Talking to Myself

I finally got the time to read Arnold Arre's Mythology Class. I found the series entertaining and insightful. The graphic novel reminds me of the classic 'Ghostbusters' movie and its cartoon series. Like 'Ghostbusters', the heroes roam around Metro Manila, catching different kinds of engkantos with magical jars.

Arnold Arre definitely did his research on Philippine mythology, as well as the use of the old Alibata script, and incorporated them into the story. Using the old folktales, he managed to recreate it into a wonderful and interest bit of fantasy fiction set in present day Manila.

Before I discuss the elements that I love, I'll first tackle a couple of issues that I have concerning the novel:

First, I find the number of protagonist a bit large. The whole group consists of ten to thirteen students, not to mention the four guardian/mentors/teachers. There were times when I got confused identifying each one of them. I also think that some of the minor characters could have been removed, so as to focus on the story of the major characters.

The second issue I have is not much of a problem with the story, but an observation. Arnold's story resolves around pre-Spanish myths and folklore, which is a grand accomplishment in itself. I felt that part of Philippine mythology was omitted and I am talking about that Catholicism part. It would have been nice to see how the local myths are rendered with influences of Catholicism.

But then again, I'm guessing that Arnold is trying to focus more on the old myths and minimizing spiritual/religious influences on the story. His protagonists have a more logical and scientific approach to dealing with the engkantos, rather than rely on blind faith or religious beliefs.

But aside from these observations, I love the way the characters interacted with each other. The flashbacks added depth and history to the main protagonist, explaining her keen interest on local mythology. The combat scenes were too dramatic (explosions and giant snakes inside the mall, people jumping from one floor to another, etc) but entertaining.

Overall, I find Mythology Class a good read and worth every peso that you spend on it. The characters are lively and engaging. And it offers a nice reinterpretation of local folklore, applying it to the modern urban mythology.