I Get It

Oldest Son loves Japanese culture. When he was two years old, our favorite sushi chef at our regular haunt called him "Sushi Boy." He grew up eating sushi--all kinds--and miso soup is a staple in our house. When he got old enough to get into books, he eventually took to manga. All the cartoons he watches are anime.

Me? I tend to be somewhat oblivious. As long as he's reading, that's good enough for me. When he added watching Japanese game shows, those crazy obstacle course shows, I sat down and watched a couple, laughing harder at the commentary than the actual show.

But . . . again . . . it was "his" thing. Then one of his teachers decided that reading manga "didn't count." Didn't count. Couldn't use it for his reading points. It was, to the school, as if he hadn't read at all--even if he read for three hours straight. Which he often did.

Culturally ignorant? Yes.

Oppressively close-minded? I think so.

So I decided to sit down and read one. First, I had to read it from the back of the book. Toward the front. Different. But OK. Then I read the "catch up" pages. Because a lot of manga is continuing storylines, I had to read the "at this point in our story, our young heroes have discovered . . . " Then I had to familiarize myself with the "world." There are often super powers, demons, love affairs, girls disguised as boys so they can better infiltrate certain Ninja ranks. The whole nine yards.

And I have to say . . . WOW. I get it. BIG themes. COMPLICATED themes. Characters having to make agonizing choices. Loyalty. Friendship. Doing the right thing. Girl characters as powerful as boys. Trust. I get it.

The school doesn't. NEXT year, if it "doesn't count," I will go to the school board and file it as cultural discrimination. But I hope it doesn't come to that. I just hope the teachers pick one up and READ it.

Which brings me to this movie. Or this one. I grew up with all girls . . . and parents who never went to the movies. The only use I had for G.I. Joe was as a groom for Barbie. And superheroes weren't part of my view of the world. Nor were comics. Now that I am all grown up . . . I get it. I really do.

Thoughts? If you were a superhero, what would your special power be?

Mine would be "Able to control Demon Babies with a single glare."