Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in real

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Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in reality

I don't consider myself a fan of fan fiction. Especially those using established characters. But there are exceptions to every rule, and Maré Odomo's series of Pokémon-based comic strips, Letters to an Absent Father, is one of those exceptions.

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Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Wow, that's pretty cool. The art is fairly simple, but it's a nice addition, IMO.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

I liked it a lot. I especially liked the simple art style and the mix of Ash and Red.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

How can he sell this? :/

Isn't that, like, illegal considering it's using trademarked characters. Or does he have Nintendo's blessing?
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

It's rare to find a good non doujin related Pokemon comic, and even then it's hard (actually to find any doujin that's remotely game related). It's a shame it's only a few comics long though. And mixes the anime and games

More users should make reviews for webcomics and doujin. It introduces us to new material in an otherwise fanart driven fandom.

But, yea, how can he sell this even if it's self published?
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Shortpacked! is a webcomic which uses trademarked properties all the time (mostly transformers), but the creator sells his strips in book format with no problems. This is probably a similar case.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

What I don't understand is why most of these posts are people concerned with copyright infringement rather than appreciating the quality of the comic strips.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Well, there isn't much of the strip to talk about.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

It's surprising in how much my taste differs from YeOldeJacob (I initially thought it's just with movies).

I don't really like the comics myself. They put a slight smile on my face the first time I saw them, but that's basically it.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

So, the only way to read this comic is to buy it and read it? What.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Somari said:
Well, there isn't much of the strip to talk about.
Click to expand...
11 strips, the quality of the work, your opinion on it? Yeah, that's a lot right there. Funny how a small line on how its being sold is what's getting the most attention. Considering it is 11 comic strips, you'd think you'd be able to read it all and actually give a formulated opinion. I don't understand what this crapola is about "what's there to talk about" when people go on and on about the age of characters, or the proper shade of their hair!

And of course, ten posts going "How can he sell them?" is a lot of discussion right?

Personally, I enjoy this strip. The reason I avoid most fanfics using in game characters, other than most, if not all being journey fics I can play through my game anyway, is that I have my vision of how the characters are supposed to be, I don't want people telling me how I should think. Do I think Ash is really that deep? No, but the use of Ash as the main character, like Yeoldjacob mentions already ties it to our childhoods. We can connect much easier with Ash regardless of whether he is capable of such thought.

The fact that its so simplistic yet deep and the fact that it gets its message across with just a few words and simplistic drawings is the best part of this. Using a simplistic art style definitely does help in making that childhood connection. While you could draw it more detailed, or try to be more accurate to the actual anime depiction, the childish drawings are perfect. It makes me even wonder whether Ash draws the art as well along with his letters.

What I don't understand is why something like that theory that Ash is actually trapped in a coma and everything he experiences in it somehow connects to some Freudian excuse is considered deep when its anyone bored with a keyboard can come up with that dribble. Its not even an understatement, the Pokemon World forum and TVTropes' WMG page is full of that.
GoldeenTail said:
So, the only way to read this comic is to buy it and read it? What.
Click to expand...

Or you can, you know, click the links provided and realize that its actually available for free on the guy's flickr and even on his website. He's only charging if you want a print copy.

Or having simple reading comprehension since the last line of the review was:

The individual strips can be found on Odomo's flickr account.
Click to expand...
 
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Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Outrage said:
Or you can, you know, click the links provided and realize that its actually available for free on the guy's flickr and even on his website. He's only charging if you want a print copy.

Or having simple reading comprehension since the last line of the review was:
Click to expand...

Oh, didn't read the whole thing. Guess I'll read this after all...or not.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

GoldeenTail said:
Oh, didn't read the whole thing. Guess I'll read this after all...or not.
Click to expand...
Is that supposed to be some snappy comeback that's supposed to do something to me? Your loss if you don't want to read.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

I really like the simplicity and innocence to it.

These two broke my heart

4619507369_55626f6378.jpg


4638220768_85cd2486cc.jpg
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

I enjoyed the one where he's like "I miss my mom"
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

It's a shame it's only eleven strips long. I guess if it were any longer he'd run out of things to write about. Maybe talk about TR and the gym leaders but that's it.


..
I don't see how Ash connects to us any more then Red. He probably used him because it's easier to use him. We know his moms design, he has a more canon friends, etc.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Somari said:
I don't see how Ash connects to us any more then Red. He probably used him because it's easier to use him. We know his moms design, he has a more canon friends, etc.
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Because non-Pokemon fans who enjoyed Pokemon in childhood would identify to Ash, and not Red, a character who technically only showed up for one battle in GSC as the protagonist in RBY was supposed to be you.

If you actually look around, you'd notice that most of the people in the community who refer to Red as Ash and vice versa are those who aren't as integrated into the fandom (as in, they are new to the internet scene or aren't as "hardcore" into Pokemon) as those that do distinguish between Red, Red, and Ash.

Red's ending was just better than Ash's.
 
Re: Review: Letters to an Absent Father: Pokémon based comic strip finds strength in

Outrage said:
What I don't understand is why most of these posts are people concerned with copyright infringement rather than appreciating the quality of the comic strips.
Click to expand...

Come on, there's no need to get mad about it!.. :-D

Honestly, I'm wondering the same thing because I'm pretty sure copyright laws are different in the US than Japan... unless he's trying to do some gray area thing like claim it as artistic expression or selling the book that happens to have other characters in it. I just thought it would be safest for him to offer it as a donation and have donation prizes if he wanted to sell it!


...but now that I got that out of the way, my original opinion: I like it, it's really cute! It feels like a dark comedy as each comic is humorous, even the depressing/reflecting ones. There is a deepness to them, but it doesn't really feel especially complex, luckily he never advertises it as such so it's not like it's something to complain about... it just makes you wonder about the inspiration. (Like did he come from a divorced family, or is it from talking with others over divorce?)

One thing that really impressed me was the train panel, the idea of an animated background is mind blowing. It feels like it gives depth to the drawings as well because it makes the static foreground appear to pop more.

I also like the line style, it's really deceptive. He drew the comic to look like he farted something out in 5mins, but it's actually really precises and delicate, he really captured that gag comic simplicity you see in many Japanese comics.
 
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