My Japanese Husband STILL Thinks I'm Crazy

Texan & Tokyo #2

by Grace Buchele Mineta, Ryosuke Mineta (Foreword), Rebecca Manuel (Editor)

Grace and Ryosuke are back, with another year of adventures in Tokyo!

Ever Why is sticking your chopsticks in a bowl of rice socially unacceptable? What's the best way to get free tissues in Japan? Why do people buy chicken on Christmas? Does eating an egg hard-boiled in sulfur really extend your life? What are you really supposed to do with business cards after a meeting? Who actually buys a poop-shaped hat? How are you supposed to recycle expired Tofu? What is the easiest way to get rid of a cold (in Japan)?
The answers to these questions and more are drawn in the pages of this book.
My Japanese Husband (still) Thinks I'm Crazy is the semi-autobiographical story of Grace, a native Texan, her hilarious husband Ryosuke, and her over-active imagination personified in a talking rabbit, Marvin. Their life is told through a series of comics depicting the joys and hardships of living abroad. After all, just because something is "different" doesn't mean that it's wrong.

Genres: Nonfiction, Comics, Japan, Graphic Novels, Humor, Biography, Ebooks

168 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2015

Reviews

[Jamie Lynn Lano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm using the same comic that I used for the last review, because I want people to see how much I loved this book. :)

Grace, you had better keep writing for a long, long time! I can see how much you've grown with this book, too!

[Randee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can pretty much say the same thing that I wrote for #1. Grace, an American, married Ryosuke, a Japanese man, and she details their life in Tokyo through cartoons and some basic information.! It’s cute and I used to love watching their YouTube episodes. My dream is to live in Tokyo so I find her information always interesting.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread #3 on April 2020 for this amazing and funny book about Grace and Ryosuke. Really had fun rereading this book, staying inside at least does something good... though rereading is more a necessity as I want to keep reading and libraries have been closed for over 2 weeks now and will stay closed for another month at least. I loved the mix of comics and text. Reading about Grace's life, her blog, and of course all the things Japan. I am glad I got all the books in this series because I definitely want more of Grace. I had such a laugh when she cut her hair short and her hubby was all sad and confused, but I also laughed with that poop hat (though it seemed to change size at least once). I am really only not a fan of that figment of her imagination. Meh.

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Another amazing book by Grace Buchele Mineta. I really loved it, she and Ryosuke are really cute together. I also loved all the text parts that explained stuff about Japan.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being new to Grace's work, blog and videos I was missing out on some great laughs.

I haven't read her first book, but this latest release can be a stand alone read.

It has more day to day funny experiences that Texan Grace and her Japanese college sweetheart husband Ryosuke's life in Tokyo, in comic strip form with cute illustrations and even teach us readers about the Japanese culture.

I find the stories full of humor, love, relationships and culture. Something we can all relate to one way or another.

The best is Grace's explanations and short summaries of certain Japanese customs and traditions and terminology. Also, a lovely intro of how to navigate her book.

I am definitely going back to read her 1st book and continue to follow her on social media. Will recommend this read to my family and friends.

*Given an e-copy for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second volume of Mineta's autobiographical comics is as charming and educational as the first. The hand-drawn comics are adorable and packed with information about making a life in Japan, especially as a foreigner. Prose sections interspersed throughout, often clarifying points from the comics and giving more detailed information about Japanese culture. Some of the comics or articles might look familiar to fans of Grace's blog, but there's a great deal of new content as well.

The book examines the topics of cultural displacement, romantic relationships, and family extensively, so readers interested in any of the above should definitely take a look. It's a quick read (I devoured it in under an hour), but a very fun one; ideal for a daily commute or a plane ride.

[Gemma Masson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join Grace Buchele Mineta, her husband Ryosuke and fictional rabbit Marvin as they continue their adventures living in modern Tokyo.

Through a combination of comics and informative articles on modern Japanese culture, relationships and the ups and downs of living in another country the reader not only observes life through the eyes of everyone's favourite Texan in Tokyo, but is also educated and immersed in Japanese traditions.

Every bit as riveting and entertaining as the first installment, here's to hoping there are many more to come! Recommended for fans of the blog, comics and Japan aficionados everywhere as well as anyone in favour of a good giggle in general!

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to get my hands on her book to see the comics in an organized and narrative fashion! Grace does an excellent job of sharing episodes from her life and throws in just enough explanation so that people who may not be very familiar with Japan can understand and enjoy her comics too. If you want to learn a bit about Japanese culture and fall in love with a really cute couple, you should read this book right away, and maybe you too will remember similar experiences you have had in Japan, maybe it will make you want to come visit, or maybe it will just help you glimpse the craziness that makes Grace and Ryosuke such a cute couple!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Grace's blog since I studied abroad in Japan. When she opened her Youtube account, I immediately subscribed to her account. Her experiences are her own, but they also help me when I went to Japan. Most importantly though, they help me with my own relationship! The book is sweet and eye-opening to the cultures in Japan. However, the aim of this book is to just give us an eye into her relationship and daily life, which I love. This is not a guide to Japan or relationships. I love the book so much more because it combines everything I love-- relationship, Japan, new culture, family, travels! I give it a 5 star rating!

[Alkmini Sayehopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello everyone!
I strongly recommend this book for all of you who enjoy comics and funny stories!
I read all 100 and 80something pages in one day and I sincerely enjoyed it! If I might say, I even found it better than the first book with a wider area of topics and a lot of funny situations! At this point I am looking forward to the next book!
Don't hesitate to also buy it as a present for a friend who is visiting Japan or enjoys Japanese culture, it has a lot of useful information that can help someone "survive" in such a different culture without making a bad impression!
Thank you Grace for making my day!

[Jess Neuner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been following Grace and Ryosuke on YouTube (Texan in Tokyo) for ages, so I was happy to discover these books. I like Grace's artwork - it's adorable, funny, and informative while telling a good story in each comic. I used to live in Tokyo, so a lot of the comics remind me a lot of my time there and the cultural differences I ran into.

My favourites were the comics involving the poop hat (my boyfriend has a poop pillow and likes to put it on me, telling me that I've been pooped on and thinks it's hilarious). I liked that the comics showed a lot more about their relationship and were different from the content on her website and on YouTube.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a regular reader of Grace's blog, it was awesome to see a bunch of new comics that hadn't been posted before! Yes, some of them are already on the blog but I think there are enough new ones to make it worthwhile getting a copy of this :)
I particularly enjoyed the way the book was laid out, with interesting and informative sections describing things mentioned in the comics in more detail.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in relationships, other countries, everyday life.. basically anyone who likes having a laugh and learning something at the same time!

[Louana Van Luttervelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy that Grace wrote a sequel to her first book. I hope she keeps producing sequels because they are just so much to read. Sometimes I learn new things about Japan or Grace and Ryosuke as a couple (they're adorable), and other times I recognize situations I experienced myself living in Japan or being married to a Japanese man. I'm amazed at Grace's talent to explain or demonstrate funny or interesting situations through short comics, she's a great storyteller and an excellent artist!

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book! As someone who has lately become a fan of Japanese culture, this little book has offered me the great opportunity to have a glimpse into the adventure of going to live to Japan. It is a very personal book so it do makes you feel the surprise and the shock of being immerse in a culture so different and complex.
I totally recommend this book not only to people interested in Japan. But also to everyone interested in expanding its horizon about culture and life.

[Katie Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Grace and her husband are really fun people; even reading about daily life is incredibly interesting. I love reading about Japan, so it was nice to read the segments interspersed with comics to explain some of the cultural things in further detail. I enjoy following the blog, too!

Thank you, Grace, for giving me a free version I exchange for a review!

[Molshree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I thought it was incredibly funny and sincere. Grace as a very distinct writing/comicing voice. The comic deals with the haphazards that happen when is trying to navigate life, but the true heart of the book is the adorable loving relationship between the author and her partner.
Its a great read. I finished it in one sitting and have read it multiple time after.

[Chuu]

It was a a cute and quick read. I read it in one sitting. You can feel the love and hard work put into the book. Gave it a 4/5 because as an avid follower of Grace's blog, a lot of the comics were repeats.

[Emma Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. I devoured it in about an hour. I would recommend this book as an interesting and entertaining read for anyone.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still cute, and still funny. Grace, Ryosuke, and Marvin madness still ensue while Grace runs through life in Japan.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I couldn't sleep last night, started reading this and was up till 3 am till I finished. I liked it a lot. For me it's a fun and quirky dose of Grace and Ryosuke plus new facts about Japan.

[Ria Bridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd collection of comics is a good continuation of the first, providing more of the same style of humour and daily life stuff that you expect after the 1st book.

Much of what’s in here stands on its own, so you don’t need to have read the first book to understand what’s going on. There’s no plot, just a series of instances. The only thing that really involves continuity is the presence of Marvin, a random talking rabbit that pops up now and again. But even he gets a little intro before the comics really begin, so you won’t be horribly confused if you pick up this book before the first one.

The joys of one-shots!

You can definitely see the evolution of the art style, even now. Less in terms of drawing the characters themselves (though there are some changes in appearance here and there), but more in the way the comics are no longer presented as 100% 3-panel events. Sometimes there’s more, sometimes less, in accordance with what the scene needs. It’s nice to see some experimentation here, which makes it all feel less formulaic and more organic.

(I say as though I’m some expert judge of comic styles…)

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Grace and Ryosuke

Fell in love with these two from their video series on YouTube after they stopped doing social media. Then I realized it was ME in the video of Ryosuke's trip to Hawaii (I'm the one he said hi to on the beach). Life is crazy right? Too bad I probably won't get to talk to them now. Anyway, I am really enjoying the books.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read but it's so adorable that I can't even get mad. I bought all three books for under twenty dollars and have no regrets.

[FantasticRICHAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite a good book.

[Hanny Minarwati · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the second book of "My Japanese Husband Thinks that I am Crazy". Like the first book, I also like the second one. It's light, funny, yet still insightful.

[Fiction Diversity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://fictiondiversity.com/2015/02/1...



My Japanese Husband Thinks I’m Crazy and the followup, My Japanese Husband (STILL) Thinks I’m Crazy are a series of comic books by Grace Buchele Mineta, an American blogger and freelance writer living with her Japanese husband in Tokyo. Mineta explores the humor and small insights to be found in her day-to-day life through her endearing, largely single-panel comics, complemented by explanations of expat life in Japan.

In her second book, Mineta continues to use humor to explore the issues that naturally abound when two unique people create their own version of family life. The humor is more of what Mineta’s readers have come to appreciate. From debates over the appropriate length of time to allow dishes to “soak” in the sink, to the culturally-dependent calculation of the length of the human gestational period, My Japanese Husband (STILL) Thinks I’m Crazy does not disappoint.

Mineta grows deeper thematically in the followup, sharing her struggles with anxiety, depression, and the difficulties of living in a foreign country in which one is completely dependent upon one’s partner. She writes openly about her frustration with the misunderstandings and occasional racism directed towards herself and her husband.

Much of what keeps me laughing aloud through the series is my ability to relate to Mineta’s experiences as an American woman living in Japan, through both my familiarity with Japanese life and my experience of being treated as a walking anthropology project (while living in Nagoya, I even had a doctor assume that my preference for a topical, rather than oral, medication must be due to my Americanness, when in fact my preference was due to the effectiveness of the medication). In her comics, Mineta turns the anthropology project on its head and examines American-Japanese cultural differences from the intimate perspective of her own intercultural marriage. However, Mineta’s emotive experiences will be recognized not only by those familiar with the Japanese/American dynamic, but to any intercultural couple or anyone who has lived abroad at some point in their lives.

There is clearly room for further growth in both artistry and storytelling. Mineta, waxing self-reflective in a narrative portion of the book, seems aware of the space into which she is growing. She writes, “At some point you just have to let go… knowing full well you might look back in a couple years and be embarrassed by the finished product.” Mineta is clearly a talented comic artist, and her gift for both humor and feeling in personal narrative is evident. If Mineta is in fact someday embarrassed, it will be only from the perspective of the gifted artist and storyteller she has become. I look forward to watching her career progress.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

*First posted on Jessica's Rainbow Inspiration on 16th February 2015.

I'm a fan of Texan in Tokyo and jumped at the chance to take part in the ambassador programme for "My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy!", which she's self-publishing.

Grace is the poster girl of a successful self-published author! She funded her first book, "My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy", via Kickstarter. And the sales were good enough that she's self-publishing "My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy"!

Like "My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy!", "My Japanese Husband (Still) Thinks I'm Crazy!" is surprisingly addictive and keeps me turning the pages once I started reading! Comprising 60% never-before-seen comics (higher than "My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy!"), 40% comics that have been published on the blog and short essays about Japanese culture, living and working in Japan and intercultural/interracial relationships, this book is a light-hearted and informative look into Japan and interracial/intercultural relationships. When I read this comic book, I smile from the bottom of my heart because the relationship between Grace and Ryosuke is so sweet and the comics are so cute! My favourite parts of the book are the short essays because I learn more about the author and Japanese culture through these sections.

I have read both of the author's books now and have noticed that the books seem more like a collection of comics. Of course, within each book, there are sections of related comics. But I would love to see the author do a comic book centered around a theme for a more cohesive and tighter structure and storyline.

Since the author draws about 10 comics a week these days, I would also love to read a comic book of all-new comics! I think this would be a lovely surprise to the readers.

I highly recommend this book to fans of or people who are interested in knowing more about Japanese culture and intercultural/interracial relationships.

[kyendwarrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://ethpages.blogspot.com/2015/02/...

*Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book!*

Ahh so cute! <3 I've been following Texan in Tokyo for a while now, having stumbled across it from another one of my favorite blogs (My Korean Husband), and I've been an obsessive reader ever since. I LOOOOVED how there were lots of comics in one sitting because I ADORE her comics. (They are SO cute, but also pretty informative. ) One comic a day isn't enough for me, so I really liked sort of "binge reading" a bunch at once.

The drawing style of the comics was nice and clean, and I loved all the various facial expressions. ^-^ The comics were also really entertaining to read. Some of them have text underneath that give context for the situation, and it was fun learning about Japan through Grace's adorkable perspective. There were also comics about Grace's daily life with her husband in Japan (cutest couple ever ;) ), and her imaginary rabbit, Marvin. But what made this comic book so awesome was Grace's honest and adorkable (this word is SO perfect) voice. She's funny and warm, and her voice is the heart of this comic book. ;)

One thing I thought was a little confusing was that some of the comics seem to continue onto the next page, but it wasn't really clear because there were no headings. Another thing I want to comment on is that I've seen a lot of her comics in this book from her blog. But for people who haven't heard of this blog (Go check it out!!), this book is perfect. <3

This is actually the sequel (memoir-sequel?) to the first book: My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy. I'm just about finish reading it, so please look forward to the review for that one. ~ ^-^

Here's the Amazon link to buy a copy of this book. :D

(PS: Don't skip the foreword! It's pretty adorbs. ;) )

Thanks for reading! ;)

Rating: 4 out of 5

[Robert Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace Mineta is widely known as the Texan in Tokyo because she's from Texas but now lives in Tokyo with her husband, Ryosuke. This book--which is funny, endearing, and informative all at the same time--is actually a sequel to her first book, My Japanese Husband Thinks I'm Crazy. Although it does contain a few text-only sections, it is primarily a comic book which chronicles some of the funnier and more interesting domestic moments that the newlyweds face in navigating the challenges of living with and loving someone from a (sometimes) vastly different culture. Fortunately, they complement one another quite nicely, as Grace shows in many of the vignettes that she shares with her readers. In particular, I love the way that she draws her 'characters' and the sometimes charmingly off-the-wall or humorously eccentric things that she and Ryosuke do or say (such as the time that the couple first realized that they were weird, and completely okay with it--it's funny: trust me). And my favourite character in Grace's comics is Marvin, the imaginary bunny that Grace occasionally uses to illustrates how she sees the world and interacts with Japanese society and culture as a foreigner--he's adorable (and a very novel plot device)! Older readers will undoubtedly note that he's got a bit of a Calvin and Hobbes thing going on, if you know what I mean. In summary, I highly recommend My Japanese Husband Still Thinks I'm Crazy.

[Faterider · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Grace's blog religiously and follow intently her adventures as a freelancer in Tokyo with lively interest and envy. Hence, I'm not new to her comics, for I come across them often on her blog. She's married to a Japanese salaryman and hence, offers a layered look at Japanese society as I would say she is more immersed in Japanese society than the typical foreigner.

Still, this book offered me several pleasant surprises as lots of comics were not available on her blog. I especially enjoyed how she included comics that involved her father coming over to Japan and interacting with her father-in-law. After all, marriage is the union of not just two people, but also two families, so it was nice reading how these two families took to each other.

I also particularly enjoyed how her comics were interspersed with her introspective and informative articles on various aspects of Japanese society. Not only does this break the monotony of the book, but it also offers authentic insights for the reader who might not be so familiar with Japanese culture.

I quite enjoyed the stream-of-consciousness style in which this book was written. After all, life is a disjointed tapestry of memorable moments. Still, I can't help feeling that some comics would impact more on the reader if they were consolidated as a chapter. (Case in point: her comics on her travels to Kyoto and Osaka.) However, this didn't deviate from my enjoyment of the book;).

[Maki ⌒☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trying to avoid Amazon lately - whenever I go there, I end up grabbing more books than I can read, to add on top of the thousand or so books still sitting unread on my Kindle. I've got very poor impulse control when it comes to books. I'm not allowed to go into actual book stores without a spotter.

However, my husband tasked me with finding us a nice new bookshelf and media center to buy later on in the year. I grudgingly started looking at what was available on Amazon, telling myself that I wouldn't do any searches for books while I was there.

I broke down and searched for books.

The upside of my uncontrollable book addiction was that I stumbled across this gem.

The book is a mixture of Japanese cultural facts and comics detailing the author's experiences living in a foreign country, and the challenges that come with that - like the novelty of banana vending machines wearing off.



The comics themselves are adorable and funny. The cultural tidbits are fascinating - I'd known a bit about several of the topics mentioned, but the descriptions in the book did a good job of fleshing everything out.

I'm now going to go kill the rest of my morning staring at her blog. *wanders off*