tsamarah's reviews
76 reviews

I'm starting to warm up to the whole Okarun's balls as the base plot, but the best part of this volume is how cool Momo Ayase is with her powers. She really snags the title as one of the best users of psychokinesis in fiction.

I have to admit that the story is interesting right off the bat, and it feels comical as well. However, I was not comfortable with the depiction of attempted sexual assault disguised as an extraterrestrial experiment—it feels too crude and graphic to open a manga.

Squire is one of my most-prized findings after scouring Twitter for new graphic novel readings. It tells the story of a young girl named Aiza, who wants to join the empire's knighthood in exchange for full citizenship as she and her family are part of a subjugated ethnic group. As she dives into the training to become a knight, she soon learns that not everything is as fine and honorable as she thinks they are.

The graphic novel is only one volume with nine to ten chapters overall, however, it delivers such a poignant example of how occupation is done by a dominating empire in the old times. The duality of Aiza's role in the narrative is the pivotal element in understanding the devotion to give your loyalty to the nation that dictates your life versus the struggle to survive as part of the minority; Aiza aims to raise her family's socio-economic status by willingly joining the Bayt-Sajji Empire's knighthood despite their ethnicity being Ornu, a small section of the racial group with a horrendous negative perception of being poor and barbaric on the land, yet, her aim cannot be fulfilled unless she hides true herself—an ironic feat that countless minorities have done to preserve their existence in the unfair world.

Shammas and Alfageeh also point out the breaking of perception nurtured by the government versus the reality of the people—an example of this perfectly showcased through the friends Aiza discovers in her training days: Husni, Sahar, and Bassem. Husni and Sahar remain the more conscious and accepting people. Meanwhile, Bassem displays the agony of diaspora between acknowledging the ugly truth and denying it under the pressure of holy duty and class-encouraged perception due to this more privileged and isolated upbringing.

Visual presentation-wise, this reeks of a classic showcase of Western graphic novels. However, I find it rich in cultural representation of the complexities of the settings drawn as well as the clothes worn by the characters. Shammas and Alfageeh pay a beautiful, nuanced tribute to their respective Palestinian and Jordanian customs in this narrative.

If there's anything I want to comment on, it is the fact that I wish there would be more chapters, or the graphic novel itself being serialized into several volumes until Aiza and her friends can reach a revolution. I would love to see Shammas and Alfageeh dig deeper into the role, and hopefully, they will come back to this graphic novel someday and do such a thing.

Legend of the White Snake is a Chinese legend that recounts the romance between a male scholar (or a physician in some versions) named Xu Xian and a female snake spirit named Bai Suzhen. The legend is one of China's most prominent myths, having been adapted to various forms of literary texts and performance arts, including the Chinese Opera. Its notoriety encourages the legend to be classified as China's Four Great Folktales, a term popularized in the 1950s, alongside other myths, such as The Legend of Meng Jiangnü (Lady Meng Jiang), The Legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai (The Butterfly Lovers), and The Buffalo Boy and The Weaving Girl.

In most versions, the tale chronicles the scholar's encounter with the snake spirit-turned-human on a boat, eventually falling in love and getting married before opening a medicine shop (or an apothecary). Then a temple abbot named Fahai warns the scholar about Suzhen's true nature as a white snake, which is revealed during the festival when she drinks a realgar wine, a reveal that unfortunately shocks Xian so much that it kills him. Suzhen then travels to find a way to resurrect her love, a feat she succeeds, yet, Xian still fears her identity and gets imprisoned by Fahai to protect him. He realizes her genuine love when she saves him again, being reunited and having a child on the next journey.

As a Chinese-descent Singaporean, Sher Lee is very familiar with how the legend goes, so her aim in recontextualizing the story is to pay the highest respect to the source despite implementing her own vision and twist in the process. Some apparent changes are notable in Sher Lee's concept; the folktale retelling transforms into a queer rendition with the shift in Bai Suzhen's gender from female to male, the use of the word "Zhen" and "Qinq" in describing the snake-human mutants instead of their full names (Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing), the replacement of Xu Xian's occupation from a mere scholar to an intelligent second born prince of a sick concubine, and the alteration of Fahai from a monk leader to a court advisor.

Another change is the additional fantasy plot embedded in the novel. Sher Lee attaches the storyline of Xu Xian seeking the elusive white snake in hopes of creating the cure for his sickly mother due to being bitten by a snake years before the present events, in which the snake happens to be Zhen, who has transformed into a human because of the magical pearl he accidentally swallows at the same time as Xian's mother being bitten.

The changes implemented in the novel do not disturb the fundamental storyline of the source. Instead, they elevate what's already there and transpose the story to execute the quite intricate themes about divine beliefs and cultural traditions; examples are evident in the way Sher Lee often takes time to input passages that define sacred customs and ethnic conventions related to the story, or the mythical lores built and emphasized by the Chinese people for generations. It also enriches the topic of family and duty, which are something intrinsically latched onto Chinese myths that become the characteristics in their world-building as well, through the role modification of Xu Xian in this novel.

As many Asian novels go, or other novels by authors of color, there will be unfamiliar terms penned in the narrative that use the native tongue of the authors. It's no different for Lee, who aims to display the cultural element of the story. She provides a contextualized definition of the phrases and customs in a dynamic exposition, using dialogues and interactions as a medium to give new perspectives and knowledge to the readers.

While I have no familiarity with the textual origin, I believe that the characterization in the novel maintains the essential, original personalities of each character. Let's discuss Xu Xian first.

I am not exactly sure if this is a trend in Asian-inspired fantasy, but Xian shares similar traits of independence, courage, playfulness, and intelligence as his fellow princes, such as Liwei (from Daughter of the Moon Goddess) and Takkan (from Six Crimson Cranes). Moreover, Xian is highlighted to exude profound empathy in his words and actions thoughtful despite the naivety he emanates due to his age. And yet to my surprise, Xian is unexpectedly a humorous and sassy character; his penchant to speak so bluntly is vastly entertaining, particularly when he attempts to clock someone for their deceit and manipulation.

Meanwhile, as a snake spirit, Zhen exhibits quite a different personality from Xian, such as being forgiving, kindhearted, and naturally inclined to protect all forms of life, and similar attributes to Xian, like intelligence and inherent curiosity to learn. This personality bleeds through his character arc throughout the story, notably in his reflection on his mistakes and determination to set things right despite his fear of his own fate in return. Perhaps, relating to the discussion of themes, Zhen's character arc finds itself to embody the theme of duty—in a different aspect that is much more humane than the usual attribute to royal responsibilities.

Their not-so-different personalities make the romantic alliance between Xian and Zhen intriguing and gut-wrenching, partly because we dread the upcoming truth and potential star-crossed ending with one of them sacrificing their life, and another part is their chemistry with one another just hits off right from the beginning. The build-up from their introduction to the blooming relationship, then tragedies, and lastly, the resolution as soulmates is threaded nicely; well-written with perfect pacing that doesn't feel too fast or too slow.

Moving to the side characters, Qinq truly embodies the role of a sister far younger than Zhen (although, I might suspect they're not that far in age gap). She's headstrong as much as she is reckless, bold, and adventurous, yet, oozes the same kindhearted charisma as her stepbrother. Feng, an original creation by Sher Lee, is that overprotective best friend or brother who is mostly blunt and terse in his mannerisms, but occasionally shows wisdom in certain times. Sher Lee might be setting them up as a side couple in the narrative judging by their interaction, and I find myself not minding it at all. In fact, I hope that Lee would be generous enough to write a small story about their adventure together post-novel.

Speaking of Fahai, well, this has anything to do with the third act of the book itself—it is surprisingly quite disappointing in execution.

Fantasy novels will definitely feature characters that position themselves as enemies, of course, as Sher Lee has also done the same thing with Wang and Fahai in her version of Legend of the White Snake. While Wang, another original creation by Lee, is fairly treated by a small background story that encourages his treacherous actions, Lee's writing of Fahai does not implement the same treatment, especially when Fahai is considered the main villain. I wish Lee would've written clues, hints, or any kind of foreshadowing regarding Fahai's deception because the reveal of his true nature springs out of nowhere and feels out of place. Not to mention, the resolution in defeating Fahai at the end is also equally dissatisfying—it looks too simple for someone ready to maximize the horrors of torturing someone else for personal gains.

Nonetheless, the overall verdict of Legend of the White Snake is that this book is recommended for those who love fantasy novels as much as they desire to search for queer representation in the more folktale-inspired mythical subgenre, in which Sher Lee honors all aspects in grace and fascination. 

Ada suatu pernyataan yang masih cukup terpatri dalam otak saya, yaitu tentang bagaimana seorang perempuan akan kehilangan jati dirinya apabila telah berumah tangga dan memiliki anak. Pernyataan tersebut bukan sesuatu hal yang saya percaya pada awalnya, terutama ketika saya melihat Ibu saya yang mampu menyeimbangkan kehidupan rumah tangga dan sosial. Namun, beberapa waktu belakangan, saya mulai menyadari bahwa keseimbangan itu butuh pengorbanan yang besar, dan pernyataan tersebut ada benarnya. Sehingga saya pun berpikir: seberapa besar saya mengenal perempuan dalam keluarga saya yang saya sebut sebagai "Ibu" itu?

Please Look After Mom, sebuah karya introspektif yang ditulis oleh Shin Kyung-sook, mengulas bagaimana peran perempuan di luar sosoknya sebagai seorang istri dan ibu dalam keluarga. Cerita tersebut dibuka dengan hilangnya Park So-nyo, seorang ibu dari desa yang sedang berkunjung ke Seoul bersama sang suami untuk melihat anak-anak mereka. Sang suami tanpa sadar meninggalkan So-nyo di peron Stasiun Seoul, dan ketika sadar, perempuan tersebut sudah menghilang. Seiring dengan pencarian sang ibu oleh dua dari empat anaknya, yaitu Hyong-chol dan Chi-hon, masing-masing anggota keluarga dihantam kembali oleh memori-memori tentang sosok ibu mereka—bagaimana ia telah merawat, menjaga, dan berusaha untuk mempertahankan keluarga utuh, namun mereka baru menyadari hal itu sekarang.

Novel ini hanya memiliki empat bab dengan satu epilog, yang keseluruhannya terbagi dari beberapa perspektif karakter: bab pertama dibuka oleh narasi dari Chi-hon, anak ketiga dari empat anak So-nyo sekaligus anak perempuan tertua dalam keluarga tersebut. Kemudian, diikuti oleh Hyong-chol, anak tertua dalam keluarga So-nyo, pada bab kedua. Bab ketiga merupakan suara sang suami, yang tidak diberikan nama oleh Kyung-sook, lalu bab empat yang menggunakan pandangan dari sang ibu yang sedang menghilang. Terakhir ditutup kembali oleh Chi-hon.

Kyung-sook menghadirkan beberapa komentar sosial mengenai peran ibu dalam novel ini, salah satu di antaranya adalah proyeksi seorang ibu untuk "menemukan" kesuksesan melalui tumbuh kembang anak sampai ke titik keberhasilan secara sosial maupun ekonomi, serta kurangnya apresiasi dan pengertian terhadap seorang ibu sebagai perempuan dan seorang manusia. Kedua tema tersebut dibawakan secara apik, menggugah empati dan emosi pembaca untuk ikut serta memikirkan kembali hubungan kita sendiri bersama dengan ibu kita. Kyung-sook betul-betul menekankan konsep "memahami maknanya ketika seseorang atau sesuatu itu sudah tiada" dengan menelaah psikis Hyong-chol, Chi-hon, dan sang suami secara perlahan hingga momen mereka merasakan kehilangan tersebut samat mendalam.

Dalam penulisannya, Kyung-sook menampilkan sudut pandang yang unik, yaitu menggunakan campuran sudut pandang antara sudut pandang orang pertama dan orang kedua, yang menghasilkan sebuah cerita dengan nada yang juga memiliki intonasi berbeda: ketika cerita diposisikan sebagai orang kedua, intonasi nada yang disuguhkan renggang seolah narator hanya berlaku sebagai observator yang tidak memiliki relasi apapun dengan seluruh karakter dalam novel ini namun tetap mengetahui seluruh kepribadian, rasa, dan pikiran para karakter. Lain halnya ketika sudut pandang beralih ke orang pertama, pembaca dapat melihat bagaimana dan mempertalikan reaksi para karakter dengan emosi pembaca.

Penulisan ini sebetulnya cukup sulit untuk diterka, terutama nama-nama karakter tidak terpampang secara langsung dan butuh menelusuri beberapa bab terlebih dahulu untuk mengetahui identitas hampir seluruh karakter, sehingga butuh waktu yang cukup lama untuk mengetahui siapa yang sedang bercerita. Membicarakan pengaruh dari tata penulisan seperti itu, kesulitan mencerna paling dirasakan ketika novel mencapai bab keempat yang memusatkan cerita dari sisi Song-yo. Kesukaran dalam menerka di bab ini terjadi karena seperti ada dua "suara" yang berbicara sehingga narasi menjadi tumpang tindih antara satu sama lain, tidak seperti tiga bab sebelumnya. Padahal, bab ini merupakan bab kunci yang menjelaskan latar belakang dan kisah hidup Song-yo yang mendorongnya menjadi keras terhadap anak-anaknya, namun eksekusinya kurang ajeg untuk menekankan esensi penting itu kepada pembaca.

Di antara seluruh karakter yang berbicara, tidak ada karakter yang betul-betul saya suka atau benci. Bagi saya sendiri, karakter-karakter tersebut merupakan sosok-sosok yang dapat dipertukarkan, baik dari nama, pekerjaan, usia, dan lainnya karena dengan adanya konsepsi introspektif yang dominan dalam novel ini, munculnya karakter-karakter tersebut seolah sebatas personifikasi atas manusia-manusia di dunia nyata yang juga pernah atau sedang mengalami alur hidup yang serupa dengan keluarga So-nyo. Hal ini juga merupakan pengaruh dari sudut pandang yang berlaku seperti pengamat yang digunakan Kyung-sook dalam penyusunan narasinya.

Menuju ke epilog, bagian ini adalah bagian yang menurut saya akan mengundang berbagai macam tanggapan yang berbeda. Namun, menurut saya, epilog ini justru sempurna untuk menutup kisah ini yang tetap konsisten dalam tujuan Kyung-sook untuk mengubah pandangan kita terhadap sosok ibu.

Dengan begitu, apakah Please Look After Mom merupakan buku yang direkomendasikan? Tentu direkomendasikan untuk pembaca yang suka mencari kisah slice-of-life seperti ini atau terjemahan buku-buku penulis asal Korea Selatan, tetapi tetap disarankan agar memiliki pikiran yang tenang sebelum memulai membaca karena cerita yang disampaikan bukan sesuatu hal yang dapat dicerna secara mudah.