Nineteen

열아홉

Yeorahop

Nineteen explores the suffocating anxiety that can overwhelm someone at nineteen, faced with a future full of endless possibilities yet terrifying uncertainty. Crushed by this weight, one person seeks solace in alcohol, while the adults around them—already burdened by their own failures—turn to drinking or violence. As time passes, youthful optimism fades into hopelessness and apathy. Ancco captures this limbo between the desire to mature and the fear that accompanies it. Blending autobiography with fiction, these stories examine the struggles of young people trying to carve out a place in society and the intricate bonds between women. A young man living with HIV wrestles with whether to disclose his condition to his parents. A mother’s relentless push for academic excellence strains her relationship with her daughter, driving both to alcoholism and a complicated, yet deeply caring, connection. Another girl regularly returns home bruised, leaving it unclear whether she is hurting herself or being abused by someone close. Amid it all, dogs emerge as the only source of unwavering love, offering a small comfort. In Nineteen, Ancco presents a raw portrait of contemporary Korean society, revealing unexpected darkness while also highlighting the vibrant, fierce energy of youth.

Background

Nineteen was published in English by Drawn & Quarterly on September 22, 2020, and in French by Cornélius in August 2009.

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