I was pleasantly surprised by this comic. That may sound odd, as why would I be wasting time on a book that I don't think I'd enjoy, but much like the Zack Davisson (who wrote the forward to this volume) I've read too many comics (or novels) where the appropriation of the foreign culture is off putting.

Also historically my track record with IMAGE Comics has not been stellar as of late.

So I went into WAYWARD a little hesitant, but willing to try. I'm glad I did because it was enjoyable.

Its not for everyone though - there's some topics dealt with that aren't perhaps dealt with as well as they could be (namely Rori's coping mechanism) and some which won't make sense to the reader without the helpful back notes. Zub tosses you into what life is like for Rori--a half Japanese/Half-Irish teenager who's research doesn't prepare her well enough for life in Tokyo.

Rori, who's used to being "cool" in Ireland for her mixed heritage is suddenly pretty much a social outcast because she isn't on the level of her peers. She's struggling to keep up with what their teacher is saying only to have him privately warn her that her natural hair color was disruptive so maybe she should dye it dark.

That's pretty simple stuff for her to deal with next to the supernatural crazy that erupts around her though.

By the end of the 5 issues contained in the volume I was kind of feeling at odds with the pacing and the development. A lot of things HAPPEN with little context or reason, much of it left to the reader to discern why Rori suddenly can see these red threads (of fate).

I am interested in seeing how the secret(s) her mother hid from her will play out, and I generally found the characters to be interesting (though a little broadly written in terms of personality, they fit certain stereotypes initially and grow only a fraction by the end).

I'll warn for violence and for something that is personal to Rori she cuts "alone" into her arm, though we're shown this only once and its not made clear why no one can see the marks on her arm when she wears short sleeved shirts often enough. and language, though that's not a big issue.

Insofar as cultural appropriation goes...its hard to tell since Rori had a certain perception of the culture via her mother and Zub tries to convey that in how the reader experiences Tokyo. Whether or not this will change as the series goes on I can't say however.

( )

Japanese demons, young misfits, cool magic and splashy artwork-I'm in. ( )

This is a very quick read. It really doesn't feel like an Image book at all because of the quickness, but I really liked it. Love the use of Japanese folklore and the manga/anime style. also the art is really good threw out the book.

The down side to this series like I said the writing is very quick. It doesn't really feel rushed, but feel like Zub could of add more background story with the characters. Maybe next volume will get more involved. This volume seems like a short introduction.

Even though this is similar to Deadly Class with how we know very little about the characters, I think I like the group better in this book. They seem more realistic to me. Yes the have supernatural powers, but they are outcasts and don't fit in were they are living.

If you like anime and manga you might enjoy this like I did or looking for a comic with nice art too. ( )

While the book's notes keep referring to Kitaro, the story really reminds me more of xxxHolic by Clamp and if you liked that series I think you'd really appreciate this one. ( )

I got this one but I was a bit fearful that it would fetishize Japan. Like it's some magical country far far away. Instead of just a country with a different culture than American. But straight away in the foreword someone named Zack Davisson acknowledged that he had the same fears. Apparently there is a word for that: Orientalism.

I have to say that I was guilty of that in my youth. I just discovered manga and anime and didn't had any real base of knowledge for the subtler aspects of Japanese culture. What I did discover is Japanese comics/animations were very different than Dutch or other western comics/animations. I was very aware that sometimes I missed some social cues or some cultural background that was normal there but seemed weird here. So started my lifelong dream to once go to Japan but also to learn more about the culture. Now I'm older and know more about the history of Japan but most of the time I still 'see' Japan through very Western-culture-eyes. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that the Japanse really are something alien to me. Almost like a fairytale. Samurai! Ninja! Geishas! ONI! (really those are the only things you think Japan is? I disgust myself sometimes...) When I do that I watch YouTube video's (Begin Japanology - NHK World Very good to begin with) to learn more and to adjust my narrow minded thinking.

So after reading the foreword I felt more comfortable to just enjoy reading a new story. And maybe learn more in the proces.

After reading though... I think that having some more information about Japanese culture makes you enjoy the story more. Like why a red thread? I only vaguely knew what the significance was of that in Japan but it did made the story more fun to read. Although I have to say you can find more background on the 'monsters' at the end of the comic. So I did learn something.

I read Wayward, Vol. 2: Ties That Bind at the same day and closely after this one so my review is the same. So lazy. ( )