* 2023 Golden Comic Award
Two students at Taiwan’s most prestigious prep school confront the uncertainty of youth head on when they decide to start their own campus literary journal. But will their passion be enough to make them see past their differences, and carry on through the difficulties that lay ahead?
It’s 1930 and Yeh Hsing-chiao, a hard-working student with a gift for writing, has tested into Taihoku High School, a prestigious school which grants students an unmatched degree of autonomy. Upon moving into the dorms, Yeh discovers that his Japanese roommate, Nanjo Untaro, is a notorious campus eccentric who frequently cuts class. At first, the straight-laced Yeh is infuriated by his roommate’s unorthodox behavior, but as they spend more time together, he discovers another side to Nanjo: he is a voracious reader who only skips class so he can pursue his passion for reading and self-study, even mastering German (Yeh’s weakest subject) in the process.
One day while consulting with a teacher about his writing, Yeh learns that Nanjo’s impulsive behavior is mostly a response to his uncertainty about the future. Upon reflection, Yeh realizes that he, too, often questions his direction in life. After a long discussion, the two roommates decide to undertake a plan that will help them find the answers they need: they will start their own campus literary journal.
But nothing about the endeavor is as easy as they imagined. In addition to the daunting tasks of magazine production and competition from the official journal of school, Yeh and Nanjo still don’t know if they can find contributors and collaborators among their fellow students. Will the unlikely partners find enough like-minded classmates to make their journal a success? And what other difficulties will they face as they juggle work on the journal with the demanding coursework of Taiwan’s most prestigious prep school?
Author/artist Zuo Hsuan conducted extensive research in order to accurately depict the campus, uniforms, and life circumstances of students at Taiwan’s most prestigious high school under Japanese colonial rule. The delicate warmth of her linework animates this engaging tale of two young men with divergent personalities throwing caution to the wind to pursue their passions, and determine their own course in life.
