Kowloon Generic Romance, Volume 2: 02/04/23

Kowloon Generic Romance, Volume 2 by Jun Mayuzuki and Amanda Haley (Translation) (2020) opens with Kudou's introduction. At first glance it appears to be a flashback, except the woman who was mistaken for a ghost is still around and still remembers working with both Kujirai and Kudou.

My first thought is that something is amiss with time. We saw that too with the ending page of Volume One. Kujirai, though, doesn't remember working with the woman. Nor does she remember much of her own life.

My husband's theory is this manga series is a möbius plot, a la Wind and Mr. Ug. I'm working on the theory that Kujirai of this volume is a replicant (or similar).

Even slowly changing Kowloon has altered somewhat. Old short cuts no longer work. Passageways lead to doors that lead to empty space. In this regard I'm reminded of Dark City (1998).

Volume two continues to series's trend of being on the Road Narrative Spectrum. Whereas Kujirai and Kudou were clearly becoming a couple in the previous book, the odd restart of their work and personal relationships suggests they are something other. While the two love their city and want the best for it, they are now scarecrow (99) travelers. As their city also seems to be more unknowable than first thought, their destination is now utopia (CC). Their route there is the labyrinth, both literal (the changing city) and metaphorical (their understanding of their identities) (99)

Volume three in English translation comes out in May, 2023

Five stars

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