Yukiko's Spinach

by Frédéric Boilet

Narrator or character? Reality or fiction? In this tender work of cinema, Boilet recounts an intimate love story in today's T?ky? between an everyday Japanese girl, Yukiko, and her occidental lover. Passionate, gentle, fresh and vibrant, it is a love so strong it hurts. Quietly paced, the story unfolds in a host of innovative techniques both narrative and visual. At the heart of the title is Boilet's deliberate (mis)use of the pronounced Japanese for [i]navel[/i] and [i]spinach[/i]. First serialized in 2000 - 2001 in the monthly Furansugo Kaiwa it is the defining work of Boilet's [i]Nouvelle Manga[/i] movement.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga, Bande Dessinée, Fiction, Japan, Romance

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Seth T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiography is by its nature one of the more conceited art forms. Concocting a story of one's own adventures to the end that they will be enjoyed by a readership of more than one's own friends and family takes a fair amount of self-confidence. Or hubris. Or arrogance. To imagine that one's own story is as valuable a use of a reader's time as a fictional character's takes guts. Or moxie. Or chutzpah. And then for an author to specially select for his autobiographical pericope a couple months' dalliance with a young woman and detail his own skill as an adventurous lover—what does that take?

Frédéric Boilet's apparently autobiographical Yukiko's Spinach is part journal, part intimate recountment of a two-month-long interlude with a girl he meets at a gallery opening in Japan. So far as romances go, we learn from the start that this one is probably doomed to a brief lifespan since Yukiko, the object of Boilet's interest, is herself interested in someone else and will pursue that entanglement as soon as opportunity allows. It's in the meanwhile that she's willing to engage Boilet (or his autobiographical avatar) in some fitful and adventurous physical pairings, necessarily accelerating the evolution of their relationship at unnatural speeds towards its foreseeable culmination.

As a book primarily interested in Yukiko's temporary place as Boilet's carnal muse, the book amusingly (from a very meta perspective) goes to deliberate lengths to demonstrate Boilet's part as a persistent, attentive lover. Whether absolutely non-fictional in this aspect or not, Boilet posits a version of himself that is a kind of indefatigable superman of the intimate. In the midst of their congress, he lingers over every part of Yukiko's form, making each portion of her body a new standard of beauty, even to the point of remolding imperfection (such as chicken pox scars) into aesthetic wonders. He turns every private moment into an opportunity to once more ravish his lover, disrobing her even as she dresses from their most recent congress.



As a story about two people luxuriating in a languid sort of passion, Yukiko's Spinach is actually pretty refreshing in that it sees little need to make any sort of narrative statement beyond this. This lack of pretension may itself seem "artsy" or even pretentious to some, but I found it elevated the value of the book. But when one considers that this is presented as autobiographical, the book moves beyond merely a statement about interpersonal intimacy and into a whole realm of psycho-social cross-cultural dynamics.

Yukiko's Spinach is named for an instance in which Boilet lingers over every part of Yukiko's nude form. Ears, nose, neck, breasts, and so on. When he arrives at her navel, he mispronounces (as he is speaking entirely in Japanese) and uses a word that sounds like spinach rather than like navel. It's a humourous error and introduces a bit of levity into a scene that could have otherwise played as too heavily romantic. The mistake opens the book up to a number of interpretive frameworks. Is Boilet merely recounting an interesting sexual anecdote or does he wish to say something more? Whatever his purpose, Yukiko's Spinach at least functions as much as a glance into the marriage of distinct cultures as Yukiko's "spinach" does within the context of her and Boilet's relationship.



Boilet's character in the story seems part of an expatriated group of French artistic types and is familiar enough with Japan and the ins and outs of the culture to behave as some kind of nouvelle native. But despite having come so far, his culture and that of his romantic interest are each their own and it's clear that his goals are not hers (and vice versa). Even the manner by which they communicate uses different vocabularies—and though they may be able to suss out each other's meanings, there will remain any number of trivial obstacles like Yukiko's "spinach." At least such barriers will persist until the couple grows fully accustomed to each other, becoming natives in each other's personal kingdoms—or better, forging a new one, with its own rules, customs, and language, like Howard W. Campbell Jr's das reich der zwei. Yet because of the colossal strength of these individuals' particular personal anthems, we know such a nation of two will never likely come about.

So Yukiko's Spinach exists as a revelry in a moment, a snapshot of the perfect vacation marred only by the inevitable collapse and loss at its conclusion. As autobiography, one wonders what Boilet was trying to communicate to himself—for memoir as often speaks some truth to the author as it does to the reader. If he seems somewhat set adrift (exemplified by the transient nature of his dalliances), perhaps that is a reflection of his status as a resident foreigner. He's clearly looking for stability but simultaneously doesn't seem to rely on its attainability. Boilet's character seems a man trapped in flux. It's an interesting place for a protagonist to be and most of us could probably relate on some level from at least one moment in our lives.

One of the standout praises Yukiko's Spinach will receive almost across the board is in regard to its artistic vision. The reader sees the story unfold almost entirely in the first person. The camera through which we encounter Boilet's experience with Yukiko is, for the most part, lodged in Boilet's own eyes. It's a curious technique and we are treated to a man with a perspective that roams over the entirety of his surroundings, rarely meeting Yukiko's gaze eye-to-eye. Through this scattering of vision, Boilet unveils a character that might otherwise remain unknown. His avatar is made real by his evident distractions.



Boilet also uses a photorealistic style that generally pays off well. He almost certainly uses models extensively (and a later story, Mariko Parade, apparently involves Boilet and his next model, whom he meets in the final pages of Yukiko's Spinach). This lends to the veracity of these experiences and conveys the idea that these are real people with real motivations and personal curiosities. On a couple occasions, the drawings feel awkward (such as when he depicts a fellow French expat who may be leering bizarrely at Yukiko), but on the whole they are accomplished and flow well within his framework. The other formal trick Boilet uses to magnify his narrative flow is the inclusion of journal pages that contain a variety of sketches and written lines. These further ground the story in the subjective narration of Boilet himself. Despite how cool Boilet's art is and how well-chosen the moments, angles, and subjects are, it may have been the inclusion of the journal pages that solidifies Yukiko's Spinach as great art.



With its rugged and frank sex scenes, Boilet's book will not be appropriate for some readers and may put off others. Personally, I did not find the book (for all its explicitness) erotic. Perhaps it was the documentary nature of the thing or its surreal first-person presence, but I felt that Yukiko's Spinach was more an anatomy of a relationship than a lush and purposed turn-on for those in search of a sensual thrill. It's a shame that French books have such a difficult time finding a market in the US. Boilet's work here is pretty phenomenal and along with Fanfare/Ponent Mon's other books in the Nouvelle Manga line, Yukiko's Spinach marks a worthy direction for comics and there's plenty to investigate for Americans who take interest in the medium and its forms.

Note
It does occur to me that this may not actually be autobiography, that it may instead be some kind of hyperfictionalization of Boilet's experiences—a kind of codified wishful thinking on the author's part. While that would certainly complicate the reading, I think it would make for a more delectable interpretive puzzle.
___________________________

[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]

[trestitia ⵊⵊⵊ deamorski · Rating 2 out of 5]

um..

ok i love the way he tells the story, coming and going between different moments, intercalating datebook pages with sketches (real digital sketches) and notes.
but...
the main drawings like made by photoshop, u know take pictures and add filters. follow this steps: open the photo u want to use -> filter menu -> filter galery -> sketch -> charcoal.

lol. i know i'm being an arrogant bitch but it is what it is.

[Alex Pler · Rating 4 out of 5]

"-¿Qué voy a poder dibujar cuando no estés conmigo?
-Todavía no he desaparecido del todo.
-Quiero decir que he empezado la historia con tu cara. ¿Qué voy a hacer cuando ya no quieras verme?
-¡Pues tendrás que volver a empezar de cero!"

[Dimitris Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a manga recommended by Daphne a million and a half years ago. I read it in one single-hour sitting on my Kindle, surrounded by unknown Bulgarians in a hotel in Sandanski. They were sleeping in different beds.

I'll be brief and to-the-point: this was self-reference taken to the extreme. I like it when artists play around with these things, when they break the fourth wall, for example, or whatever the equivalent for texts might be - I'm not feeling creative enough to come up with something better than the incredibly lame "burning the press" - but Monsieur Boilet went over the top. You did, Frédéric. I admit: it was interesting in a way, but in the end I couldn't help but get the feeling that, were the veneer of pretentious self-reference, such as the sketches, supposedly the inspiration of this comic book, to be removed, there would be nothing left.



No. There would be something left: the small details that made me want to visit Japan (yawn, right?); the cute observations the artist made of Yukiko and masterfully put onto paper, most memorably the mole on her face that reminded him of the geography of some islands in the Pacific the name of which escapes me right now, and its art style, which had me wondering all along: "How did the guy actually make this? It's unlike anything I've ever seen." The answer came at the end as part of the story itself. Or did it?

And to think I usually like this kind of stories... Alas: while reading it, I made the shuddering realisation that, if I chose to write a story or make a comic about something that took place in my own life, a few years ago or maybe even today I might have chosen this oh-so-mysterious-I-wonder-what-really-happened! style of self-reference. *looks around uncomfortably*

But seriously: this looked amazing on the Kindle (see above). Even though I didn't enjoy the story so much, I would still recommend checking it out if you have one.

[tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK. it was a gift from one of my dearest friends and omg do they know me. the story was raw and very interesting. i love the part where they’re brushing their teeth and just enjoying each others company. it made me feel warm. please read this. there is nudity but it’s relevant to the story and how the mc perceives his love interest. but yes please read. would recommend for people that like : domestic affection, women that know who they are, and real depiction of relationships

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me esperaba otra cosa, pero aun así me ha gustado y lo recomiendo mucho.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the art and setting but the white cis male gaze felt too fetish-y for me.

[magda · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ꙳
the whole description of this book is satire, right? i'm asking because it was awful. this realism looks terribly unfitting.

[Shin · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had so much skepticism starting this and i think with valid reasons:
1. this is a #NouvelleManga. a foreign, particularly French, western art-style -looking comic with manga-pacing + framing tendencies
2. the artist is a frenchman whose art looks traced
3. the protagonist is the frenchman whose book we have here centers on his infatuation (nay, obsession) with the very Japanese Yukiko (who has a boyfriend but hey we don't always get pink dick around here)
4. you can imagine how already iffy this is in a postcolonial perspective. i wont be surprised if there had been attempts at cancellng this already. BUT

while in the same design as popular male gaze stories like the Before trilogy or any other mysterious-girl trope story, #YukikosSpinach has its charms.

it's a compact, comic-of-few-words masterpiece. race relations aside, the "love" can be felt by the reader at certain moments 4 sure. i like the observance of relaying his experience, from lived-in, to this comic depiction. (also i think rather than traced #FredericBoilet is simply a good illustrator).

this is also ~La Problematique~ in a feminist POV as Yukiko here although present in every page is barely portrayed as a multi-dimensional person thinking for herself. the male gaze is strong in this one. i mean it's kind of the foundation of the whole thing.

ALTHOUGH again, this is told in His perspective (the panels are literally his range of vision), so benefit of doubt is necessary. i wish he had an editor who made him write of her more. or add nuances here and there. or maybe this is more nuanced than as I've seen upon first (quick) reading.

this is not a bad comic book. it actually drew me in, perhaps could've made me sadder if not for my inherent distrust for men writing "love" stories.

[Zioluc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una piccola storia d'amore, apparentemente autobiografica, narrata con grande leggerezza.
Il narratore, fumettista occidentale expat in Giappone, incontra la dolce Yukiko e intesse con lei una relazione. Il lettore vive la storia attraverso disegni apparentemente realizzati a partire da fotografie, quasi sempre in soggettiva, con l'intermezzo di pagine di agenda con schizzi e appunti.
Scopro che l'autore ha collaborato con Peeters e ha dato vita al genere del "nuovo manga", concetto che non mi è chiarissimo ma pare si riferisca a fumetti con storie quotidiane per adulti, cioè rivolte a un pubblico non solo adolescenziale, quindi non necessariamente erotiche, anche se qui le scene di sesso abbondano ma sono delicatissime.
A questo proposito, resto sempre sconcertato qui su Goodreads dalle recensioni statunitensi palesemente a disagio con scene di nudo o di sesso, zeppe di distinguo e dissociazioni. E io che credevo di vivere in un paese condizionato dalla morale cattolica...
In conclusione, piacevole lettura e molto interessante lo stile pseudofotografico.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could he possibly look CLEARLY under 40 years old when doing this at the turn of the century and being born in 1960?

How could a plain looking 50 year old without wealth get a young woman of such aesthetic splendor as a casual lover?
Maybe it's how different he looks YET westerners weren't rare.
*So it must be the lure of the artist, especially to a fellow artist, coupled with the ease of character and natural sense of humour- I enjoyed how goofy he drew himself tremendously!

[Mackenzie Melo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que livro lindo!

Sensível, com desenhos íntimos, mas tremendamente suaves e amorosos, Frédéric Boilet consegue nos levar para dentro de seu diário ao nos contar sua aventura íntima e amorosa com uma mulher japonesa e seu espinafre.

Reflexões sobre como vemos, lemos, falamos e entendemos um ao outro, utilizando línguas e linguagens, olhos e olhares, ouvidos e audições. Quem somos nós quando vistos pelos olhos dos outros?

Leitura indispensável para quem gosta de estudos e exercícios em forma de quadrinhos, imagens, linguagens, literatura!

[Lait · Rating 4 out of 5]

16/20 C'était beau de suivre cette histoire d'amour presque faite pour durer le temps d'une BD. J'ai satisfais l'amoureuse de l'intimisme, du détail (en très gros plans et hors-champ) que je suis. Récit poétique, et doux. Mais le changement de visage de Yukiko m'a dérangé jusqu'à la fin. Même en sachant pourquoi. Et je n'ai pas compris et aimé la mise en abîme de la fabrication de la BD par Boilet...

[Tocotin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historia jest taka sobie, cudzoziemiec na podrywie tajemniczych japońskich dziewcząt w tajemniczej Japonii. Rysunki wyglądają troszkę nieudolnie – niby nastrojowe, a tak naprawdę brakuje im dopracowania w szczegółach. Nieśmiała konkluzja: sprzedało się, bo o Japonii?

[Marie Poppins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Les romans graphiques de Frédéric Boilet se ressemblent un peu tous, mais ils n'en sont pas moins agréables à lire. Son trait si particulier et sa façon d'envisager les femmes et l'amour confèrent à chacun de ses ouvrages une part de poésie et une mélancolie empreinte de douceur.

[Ratolina ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un cómic que se lee en un suspiro.
Me ha gustado el realismo de sus ilustraciones.

Me inicio con este cómic en el movimiento "Nouvelle Manga".

No es para nada parecido a lo que había leído anteriormente y está genial salir de tu zona de confort y descubrir géneros nuevos.

[Pol Roca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5.

[Felipe Assis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nossa q traço lindo, vc fica na duvida se os personagens foram desenhados ou fotografados! sem contar q esse autor usa o erótico de forma muito sutil e diria "artística"

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I though this was going to be a graphic novel objectifying Japanese women. Glad that I saw a in love man for Yukiko only.

[Otávio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um história que consegue ser ao mesmo tempo bonita muito triste, uma verdadeira mistura entre o francês e o japonês

[Javier Campos]

La historia no es muy original, pero el arte, dios mío. Al principio pensé que calcaba fotos pero habían viñetas que no pudieron haber sido fotos y por dios que bueno es!

[Lara Desanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confio nesse francês? Não. Mas a história tem alguma coisa irresistível de romance de verão.

[Mineli · Rating 4 out of 5]

até hoje, quando vejo a ilha de bora bora no mapa, lembro desse livro ☺️

[João Teixeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosto deste tipo de livros, que contam histórias da vida real e com as quais podemos ver-nos reflectidos num ou noutro aspecto.
Também gostei da arte em geral, realista. E a forma como a história é contada é muito interessante: vemos as coisas literalmente pelos olhos do narrador e, além disso, a história inclui o seu próprio processo de criaçao, de forma metaliterária, o que, na minha opinião, está muito bem conseguido.

[Julio Michelon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little story that in many ways felt like an artistic experiment than a well thought out narrative. It was ok.

[Michael Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about Yukiko's Spinach while looking on various manga web sites for creations with interesting visual styles. I was surprised by the graphics itself, mostly photo-realism. The title, which I learned about in French, did not tell me much, so I must admit I was also surprised by the topic: a love story with a tad too much sexual content. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, mainly because of the (logical) twists and turns and of the style of graphics.

Content-wise, the book seems at first a typical love story. Excluding the somewhat explicit scenes, there are numerous elements that I could relate to: the encounter, the competition, the excitement of the wait, the tender moments, sharing a travel adventure, etc. But I found really nice the twist in the story (hint: there's more than one girl), which was well created and touched me.

It is not usually my cup of tea---never felt like I should read Sandra Brown or similar bedroom romance, or browse ecchi or more explicit manga---, but the content of yukiko's Spinach would go perhaps amiss without the somewhat explicit mature content. It's something that matches the main character. It's something that Frederic Boilet gets right, natural, and helping the credibility of the story. It's something that makes a funny title (and explicit, should you be thinking about such things ... I know I missed it and felt like I was expecting a cultural salad and got something else).

The graphics are excellent. Boilet exploits what looks like photos retouched to look more like comics, but the style matches well with the story and the non-photo-realistic intermezzos are also good. Thumbs up!

[D.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always forget how good this book is, and perhaps that's because it's one of only a handful of graphic novels my wife (rather than me) owns. I don't think I've read anything else by Frédéric Boilet and I can't imagine why not: this book is striking testimony to his talents both as a writer of evocative, emotional and personal tales, as well as an artist with stunning skill for photo-realistic imagery full of life and personality.
In Yukiko's Spinach, the reader is (most often) placed deliberately in the position of the French man in a new relationship with a Japanese woman, in Japan. We are given his sense of alienation with the language, but familiarity with the culture and the people. The drive of the story, however, is in his infatuation with Yukiko and the passionate intensity of their new (and intentionally short-lived) love affair. Boilet delivers this with beautiful realism and concise but believable dialogue.
This is a brisk read, but one lovingly created and gorgeous to behold. If there's a single problem I might have with it, it's that we don't have more of it.

[Felipe Chiaramonte · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nouvelle Manga: uma nova forma de expressão que reúne a narrativa dos mangás japoneses, a ousadia visual dos quadrinhos franco-belgas e a atmosfera intimista do cinema francês de Godard e Truffaut." - Tirado do posfácio da edição brasileira.

Frédéric Boilet é um dos criadores desse movimento e "O Espinafre de Yukiko" é seu trabalho mais conhecido. A definição acima já diz muito a respeito do que esperar da obra, mas mesmo que se tente imaginar algo de uma mistura tão inusitada de referências, o impacto será totalmente diferente de qualquer coisa já feita em quadrinhos. Basta imaginar também que o suporte dos desenhos é fotográfico e que a narrativa é elucidada atemporalmente em primeira perspectiva. Sem igual!

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beautifully drawn. A short love story between a manga artist (presumably the author) and a Japanese girl. Quite intimate. Quick read.

[Eli Entrenebras · Rating 2 out of 5]

En retrospectiva, no sé por qué esperaba que algo con ese título fuera a gustarme :(