The continuing tale of a man—and his twin sisters—drifting through life, collecting cute, cuddly plushies and valuable life lessons along the way.
Kenny’s UFO-catching adventures continue. This time around, he has an entourage—his twin sisters, Jinny and Sammy! Besides helping (and occasionally competing with) Kenny to liberate cute plushies trapped in arcade claw machines, Jinny and Sammy also attempt to rescue Kenny from his life of singledom by getting him out of the arcade and into the wonderful world of dating! But will Kenny find his soulmate or be left picking up the pieces of his broken heart? Find out in Season 2 of Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher! Still based on a true story.
Collects all stories originally published in Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher #4-7 and features bonus content such as extended scenes, an epilogue, BGM-enhanced stories, and character sketch art.
The second collection of Loui’s Seoul-based, arcade-themed memoir comics series is packed with amusing asides, wacky fantasy elements, and an enduring affection for the narrator's family, all while highlighting Loui's quirks and foibles. The everyday story follows the author/protagonist, a graduate student in criminology, as his younger twin sisters, Sammy and Jinny, are trying to fix him up with a date. Loui’s guardian spirit Somi watches over him, trying to nudge him in the right direction, often playfully breaking the fourth wall and addressing readers directly—and sometimes taking some behind-the-scenes actions that pay off amusingly later. The central conceit of Loui's obsession with the perennially frustrating metal-claw arcade game—the one where players try to grab plush dolls and other prizes—helps set the scene while serving as a metaphor for the power of patience and listening to others. It's also simply fun to see Loui bond with his sisters playing the game in panels of expressive power from artist Yamawe.Sammy and Jinny talk Kenny into going on a blind date with a teaching assistant from their school, Jessica, promising a very single Kenny that she's different from the other women he's gone out with. As Sammy and Jinny help Kenny get dressed for his date, staring at and rejecting outfits, QR codes invite readers to play the girls’ glam-up montage tunes. Soon after, Somi interrupts the action to offer non-Korean readers charming lessons in language and culture, helping to explain idioms and references in the story.
The date itself is an extended setpiece, funny and squirm-inducing, with any chance at romance derailed by a relentless, pointless argument about a plush doll named Riarukuma. (Kenny says it's a bear, and Jessica says it's a cat.) Other somewhat romantic incidents follow, and a hilarious kicker involving Somi puts some of the narrative’s stranger moments into fresh light. These twists show that, even in a seemingly low-key, slice-of-life story, Loui has a deft hand at entertaining, emotionally resonant surprises.
Takeaway: Charming manga of dating, family, and that arcade claw game.
Comparable Titles: Tamiki Wakaki’s The World God Only Knows, Yoshida Satoru’s Hatarakanai Futari.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
