Yoko Tsuno: The Time Spiral

Despite being of the wrong gender and about 30 years too old to be in the target audience for this science fiction adventure, I couldn’t help but be carried away by the beautifully precise artwork, carefully considered characters and energetic plotting of this book.

Yoko Tsuno is visiting her cousin in Borneo, where she grew up. While canvassing the local ruins of an ancient temple, she observes a peculiar machine materializing into its courtyard. There is a scuffle, and Yoko ends up saving the life of a young girl who exits the machine. The girl, Monya, is from the year 3872, where planet earth has been destroyed. Monya has come to change the future, and save humankind from itself.

Written and illustrated by Roger Leloup in 1981, this is a book that remains a vivid read 30 years after its original publication. Leloup draws in a superbly lucid manner, and his characters are active, expressive and alive, while surrounded by lush colors and bold settings.

The heroine, Yoko Tsuno, is a well-considered character. This is the first of her adventures I’ve read – and this is a long running, much loved series – but even in this one self-contained chapter there are hints towards a much larger character canvas. She is a resourceful, imaginative young woman who is not afraid to make bold moves when necessary, but she also has a philosophical streak, which adds a surprising complexity to her persona. “Men give themselves gods for reassurance, and then invent legends to scare themselves.”

Besides Yoko Tsuno herself, the rest of the cast are all interesting multi-layered creations. But beyond the characterization and the art, what makes The Time Spiral stand out are the small asides and details which make the familiar storyline resonate. I was particularly struck by Yoko’s melancholy reaction to what in most books would be a joyous celebration. She can spend a couple of panels washing an elephant with a rough stone, or observing a resting butterfly amidst a time-sensitive mission.  Leloup allows for these moments for simple delineation of character, all of which enrich the story immensely without being relevant to the plot.

All of this of course is within a wonderfully illustrated science fiction adventure which features alien jellyfish, grave robbing soldiers, time travel, and a convicted murderer out to save humankind. It’s an entertaining, intelligent story which on the surface is ‘just’ a children’s book. I would without any hesitation recommend it for young readers, especially girls, but it has surprising depth, and as such its gentle magic might well provide a suitable treat for adult readers interested in balancing their menus.