Do You Trust Yourself? Review of 20 km/h
White Wall Review | Lia Belo | January 29, 2024
Woshibai’s 20 km/h in the White Wall Review
You’re about to enter another dimension. A dimension delicately woven together to show you the deepest parts of yourself—some parts you may not want to see and others you know all too well. But will you accept the truth and explore the unknown or only see what you want to believe, staying boxed in your own world?
In 20 KM/H, a graphic novel by Shanghai-based author and illustrator, Woshibai, we’re confronted with strange and unusual stories rich in thought-provoking undertones and whimsical visuals. We see it all, from a character chiselling a human figure out of stone and it suddenly coming to life to the moon being taken from the sky and being inserted into a vending machine for soda. And although these tales seem odd and maybe even random at a passing glance, Woshibai layers each set of panels with deep emotions and thoughtfulness, providing us with new ideas and dreamlike imagery. Step into this author’s world and decide which pill you’ll take. Will you be daring to think outside the box and find meaning in these stories or stay in your comfort zone, walking away with an unchanged perspective? The choice is yours, but take my advice: you’ll want to experience this mind-bending trip!
Words don’t come easy to many of us. In fact, words often can’t convey even the most complex pieces of ourselves to others. One could say that illustrations are an international language, as it relies solely on an image to translate and express our creativity, emotions, and most personal perceptions out to the world. In this graphic novel, Woshibai doesn’t incorporate writing. The only exceptions are the titles for each new story we’re introduced to. An interesting choice, right? One may say it’s a risky move, but I believe it’s simply genius! As someone who has read various graphic novels over the years, I found the idea of one without dialogue to be completely revolutionary in the literary world. To imagine a book short of narration is already difficult, considering that we place so much meaning in words. Hell, we use them every day when we text our friends or write funny comments on social media posts! Because of this, we may feel as though without words, we’d be misunderstood. Although Woshibai doesn’t include dialogue within 20 KM/H, he instead fills his graphic novel with such effective, surreal illustrations that draw you in immediately with their fantastical yet minimalist design. I looked forward to being surprised by each new story as it unfolded, never truly expecting the twists and turns they would take. With an author that kept me on the edge of my seat with solely illustrations says a lot about the talent of this creator and his undeniable attention to detail.
Despite being someone who isn’t artistically gifted in making illustrations myself, I can appreciate how difficult it would be to create such impactful messages with a minimalist art style. And yet, in 20 KM/H, Woshibai completely blows me away with his ability to dive into these deeper subjects without using intricate detailing in the art itself! The author explores his craft and pushes each image to its full potential despite its simplistic, monochromatic appearance. But more importantly, these original, black-and-white scenes that Woshibai creates capture the feeling of time slowing down, letting the reader breathe with every flip of the page. Each panel is an art piece, and the author invites us to insert ourselves into each character’s situation through these unidentifiable and simple appearances. Woshibai’s artistic choices showcase his desire to have us enter this universe with him and explore the deeper meanings within each tale. One of my favourite stories within this graphic novel is called “Sand Bar,” not just because it fills me with peacefulness and serenity, but more so because of how Woshibai went about illustrating this piece. From the simplicity of the characters to the glow of the moon as it changes phases, it’s a beautifully crafted scene. In this story, Woshibai tells us to sit and reflect, to take a breath and chill as we imagine ourselves sitting next to this celestial companion, watching it change through its cycle while feeling no pressure to move despite time passing before our eyes. To me, there’s no doubt that the visuals within 20 KM/H are aesthetically pleasing; they’re meant to immerse us and entice us to dream along with Woshibai as we turn to the next story.
Find the rest of the review here!
In 20 KM/H, a graphic novel by Shanghai-based author and illustrator, Woshibai, we’re confronted with strange and unusual stories rich in thought-provoking undertones and whimsical visuals. We see it all, from a character chiselling a human figure out of stone and it suddenly coming to life to the moon being taken from the sky and being inserted into a vending machine for soda. And although these tales seem odd and maybe even random at a passing glance, Woshibai layers each set of panels with deep emotions and thoughtfulness, providing us with new ideas and dreamlike imagery. Step into this author’s world and decide which pill you’ll take. Will you be daring to think outside the box and find meaning in these stories or stay in your comfort zone, walking away with an unchanged perspective? The choice is yours, but take my advice: you’ll want to experience this mind-bending trip!
Words don’t come easy to many of us. In fact, words often can’t convey even the most complex pieces of ourselves to others. One could say that illustrations are an international language, as it relies solely on an image to translate and express our creativity, emotions, and most personal perceptions out to the world. In this graphic novel, Woshibai doesn’t incorporate writing. The only exceptions are the titles for each new story we’re introduced to. An interesting choice, right? One may say it’s a risky move, but I believe it’s simply genius! As someone who has read various graphic novels over the years, I found the idea of one without dialogue to be completely revolutionary in the literary world. To imagine a book short of narration is already difficult, considering that we place so much meaning in words. Hell, we use them every day when we text our friends or write funny comments on social media posts! Because of this, we may feel as though without words, we’d be misunderstood. Although Woshibai doesn’t include dialogue within 20 KM/H, he instead fills his graphic novel with such effective, surreal illustrations that draw you in immediately with their fantastical yet minimalist design. I looked forward to being surprised by each new story as it unfolded, never truly expecting the twists and turns they would take. With an author that kept me on the edge of my seat with solely illustrations says a lot about the talent of this creator and his undeniable attention to detail.
Despite being someone who isn’t artistically gifted in making illustrations myself, I can appreciate how difficult it would be to create such impactful messages with a minimalist art style. And yet, in 20 KM/H, Woshibai completely blows me away with his ability to dive into these deeper subjects without using intricate detailing in the art itself! The author explores his craft and pushes each image to its full potential despite its simplistic, monochromatic appearance. But more importantly, these original, black-and-white scenes that Woshibai creates capture the feeling of time slowing down, letting the reader breathe with every flip of the page. Each panel is an art piece, and the author invites us to insert ourselves into each character’s situation through these unidentifiable and simple appearances. Woshibai’s artistic choices showcase his desire to have us enter this universe with him and explore the deeper meanings within each tale. One of my favourite stories within this graphic novel is called “Sand Bar,” not just because it fills me with peacefulness and serenity, but more so because of how Woshibai went about illustrating this piece. From the simplicity of the characters to the glow of the moon as it changes phases, it’s a beautifully crafted scene. In this story, Woshibai tells us to sit and reflect, to take a breath and chill as we imagine ourselves sitting next to this celestial companion, watching it change through its cycle while feeling no pressure to move despite time passing before our eyes. To me, there’s no doubt that the visuals within 20 KM/H are aesthetically pleasing; they’re meant to immerse us and entice us to dream along with Woshibai as we turn to the next story.
Find the rest of the review here!