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mirro 's review for:
Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 1
by Inio Asano
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I snagged an ARC of “Goodnight Punpun”. I mean, the publisher describes him as a kid whose life goals include wining the Nobel Prize, running away in the name of love, and finding porn. I knew it would either be the best thing ever, or the worst. It’s the best thing ever. I find it hard to explain exactly why I loved this so much. Nothing exceptional happens. It is a story about a regular boy, in a regular town, doing regular things. It should be boring, but it’s… magical. Inio Asano has managed to take the ordinary and transform it into one of the most honest and true depictions of adolescence that I have ever seen in a manga. All those awkward moments and learning curves that most shy away from are all there. It feels as if Asano has lain all of our childhood experiences before us. Good, bad, and ugly, everyone has been through a lot of what Punpun has, and that makes him more than just a character. He is personable and real. Punpun doesn’t read like fiction, he reads like a friend you grew up with. You will root for him. You will want this kid to make it.
The moments in Punpun’s life (a fair mix of awkward and humorous experiences) are heightened by Asano’s illustrations. His style shows such attention to detail that the final result is simply breathtaking. I adore the way he imbeds the surreal, birdlike personifications of Punpun and his family within a world that is much more true to life. The effect goes a long way towards supporting his feelings of being both and outsider and a dreamer. Overall, “Goodnight Punpun” is a game changer. I have the utmost respect for Asano as a mangaka after reading this, because it couldn’t have been easy to create. It takes a certain amount of openness and confidence in yourself to even consider breaking away from industry standards in general. To boldly lay out all those tender and perplexing things that we often goes through as we age brings that challenge to a whole new level of bravery. Inio Asano is pushing the boundaries of what manga can and should be, and for that, I salute him.
I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
The moments in Punpun’s life (a fair mix of awkward and humorous experiences) are heightened by Asano’s illustrations. His style shows such attention to detail that the final result is simply breathtaking. I adore the way he imbeds the surreal, birdlike personifications of Punpun and his family within a world that is much more true to life. The effect goes a long way towards supporting his feelings of being both and outsider and a dreamer. Overall, “Goodnight Punpun” is a game changer. I have the utmost respect for Asano as a mangaka after reading this, because it couldn’t have been easy to create. It takes a certain amount of openness and confidence in yourself to even consider breaking away from industry standards in general. To boldly lay out all those tender and perplexing things that we often goes through as we age brings that challenge to a whole new level of bravery. Inio Asano is pushing the boundaries of what manga can and should be, and for that, I salute him.
I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*