You’re about to enter another dimension. A dimension delicately woven together to show you the deepest parts of yourself—some parts you may not want to see and others you know all too well. But will you accept the truth and explore the unknown or only see what you want to believe, staying boxed in your own world?

In 20 KM/H, a graphic novel by Shanghai-based author and illustrator, Woshibai, we’re confronted with strange and unusual stories rich in thought-provoking undertones and whimsical visuals. We see it all, from a character chiselling a human figure out of stone and it suddenly coming to life to the moon being taken from the sky and being inserted into a vending machine for soda. And although these tales seem odd and maybe even random at a passing glance, Woshibai layers each set of panels with deep emotions and thoughtfulness, providing us with new ideas and dreamlike imagery. Step into this author’s world and decide which pill you’ll take. Will you be daring to think outside the box and find meaning in these stories or stay in your comfort zone, walking away with an unchanged perspective? The choice is yours, but take my advice: you’ll want to experience this mind-bending trip!

Words don’t come easy to many of us. In fact, words often can’t convey even the most complex pieces of ourselves to others. One could say that illustrations are an international language, as it relies solely on an image to translate and express our creativity, emotions, and most personal perceptions out to the world. In this graphic novel, Woshibai doesn’t incorporate writing. The only exceptions are the titles for each new story we’re introduced to. An interesting choice, right? One may say it’s a risky move, but I believe it’s simply genius! As someone who has read various graphic novels over the years, I found the idea of one without dialogue to be completely revolutionary in the literary world. To imagine a book short of narration is already difficult, considering that we place so much meaning in words. Hell, we use them every day when we text our friends or write funny comments on social media posts! Because of this, we may feel as though without words, we’d be misunderstood. Although Woshibai doesn’t include dialogue within 20 KM/H, he instead fills his graphic novel with such effective, surreal illustrations that draw you in immediately with their fantastical yet minimalist design. I looked forward to being surprised by each new story as it unfolded, never truly expecting the twists and turns they would take. With an author that kept me on the edge of my seat with solely illustrations says a lot about the talent of this creator and his undeniable attention to detail.

Despite being someone who isn’t artistically gifted in making illustrations myself, I can appreciate how difficult it would be to create such impactful messages with a minimalist art style. And yet, in 20 KM/H, Woshibai completely blows me away with his ability to dive into these deeper subjects without using intricate detailing in the art itself! The author explores his craft and pushes each image to its full potential despite its simplistic, monochromatic appearance. But more importantly, these original, black-and-white scenes that Woshibai creates capture the feeling of time slowing down, letting the reader breathe with every flip of the page. Each panel is an art piece, and the author invites us to insert ourselves into each character’s situation through these unidentifiable and simple appearances. Woshibai’s artistic choices showcase his desire to have us enter this universe with him and explore the deeper meanings within each tale. One of my favourite stories within this graphic novel is called “Sand Bar,” not just because it fills me with peacefulness and serenity, but more so because of how Woshibai went about illustrating this piece. From the simplicity of the characters to the glow of the moon as it changes phases, it’s a beautifully crafted scene. In this story, Woshibai tells us to sit and reflect, to take a breath and chill as we imagine ourselves sitting next to this celestial companion, watching it change through its cycle while feeling no pressure to move despite time passing before our eyes. To me, there’s no doubt that the visuals within 20 KM/H are aesthetically pleasing; they’re meant to immerse us and entice us to dream along with Woshibai as we turn to the next story.

The world in 20 KM/H isn’t like our own. It’s a twilight zone between the otherworldly and our current reality; a parallel universe, if you will. Woshibai fills each page with unfamiliar yet delightful ideas, bringing his readers on an exploration of the wacky and the wonderful. These places the author pulls us into can’t be understood using logic or linear thought processes alone. Woshibai leaves each story up to interpretation by his readers, nudging them to discover the truths and meanings behind these tales for themselves; giving us freedom in our thoughts as we experience them. We must dare to think outside our comfort zone’s limits while indulging in this gripping graphic novel, as the significance behind Woshibai’s work is left to our own analysis. It’s as if we’re walking through an art gallery; taking meaning from each piece and contemplating how others may interpret it for themselves.

Throughout my reading of 20 KM/H, it baffled me that Woshibai captured such deep emotions and hard truths so effortlessly in each of these stories. A story within this graphic novel called “Danger Crossing” truly captivated me as it centres in on an individual side-stepping along narrow slabs out of fear of touching the strange, wavy surface below. They strain themselves as they leap across a gap in the slabs and plaster themselves to the wall in order to not lose balance and slip downwards. While they continue this tense, seemingly endless process, however, someone strolls along the odd surface below them, walking without a care in the world as they look inquisitively upon the silly person scaling the slabs. This, although humourous, is a perfect metaphor to describe the way many of us go about our lives; confined to our thinking and stuck in our ways. It’s so easy to corner yourself into a wall, never stepping outside your comfort zone to find out what’s beyond the yellow brick road, since leaving would make us uncomfortable. Instead, we should take a moment and consider that maybe the truth isn’t as frightening as it appears to be. Maybe that job interview will go well and maybe your paper ship will win the race—who’s to say if you never take the risk? It’s as if Woshibai’s encouraging us to absorb each story in 20 KM/H and extract the parts that impact us to take away and reflect on. While experiencing this graphic novel, I was thrilled to be left wondering why Woshibai selected these specific stories to tell us and what they meant in relation to humanity and the world as a whole. I thought deeply about the way our own fears manifest themselves in our daily lives and how these anxieties hinder us from reaching our goals. As we can see in “Danger Crossing,” things are only as complicated as we make them. Woshibai reminds us that sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to set ourselves free from these difficulties and better adapt to our life situations.

So many of us live out our lives putting logic and factual thinking at the forefront, often leaving our wild, inventive imaginations to collect dust. I, myself, am guilty of falling into this mindset, sometimes turning away from my creative passions to follow the herd and aim my sights towards the work-centric culture of our modern age. This rigid thought process is dangerous in its own way as it strips us of such wonderful, outlandish ideas and blocks us from seeing the world through a different lens. I’m sure for many of us, we catch ourselves feeling like we lost that spark, a slice of our creativity missing that we can’t seem to rediscover. We kick ourselves, thinking that we must’ve forgotten it along our way, neglected it and now there’s no hope of its retrieval. In 20 KM/H, Woshibai immerses us in a new universe—so different yet so similar to our own—and invites the reader to slow down their internal clock. To explore these otherworldly stories in order to look within for their deeper meanings. We’re pulled into a peculiar place without rigid routines, deadlines, and rules but are prompted to understand ourselves better through each story. And very much like the moment a cloud passes over us and blocks out the sun, Woshibai gives us a glimpse into such short, yet philosophical moments in this odd, uncanny space within 20 KM/H, letting us peek inside each uncharted idea and imagine these whimsical scenarios as they apply to each of us. So, don’t box yourself in anymore. Write that book. Finish that painting. Take that chance. Life is too short to be chained to the rhythm. Those doors you thought were closed are always open. You were just looking at them from the wrong angle.