A review by dawntin
Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 1 by Inio Asano

dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This volume had a strong start, and it ends on a cliffhanger. From the very beginning, you already know that something is off about “Punpun” and the world he lives in. The way the adults were portrayed was funny and creepy. There’s a lot of stuff about sex and puberty, mostly from Punpun’s friend group; there’s also other topics like
domestic abuse and divorce (about Punpun’s parents)
. Punpun and his friend/crush Aiko are kids who both have strange, if not outright dysfunctional, home lives. They’re also super introspective and care about how others see them. There’s a sense of turmoil going on for them, as well as the undercurrent of climate change and an unstable economy. It’ll be interesting to see how the characters turn out in the rest of the series.
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