Beloved father. Devoted husband. World warrior.
If you've read Kenny's autobiographical manga and webtoon series, Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher, you've gained some insight into his quirky adult life and UFO-catching adventures. But have you ever wondered what your favorite UFO catcher was like as a kid? Wonder no more as you flashback to Kenny's childhood and meet the person that he inherited many of his peculiar personality traits and hotheadedness from... his dad!
Although a devoted husband and father to his wife and son, Ken Loui is a man on a mission to take down apple-stealing cats, nosy neighbors, cops just doing their jobs, elevator riders minding their own business, frustrated fast food employees, and any other random person he happens to come across! Why? Just because.
Find out who Kenny's dad "street fights" and "mortally kombats" in UFO Catcher Ken Presents: Dad vs. The World, a compilation of fond memories a son made with his fun-loving and troublemaking father.
Some of Ken's grudges, like against snails, defy understanding, althoughYamawe’s art—crisp, dynamic, humorous, and imbuing the everyday with playful flair—makes moments of him chucking away the small mollusks continually amusing. One longer standout story concerns Ken's grudge against a stray cat, because he thought he was eating his apples. After a protracted series of battles involving a tennis racket, a cage, spoiled food, and a super-soaker, Ken at last seems poised to claim victory. Then he realizes he hasn't prevailed against the cat after all, but a gopher. Like the other tales, the ending is funny and absurd, but also a little heartwarming.
Ken's grudges against his neighbor, traffic cops, and elderly women who remind him of his strict mother reveal an aversion to anyone who dares to impose any kind of authority on him, while his occasional practice of pushing every button on an elevator just to annoy the other passengers seems done out of pure, gleeful spite, or as he would say, "Just because." Stories about his dad getting him the wrong video game system or wrong toy build to happy endings thanks to Ken's ability to bluff. The final story reveals Loui's particular form of misanthropy: messing with "lovey-dovey" couples who show too much affection in public. It's all in good fun, as Loui's affection for his family shines, even as he delights in making them comedic characters.
Takeaway: Charming slice-of-life manga of a father’s battles against the world .
Comparable Titles: Kōji Kumeta’s Kakushigoto, Akiko Highashumura’s Blank Canvas.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
