was even more disappointed by the fantasy elements. Having been promised an exciting mythology involving ancient Japanese gods and art, I was fully expecting a fast-paced plot full of dragons flying off the pages and non-stop action. While the introduction of the Yakuza, a Japanese gang, was a pleasant surprise, it only managed to slightly heighten the suspense of an otherwise romance-centric plot. Instead of learning about the history of the Kami, the direct descendants of Japanese gods and thus those with some powers, and why their powers are so blood-thirsty, Ink forces us to watch exchange after awkward exchange between Katie and Tomohiro as they dance around their feelings for each other. When the action finally arrived, I blinked and it was over.
I should also point out that Ink features a lot of Japanese dialogue, generally followed shortly after by the english translation. I understand that it was probably included to add to Ink’s authenticity, or to highlight Katie’s growing understanding of the language, but as a non-manga reader, I found it quite distracting, especially when a translation wasn’t given.
A picturesque setting and firm understanding of Japanese culture wasn’t enough to save Ink from unexplored fantasy elements and an instalove relationship. With an unrelatable protagonist and a relationship that lacked chemistry, I found myself unable to connect to the characters, which meant I couldn’t care about their outcomes. And by the time the action arrived, it was too little too late.
Easily the reason I finished Ink was because of it’s absolutely stunning setting. Amanda Sun showed a deep understanding of the Japanese culture, slowly evolving Katie’s mannerisms to match the level of shame one would experience for acting too Western; using someone’s first name when addressing them, for example. I loved learning about the various customs or habits enforced by the Japanese, and couldn’t help but admire how refined their culture came across. Sun’s level of detail spoke to her obvious research or first-hand experience with Japanese culture, as it was immaculate. Ink’s descriptions of the setting were, at times, truly breathtaking; Katie’s first experience with the Sakura trees in full bloom felt like my first experience, even though I’ve never actually been to Japan.
Unfortunately, my enchantment with Ink ends there. Katie was not a protagonist I related to. Having been relocated to a new country, thrown into a completely new culture and way of living, and forced into learning a new language after her mother’s sudden passing, I was expecting to at least sympathize with Katie’s situation. The way her past is introduced, however, did little to build my sympathies. I wasn’t able to equate her odd behaviours with culture shock or grief, because she didn’t seem affected by either until she was struck by some strange impulse to make the worst possible decision. Her infatuation with Tomohiro was unhealthy and bordered on stalking.
The more Tomohiro didn’t want me to delve into his past, the more I needed to.While she often commented that she thought he was “up to something” her methods of getting his attention were just…strange. I also didn’t understand why she was so determined to prove that he had a hand in the moving drawings – she admitted that hallucinating was a side-effect of grief. Why didn’t she seek out medical help instead of believing the most unrealistic explanation first? She was just too quick to believe in the supernatural, which distanced me from the story.
Once she finally captured Tomohiro’s attentions, their relationship quickly escalated into the type of relationship where the couple was inexplicably linked and would be forever entwined. While I know this comparison is overdone, I couldn’t help but balk at the similarities to Twilight.
“Whatever,” he said. “Take it how you want, but what I did was a warning to stay away.” He rose to his feet and lifted his book bag off the chair. He stared into the distance for a minute and I could barely look at him, utterly humiliated that I’d agreed to go for dinner with him like this.I’m also fairly confident that this makes Katie worse than Bella, as Katie actually acknowledges how dangerous getting involved with Tomohiro could be:
He took a deep breath and sighed. “But that was before,” he said.
“Before?”
He shook his head. “You didn’t take the warning, so I guess it’s void.”
God he was beautiful. Dangerous things usually are. What the heck was I playing around with?Most of the time Katie and Tomohiro spent together, Katie was prying him for information that he was reluctant to give. When he refused to answer her questions, she would do the logical thing, and stalk follow him to try and figure out what he was hiding. Of course, all was generally forgiven as soon as he ducked his head and his bangs fell in his eyes.
“Warui,” he whispered in apology, and I knew then that I couldn’t live without him, even when he was infuriating. Which was pretty much all the time.There was no build-up, no chemistry and no development of their relationship, so to say that I was surprised by the direction Ink took the romance would be a massive understatement.
But as disappointed as I was with the romance, I was even more disappointed by the fantasy elements. Having been promised an exciting mythology involving ancient Japanese gods and art, I was fully expecting a fast-paced plot full of dragons flying off the pages and non-stop action. While the introduction of the Yakuza, a Japanese gang, was a pleasant surprise, it only managed to slightly heighten the suspense of an otherwise romance-centric plot. Instead of learning about the history of the Kami, the direct descendants of Japanese gods and thus those with some powers, and why their powers are so blood-thirsty, Ink forces us to watch exchange after awkward exchange between Katie and Tomohiro as they dance around their feelings for each other. When the action finally arrived, I blinked and it was over.
I should also point out that Ink features a lot of Japanese dialogue, generally followed shortly after by the english translation. I understand that it was probably included to add to Ink’s authenticity, or to highlight Katie’s growing understanding of the language, but as a non-manga reader, I found it quite distracting, especially when a translation wasn’t given.
A picturesque setting and firm understanding of Japanese culture wasn’t enough to save Ink from unexplored fantasy elements and an instalove relationship. With an unrelatable protagonist and a relationship that lacked chemistry, I found myself unable to connect to the characters, which meant I couldn’t care about their outcomes. And by the time the action arrived, it was too little too late.