To learn more about Book Spotlight, read this.

The Perfect Sword, written and illustrated by Scott Goto, is told through the eyes of swordsmith’s apprentice Michio as he learns who is worthy of the ‘perfect’ sword.

What I liked:

• Goto’s illustration style is so interesting. For anyone who follows me on twitter, it’s well-documented that I read lots of manga and also a good number of English-language graphic novels. I’ve also observed many diaspora Asian creators discuss having their work rejected for being too ‘Asian.’ (This type of thinking needs to be eliminated from the publishing world.) As I read more work by Asian American graphic novelists, for example, I find myself studying character design choices in particular, and wondering what motivated each creator when finalizing their sketches. In Goto’s case, he tells us in his author’s note that while he did not choose to draw in a Japanese style, he used facial expressions and symbolism to bring his interpretation of ‘Japanese-ness’ to the story. I certainly noticed familiar imagery here and there in the book, but for me, the story felt more Japanese than the illustrations. Goto’s bright colors and big, bold use of line, as well as the shapes of his characters’ faces and bodies, reminded me much more of picture books by non-Japanese POC than Japanese picture books. This is not to criticize Goto; after all, every Japanese creator is entitled to their own interpretation of a ‘Japanese’ story. Rather, I appreciate Goto’s work for encouraging me to reevaluate my own assumptions about how a Japanese story should be visually depicted.

What I learned:

• I had never thought much about master/apprentice relationships in Japan versus other places until Goto pointed it out in his author’s note. It’s always fascinating to me when fellow Japanese people, nihonjin or nikkei, make a comparative statement about Japanese culture versus other cultures. Sometimes, I learn something completely new. Other times, it’s something I already know is specific to our culture. Most of the time, though, it’s something I already know, but perhaps have never consciously processed. I enjoy these moments, because it feels as though my worldview is being shaken up, in a good way.

Questions I had:

• Does Goto have any plans to publish a Japanese edition of this book? It would be interesting to know how nihonjin readers respond.
• Did Goto have a specific audience in mind when he wrote this book? Also, did Goto hope to elicit a specific response from Japanese readers?
• How might Goto’s work be placed in dialogue with the work of, for example, Tonko House creators Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo? Tonko House seems to have achieved notable popularity in Japan, perhaps more so than in the US. To me, the aesthetic of The Dam Keeper is recognizably Japanese, specifically nihonjin, rather than nikkei, based on its visual similarity to books and media marketed to nihonjin audiences. This does not preclude it from being nikkei, however. If a nikkei scholar wrote a comparative analysis on Goto and Tonko House in the context of nikkei art, what conclusions might be reached?
• Based on his biography, Goto is based in Hawaii. In Goto’s opinion, what, if any, major differences exist in the work of Hawaii-based nikkei creators, compared to mainland nikkei creators?
• On a non-Goto-related tangent, but on the topic of Japanese people in Hawaii, has any Japanese scholar (nihonjin or nikkei) analyzed the relationship between Japanese settler colonialism in Hawaii and the rise of the Japanese empire in the Pacific War era? I would be especially curious to read any analysis of Japanese visual culture(s).

Follow-up:

• I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by Goto, especially if they focus on Japanese culture.