From Sophia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” to Nick Hornby’s “High Fidelity,” we’re a sucker for a good relationship story, which is a big part of why Adrian Tomine’s work has always appealed to us. And while his latest offering (and first full-length work) “Shortcomings” isn’t quite of the caliber of the aforementioned favorites, it is a little gem of a book. And Tomine’s skills as an illustrator ain’t too shabby either. His keen eye for capturing the subtleties of a moment are superior to his peers, as is his ear for dialogue. And though they may be drawn in black and white, his characters are colorful and interesting. So too are the urban settings the story is set in — the cafes and bedrooms of Berkeley, California and New York City.

At the center of the novella is Ben Tanaka, a cynical Japanese-American movie theater manager who is obsessed with white girls, and who is struggling to get along with Miko, his not-white live-in girlfriend. The pair fight frequently, mostly because Ben is a self-obsessed jerk, but also because he can’t quite manage to keep his disdain for Miko’s interests to himself. Adding some comic relief to the story is Alice, Ben’s Korean-American best friend/lesbian, who is eternally at college — most recently at an all-girls school — where Alice never tires of the “incoming freshwomyn.”

“Shortcomings” is an quick and breezy read, but it still packs a lot of emotion into its 100 pages. Tomine’s previous work has been bashed for being overly-emo, but those criticisms can be finally put to bed. Here he keeps the story rooted in relationships without weighing it down, or more accurately, lightening it up, with the overly-romantic youthful fantasies of his earlier stories. Though his earlier works were good, “Shortcomings” is much better. It would also make for a cool little film. Richard Linklater or Terry Zwigoff should direct. Sean Lennon or Masi Oka should star.

Here’s a page from the book:

Related posts: Upcoming Book-to-Film Adaptations | A ‘Black Hole’ Worth Falling Into | Our So-Called Book Review