HALFWAY THERE

In this graphic memoir, a young biracial woman recalls her complicated emotions when she returns from America to her childhood home in Japan.

Nineteen-year-old Christine is excited to study Japanese in Tokyo, where she lived until age 5. Being “half”—with a Japanese mother and a white American father—has long been a source of pain because it’s been the main lens through which other people, both Asian and white, see her. While leaving Japan made Christine an outsider, she hopes that going back will help her “stop feeling lost” and offer a sense of belonging. She envisions new adventures with new friends, but her excitement is tempered by embarrassment that her Japanese isn’t fluent. Initially Tokyo is thrilling, but even there she despairs of being seen for herself rather than being exoticized. As she’s variously judged to be too Japanese and not Japanese enough, Christine begins to feel alienated and hopeless and slides into depression. Christine’s portrayal is appealing and true to life; Mari captures her fragile emotional state with care and accuracy, and her self-loathing, self-isolation, and endless rumination are brought to life in strikingly realistic ways. The muted light-purple-and-black color palette with occasional pops of color evokes nostalgia and melancholy. The artwork creatively conveys Christine’s experiences, from the Tokyo backdrop to her internal state (such as black scribbles representing the Japanese speech she can’t understand).

Identity issues and mental health crises portrayed with depth and authenticity.