Comic:Unfamiliar Reflection
From CGWiki
| Unfamiliar Reflection | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist: | Jim Whaley |
| Writer: | Jim Whaley |
| Characters: | Emri, Kouen, Shiro, Souzoku |
| Updates: | Weekdays |
| Began: | August 21, 2006 |
| Ended: | July 30, 2007 |
| Art style: | Comic book/Manga |
| Rating: | Web-14 |
| Website | Website |
Unfamiliar Reflection is a twelve-issue comic series. Emri Arrojado, a high school student weeks from graduation, lands herself in trouble thanks to her boiling temper. She takes a chance on a mysterious talisman to change herself into a different person. Unfortunately for her, the talisman takes her literally, changing her body completely and altering her identity, possibly forever. Reeling from the unexpected transformation, Emri runs away from home, followed by her best friends Kouen and Shiro. Together, the three journey across their world in search of a way to return Emri to her original body.
Update Schedule
The web version of Unfamiliar Reflection is separated according to the issues each story was originally made to be. The website will typically release one page each weekday. When a story reaches its end, the comic stops updating until the following Monday. During this brief waiting period, the cover to the next issue is posted. On Monday, the next issue begins. Toward the end of its run, week-long breaks occurred between some issues.
Issues (or Stories)
"I Wish I May, I Wish I Might, Forget the Wish I Made Tonight"
27 Pages
Emri lands in trouble at school for mouthing off to a hall monitor. She is suspended and the prospect of graduating is hopeless. She finds a strange item that grants wishes to her friends. Emri wishes she could be a different person, but doesn't expect to be transformed literally. She runs away from home, scared to face her old life in a new body.
"My New Friend in Orange City"
14 Pages
Emri and her friends spend time in nearby Orange City, where Emri meets a homeless girl named Paapuru and realizes that her situation could be worse.
"A Little Bit Lost"
13 Pages
Emri despairs over their endless trek through unknown wilderness. Kouen is able to cheer her up and the gang is able to continue with their journey.
"Brilliant Number Four"
15 Pages
The group visits Blue Springs, a popular tourist destination, and encounter several costumed high school hot-shots on missions of justice, extortion and revenge. (This issue was primarily a shout-out to all of the author's friends and his high school, which he had recently graduated from at the time it was made.)
"Hello, Goodbye"
14 Pages
After months of living in Yellow Village, Shiro is dying of boredom. Kouen takes swordsman lessons, and Emri slaves away at a tavern to make some money. Shiro runs into Hisu, a local boy and his dog Ploo. They become fast friends, but unfortunately it is once again time for Shiro to move on.
"The Abolition of Certainty" Part One
14 Pages
The gang expects to get their fortunes read, but the strange gypsy they find instead expresses interest in Emri's powers and orders Kouen to do something unthinkable.
"Demutatio Semper Potius Est"
14 Pages
The midway intermission takes Emri out of continuity, where she has a heart-to-heart talk with her creator. This comic does not fall into the normal storyline. At the end it is revealed this is the writer's attempt to work out his own issues regarding his creation.
"The Abolition of Certainty" Part Two
15 Pages
Kouen confesses to Emri that he helped cause serious injury to her in a second-grade prank. Later, a man named Souzoku reveals that he has been tracking Emri for some time because of her powers. Emri finally realizes the dangerous nature of her powers and sets off with Kouen and Shiro to find a being who may be able to help her.
"Out from the Nightmare"
20 Pages
In the wake of years of nightmares, Shiro finds her long-lost father in serious trouble with a criminal organization he once belonged to. After learning the reasons why he abandoned her family, they are both ready to put their pasts behind them when another tragedy ends the dream for good.
"Recognition"
14 pages
An old friend helps Emri realize that she still remains what she once was on the inside.
"The Strongest Flame"
15 pages
Shiro is reunited with Hisu and makes a difficult decision whether to continue traveling with her friends or returning home and being close to the boy she is falling in love with. Meanwhile, Souzoku helps Kouen realize the reason he wishes to protect Emri from the danger they are about to face.
"Last Night"
14 pages
In uncharted wilderness, a discarded photograph alerts the travelers that the man who can return Emri's original body is drawing closer. Souzoku's looming betrayal is unnoticed by Emri and Kouen, and Emri is soon taken captive by the man himself.
"Will You Still Be With Me At the End of the World?"
26 pages
Kouen battles Souzoku as Emri battles an image of her former self. The final fate of her existence, and the world's, is decided in a battle of willpower between Emri Arrojado and the powerful stranger named Kaijin.
Character Arcs
Each character has an individual arc which is advanced across multiple issues.
Emri's character arc is addressed in issues 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12.
Kouen's character arc is addressed in issues 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12.
Shiro's character arc is addressed in issues 5, 8 and 10.
Souzoku has a minor character arc, but is never the focus of a story. In issues 7, 10, 11 and 12 he functions primarily as a supporting character for Emri's and Kouen's arcs.
Pre-Web History
Unfamiliar Reflection's first publication was between May 2001 and March 2004 in single-issue printed form. It began running as an on-line webcomic between August 21, 2006 and July 30, 2007.
Alterations
The comic has been updated and improved during its transition to the digital realm. Several art and continuity mistakes have been corrected, however even more drastic changes have met with mixed results. The most significant of which is the name of the boy Shiro meets in issue 5. His name was originally Midoriiro, but in the on-line version it is Hisu. The creator justified this change by saying he never cared for the name "Midoriiro" in the first place.
An addition was made to the seventh issue. A brand new page was created consisting of a section of the script that was deleted before the original issue was produced. The old dialogue appears with a newly-drawn page and is the new page 6 of that issue.
Cosmetic changes include:
- proper shading on pages where some areas were erroneously left pure white
- typos
- adding Shiro's ring in the many instances where it was missing
- solid black lineart on the previously poorly-scanned pages 12 and 13 of issue 3
- the removal of dust and smudges
- properly inked and better-detailed establishing shots
Obscure References and In-Jokes
Reflection is choc full of minor details that either go unnoticed or seem glaringly out of place. These are usually throwaway gimmicks purely to amuse the artist. The major elements are as follows:
- Pat and Matt, two close friends of the creator, were highly influential in the development of Unfamiliar Reflection. As such, they appear in several areas in the series. First in issue 2, then 4. Matt's alter ego, the Crimson Christian, even has speaking lines in issue 4 and an additional cameo in issue 10. They would both later appear in the other Catomix series; Seven to Seven and Evil Jim.
- The Hoopla booth was a set element the artist worked on in a high school production of the musical State Fair. It is seen in issues 2 and 6.
- Several anime characters pop up from time to time in the backgrounds.
- Some of the Japanese text seen on signs are actually titles of anime series. Others are basic words that may or may not have relevance to what they are supposed to represent. Still others are meaningless doodles that were completely made up.
Categories: Comic Book | Drama | Greyscale | Rated Web-14 | Travel
