Basement

Author: BENJAMIN
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Those who abandoned me, your beauty and kindness, the once pure beauty we shared, shall never be forgotten. The name BENJAMIN is well-known among many anime fans. This young artist, with a rich and legendary background, has always dedicated himself to creating art regardless of circumstances. His unique and avant-garde art style, combined with the "authenticity" that permeates his works, has earned him countless accolades. His manga works, such as "Summer's Unblooming Flowers" and "One Day," have become groundbreaking pieces in Chinese animation and comics. In 2004, "Remember" won the gold award at the "Golden Dragon Award for Original Animation and Comic Art" held by the Dongfang International Original Animation and Comic Art Competition, marking a new height in BENJAMIN's manga creation. Unlike most manga artists, BENJAMIN has two brushes—one for drawing, one for writing. Although he modestly claims, "I'm more confident about being a 'homebody' than a 'writer,' I'm scared to make a fuss," his strong artistic sense and literary give him an advantage that most writers lack. His literary talents have already been showcased through his previous short and medium-length manga exhibitions. His first full-length novel, "The Basement," set to be fully released in mid-June, further highlights his literary abilities. In BENJAMIN's words, the theme of "The Basement" is "the gathering and dispersing of rock musicians, love and friendship, and the search for a meaningful life." The protagonist breaks free from the constraints of reality, listens to the call of his heart, and moves toward his ideals. The positive significance of the characters makes this novel stand out among similar works. "The Basement" shares a special connection with Guo Jingming. It was completed under Guo Jingming's encouragement and serves as the "heavyweight third installment" of the "Island Studio" special edition. The first two heavyweight bombs of the "Island Studio" special edition were Guo Jingming's "1995-2005 Until the Summer Ends" and Luo Luo's "The Years Are Invalid Letters," with sales reaching 500,000 copies and 200,000 copies respectively. Whether "The Basement" can achieve even greater success is a matter of attention. BENJAMIN poured his heart into this novel, not only revising and perfecting it multiple times but also personally designing the cover and color pages. The book includes twenty color illustrations he created for the novel, blending text and illustrations perfectly. After several long conversations with him, one can more deeply sense the emotions conveyed in "The Basement." It's like a new discovery. For instance, I had always thought of him as a cynical and somewhat down-on-his-luck person. Born in the north, he has a bold and cheerful personality, but through several interactions, I gradually realized that the author himself, much like the characters in his stories, has a very positive and bright personality, even kindness and simplicity. He doesn't try to mask the darker aspects of his nature, offering us only repeated introspection into his own heart. His absolute appreciation for the good and his absolute hatred for the bad have become a theme he wants to convey to readers. In "The Basement," the "authenticity" we see is also conflicted between his absolute disgust for certain things and his sympathy for their struggles in life. He is not just an excellent artist but also an outstanding writer.