Umi ga Hashiru End Roll - Vol. 7 Ch. 31

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I think this might be my favorite chapter of Umihashi so far, and that means a lot since I've personally helped work on nearly all the chapters and got an in-depth feel for them over the time I've dedicated to each since I joined the team for chapter 11.

We never see the movie Tracing Blood, so we have to take the characters' impressions of it as narrative fact. The idea that it's a story about the (twisted, slasher) relationship between a woman and her grandmother she's not actually related to is extremely interesting when juxtaposed against our two main characters. It feels like an arrangement Kai could reach inside himself to pull out his own personal experiences and feelings for. Even if those feelings end up in a zombie horror film, and therefore exaggerated and uncomfortable and maybe even silly, I have a sense that he could convey his feelings with an authenticity through this medium-- especially since Umiko herself was playing the zombie grandma.

(An aside, but making her a zombie doesn't feel diminishing because it's been established that Kai has a personal passion for this genre; if anything, he's elevating her in his personal art. However I haven't considered the deeper implications of his past with the zombie genre and what it could means that he's folded Umiko into that genre; I also haven't given thought yet to what it means to the greater context of the manga's story to portray an alive character as an undead one; I've only considered the surface level implications so far).

What I love the most about this chapter though, is how the talent agency guy says Kai handled the story with "cynicism and affection," and we get further evidence of this when Kai is talking with his mom. If his mom decided to talk frankly about the divorce after seeing the film, it means something about Umiko's circumstances "as a mother" "as a housewife" resonated directly with Kai's mom. But Umiko didn't write Tracing Blood; Kai cares about Umiko with such a deep affection, but with a cynicism that allows him clarity of thought and feeling, so much so that he was able to portray what he saw in and about her without even fully understanding it, but in a way that someone else could recognize and connect with.

To put it another way, Kai learned more about his mom and about Umiko, by portraying Umiko earnestly and then listening to someone who connected with that portrayal. Umiko's quotes juxtaposed with Kai's mom's words really nails down Kai's breakthrough regarding the two characters without Umiko even being present.

It's complicated though. Umiko is still struggling to express her own story. She harbors her own frustrations entirely separate to and fully unaware of Kai's transforming relationship with his own art. It feels like we are really deep in the meat of this drama.

Thanks everyone for following along with Swaggoneers' english releases of Umihashi. Please look forward to more as we continue towards this manga's conclusion.
 
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Thanks for the chapters and your work as always! And for taking on other (underappreciated) manga too!
 
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I came to know of Tarachine John through their previous work, Witch of Thistle Castle (Azami no Shiro no Majo), so I already had high expectations for the art going into this series. It's interesting to see how the art style has simplified while retaining its original charm.

I like this interview segment where we get to see expert critique and analyses of Kai's film. The theme seemed comedic, so it's interesting to hear that it had so much more depth.

Kai and Sora have both been working hard over a long period of time to make significant gains, but I understand how frustrating it must feel for Umiko to see her colleagues gain such success.

Does Kai get his lack of facial emotiveness from his mom? The ocean seems like a true throughline throughout the series, with Kai's mom also catching onto that poetic device. Kai's familial circumstances aren't the easiest, but I'm glad he's getting some form of closure for this chapter of their lives.

Umiko's amazing for being mature and open enough to share her vulnerabilities and "uglier" feelings. I trust that these experiences will all become fodder for her future artistic endeavors someday.

Wow, what an ending line. It really feels like things are going to start picking up.

Congratulations to Tarachine John and Umi Ga Hashiru End Roll for their English licensing and rollout. I was able to find and read this series thanks to the scanlation team's efforts, and I'm hopeful that more people will be able to read this story.

Thank you for working on this series as always. Everything always looks so clean, which really suits how the art style has seemed to simplify over time. There was a lot packed into this chapter, and I'm really glad we got to see how Kai's affected his family.
 
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I feel so glad and relieved for his mom. I think... however she feels, that man can't handle his own shit. What a beautiful moment to have happen from her sons art.

And I truly love the way this series handles artistic jealousy. I think it's tough, because for a lot of artists.... you wouldn't be doing what you're doing if you didn't think highly of your own work. How do you navigate the rush of other peoples success, with that feeling of I'm good too. I think calling it a wave is smart. You can let it close over your head, or try to ride and carry that emotion.
 

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