Comic Book Review: The Story of Lee Volume 1 written by Sean Michael Wilson, art by Chie Kutsuwada
Lee is a big fan of British music, especially a band called The Clientele. But working in her father’s corner store in Hong Kong, it’s unlikely she’ll ever see them in person. Indeed, she’s feeling very stifled. Her father pushed her into dental school (she dropped out), has her working every day in the store (and calls her lazy) and has a nice man, Wang, already picked out for her. (Lee finds Wang boring.) Lee’s a “good girl”, not like her bar hostess friend Aki, but she wants more out of life than to work hard and marry a suitable man. So it’s not surprising when a new customer catches her attention.
Matt McDonald is a Scot who’s in Hong Kong to teach English. He’s a poet, which Lee finds out when he drops some of his paperwork. He thinks Chinese girls are hot, while Lee thinks that Western men are more considerate to women than Hong Kong residents. Matt also has a second-order connection to The Clientele, which helps the two connect. Later on, Lee even gets to share some of her own poetry with him.
The two hit it off well and soon begin spending time together. But Lee’s father doesn’t like foreigners, and Wang has a hidden jealous streak–there’s trouble ahead!
This mangaesque romance comic digs into a specific cross-cultural romance wish fulfillment fantasy (and kind of acknowledges that in-story.) Lee just so happens to have a set of interests and personality that make her willing to romance the handsome Scot. To enforce that she’s the main character, though, conversations in Chinese are in standard lettering, but English is italicized.
There’s discussion of what is and isn’t offensive language in the couple’s cultures (Lee doesn’t like even the softest cuss words), and dealing with boundaries in their relationship.
Lee’s father is a hardass who is overly controlling. We eventually learn that his older brother left to pursue his own interests, selfishly, Lee’s father thinks, and when the family had a tragedy, Lee’s father abandoned his dreams for duty. He doesn’t initially get why Lee can’t just get with the program, and isn’t keen on her getting a bad reputation. Wang represents what Lee’s father thinks is best for her, a good provider with a steady job and a stable personality.
Wang means well, but is an introvert and doesn’t really share Lee’s interests or understand her ambitions. He sees flashy foreigners getting the girls and gets jealous, though it’s subtle because he has a stoic expression and doesn’t share his feelings. He’s also concerned about Lee’s “reputation” which leads to one of the crisis points.
Content note: Xenophobia, slut-shaming, some rough language. A bit of sexism. Partial nudity, consensual extramarital sex.
This is the first of three parts. The second part takes place in Edinburgh, where the couple is going to university, so we can expect some culture shock. And some romantic complications to keep from resolving too quickly. I don’t know how it comes out, but this volume is recommended to fans of cross-cultural romance.
Oh, and this is what The Clientele sound like:
/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BVsMA0B5b8
