Fried Chicken and Sushi 342 Meeting Mr. Fukushima

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I'm not exactly sure what Mr. Fukushima meant by that comment but I know it ain't good.  Remember, J almost didn't make it to Japan because "somebody" decided it was better to have Ryan.  I think that somebody is Mr. Fukushima.  I'm not sure why he's so turned off by a black man in Japan but we'll probably find out in the future! 

Fried Chicken and Sushi 341 Office jet-lagged?

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Wake up, Americans!  You don't want your boss to catch you sleeping on the job!  Anyone that's been through jet-lag can appreciate this!  I'm usually pretty good at staying awake when I'm sleepy but jet-lag is a mix of physical exhaustion from travel and the effects of a time change.  Together they force people to fall asleep at the worst moments!

Fried Chicken and Sushi 340 Kids are cooking with gas

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I really did enjoy watching my Junior High School students cooking.  Usaully, everything went fine and they did a good job.  Usually.  There was a time when one cooking team had a little bit too much flame action happening under their pan.  It was very exciting!  Also, pretty scary!  Do you have any cooking class stories from your school?

Fried Chicken and Sushi 338 The Foreign Regulations Bureau fights back!

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Karl's dreams may be getting more ridiculous but they sure are fun to draw!  I'm not the best with drawing robots but I think the Black Soul Destroyer 3000 came out looking pretty good.  The robot must have done a good job because there isn't much black soul in Japan.  Even the people that are into Hip-Hop clothing and culture in Japan seem to miss the whole "soul" thing.  Please, discuss. 

Fried Chicken and Sushi 337 J's Faces of Culture Shock: Shock Mode

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It's wonderful to be excited about arriving in Japan!  Everything looks and feels so wonderful!  Even though it isn't.  It must be culture shock!  Of course, no matter how excited you are, at some point you have to calm down and stop acting ridiculous.  Coming to Japan has been a dream of J's for many years so it's great to see him excited.  He's pretty good at playing it cool so I'm sure he'll be alright.  Let's hope!

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

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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!

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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!

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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 332 Mai texting needs clarity!

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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?

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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?

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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

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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 327 When should Karl send Mai a text?

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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 325 J's Boss and his new clothes

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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

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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. ;)