Review: Japan Ai's Love Letter to J-Pop Culture

Animator, cosplayer and doll collector Aimee Major Steinberger went to Japan, and besides a planeload of souvenirs, she brought back a treat to share with readers: her sketch diary. Now Go! Comi ventures outside of their usual manga fare to bring us Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan, a delightful travel book that's the next best thing to being there.

Part comic book, part travel diary and part Japanese pop culture manual, Japan Ai is filled with fun sketches and witty true-to-life observations about Steinberger's highlights (and a few mishaps) from her trip.

"Ai" means "love" in Japanese, so Japan Ai is Steinberger's love letter to the land of Gothic Lolitas, anime, geishas and Pocky. Every sketch and each anecdote that Steinberger shares in this book makes it plain to see: She just adores everything about Japan. (Well, almost everything. The chicken knuckles and fish-filled cheese balls did not inspire much giddy delight).

See my review of Japan Ai, and see why this infectiously fun, not-quite-a-manga book will have you booking your ticket to Tokyo soon. Visit Go! Comi's Japan Ai pages for an online sneak peek, plus check out photos and extra sketches that didn't make it into the book. Also, check out Publishers Weekly's interview with Steinberger for more tidbits about the making of Japan Ai.

Image credit: © Aimee Major Steinberger / Go! Comi