Morvan is the scriptwriter, and Buchet the illustrator, of this comic published since 1998. Sillage is the name of a convoy of spaceships populated by individuals of a variety of races and traveling in search of planets to colonize. Nävis, the protagonist of the series, is an earthling colonized in young age. She has become an agent of Sillage. In episode 11, entitled Monde flottant, she is assigned the mission to go to a planet called RiBhehn in order to find Bobo, another agent, and a friend of hers. RiBhehn is ridden with a fight between a traditionalist and a modernizing faction. Sillage intervenes there because they are interested in graviton, a source of energy. In this episode there are several references to the East.
RiBhehn
looks like an East Asian country, it is architecturally similar to China or
Japan, and the way people dress and behave is based on the latter of these two
countries.
In
order to perform her mission, Nävis is changed temporarily into a biological
organism like the inhabitants of RiBhehn, she looks like them and her brain has
been modified to even express herself linguistically like them. The way in
which this is rendered in the comic book is by adopting stereotypes on East
Asia, and more in particular on Japan, as expressed by Western approaches. Some
of the clichés are partly confirmed, especially some vague and simplified
philosophical ideas and the martial arts. One character, a master of martial
arts who has the task to instruct Nävis and guide her in her mission, utters
mottos of orientalist wisdom such as “le silence est aussi communication”, and
“As-tu sì de peur du vide en toi pour avoir tant besoin de remplir l’espace de
bruits futiles”? (p. 28). These are clearly simplified reflections drawn from
the repertoire of what Westerners thing Easterners think, rather than from a
deep interpretation of oriental philosophy. In other words they serve the
purpose to reconstruct an atmosphere rather than to convert readers to Eastern
values. The motif itself of martial arts is rather clichéd.
However,
an amount of relativity of values is somehow present in this story. We see that
especially when Nävis is initiated to the tea ceremony and other traditional
RiBhehn (aka Japanese) activities that are presented here as feminine. Nävis
discusses the position of women on RiBhehn with herhosts, and while maintaining
a Western feminist mentality, she does consider the possibility that women
could have different roles. The author, through the views expresses by the
RiBhehnese women, would appear to take a neutral position since he suggests
that, far from being dominated by men as Nävis seems to believe, these women
act on terms that are different from the protagonist’s views. One of them
states: “La vrai égalité ne peut être que complementarité” (p. 31). At this
statement, Nävis apologizes, she has learnt a new way of thinking. Respect for
cultural diversity is obviously expressed here.
Bobo goes on a mission to RiBhehn, however after a
while he is won over to the exotic atmosphere of this place. He explains:
“Aprés quelque temps sur cette planète, l’atmosphere si… si particulière qui y
regne m’a seduit. J’ai décidé de soutenir les défenseurs de cette culture” (p.
37). His attitude is therefore one of interest and sympathy, and, in
allegorical terms, a variety of positive orientalism.
By
and large we have here a simplification of values but also a certain admiration
of the Orient, accompanied by integration into the story of some of the Eastern
ideas and moral teachings.
[Roberto Bertoni]
