Cbr17bingo White
It Rhymes With Takei by George Takei, Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger took me over a week to read. This is not because it was a bad graphic novel, but for three main reasons. First, it is actually on the longer side. Second, because it has heavy subjects it deals with. And finally, the pages can be a bit crowded, making images and text blur together and/or making it hard to follow at times, so I just took my time with it.
Is it perfect? Not exactly, as there were a few places I would have liked more information and others that I felt were too long. One of the themes that I think was covered well is the reason for the title, It Rhymes With Takei, which of course means Gay. And George says if you are in a state and/or situation where the Don’t Say Gay laws are in effect, or you need to speak in code but you need to talk about it, use a rhyming word. And of course, he is happy to lend his name to this cause. After all, he will later find himself with the love of his life in a Takei Marriage.
Plus, just like They Called Us Enemies it is a great look into the life of a person who we have watched not only battle Space Issues, but his own personal demons and we knew nothing about that. We are able to experience something we might not directly experience, learning why this is not just an Actor story, but a Person story. Starting with a more modern setting, we follow George as he grows into the man we know and love today. Ending in early 2025, this coming of age story is one for the ages. Politics, family, love, careers, friends, and even a bit of history and current events all come together on the page through the eyes of an actor and activist.
The cover gives you the style of illustrations but does not give you the full picture. Of course the rainbow is important to him as later in life he came out as a gay man, but also because he did and still does, promote diversity and inclusion. The illustrations support things, a few give you a piece of the story, but mostly they are there to hold Takei’s words. Overall, this is a good story, good graphic novel, but perhaps not one to start your graphic novel journey. Of course, if you are a fan of Takei’s it is a must read, as it does give insight into his process. I would love to see an updated autobiography of him that covers his acting accomplishments as well and feelings of some of the parts he played (especially that Twilight Zone episode, which is touched on, but I know there is something more).
And of course this is White as look at that great white background that allows all the colors to fly off the cover.
If you want to read more by Takei, I recommend the picture book My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story for the younger reader, but also the adult will appreciate it as well.