El Pato Donald ¡Visita Japón!

by Meru Okano

Donald Duck works for the American furniture business "Duck Furnishings". It's been two months since he and his employees, José Carioca and Panchito, were reassigned to the Asian Culture and Distribution Department, and the phone hasn't rung even once.

Just as they're starting to wonder why they were transferred in the first place, the CEO suddenly orders them to travel to Japan! The three Caballeros must learn all they can about Japanese customs, entertainment, culture, food, and clothing before they return to New York City. Assuming they don't get into too much trouble first!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Food, Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2023

About the author

Meru Okano (岡野める, Okaru Meru) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[Coos Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia sencilla y dulce que pretende mayormente dar un paseo por la cultura japonesa, de la mano del pato Donald. Como fanática de Disney y la cultura nipona, sentí que este manga fue una caricia al alma.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up because it's the same cast as the old Three Caballeros movie, which I loved stupid amounts as a small child. The art's kind of weird, though.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Walt Disney comics for a lot of years now and this one did not disappoint. It was my first Donald Duck manga and included all three Caballeros. Basically it’s just about them having to take a trip to Japan for work and they did a really good job with the writing. The artwork was a little different from my usual, but it was still well done the story itself felt a little broken at times, but it does take place over the span of a year. If you like Donald Duck or Disney, you will probably enjoy this.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed reading this I didn't know this kind of story can happen I have seen shorts of story's of Donald adventure but this was new one for me to see and read

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 a cute wholesome Disney manga not that’s a good time but not much of a plot

[Nate Hipple · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is sweet, but also a bit of a swing and a miss. It has a solid premise: the three caballeros are off to Japan to learn the value of hard work and manners. Unfortunately, it comes off a bit stiff in execution despite some amusing moments. Additionally, Donald’s voice felt a bit off to me all book long and his animated tantrums just aren’t as funny in silent, still images. Overall, though, the art style was exceptionally cute and the story had its heart in the right place.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was honestly kind of boring.

It combines two things I like - Donald Duck and manga - so I thought it would be a fun way of bridging some interests, but it unfortunately turned out to be a very forgettable (and sometimes frustrating) book.

Donald never particularly seems like Donald, in his personality or actions; the tour through Japan muddies tourist destinations and Japanese culture without giving a very solid portrait of either; and the plot itself makes very little sense and then ends abruptly.

I don't have much to say about Jose or Panchito, since I've never been a Three Caballeros fan, but their personalities seemed pretty bland and inconsistent, too. Jose did have a few nice scenes centering around homesickness, but that plot point felt as rushed as the rest, and didn't fit into any sort of coherent narrative arc.

The final weirdness: I don't know if this is Tokyopop's fault, but while there are chapters according to the table of contents, there is absolutely no visual indication of when one starts and another begins. In one chapter, the three randomly go to Osaka to "see what 5 star service is like" (which they learn by getting hot towels and lying on a soft bed?), and then there's suddenly a little scene with Donald tripping over a bamboo shoot in the forest, then they're back at their regular inn.

It's jarring and pretty badly formatted, and it adds to the overall messy feeling of this book.

We start out with a fairly typical Donald plotline; he's made a mess of things at work, and his angry boss comes up with a punishment for him. Which in this case involves shipping him and his two coworkers (employees? they always refer to him as boss for some reason) to Japan to learn "omotenashi, the art of catering to and providing hospitality to others."

It's a trick, see, because they think they're getting a fun trip to Japan to scope out possibilities for expanding their boss's New York-based furniture company to an Asian market, but in fact they're going to be put to work at an inn for a full year! Folding origami cranes, mopping floors, washing dishes, dealing with customers, etc.

I know it's a comic, but this is a pretty outlandish expense to shell out for three kind of worthless employees you could just fire...when even Donald was expecting to just be let go...

And there's no conclusion to this plotline. They all become kind of good employees - hardworking, at least, and a lot more eager to learn things than they were in New York - but when their boss abruptly shows up at the inn to check in on them, the book just stops there. Did he approve of their efforts? Did he take them back to New York? Did they expand their business? Who knows.

The chapters themselves weren't all that interesting, either...we get things like Donald playing with a small child and finding her lost hair decoration, and a couple resolving their argument in the hot springs because Donald tells them which rock to sit on to watch the sunset, and...that's really all I can remember, and I literally just finished reading the book.

Other than the mushroom-hunting chapter, which made me cringe most of the way through because who would send complete novices into the woods to gather mushrooms for their guests' dinner...and sure enough, Donald came back with 99.9% poisonous mushrooms. Ugh. Horrible.

I suppose not everyone can write Donald Duck well (which is why I mostly stick to collecting the Carl Barks stories), but I was hoping for at least a cozy guide to Japan, which this didn't really succeed at portraying, either.

The dialogue throughout is pretty stilted, and the art isn't great; when the three main characters aren't wearing their hats, it can be extremely difficult to tell them apart, and the action is often hard to read.

So...yeah. A lot of reasons why this didn't wind up as a favorite, or even a nostalgic sort of keeper.

[T.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one's more novelty than anything else. Rather than being fired, Donald Duck and his pals are sent to Japan as punishment for being slackers at work. There, they must learn the Japanese art of hospitality - despite the fact that in New York they seemingly work for a furniture company. (?) None of that makes much sense, and you kind of overlook it and go along with their escapades. I enjoyed some of the more heartwarming vignettes, like Donald helping the troubled couple on their anniversary and José Carioca's difficulty with homesickness. But I feel like more could have been done with both art and writing to distinguish the main characters and their personalities from one other and to make their adventure plausible and fulfilling. A quirky addition to a Disney or manga library but nothing really makes it stand out on the shelf.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to believe this is a professionally published comic. Some of the worst typesetting I've ever seen. So many off-center bubbles (and not just by a little bit). Clearly there was no editor and they just sent it out for publishing after someone dropped the text onto the pages. There were also random bits left untranslated, like untranslated images that are really necessary for the surrounding dialogue to make sense.

The story itself is just okay, and the art is fine but not recognizable as Donald Duck (the cover is the most recognizable, the inside art is just some random duck). Disappointing all around.

[patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald Duck and his fellow coworkers work in a furniture company. There isn't much for them to do. They are told they are being sent to Japan. There they are assigned to work in a hotel. They have to learn about Japanese culture, customs, and service. They have a few adventures, help a few people, and learn. Disney Manga: Donald Duck Visits Japan is by Meru Okano. It was a fun read. It is read from left to right.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was... I guess cute, but I'm also not really sure what the goal was... it's clearly an advert for Japan, but it was written for Japanese folk?? Like, imagine reading a comic for your hometown, sold only in your hometown (pre-localisation to other areas where it makes sense to sell it)?

Also, Donald has junk in the trunk... :O

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - unique art, sweet story, though the ending felt very sudden. There were a few moments where I wished I had known more about manga or Japanese culture in general, but the jokes still landed and I had a good time overall!

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

weirdly has osomatsu-san vibes of all things, with the three caballeros presented as lazy office workers sent to japan to learn the meaning of hospitality. light fun, even if it's hardly donald duck-related.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is adorable and fun.
The art style is very, very different from what I'm used to from Disney, but it fits the story and I loved it for that difference.

[Majik Phrog · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disapointing honestly, it really felt like the author didn't know the characters or world she was writing about

[Heather Fryling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relaxing and cute little title, lots of pointers on Japanese culture.

[Layla Madrox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donald y sus amigos en el onsen de Japón.

[Dast Cover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Los tres amigos ajaponesados con kimono y todo.

[Adriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

no me gusto por el jefe era pendejo y en alguna partes de terror y pato Donald era pendejo
me gusto igual el desarrolló
adriel*

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first manga and it was very fun, I loved the drawings and the plot was funny. The ducks really compliment each other in the story and their journey in Japan keeps you wanting more.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, a very Disney moral to it. Learning the value of omotenashi aligns a lot with the goals Disney sets for its front line cast members. Plus I just love these three.

[Jourdain · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cut!!

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child's extremely detailed review: it's good.

Adult review: it's on my neverending TBR, please wait.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit weird. Not sure if it's intended for a Japanese audience and translated into English, or aimed at us from inception. Little things were off ... Donald didn't resemble his normal character model, and didn't really act like his usual self. His sidekicks are known for their bright coloration, and in a black-and-white manga it was extremely difficult to tell t hem apart (and not really worth doing). Plots would arise and halt, with no resolution—even the ending seemed off, as if another 10 or 12 pages were missing.

What I liked was the introduction to Japanese culture, the setting of the ryokan, and the artwork of some panels was lovely. But with the art style being off (Donald not looking like Donald ... and couldn't the other birds have at least been shaded?), and the narrative strangely delivered, this book was lucky to get a 3 from me. It's really only my affection for Disney and Japan that's keeping it up there.

(Note: I'm a writer myself, so suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. These aren't ratings of quality, just my subjective account of how much I liked them: 5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)

[Chulandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book a 4.5 star rating I thought that it was a very cute book that talked about some important topics like responsibility which was done in a cute and comical way. I would recommend this to someone that loves Disney and someone that is looking for a cute book to read however I’m not sure that I would recommend this to just anybody.