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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
I’m writing this right after finishing it so I’m gonna ramble a lot. But goddamn man what a series. *SPOILERS*
I started reading Goodnight Punpun back in 2017 or 2018, and it took me until December 2023 to actually finish the series. People aren’t lying when they say this this series is fucking depressingggggg. There is very little happiness and bliss in the series, and it can really take a lot out of you if you’re not careful. I’m glad that I finished the series now instead of back then because I don’t know how I would’ve handled it. If you plan on reading this you need to check the trigger warnings beforehand because this series has all of them.
One of the main themes that I got from the series was how the effects of childhood abuse can cause someone to spiral further down into depression and depravity. You see Punpun become a worse and worse person as the series goes on, and there will be a point where you stop rooting for him. All of his actions towards others is a result of the many types of abuse he faced as a child, and it’s so fucking sad to see how things just never seem to get better for him and how he himself becomes an abuser.
The toxic relationship between Punpun and Aiko wasn’t something I was expecting. Punpun abuses Aiko so much and so violently in books 5-7 and I’ve never seen a story that just lays everything out for the world to see. That’s another thing, Goodnight Punpun never shies away from showing how fucked up everything is. It won’t just show you something, it will make you look at it.
Tbh I wasn’t feeling the Pegasus cult storyline much until the last two books. They were a nice break from the depression that is Punpun, and while this subplot did make more sense as it went on, I wish it was implemented better. It didn’t hit for me as much as I think it should have.
The ending is bittersweet. Punpun isn’t corrupted by the black mark anymore since he stabbed it out of him and he’s happy with his life now, but there was so much suffering that he suffered and that he caused that is feels weird. I really wish there was more about his jail sentence and how he processed everything. The ending feels too happy and I wish there was more. Also the fact that the black mark exists within Yuichi’s son and that everything starts over again with a new generation left me with an “oh fuck”.
There is a lot that you can dissect with this series. I wish I had more to say but it’s almost 4am and my brain is fried. I’m glad that I read this though. This is definitely a series that will stick with me forever, and I don’t think I’m gonna find something like this anytime soon. It’s nice to get some closure to something I started 6 years ago, and I’m finally glad that I finished this.
I started reading Goodnight Punpun back in 2017 or 2018, and it took me until December 2023 to actually finish the series. People aren’t lying when they say this this series is fucking depressingggggg. There is very little happiness and bliss in the series, and it can really take a lot out of you if you’re not careful. I’m glad that I finished the series now instead of back then because I don’t know how I would’ve handled it. If you plan on reading this you need to check the trigger warnings beforehand because this series has all of them.
One of the main themes that I got from the series was how the effects of childhood abuse can cause someone to spiral further down into depression and depravity. You see Punpun become a worse and worse person as the series goes on, and there will be a point where you stop rooting for him. All of his actions towards others is a result of the many types of abuse he faced as a child, and it’s so fucking sad to see how things just never seem to get better for him and how he himself becomes an abuser.
The toxic relationship between Punpun and Aiko wasn’t something I was expecting. Punpun abuses Aiko so much and so violently in books 5-7 and I’ve never seen a story that just lays everything out for the world to see. That’s another thing, Goodnight Punpun never shies away from showing how fucked up everything is. It won’t just show you something, it will make you look at it.
Tbh I wasn’t feeling the Pegasus cult storyline much until the last two books. They were a nice break from the depression that is Punpun, and while this subplot did make more sense as it went on, I wish it was implemented better. It didn’t hit for me as much as I think it should have.
The ending is bittersweet. Punpun isn’t corrupted by the black mark anymore since he stabbed it out of him and he’s happy with his life now, but there was so much suffering that he suffered and that he caused that is feels weird. I really wish there was more about his jail sentence and how he processed everything. The ending feels too happy and I wish there was more. Also the fact that the black mark exists within Yuichi’s son and that everything starts over again with a new generation left me with an “oh fuck”.
There is a lot that you can dissect with this series. I wish I had more to say but it’s almost 4am and my brain is fried. I’m glad that I read this though. This is definitely a series that will stick with me forever, and I don’t think I’m gonna find something like this anytime soon. It’s nice to get some closure to something I started 6 years ago, and I’m finally glad that I finished this.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have never in my life had a book series haunt me the way this one has. Truly a masterpiece, a must own.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I said I wasn’t ready for the final volume and I really wasnt. I’ve just bawled my eyes out over this book and how oddly beautiful it is. I expected the book to end off gruesomely but I was crying from joy of the ending. This is peak manga.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A story about how life can be terrible for people and how others have an effect on you throughout your life. A tale littered with melancholy, but a theme of perseverance. Liked it, didn't love it and I'm happy I read it and collected it.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(This is an entry for the entirety of Goodnight Punpun) This one's hard to write about, it's got a bunch going on, it's got a pretty big reputation about being basically misery porn and kind of a masochists' manga, and it's very open to interpretation. That said, it's gorgeous to look at, it has some interesting visual gimmicks that reflect the characters' interiority in clever ways, and the ensemble cast is handled fantastically, especially when the story really kicks off and gets going around the third volume. It really feels like Asano is getting stuff off his chest in this one, and doing so confidently and with little regard for his readers, which is part of the appeal. I don't think I ultimately agree with his worldview or the existential opinions that this manga reflects, but I can't deny it's very much worth reading, especially given the relatively short length.
its good. i think i liked DDDDD more.
i read this at a time i was coincidentally journaling alot about my childhood and adolescence.
the things from your past quickly flit between real and unreal. are they the things, are they the symbols of the things, are they memories of the symbol?
you gaze over your past, broad disconnected pillars, islands in a wasteland
they lack any meaning. but you remember the feeling, you remember them feeling meaningful. so they remain meaningful.
i read this at a time i was coincidentally journaling alot about my childhood and adolescence.
the things from your past quickly flit between real and unreal. are they the things, are they the symbols of the things, are they memories of the symbol?
you gaze over your past, broad disconnected pillars, islands in a wasteland
they lack any meaning. but you remember the feeling, you remember them feeling meaningful. so they remain meaningful.