My Japanese Husband [STILL] Thinks I'm Crazy is a self published comic by
expatriate and Tokyo resident Grace Buchele Mineta who runs the website http://howibecametexan.com/. The
book was made available for download via Amazon February 16th, 2015 and Grace
was very kind to give me a preview copy to write a review for.
The book is part comic strip, part glossary and all about the things that happen to Grace in her everyday life that stand out to her. Things such as the differences in celebrating New Years in Japan vs. America to the history of Valentine’s Day in Japan and having to adjust to waiting until March 14th for return gifts of love from her husband. The concept of having to spend month’s worth of time living with her in-laws if/when she becomes pregnant, following Japanese tradition or the way she avoids conversations with people she doesn't want to deal with by pretending to be Russian and the stereotypical questions she faces on a daily basis due to her status of exotic foreigner. Most of the panels are humorous, tender and silly. At times more serious tones creep in as she works to deal with depression issues and concerns about her success and worth. Her husband, Ryosuke, is presented as her rock of support and indifference. He does his best to maintain a carefree, go with the flow attitude, stressing to just enjoy life as it comes and things will work themselves out.
This was a quick and enjoyable read; the book is around 180 pages in length. It is a nice look at life in Japan as a foreigner balanced with easy to digest explanations of terms that the reader may not be familiar with. The artwork is simplistic and reminds me a little of the style used by Brian Lee O'Malley, the author of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Initially I was off put with the breaks in the comic panels by paragraphs explaining terms and settings but the information was easy to digest and explained things in a fashion that should work well for those not familiar with Japan. This was a great break from the world of slice of life manga and anime, seeing a true to life perspective on Japan by an American. I think this could make a great serialized 4koma manga, but I wonder if the author would be willing to put up with the insane work load that is demanded of professional manga-ka. I could see this having some success in serialized manga format though as a foreigners perspective on Japan is an incredibly rare thing in Japan and that alone may propel it to popularity. Instead, or for now, we can all enjoy her slightly leftfield commentary on the world around her through her 2 books and her web presence. Now I have to pick up a copy of the original one to enjoy more mundane adventures of living life like a normal person in a foreign environment.
I recommend this enjoyable read to anyone who wants to get a fresh and enjoyable perspective of what it's like to live as an American in Japan. You can order a copy of the book for your self here on Amazon.
The book is part comic strip, part glossary and all about the things that happen to Grace in her everyday life that stand out to her. Things such as the differences in celebrating New Years in Japan vs. America to the history of Valentine’s Day in Japan and having to adjust to waiting until March 14th for return gifts of love from her husband. The concept of having to spend month’s worth of time living with her in-laws if/when she becomes pregnant, following Japanese tradition or the way she avoids conversations with people she doesn't want to deal with by pretending to be Russian and the stereotypical questions she faces on a daily basis due to her status of exotic foreigner. Most of the panels are humorous, tender and silly. At times more serious tones creep in as she works to deal with depression issues and concerns about her success and worth. Her husband, Ryosuke, is presented as her rock of support and indifference. He does his best to maintain a carefree, go with the flow attitude, stressing to just enjoy life as it comes and things will work themselves out.
This was a quick and enjoyable read; the book is around 180 pages in length. It is a nice look at life in Japan as a foreigner balanced with easy to digest explanations of terms that the reader may not be familiar with. The artwork is simplistic and reminds me a little of the style used by Brian Lee O'Malley, the author of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Initially I was off put with the breaks in the comic panels by paragraphs explaining terms and settings but the information was easy to digest and explained things in a fashion that should work well for those not familiar with Japan. This was a great break from the world of slice of life manga and anime, seeing a true to life perspective on Japan by an American. I think this could make a great serialized 4koma manga, but I wonder if the author would be willing to put up with the insane work load that is demanded of professional manga-ka. I could see this having some success in serialized manga format though as a foreigners perspective on Japan is an incredibly rare thing in Japan and that alone may propel it to popularity. Instead, or for now, we can all enjoy her slightly leftfield commentary on the world around her through her 2 books and her web presence. Now I have to pick up a copy of the original one to enjoy more mundane adventures of living life like a normal person in a foreign environment.
I recommend this enjoyable read to anyone who wants to get a fresh and enjoyable perspective of what it's like to live as an American in Japan. You can order a copy of the book for your self here on Amazon.
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