Fried Chicken and Sushi 336 Maybe we're just in a comic?

I wanted to draw a comic where J and Karl are questioning the comic strip reality they're living in.  I've done this before and probably will do it again.  It's never clear what time of the year it is in FC&S comics and I'm not sure when to start advancing time.  Now that J is in Japan, maybe the seasons can start changing?  One thing that is always present in these comic strips is the treatment of foreigners in Japan.  The good and the bad of it!  Expect more now that J is in town.

Fried Chicken and Sushi 335 J's reality is actually real!

This is the first time I've drawn J with big bulging eyes.  I wanted to save this look for him until he landed in Japan.  J is normally such a calm character, I thought it would be fun to see him as excited as Karl gets.  His excitement is something I wanted to have a slow burn.  J was in shock when he first arrived but seeing Karl makes it all real and his happiness jumps out (along with his eyes)!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 334 J and Ryan land in Japan!

FINALLY!  I've been waiting to draw this particular strip for years now!  J lands in Japan!  This marks a shift in the comic in some ways.  All of you long time fans out there are accustomed to Karl and J talking on the phone to each other but now J can have his own experiences in Japan.  One thing is for sure, they won't be the same as Karl's.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they both will go through in Osaka together!  If you're new to this comic, I hope you'll take the time to read through the archives and enjoy all the events that lead up to this.  If you enjoy FC&S, you can follow me on TWITTER and LIKE THE FACEBOOK FAN PAGE here or at the top of this page to show your love.  Thanks!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 333 J and Ryan on the plane to Japan

Don't hate on J.  You know if you were trapped on a plane sitting next to Ryan for fourteen hours, you'd do the same! 

Fried Chicken and Sushi 332 Mai texting needs clarity!

J is a lot like Karl, only opposite!  You guys get it right?  Well, maybe Karl could have found a clearer way to say that he and J have a lot in common but are still different people.  I know it's difficult to take all those sayings or slang phrases in English away and get used to speaking straight forward but Karl needs to get used to it.  If things work out for Karl and Mai, I'm sure she'll learn plenty of his strange English sayings.

Fried Chicken and Sushi 331 How will Tanuki handle J coming to Japan?

I think it's pretty clear how Tanuki really feels about J coming to Japan.  Karl will have to figure out a way to explain to J why he's always buying new plates.  Let's hope Karl saves plenty of "New plates" money for when he hangs out with J and Tanuki needs to deal with feeling jealous. 

Fried Chicken and Sushi 330 How was that last date?

You all have to be thinking it.  Karl is just comfortable enough with J to say it.  I think it's really hard to give yourself fully to someone you feel is special if you know you're about to leave the country.  All the "what if" questions arise and it can stop a relationship from progressing due to fear.  Let's see what will happen with J and Beverly as they're separated by countries.  This should be interesting.  It's also interesting to LIKE FRIED CHICKEN AND SUSHI on FACEBOOK!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 329 J and Beverly's last date

Don't worry, I don't think she means he'll be doomed if he goes to Japan.  Beverly knows how much J loves Japanese culture so she's probably concerned that he'll feel right at home there and never want to come back to America.  I've seen it happen to Americans I know that moved there.  What do you think?  Are you one of those people?

Fried Chicken and Sushi 328 Can Ryan say goodbye with a dry eye?

I guess leaving the American office behind will be harder for Ryan than we thought.  Or, he's just an emotional kind of guy.  Nothing wrong with that!  Right?  When you get a minute, please LIKE my Fried Chicken and Sushi FACEBOOK page!  Thanks for reading!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 327 When should Karl send Mai a text?

Don't enter the "Friend" zone Karl.  Send her a text!  I think Tanuki was very clear.  Let's hope Karl listens.  It was great meeting new fans at the Big Wow Comic Fest in San Jose, CA this past weekend!  I hope you're enjoying the strip.  Please make a comment and join the community of Fried Chicken and Sushi lovers!  You can follow me on FACEBOOK and TWITTER here or at the top of the page.  Thanks!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 326 Karl's belly is never full in Japan

This one is so true for me!  My first month living in Japan I had to just get accustomed to feeling hungry constantly.  Then, my stomach got smaller and I was ok.  Now, whenever I visit Japan, I can't eat enough!  Did you have a similar experience?

Fried Chicken and Sushi 325 J's Boss and his new clothes

Sometimes you just gotta let it all go!  It was nice of the boss to show his support of J by dressing in uncomfortably tight Japanese clothing though!  Wish I had a boss like that!  If you've ever put on a kimono before, you know how tight it can be around the middle.  Letting your gut out of it sure feels good!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 324 Dusty Bunny Roomies

Talking dust bunnies.  My brain works in strange ways.  I must admit, I did feel like the dust bunnies in my Japanese apartment were a bit too much.  Maybe I'm just dirty.  Any of you out there can relate to this?  You know those black dust balls in Miyazaki movies?  Now I know what inspired them. ;)

Fried Chicken and Sushi 323 Packed up and ready for confidence

Karl should have at least asked Mai when she would like to go out.  Tomorrow, next week, in a month?  Let's hope he hasn't lost her before this relationship even begins.  Can't get too mad him though.  I know what he's going through. ;)

Fried Chicken and Sushi 322 The Black Samurai asks for help

With that, we take a little break from the Black Samurai.  I hope you've enjoyed this story arc with the spirits.  I love drawing these pages but they do take up quite a bit of time.  Thanks for checking them out!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 321 Will Mai go out with Karl?

All I have to say is, it's about time!  I hope you're happy for Karl.

Fried Chicken and Sushi 320 Trying to ask Mai out?

Don't you just hate it when you're out with friends and you're trying to talk to one person you're interested in but you just can't!  I don't know why Hachiro and Yumi didn't get the picture.  Anyway, looks like Karl finally got his chance.  Will he have the courage to go through with asking Mai out?  Stay tuned. ;)

Fried Chicken and Sushi 319 The Faces of J's Culture Shock

Do you remember when Karl went through this?  If not, you should go back to the first few FC&S strips.  It will be fun to see how similar and different J's experiences in Japan will be compared to Karl's.  It's clear that J is  good at looking confident on the outside but it's still a huge opportunity that would make anyone a little scared on the inside. 

Fried Chicken and Sushi 318 Manga Karl can relate to

So Karl gets a manga about an English teacher working in Japan and it turns out to be about making fun of the English teacher working in Japan.  It's a good thing Tanuki could translate to make everything clear! Right?  Or, maybe it would have been better for Karl to think it was a comic similar to his situation.  Oh, well!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 317 There's a limit to manga variety

Tanuki just needs to realize that a manga about him just wouldn't work!  Actually, it would probably become a huge hit.  I'll give it a thought.  I love the variety of manga out there.  It would be so wonderful if we had that kind of variety in American comics.  Things are getting better now that big publishers like Scholastic are putting out creative comics for kids.  As far as Japanese manga, I just started reading BAKUMAN and I love it!  It's so fun to read about how the manga industry works in Japan and how passionate manga creators are about their art and careers.