When a father keen on manga, outstanding animator, and his two sons revisit the world of Japanese pop-culture, it gives a unique project. Family traits, the fantastic bestiary of a father and his sons published by Kurokawa. The book is tasted as a graphic odyssey in the imagination of the younger generations nourished by manga and anime. While proposing an amazing and touching dialogue between a father and his sons. Which questions the notion of transmission and inheritance. This three-handed graphic score stands out as a fascinating work with all the attributes of the ideal gift for these end-of-year celebrations.
The father: Thomas Romain, itinerary of a gifted man
He is one of the great names in French animation. Spotted in 2000 at the Annecy festival, he set up his first production company very early. Who gives birth to a first hit: Code Lyoko. This success is a trial run to embark on a second, more ambitious project. Co-produce with Japan a series made in France, Oban Star Racers. Despite the difficulties, the work was born and became both an artistic and critical success. Meanwhile Thomas Romain decided in 2003 to settle in Japan. He quickly made a name for himself. He was hired as an animator and artistic director on series such as Space Dandy or Symphogear. This impressive C.V allows him to found the association FURANSUJIN CONNECTION in order to stimulate meetings between Japanese and French animators. And at the professional level, he is close to the company ANKAMA with which he founds his Japanese subsidiary: the studio No Border. With projects jostling in his head, he develops the Father and Sons' Design Workshop project via social networks. The idea is to publish very regularly the drawings of his sons imagined during drawing workshops. He himself in a second time proposes his reinterpretation of these works and puts online the two creations. The reception is enthusiastic to the point that a first volume comes out in 2018. Three years later, the long-awaited sequel is available. 
Family Traits: A Beautiful Book Symbol of Publisher Kurokawa's Trust
The first quality of this collection lies in its formal aspect. The publisher indeed delivers a very beautiful book. The cover already, cardboard, gives a very beautiful cachet to the work. The book itself, more than 100 pages in color, offers in addition to an illustration book, a sketchbook, an index and bonuses giving voice to the authors. This makes reading very enjoyable and very free. This family trait is thus explored in many ways encouraging permanent rereading. It therefore deserves the qualification of art book. And we can only salute the publisher's confidence in this atypical project. Because the quality of the object (paper, color, layout) underlines that Kurokawa believes in its authors and in the public. He cleverly used the relay of social networks, real incubators of talent and disseminators of good ideas. As with Simon de Thuillières' bestiary, we are faced with a work that might not have existed in its present form without the resonance of this new medium. And that would have been a great pity. 
Treasure hunt in Japanese pop-culture
Family traits can be appreciated in different ways. The first is to explore it as a true transgenerational art book. By giving the pen to his sons, Thomas Romain restores its nobility to children's drawing. Generous, inspired, original, each proposal transcribes the notion of representation, incarnation. By reworking these drawings, the father invents a new style: drawing under constraints. Which leads to the construction of a graphically adult universe and spiritually marked by the seal of childhood. From then on, a magical dialogue takes place, praising the wonderful creativity of children and celebrating technical perfection. This book also offers readers the opportunity to seek the inspirations of cartoonists. In the foreword, Ryunosuke and Itsuki emphasize the influence of their father's work and their dual cultural background. This gives artistic peregrinations where Miyazaki meets Saint Seiya and the Powers Rangers. But also variations where the observer will recognize Prince Of Persia, Thor, Spider Man, Wolverine or Aladdin. These universes sometimes meet on the same creation as shown by the sumptuous Syrehn, the watchman of the sands. All these works also find their unity around the iconic characters of the first volume (the Koomos or Tomoe for example) who wander from painting to painting. 
Family traits: afather's dialogue with his sons
It is not the least of the qualities of Family Traits to discuss the issue of transmission. Thanks to the comments accompanying each drawing, the reader immerses himself in the creative process. On the one hand, the father's words are extremely touching. Each word transcribes his love, his admiration for his two sons. Each drawing is an opportunity to perceive their differences, their relationship to the world, which nourish this bestiary. Thomas Romain then reinterprets without betraying in order to remain as close as possible to the pure inspiration of his children. On the other side is the very strong bond that Ryunosuke and Itsuki form with their father. An immense respect feeds a desire to dare to give a part of their imagination. A great confidence allows them to write with humor about their creative process, their doubt (Ryunosuke) and their management of their sudden notoriety. This refreshing simplicity gives strength to this exchange and dialogue through the age difference. 
Family Traits is one of those rare works that brighten up a gloomy day. By the beauty of the drawings, the richness of the universes, the quality of the object, it deserves to have a place of choice in your libraries.
