Gentle comics from a gentle world
February 19, 2022 1:54 PM Subscribe
Odekake Kozame, "Outing child shark", is a series of wonderful, gentle comics posted to Twitter by the psuedonymous Penguinbox, about a happy little shark who goes on various outings and activities in a Japanese town, whether that's going to an age-appropriate movie, running a race, enjoying illumination lights, winning an extra chilled pineapple, or making friends with the whack-a-mole-like snakes instead of hitting them.
New strips are posted to Twitter and often later in full resolution to Pixiv; if you're in a bad mood or just looking to feel nice for a bit, you really ought to click through to Penguinbox's Twitter and just start scrolling. He usually replies to each post with a link to the previous story, so it's easy to just click back through them.
There's not really a plot or story; it's just a bunch of little slice-of-life stories of nice things happening and the little shark being happy. There's some recurring themes and characters- the little shark loves pineapple, for example, and does not like peas, but loves sharks and anything relating to the ocean. One of the more common comments from Penguinbox's more than quarter-million Twitter followers is that the strip is "healing", and the gentleness and kindness of it is certainly a blessing in a time that is ever in need of such things.
The comics are in Japanese, but most of them are perfectly comprehensible (and lovely!) even if you can't read them. Here's some favorite examples! I don't speak Japanese; the provided titles and subtitles are Google translated from the titles and subtitles given on the Pixiv pages. There's a lot that haven't been uploaded to Pixiv yet, so if you're like me and can't get enough you're gonna need to do some Twitter scrolling.
Outing child shark going out to the movie theater (The story of watching a wonderful movie) (the first story!)
Outing child shark a place like the sea (A nice sea that you can walk to)
Outing child shark sketchbook (Drawing together)
Outing child shark chew chew ice (Cool share)
Outing child shark rain and dance (There is a rainbow because there is rain)
Outing child shark fluffy (Everywhere is fluffy)
Outing child shark Obento (Delicious lunch )
Outing child shark aloha shop (Only colorful and wonderful things)
Outing child shark winter bakery (Warm bread and soup)
Child shark and skateboard (The helmet is perfect )
Outing child shark duck man (Chu)
Child shark and muffler (Long!)
Outing child shark hot spring town (Others)
Outing child shark green peas
Child shark and Momotaro (The last page is the extra edition of Setsubun!) (If like me you are unfamiliar, Momotaro and Setsubun.)
New strips are posted to Twitter and often later in full resolution to Pixiv; if you're in a bad mood or just looking to feel nice for a bit, you really ought to click through to Penguinbox's Twitter and just start scrolling. He usually replies to each post with a link to the previous story, so it's easy to just click back through them.
There's not really a plot or story; it's just a bunch of little slice-of-life stories of nice things happening and the little shark being happy. There's some recurring themes and characters- the little shark loves pineapple, for example, and does not like peas, but loves sharks and anything relating to the ocean. One of the more common comments from Penguinbox's more than quarter-million Twitter followers is that the strip is "healing", and the gentleness and kindness of it is certainly a blessing in a time that is ever in need of such things.
The comics are in Japanese, but most of them are perfectly comprehensible (and lovely!) even if you can't read them. Here's some favorite examples! I don't speak Japanese; the provided titles and subtitles are Google translated from the titles and subtitles given on the Pixiv pages. There's a lot that haven't been uploaded to Pixiv yet, so if you're like me and can't get enough you're gonna need to do some Twitter scrolling.
Outing child shark going out to the movie theater (The story of watching a wonderful movie) (the first story!)
Outing child shark a place like the sea (A nice sea that you can walk to)
Outing child shark sketchbook (Drawing together)
Outing child shark chew chew ice (Cool share)
Outing child shark rain and dance (There is a rainbow because there is rain)
Outing child shark fluffy (Everywhere is fluffy)
Outing child shark Obento (Delicious lunch )
Outing child shark aloha shop (Only colorful and wonderful things)
Outing child shark winter bakery (Warm bread and soup)
Child shark and skateboard (The helmet is perfect )
Outing child shark duck man (Chu)
Child shark and muffler (Long!)
Outing child shark hot spring town (Others)
Outing child shark green peas
Child shark and Momotaro (The last page is the extra edition of Setsubun!) (If like me you are unfamiliar, Momotaro and Setsubun.)
Lovely! He looks like he'd be a great penpal for Jeff the Land Shark.
posted by signal at 4:02 PM on February 19, 2022
posted by signal at 4:02 PM on February 19, 2022
These are absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
posted by Zumbador at 8:43 PM on February 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Zumbador at 8:43 PM on February 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
It may be helpful for those not exposed to Japanese comics before that they read right-to-left!
posted by Merus at 9:12 PM on February 19, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by Merus at 9:12 PM on February 19, 2022 [10 favorites]
This is just what I didn't know that I needed right now. Thanks!
posted by mollweide at 9:15 PM on February 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mollweide at 9:15 PM on February 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
I feel like there's an arc of wholesomeness here, a line we can draw from Baby Shark through Child Shark to Left Shark. We should consider a canon where these are the full story of a gentle young shark living a soft, full life.
posted by mhoye at 5:39 AM on February 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 5:39 AM on February 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
The cold pineapple one, with the confused vendor was charming and amusing. Thank you.
posted by Hactar at 10:00 AM on February 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Hactar at 10:00 AM on February 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
I am totally here for anything that's just gentle, kind, cute and happy like this. Never would have stumbled on this on my own, so thanks so much for sharing - great post! Gonna go share this with our resident teen, they will also love this.
posted by jzb at 10:06 AM on February 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jzb at 10:06 AM on February 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Lovely. I shall read these with our household blåhaj
posted by scruss at 7:56 AM on February 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by scruss at 7:56 AM on February 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
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