Wayward Cultural Lessons

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You never know where you're going to be exposed to a new way of thinking.

Earlier this week I mentioned that in finally sampling 90ish comics from last year's free comic book day I found two series that inspired me to actually pay money and pick up more comics.  One of those was Wayward.

Wayward is about supernatural occurrences happening in modern day Japan while most of the people are none the wiser.  It has relatable characters, fun powers, and an engaging story.

The thing I like most about it is the section in the back of every issue that has a short essay on a facet of Japanese culture.  It's honestly the thing I look forward to the most in each issue.

It's often an essay explaining the Japanese mythological origin for a character or group encountered in that week's comic.  But sometimes it's simply about the structure of day-to-day life in Japan.  I find both unbelievably fascinating.

I love being exposed to new culture and finding out about new belief systems.  It's amazing how things are set up in different parts of the world.  Right now I'm finding myself excited to get the next issue of Wayward so I can read the next essay but I'm realizing there may be an itch that hasn't been scratched in awhile.

I might need to venture outside of my normal pop culture channels and actually do some research or find some books about other cultures around the world.  I didn't realize how much I had missed the subject.

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