The look Ina gives Jienny across the table speaks volumes. And that last panel is just so heartbreaking. But, I know it’s going to sound weird, but I love how you put the empty toilet roll there. A great little detail.
A lot of teenagers go through this. If you’re reading, just know that it gets a lot easier with time! Plant your feet, put your head down and soldier through!
you know that’s the only thing I have never understood about USA school life. Not the bullying, that’s kind of everywhere even if I believe in my country people is more prone to answer abuse with… self-defense? Anyway, what I mean is, what I can’t understand is the importance of… grades as a hierarchical order? I mean, in that sense, our schools don’t have such strong boundaries, especially not between brothers. *Sigh* Sorry, as you can see, English is not my native language. What I’ve been trying to say is, here, in my country, putting “strangers” before your own brother is unthinkable, unless, I don’t know, you always hated each other or something? Social/school pressure will never make you choose between peers and siblings, because you would ALWAYS choose siblings. Aaand this comment turned out to be an unnecessary ramble. Sorry about that! Really love your comic, and all the lore I did not know about!
It’s more of a “popular girl” kind of thing, I think. In my experience growing up, we boys don’t really care or do that at all. The dweebs all hung out with the dweebs, regardless of age/grade. The jocks hung out with the jocks. The metal heads with the metal heads… Age/grade really didn’t matter to us.
I agree, this is more about the type of company that Jienny keeps than about the US school system, though I think there is a lot of this happening in US schools. Basically, Jienny has chosen to be friends with people who put down basically everyone else, and to keep her friends she either plays along or quietly sits by why they do all the bullying. She didn’t really say much herself, but she let her friends tell Ina off and make fun of her earrings. She knows afterwards it was wrong, but the damage has already done. In addition, I imagine her desire to keep her friends is probably greater than the desire to make things right with Ina at this point in her life.
Also, the parents are at fault here too. They show a distinct lack of sympathy and support for Ina and have already set up the image that Jienny is the “better” daughter. They are fairly terrible parents. Raising your kids in a moderately well off family means nothing if you can’t support them emotionally and understand where they’re coming from. I’m not shocked at all that Ina is acting the way she is in current time. Her own family really doesn’t care about her and has left her to fend for herself for a large part of her life thus far. She’s grown spikes to protect herself.
How immature of you Jeinny…
The look Ina gives Jienny across the table speaks volumes. And that last panel is just so heartbreaking. But, I know it’s going to sound weird, but I love how you put the empty toilet roll there. A great little detail.
So that’s why she has that attitude with her sister. I can’t blame Ina for that.
A lot of teenagers go through this. If you’re reading, just know that it gets a lot easier with time! Plant your feet, put your head down and soldier through!
you know that’s the only thing I have never understood about USA school life. Not the bullying, that’s kind of everywhere even if I believe in my country people is more prone to answer abuse with… self-defense? Anyway, what I mean is, what I can’t understand is the importance of… grades as a hierarchical order? I mean, in that sense, our schools don’t have such strong boundaries, especially not between brothers. *Sigh* Sorry, as you can see, English is not my native language. What I’ve been trying to say is, here, in my country, putting “strangers” before your own brother is unthinkable, unless, I don’t know, you always hated each other or something? Social/school pressure will never make you choose between peers and siblings, because you would ALWAYS choose siblings. Aaand this comment turned out to be an unnecessary ramble. Sorry about that! Really love your comic, and all the lore I did not know about!
It’s more of a “popular girl” kind of thing, I think. In my experience growing up, we boys don’t really care or do that at all. The dweebs all hung out with the dweebs, regardless of age/grade. The jocks hung out with the jocks. The metal heads with the metal heads… Age/grade really didn’t matter to us.
I agree, this is more about the type of company that Jienny keeps than about the US school system, though I think there is a lot of this happening in US schools. Basically, Jienny has chosen to be friends with people who put down basically everyone else, and to keep her friends she either plays along or quietly sits by why they do all the bullying. She didn’t really say much herself, but she let her friends tell Ina off and make fun of her earrings. She knows afterwards it was wrong, but the damage has already done. In addition, I imagine her desire to keep her friends is probably greater than the desire to make things right with Ina at this point in her life.
Also, the parents are at fault here too. They show a distinct lack of sympathy and support for Ina and have already set up the image that Jienny is the “better” daughter. They are fairly terrible parents. Raising your kids in a moderately well off family means nothing if you can’t support them emotionally and understand where they’re coming from. I’m not shocked at all that Ina is acting the way she is in current time. Her own family really doesn’t care about her and has left her to fend for herself for a large part of her life thus far. She’s grown spikes to protect herself.
I get what you mean. Thanks for answering my questions you all!