The tale of a man drifting through life, collecting cute, cuddly plushies and valuable life lessons along the way.
Kenny Loui is a self-proclaimed "UFO catcher," whose life goal is to "liberate" all plushies trapped in captivity inside arcade claw machines. In his UFO-catching journey, Kenny encounters a concerned guardian spirit who tries—but fails—to keep him out of trouble, a beautiful stranger with an affinity for dart games but is always missing her mark, a wise arcade owner who never hesitates to share his sage advice, and a rival who foils Kenny's crane game victories every chance he gets.
This collection of short stories chronicles Kenny’s experiences playing arcade UFO catchers, rescuing cute and cuddly plushies while capturing important life lessons along the way... just like Aesop's Fables, but with a modern-day twist (and an awesome 80's soundtrack)! Based on a true story.
This graphic novel collects all stories originally published in Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher #1-3 and features bonus content including extended scenes, an epilogue, BGM-enhanced stories, and character sketch art.
As admirable and relatable as his mission is, Loui’s adventure of course isn’t all fun and games. But as he hits roadblocks, his guardian spirit, Somi, offers resonant wisdom, encouraging Loui to find the principal lesson he must learn behind every obstacle. When Loui changes tactics mid-rescue, bully Killian steps in to steal his plushie, prompting Loui’s sage advice that you shouldn’t “ ‘flip flop’ in the middle of executing a plan… [or] you may end up opening the door to victory for somebody else.” That’s the start of a serious rivalry between Loui and Killian, and despite Somi’s efforts to help Loui keep his cool, he eventually loses it—and faces grave consequences afterwards.
Yamawe’s illustrations dazzle the eye while suggesting the narrative’s underlying themes, such as depicting Loui, and Killian’s, inner children, who deliver heightened emotion to some of the story’s more tense scenes. Loui sprinkles mature themes throughout as well, as when he’s momentarily distracted by the racy Gals Attack video game only to end up in an awkward position, prompting him to “stick with UFO catching!” Loui’s choice to include QR codes for a 1980s soundtrack to accompany the story is entertaining, and a fun counterpart to Somi’s moral-heavy philosophizing toward the end.
Takeaway: Entertaining slice-of-life manga built on serious moral lessons.
Comparable Titles: Tagawa Mi’s The Fox & Little Tanuki, Mamoru Hosoda’s The Boy and the Beast.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B+
"... a series of philosophical aphorisms combined with cutesy, bubble-gum pretty artwork and a dash of manga anarchy."
"Whether you ardently embrace otaku culture or have just learned how to pronounce manga, Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher is unassuming and off-the-wall, and is one of the most entertaining autobiographical accounts you’ll find on bookshelves today!"
"This entertaining, pleasantly mellow story... brims with exuberance and features an animated cast."
"This delightful tale of one man’s mission to rescue plushies is perfect for fans of slice-of-life anime and comedic, light-hearted adventures."
"... fun-filled manga adventure. ... masterfully crafted."
"... a heartwarming collection of short stories that will take you on a journey filled with arcade adventures, plushie rescues, and valuable life lessons."
"... will leave readers excited at the powerful combination of new twists and turns with just the right amount of culturally familiar anime elements."
"Gamers and manga lovers will have a blast with Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher. ... The story will entertain you as well as teach you some valuable lessons that you’re bound to find helpful in life."
"... a creative, lighthearted read. ... cheerful reminders of timeless advice."
"Simple, nice and kawaii. ... will leave a wholesome feeling in you."
The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga as among the best in family-friendly media, products and services. The MCA evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal, and cost.
The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) has named Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga and There is No Shrimp… And Other Lies My Mother Told Me as among the best in family-friendly media, products and services.
Hello, Mom’s Choice readers! We were delighted to get the opportunity to speak with Kenny Loui, Ph.D., the author of the extraordinary graphic novel, Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga. This debut graphic novel has won numerous accolades and awards. In it, he serves up pop culture from various countries and puts it together in a captivating, fresh new way—along with valuable life lessons for teen and young adult readers, and plenty of enjoyable features for an older audience, as well.
Loras College assistant professor of criminal justice Kenny Loui has been awarded a bronze medal in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest for his graphic novel, “Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga.”
Professor Kenny Loui, associate professor of criminal justice at Loras College, will debut two graphic novels this summer. “There is No Shrimp ... And Other Lies My Mother Told Me” and “Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher” have both received Mom’s Choice Awards ahead of their summer 2023 release.
