Raised in the United States, Christine carries within her the collective fantasies linked to Japan, mixed with fantastic stories, exotic gastronomy and pop and refined cultural wealth. The young woman is only perceived through the differences she carries and feels invisible in the eyes of her comrades, her personality veiled by prejudices. Tired, as an adult she sets out to return to the country she once considered home. She leaves for a university year in Tokyo, convinced that she will finally belong there.
The Tokyo perspective, however, is not the expected miracle solution. Belonging to two cultures isolates her in unexpected ways, setting her apart from others. Having difficulty mastering the Japanese language, Christine struggles to communicate with her grandparents who welcome her. His grandmother nevertheless strives to overcome these barriers and gives him beneficial support in this thirst for reference points. Throughout the seasons of this Japanese year, Christine explores what it means to lose and find yourself.
Christine Mari, in this autobiographical graphic novel, delicately evokes mental health in young adults, the hopes and disillusionments that lead to identity crises. She shares her daily life as a mixed race person, caught between the need to exist and the quest for serenity. It is also a portrait of city life in Japan, sometimes far from the usual clichés.
Intended for readers aged 14 and over.
- To read an extract ici.
- Screenplay and drawing: Christine Mari
- Editor: Delcourt
- Son-in-law: autobiography, graphic novel
- 304 pages
- Public : 14 ans +
- Release: January 22, 2026
- Prix : 16.95 €
