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A review by divineblkpearl
Ichiro by Ryan Inzana
4.0
A sort of "coming of age story" (to which some are comparing to Miyazaki's "Spirted Away" of a teenager with mixed media illustrations detailing the rich history of Japan. Story wise, I loved the introduction of all the Japanese Gods and folklore.(Especially, the tanuki!) I appreciated the remembrance of history: Japan's involvement in WW II, the horrible catastrophe that befell Japan after and the acknowledgment of being conflicted because of one's heritage (The Japanese occupation of China and the abuse and massacre of Chinese people by the hands of Japanese soldiers).
The themes in this graphic novel are heavy handed, they included: war, processing the problematic aspects or your identify in regards to your heritage (the father of the book's protagonist was American), the loss of a parent, feelings of alienation and isolation.
Ichiro is a beautiful story, gorgeously illustrated with a young protagonist experiencing a familiar struggle: feeling like there is no place where he belongs but with a adventurous journey in which he steps in the footsteps of Gods. The climax of the story seemed awfully rushed to where I was nearing the end of the book with several questions still--the resolution wasn't as fulfilling as I hoped it would be.
A solid read but a bit disappointed in the later half of the book: Ichiro finds his way home with a better understanding of himself but was there any resolution for any of the Gods? Any improvement for the souls and ghouls in the domain of the Gods? What of Amaterasu? Does Hachiman remain imprisoned?
3.5-4 stars
The themes in this graphic novel are heavy handed, they included: war, processing the problematic aspects or your identify in regards to your heritage (the father of the book's protagonist was American), the loss of a parent, feelings of alienation and isolation.
Ichiro is a beautiful story, gorgeously illustrated with a young protagonist experiencing a familiar struggle: feeling like there is no place where he belongs but with a adventurous journey in which he steps in the footsteps of Gods. The climax of the story seemed awfully rushed to where I was nearing the end of the book with several questions still--the resolution wasn't as fulfilling as I hoped it would be.
A solid read but a bit disappointed in the later half of the book: Ichiro finds his way home with a better understanding of himself but was there any resolution for any of the Gods? Any improvement for the souls and ghouls in the domain of the Gods? What of Amaterasu? Does Hachiman remain imprisoned?
3.5-4 stars