On Strongman’s Speech

Today, a reader in the group asked me what all those catchphrases—kouhu, ye, gua, koujie, kouya, and so on—actually meant.

Here’s a brief explanation.

These are a unique form of Strongman’s Speech found in Hong Kong comics. Often, to emphasize emotion, the words are printed huge, making them seem as though the characters have been pulled apart.

It’s like how, after Zhang Huimei gained weight, people started calling her "Bow-Long Hui-Woman-Not."

Kouya means "ya."

Kouhu means "nonsense."

Ye and gua are also unique interjections from Hong Kong comics. They basically sound like someone yelling nonsense at random.

They’re really just there to convey emotion.

Since this book is a fusion of American comics and Hong Kong comics, there may be plenty of places where the two styles clash. If anything affects your reading experience, feel free to point it out in the group or make a post to ask about it. I’ll explain it or adjust the plot as appropriate.