The Adventures of Shan Shan is a fantasy webcomic by Flora Li and David Chai featuring fourteen-year-old Shan Shan, who has always been able to see and hear things that supposedly don't exist. After he is attacked by Karmavore — a beast created from evil deeds — he is offered a chance to become a Guardian of the universe. He's not really sure he's cut out for it. But together with Cassie, Adam and Backpack, he hopes to overcome all the ordeals of becoming a hero, saving the world and being a teenager.
No updates since August 2016, and the website domain has since expired.
Starts here
. It also has a Facebook page.
This webcomic provides examples of:
- Adults Are Useless: Shan Shan's admittedly don't see the things he does, but even when his mother notes with concern how much he "talk[s] to himself," his father just laughs it off.
- Awesome Backpack: Shan Shan's puppy-shaped backpack serves as his companion as well as providing commentary audible only to Shan Shan.
- Blessed with Suck: Reacting to things other people can't see or hear is a formula for trouble.
- By the Eyes of the Blind: According to Backpack, only "special people" can hear see and hear the entities Shan Shan does...he's not exactly thrilled.
- Call It Karma: One strip defines "Karma" as "the negative energy a person emits or creates when a person does bad deeds." The discussion gets weirder from there...
- Circling Birdies: Shan Shan has a circle of swirling stars after colliding with a gate.
- The Chosen One: A golden dragon once told Shan Shan he would help save the world.
- Cool Train: The "up" train turns out to be Exactly What It Says on the Tin, lifting entirely off of the tracks to fly through the air.
- Dark Is Evil: The monster that attacks Shan Shan is pitch black, except for its Glowing Eyes of Doom.
- Disappeared Dad: Cassie's dad disappeared and no one knows what happened to him.
- Eating Lunch Alone: Both Shan Shan and Adam tend to eat alone at school, for different reasons.
- Embarrassing Cover Up: When Shan Shan tries to give an explanation of why he eats lunch alone (other than Backpack's suggestion of "He's a loooser!"), he ends up embarrassing himself.Cassie: Why are you way out here?
Backpack: He's a loooser!
Shan Shan: Ah. I uhh... I like the trees!
Cassie: But there are trees in the quad too...
Shan Shan: I mean I like the flowers!
Backpack: Girly.
[Shan Shan facepalms] - Evil Smells Bad: The smell was the first warning sign of the Karmavore.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: The malevolent Karmavore is an ominous black shadow-creature with glowing green eyes.
- Herald: Shan Shan's life has been plagued by strangeness, but Julius gives it an actual focus and directs him to where he can learn more about what's going on.
- It Was a Gift: Cassie has a lunchbox her dad gave her before he disappeared.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: A winged lion.
- New Transfer Student: Cassiopeia enters the series as a new transfer student in Shan Shan's class.
- Precious Puppy: Backpack is shaped like a puppy for no apparent functional reason. He also invokes the supposed universal love of puppies when claiming he's not the reason Shan Shan eats alone.
- Resigned to the Call: Shan Shan apparently realizes he can't just refuse, but he tries to get time to think.
- Written Sound Effect: Shan Shan colliding with a gate.
- You Can See Me?: Both Julius and the lion comment on Shan Shan's ability to see them.
