Drama Queen - Ch. 21 - That's Messed Up pt. 6

[SleepyDemon]

Now hold on a minute, I didn't see his dead body and she didn't look like she ate all of him.

Dude's going to come back with a cyborg nose gun or something later.

 

[BackAlleyWeeb]

Yup, watching a train wreck in slow motion..

 

[Carboglycerin]

How romantic... Even in the end Seiran never forgot the ♪ after Lily's name.

 

[Werebearguy]

Kinda sucks that Lily died in such a gruesome manner. If he was the killer, then that's such a weak way to die. Seiran not being the one to avenge his family is tragic. If Lily wasn't the killer, and there actually is a twin later on, then this brief death won't be as bad.

Either way, the title of these past few chapters is spot on. This is so messed up. Can't wait for the next chapter!

 

[Pibata]

That's... his name. Kitami Seiran. I think Kitami is the family name, but I might be wrong since japanese naming convention often get flipped around by localization to a point I can't tell which is which.

lmao I forgot totally

 

[jojoka]

Honestly I love this, just the fact I can't predict whats going to happen next but it never feels like something complete bullshit and does feel like its always building is something i love.

 

[fennec]

Reading the comments is a bit of a trip, I feel like people are reading into this too deeply. And also focusing on the perceived theme with immigrants and racism...? I mean, they're space aliens. I think people need to stop searching for all this potential symbolism and focus on the stuff that's in front of them.

I still think that the aliens did something to make humanity naturally like them, because people love them way too much. Like Lily said, there are bad and good aliens just like humans, so it's weird to assume an entire species is 100% good. It feels like their opinions only change once they directly see an alien cause harm, at which point it's like some veil is lifted. The fact Odori was convinced all aliens are good and was genuinely shocked they could do bad stuff until this chapter feels like a sign of that.

I'm with Seiran on not trusting the aliens. I think there are good individuals for sure, but the aliens as a whole? Something feels fishy.

 

[luigiymario2]

I guess he probably was the real killer, huh...?

 

[Astraexxv]

I hope either Lily 🎶wasn't the killer or he isn't dead bc that's an anticlimactic way to die and there is still more to be explained

 

[HORRIOR]

Lily is absolutely going to come back again.

 

[catsdontsmile]

I actually think this chapter really brought the story together and is a step in the right direction. People are judging it too harsh this time

 

[nutman451]

I feel like people are reading into this too deeply. And also focusing on the perceived theme with immigrants and racism...? I mean, they're space aliens. I think people need to stop searching for all this potential symbolism and focus on the stuff that's in front of them.

Ch 17 shows the Aliens are somewhat inspired by online "influencers" such as Johnny Somali. Though it's clear that's not all there is to them (otherwise it's not justified to commit mass murder just for that). I do think the series alludes to certain foreigners and how they treat Japanese culture, but it's clear the series is more than just that. This manga briefly became a battleground for the culture war, but since it wasn't clear on it's stance on foreigners, the culture warriors quickly lose interest and moved on, which is a good thing.

Aside from that I agree with the rest of the comment.

 

[Dalteeno]

Ch 17 shows the Aliens are somewhat inspired by online "influencers" such as Johnny Somali. Though it's clear that's not all there is to them (otherwise it's not justified to commit mass murder just for that). I do think the series alludes to certain foreigners and how they treat Japanese culture, but it's clear the series is more than just that. This manga briefly became a battleground for the culture war, but since it wasn't clear on it's stance on foreigners, the culture warriors quickly lose interest and moved on, which is a good thing.

Aside from that I agree with the rest of the comment.

One of the things I hated when reading the comments for the series was seeing culture war bs. It was braindead and pointless.

Hoping this story keeps this momentum from this point.

 

[MonsterGirlHusband]

First chapter that has left me utterly confused.

 

[Friendly-Sentence710]

There is a building full of human and alien corpses on fire, and that is the least chaotic thing going on this chapter.

 

[Friendly-Sentence710]

Ch 17 shows the Aliens are somewhat inspired by online "influencers" such as Johnny Somali. Though it's clear that's not all there is to them (otherwise it's not justified to commit mass murder just for that). I do think the series alludes to certain foreigners and how they treat Japanese culture, but it's clear the series is more than just that.

Reading the comments is a bit of a trip, I feel like people are reading into this too deeply. And also focusing on the perceived theme with immigrants and racism...? I mean, they're space aliens. I think people need to stop searching for all this potential symbolism and focus on the stuff that's in front of them.

The Aliens aren't supposed to be stand-ins for anything - they are just supposed to be aliens. The author, being Japanese, is borrowing behavior from some of the more... gratingly annoying foreign vistors/influencers to highlight how the aliens are annoying and disruptive to earthlings. But the aliens aren't supposed to BE any specific group of foreigners, they are their own thing.

If this was being written by someone in Colorado, the Aliens would have the behaviors of Californians to show how they are annoying invaders, but wouldn't be stand-ins for Californians.

Being that most people on this forum aren't Japanese, and the author is calling out "non-japanese behavior" its easy to see how at first it'd be easy to view the Aliens as xenophobic stand-ins but they clearly aren't.

 

[Takuma_Aki]

I have no idea where anything is going anymore

You ever have? I never from the very start up until now.

 

[fight2live]

any chapter with nomamoto is a fun chapter

 

[dsfargeg]

wasn't clear on it's stance on foreigners, the culture warriors quickly lose interest and moved on, which is a good thing.

no I'm still here and it's still pretty clear to me exactly where it stands on that.

The aliens aren't any specific group of foreigners, they're the bad traits of every foreigner at once. They're the permanent other. Their defining cultural trait is "not Japanese." They're not specifically Kurds or Americans, they're Kurds AND Americans AND Koreans AND every other group Japanese people dislike dealing with.

 

[Friendly-Sentence710]

no I'm still here and it's still pretty clear to me exactly where it stands on that.

The aliens aren't any specific group of foreigners, they're the bad traits of every foreigner at once. They're the permanent other. Their defining cultural trait is "not Japanese." They're not specifically Kurds or Americans, they're Kurds AND Americans AND Koreans AND every other group Japanese people dislike dealing with.

They aren't even to be any sort of humans. As you said, they are just an absolute Other.
They are to be self-centered invaders trampling (unintentionally or not) on the locals.
The author is Japanese and primarily writing for a Japanese audience, so the behavior of the Other is based on things that the Japanese dislike about the non-Japanese visiting Japan - but not as a stand-in for them.

If I make a fantasy story with Orcs who are mounted marauding nomads, I might heavily use stuff from Ghengis-era mongolian tribes to flesh them out.
My Orcs aren't supposed to be Mongolians, or stand-ins for Mongolians, or to provide commentary on Mongolians, they are to be dangerous nomads and I just borrowed concepts from a previous group of dangerous nomads. I would likely also include aspects of Huns, Germanic/Gaul tribes, and Native American "Horse Tribes". But not as "these Orcs are literally X group" just "Oh this a thing a group did and it would make sense for a nomadic society based around war to also do".

So this isn't about Foreigners in Japan, this is about a guy reacting unhealthily to a changing world, using Aliens as a plot device and those aliens behaviors being what grinds the gears of the author and the people they are close with. And also maybe an Alien conspiracy; I'm pretty sure we're headed that way.