Oh My Goddess! was a manga that I recall reading during the early days of my college career; just from reading the title I can confirm it was as corny as it sounds. It was primarily a romance surrounding an engineering student and a goddess whom he wished to stay with as a companion. I don’t bring the manga up for its incredible romantic storytelling (the ending kind of blew if I’m being honest) but instead for the recurring element of motorcycle culture. The author and illustrator, Kōsuke Fujishima, clearly had a love for motorbikes which he put on full display throughout the serialization of the manga. A large chunk of the supporting cast was part of a motor club, the male lead and his father were both presented as motorcycle freaks, there were a fair amount of races tied to the plot, and these events were all enhanced by some of the most gorgeous artistic representation of automotive I’d ever seen. I admired the male lead in the journey to become a mechanic so much that I considered getting into the career myself. But even more so I respected the author for his ability to convey his love of motorcycles and automotives through his work.
Why is this relevant? Well, it was the first thing that came to mind when reading E. Shelley Reid’s article when she mentioned writing about what you know or are passionate about and about getting all the little details right. I envy the level of understanding and love that people can inject into their writing. I hope that one day my writing can be seen through a similar lens.
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