Award: 2020 Harvey Award
Recent works: <[Big Letter Book] Shines As Time passes, <Tomorrow Is Another Day>, <Shines As Time passes>…a total of 30 kinds
Introduction of the book provided by the publisher
Kim Geum-sook's new work, "Tomorrow is Another Day," which has won several international cartoon awards and established itself as a world-class graphic novel writer, was published by Strawberry Bookstore, which produced the artist's previous work "Waiting" published in 12 countries.He passionately portrays those who endured the great events of modern history through "Full", "Waiting", and "Giseul", and tells small but deep stories around us in a low voice.
"Tomorrow Is Another Day" is about a couple who desperately wish for a child but suffer from infertility.The vivid characters drawn by the artist empathize with the struggles and struggles of infertile couples and reflect on our society's conventional wisdom and attitude toward "birth."The difficulties of infertile couples represented by the main couple are not small, but their future is not hopeless.The artist, who has been drawing with black and white ink so far, concludes the last chapter of the book with a watercolor painting of bright colors and wishes for a peaceful life for the protagonist, infertile couple.
an age of ultra-low birth, a couple waiting for a child
There are many voices of concern about the severe low birth rate in our society.Various cause analysis and alternative suggestions are continuing, but it seems that no clear countermeasures have been found yet.In the era of ultra-low birth rate and the growing phenomenon of avoiding childbirth due to various economic and social environments, there are infertile couples on the other side who are desperately trying to have children.The main characters of the book, "Sea" and "San," are also such people.
Thirty-four-year-old cartoonist Bada lives with her husband, San, who plays music.When asked, "Do you have any good news?" they reply in a blunt manner, saying, "I'm not going to have a child," but in fact, the two are hoping for a child.It's been a year since I didn't use contraception, but they just don't have children.In order to have children more actively, Bada and San visit a hospital, undergo a fertility test, and are recommended for in vitro procedures.After a big decision, the in vitro procedure starts, but there are a lot of things to handle.
Early ovulation suppression injections are given 10 days before the start of menstruation, and hyperovulation injections are given 3 days after the start.The injection is regularly given at 6 p.m. every day.Every day, he puts a needle in his belly button at 90 degrees, but the sea never gets used to this.Two days after the ovarian injection, I go to the hospital to collect my eggs.My husband also collects semen from the hospital.And egg collection through sleep anesthesia, embryo transfer procedure that follows three days later, and eagerly waiting pregnancy news…But the procedure is not successful.Sea and San comfort each other "to go well" and prepare for the next in vitro procedure by building their bodies for more than six months.Three years have passed during the four rounds of in vitro procedures, and their bodies are that old.On her fourth attempt, after hearing a doctor's diagnosis that it had become virtually impossible to obtain a healthy embryo, Sea eventually gave up the in vitro procedure.
If you're born a human, you should have a baby.
In vitro treatment is a mentally and physically demanding process, but there is another thing that makes infertile couples difficult.That's what people around you say about "birth."
"If you were born as a person, you should have a child...What's the point of living without children?
Get old, you only have children." (p. 31)
"Isn't this West your only son?""When you have a son, you should be loved by your parents-in-law." (Page 33)
"All my friends have become grandmothers." (p. 71)
The mother collects the allowance given by her child and builds her daughter's herbal medicine.A herbal medicine that warms your body is called "a medicine that gives birth to children.The mother believes that the sea must give birth to a child, just like the truth of the world she has lived in.The mother-in-law asks casually about her pregnancy.The love of the mother-in-law and mother-in-law for their unborn grandchildren motivates the sea to decide on a test tube procedure, but also puts pressure on her.In traditional society, "birth" meant "to connect generations," so it was a family problem rather than a couple's problem.The elder sister of the sea was sacrificed by the values of the previous era.My sister's in-laws and brother-in-law wanted a child from their diabetic sister.My sister's baby is always wrong.Several pregnancies and miscarriages made her sister's health extremely deteriorate, and in the meantime, she risked her life to give birth to a son.Instead, her sister lost her sight and her diabetes symptoms worsened seriously.My older sister, who became a "family burden," died at the age of only 30.
The sea, who vowed not to live like her older sister, looks back on when she may be living the life that others want.
"Why do you hang your neck on a child like this?I loved my mom, but she was also the most distant being.Do I really want to be a mother?Or is she trying to have a baby because she's afraid she'll be old and alone?Do I have to give birth to a child to feel less failed in my life?" (Page 127-129)
an unexpected gift
Unexpected hope comes to Sea and San, who gave up the in vitro procedure.
"My baby's heartbeat is the best sound in the world." (p. 150)
Will a child come to Sea and San?Will peace come to the sea and San's hearts?