about
Soul to Seoul, also known as Eastside in Korea, is a 5-volume comic series by Kim Jea Eun. The comic takes place in New York City, and would probably be 'just another comic' if not for the subject matter. The premise of the series is a group of Korean and half-Korean teenagers living in New York City. The series delves into Korea and the connections to other races and cultures through interracial marriage, business travel and the adoption of asian children by non-Asian couples. It's something that's a reality in our society.
The United States is a veritable melting pot of different races and cultures. It's not uncommon to see couples of mixed race, or biracial children. Is it something anyone even thinks about any more? I'd like to think that, as people, we've transcended racial issues. I know it's not true and it will probably never happen, but the world is what it is. There seems to be more leniency and understanding of racial issues than there was in, say, the 1950s.
Soul to Seoul, according to the first volume of the series, was written in 1999. I think Kim Jea Eun was ahead of her time. I love her view on the series, and on being a manga artist in general. Here's what she had to say about it (taken from tokyopop.com):
"I've heard a lot of people say that they became manga artists because they loved manga -- but in my case, I don't think I liked manga as much as those around me. However, for me, this is something I can be the best at. As I'm drawing the characters, sometimes I just become part of the world that I'm creating. In that moment, I'm not the artist anymore; I'm one of the characters in that world. I think this is what makes me continue to draw manga. I feel joy in doing something I'm good at, and I like expressing myself. In Soul to Seoul, I want to express all of the things that I love. As I finish each episode, I do have a feeling of regret that I haven't done my best, but I would comfort myself by saying that my work is continuously improving, and I feel the urge to learn more to become better."
fanlistings
If you're not familiar with a fanlisting, it's just a place for fans to gather (more or less). It's sort of like a web clique, you can list web sites, emails, and it's generally just a way for fans to contact each other and find others interested in the same things they are. If you'd like to find out more about fanlistings, please visit tfl.org and tafl.org.