LOST IN TAIWAN

A grumpy teen finds himself lost in an unfamiliar city when his phone breaks.

It’s been four days since Paul, a White American boy, arrived in Taiwan to visit Theo, his older brother who is teaching there, and he has shown no interest in sightseeing. Instead, he’s remained in Theo’s apartment, eating takeout from McDonald’s and playing games on his phone. Paul finally ventures out when a friend tells him about an exclusive video game console, but when he arrives at the store after a long and winding journey through the city, the item turns out to be a knockoff child’s toy. To make matters worse, Paul then drops his phone in a gutter, rendering it unusable. With no access to online maps and no comprehension of Chinese, Paul despairs of ever getting back. Fortunately, he’s approached by Peijing, a friendly English-speaking Taiwanese girl who offers to take Paul with her on some errands around the city in hopes that he’ll recognize a street or landmark. Along the way, Peijing introduces Paul to the local culture and cuisine and even teaches him a few words in Mandarin. The story’s sincere message of broadening cultural horizons is accompanied by detailed illustrations that resemble pencil line art and watercolor washes. The images and stylized onomatopoeic sound effects capture the atmosphere of Changbei, a fictional city whose portrayal strongly and vividly evokes metropolitan areas of Taiwan.

A visual love letter to Taiwan.