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Against
Studios:
Where did you get the idea for the original story?
Josie Lin:
Well, at the time I was going through some personal turmoil
dealing with relationships and such. Love has always been an
abstract concept to me, but it's something that I can't help but
to question at times. "What is love? What makes you think you're
in love? How do you know what you're doing is right?" These
things have crossed my mind numerous times.
By writing Duet, it allowed me to just explore the idea of a
hypothetical situation, that actually holds many truths within
it.
AS:
Did Tom's rendition of the story help you get some of the
answers you were seeking for?
JL:
To put it in that sense, I would say no. For me personally, it
wasn't what I had in mind. However, if one were to look at it
through a different perspective I would say yes. Tom's rendition
of the story help give answers to questions that may arise
within any relationship. People need closure within their lives,
whenever facing some sort of heartbreak or pain. Sometimes
people don't really know when to move on, until they get a sense
of closure. So in a sense, Tom's rendition of Duet gave closure
that someone might be looking for in life.
AS:
How different was Tom's rendition from your original idea of the
story?
JL:
It's extremely different in so many ways. Like I've always
believe, "behind every life there's a story to tell, " and Tom
has proven that true. I was looking at Duet through Cynthia's
perspective. All of the emotion and pain she felt was
illustrated within Duet. However, Tom took what I wrote and put
it in the Terry's perspective. It was exactly what the way my
story was going, however, he still incorporated the overall
feeling of heartache and the inevitable change that
relationships go through at times in life. I really liked Tom's
redention in a way, considering it gives a sort of happy ending
to Terry's life. Throughout life we'll always wonder about what
would have happened if something was done differently. Tom's
version of Duet gave insight to a possibility of what might have
happened if things were different.
AS:
Tom has said that you were working on a comic from Cynthia's
point. Will that comic go beyond the original story like Tom's
did? Or will it end at that scene?
JL:
At this point, I'm working on the comic based off the story I
wrote. Almost word for word, except some details will be
omitted. At this point, I think that the comic will stick to
what I've written. However, there's a possibility that once this
project is done, I might go back and do some background story or
follow up with Cynthia leaving Terry. Just to see how things
once were, or how things will be. But it's still too early to
tell, considering that I've got a lot to finish.
AS:
Is the story or any of the characters based off of real people
that you know?
JL:
Oh, wow. The key word there is "real people" right? Basically,
most of my characters are based off a little bit of me. Or,
rather, I should rephrase that. There's a little bit of me in
each of my characters. Cynthia sort of reflects how
disappointing it is to be a musician, but never have that true
brilliance that few people find. Her inability to create music
to really call her own, is a symbol of my own inability to do
the same as a pianist. Terrence is not particularly based on any
real person I know. I suppose in a way, he's this figment that
I've created within my mind. I've had some failed relationships,
and his persona sort of represents the relationships I've had in
the past. But I can't really say that Terrence is based off a
single person. He's a collaboration of the people I've met in my
life.
AS:
Do you see the manga as catering to the female audience? Or one
that could work for both genders?
JL:
Definitely one that could work for both genders. It's a
universal issue that we're dealing with. Even though it is seen
through the male point of view, it still caters to both
audiences.
AS:
What's your favorite scene in the manga?
JL:
My favorite scene was when Anna discovered the story in the
magazine and began to cry. If I were in her position, I'd be
overwhelmed as well. It's an undescribable feeling, I would
imagine to find out how the other felt about a relationship or
what not. But, that particular scene really is my favorite.
AS:
Do you think the story is realistic enough that it could really
happen to someone out there in the world?
JL:
Perhaps…
I would imagine it could happen. I mean, why not? Relationships
come and they go. People deal with them in different ways.
Sometimes people even write to magazines about how they feel and
such, or others go to therapy. Everyone goes through experiences
and deals with them in different ways.
AS:
Was there anything you wanted to change in the manga?
JL:
I liked it the way that it was drawn and written out through
Tom's perspective. I have the greatest respect for his work, and
different interpretations are expected. Everyone will be
affected in various ways because of this, whether they like it
or not. The truth was told.
AS:
Thank you for your time.
JL:
No problem.
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