One of the many comics I picked up in Toronto at TCAF was a sweet little volume called Our Story Begins With… by Chilean writer and artist team Shihho and Naito.

In a genre awash in first love stories, what I find most interesting right now is unique presentation and perspective. Everyone has a first love that turns into a first relationship. We all understand the feelings, the circumstances, the big and little things that make up those days.  Our Story Begins With… looks at the things that represent those moments.

An MP3 player, a text message, a scarf, a suitcase. These items of every day life that represent a moment, a change, a crisis, a decision. It’s not a ground-breaking work, but it’s a truly lovely way to look at how a relationship develops. I spent some time looking around my house and remembering the where and when of that thing, and enjoying the memories. 

The art is clearly manga-influenced, and so is the story, but the way it is told makes it worth taking a look at. 

Ratings:

Overall – 7

Our Story Begins With… reminded me that, even a well-worn path can be worth retracing and may turn up some surprising new things.