Rene Goes to School
Rene Goes to School: Season 1

Air Date

September 28, 2022

Episodes

6 episodes

Rene Goes to School

Season 1

Episodes

Finding Confidence in One's Identity

1. Finding Confidence in One's Identity

September 28, 2022
28 min

Rene is a Cameroonian manga creator. His popular manga deals with the cultural differences he faced growing up as an African boy in Japan. Now, Rene meets with foreign children living in Japan to turn their experiences into manga. On this episode, we meet seventeen-year-old Upama from Nepal, who came to Japan at the age of four. Unable to fit in at Japanese school and in Nepal, she struggles with her racial identity. We follow Rene and Upama as they create a manga and introduce it at an event.

Bringing Cheer through Manga

2. Bringing Cheer through Manga

March 8, 2023
28 min

Rene is a Cameroonian manga creator. His popular manga deals with the cultural differences he faced growing up in Japan. Now, Rene goes to school to meet with foreign children living in Japan and turn their experiences into manga. In this episode, Rene meets eleven-year-old Arthur from Brazil, who came to Japan at age five. Arthur once struggled with thoughtless words from his peers and now wants to encourage others like himself. We follow Rene and Arthur as they try to bring cheer through manga.

Drawing Courage and Purpose from Family

3. Drawing Courage and Purpose from Family

July 29, 2023
28 min

Rene is a Cameroonian manga creator who grew up in Japan from age four. In this episode, he meets eighteen-year-old Heshike Hideki from Peru, who came to Japan three years ago. Supported by his cheerful family, Hideki overcame the language barrier and loneliness and is now pursuing a career in nursing care. However, he worries that he won't be able to communicate effectively with patients in Japanese. We follow Rene and Hideki as they bond over basketball, food and family and create a manga.

Celebrating the Gift of Friendships

4. Celebrating the Gift of Friendships

December 25, 2023
28 min

Cameroonian manga creator Rene makes a manga with France, a 16-year-old student from the Philippines. France wants to thank her friends who've helped her adapt and enjoy life in Japan.

Speaking Up for Change

5. Speaking Up for Change

January 5, 2024
28 min

Cameroonian manga creator Rene makes a manga with Sudina, a 16-year-old Nepalese student. Sudina feels unaccepted despite growing up in Japan and hopes that expressing it will lead to solutions.

Illustrating the Meaning of Family

6. Illustrating the Meaning of Family

March 22, 2024
28 min

Cameroonian manga creator Rene meets 16-year-old Kendri and Kevin from Cuba. The twins want to express their gratitude to their step-grandfather, who helped them adjust to life in Japan.