Strip
55
September 13, 2009
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This is a bit more of a special strip that probably doesn't fit exactly into the rest, but I wanted to do it. Besides I like some diversity. Although I thought that it should have at least a little hint to the specific shape of the usual characters and so I drew the bird formation on panel 3 in that figure. I think it could be good to give also some explanations about the motifs I used here. I won't comment though the metaphor in panel 2. The flowers in the foreground of panel 3 are, or should at least look like, Red Spider Lilies. In the Japanese flower language, hanakotoba, they stand for abandonment and loss. I think that's quite fitting here and I like how they look. And did you notice that the petals at the top of the panel are flying in the shape of lips? The autumn leaves as well as the migrating birds symbolize death, but at the same time rebirth, since both will return in spring. Panel 4 finally has a Ginkgo tree that lost almost all his leaves. I like the Ginkgo leaves because of their unique dichotomous venation. They perfectly represent the two sides of a couple, as well as the two sides of everything: Yin and Yang, bright and dark, life and death. None of these two can exist without the other one. And well, in this case it was good that the tree didn't have any leaves, so the sun could shine through and make the knife 'pointless'. As plants lose from time to time their leaves and feel naked, people lose from time to time their courage and feel helpless. But that's just part of the circle. Some day the buds and birds will come back. |