Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Goodnight Punpun Japanese: おやすみプンプン
Information
Type: Manga
Volumes: Unknown
Chapters: Unknown
Status: Publishing
Published: Aug 3, 2007 to ?
StatisticsScore: 8.851 (scored by 2704 users)
Ranked: #152
Popularity: #188
Members: 9,547
Favorites: 1,030 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
comedy |
SynopsisPunpun is an ordinary young boy growing up in Japan whose age of innocence has reached its end after his father is arrested for spousal abuse and putting his mother in the hospital. With his uncle looking after him, Punpun grows into adulthood facing a series of events which change him, for better or worse, forcing him to contemplate just what it means to be an adult.
(Source: ANN) |
Reviews
|
|
voltadelphine
95 of 109 people found this review helpful
|
99 of ? chapters read
|
| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Art |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Oyasumi Punpun is one of the greatest coming of age stories told in any form of media. This story is a very relative tale of alienated youth riddled with heavy accuracy. The story is very well developed and is partially due to its long timeline spanning from Punpun's life in elementary school to his early 20's. It deals with many mature issues like sex and depression all told in a frank manner that is coated with a strange dark sense of humor and supreme melancholy. There is a lot going on including a couple of side stories involving people that are or were once in Punpun's life, like his uncle and his old classmates. There is also a side story about a strange cult that has been foreshadowed in the very first volumes and is slowing becoming bigger and more important to the story. Inio Asano's storytelling talent is probably best showcased in this series. He manages to keep the story strikingly relatable while throwing wacky surrealism in and weaving together one huge moving piece with many plots and characters.
The art is absolutely gorgeous. The speechless panels of messy rooms and hopeless youth crying in bed has never looked so glamorous. The obvious and most interesting aspect of the art in this manga is how the main character and his family are drawn. The idea of Punpun and his family being depicted as a poorly drawn cartoon birds is absolutely genius! You have to understand that these people aren't really cartoons walking around in an oblivious world but are physical manifestations of how Punpun feels about himself and his family. You really get a sense of how important that theme is in later volumes where his appearance starts to shift and understanding why that is.
The characters in this manga are really great. Asano is very good at creating solid characters, and again with the timeline, they have ample time to develop smoothly. The only thing negative I would say about the characters is that they are extreme and there is no effort in making them "likeable" because they are too busy proving how genuine they are with their actions and words. So you either you love them or hate them, It might irritate some people who don't like when characters are a little too pitiful or preachy, like people who don't like The Catcher in the Rye because Holden Caulfield "just whined the whole time."
This story can really throw you through a loop. It's very long and twisting and silly and serious at the same time so it's a not a "light read" by any means. the word enjoyment is a little off but I would definitely say this manga affected me. There are times where you will laugh and times you will feel really depressed. But all in all It's very smart, real, and stylish so if you can handle depressing stories it's well worth it. read more
|
|
psygremlin
78 of 122 people found this review helpful
|
15 of ? chapters read
|
| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Art |
9 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
Goodnight Punpun is a hard one to classify. Yes, it’s a comedy, but then again it wouldn’t be Inio Asano if it didn’t occasionally throw in surreal or even nightmarish elements. Whilst his previous works have always had a subtle, dark humour underlying the main story, here he brings the comedic elements to the fore, allowing him to play unfettered with the world – both real and imaginary – of small children.
The story revolves around said Punpun, who (along with his family) is depicted as a small, caricatured bird within an otherwise normal human world, and his interactions with his elementary school classmates and the world around him. The story weaves seamlessly between normal everyday life and out and out fantasy, starting with his heartbreak as his first unrequited love (who also appears to be the vicious school bully) transfers out, to be replaced by the new love of his life… a relationship that this time seems to be heading somewhere. The problem is that the “somewhere” would appear to be a pretty scary place.
As I mentioned, it wouldn’t be Asano if doses of painful reality weren’t occasionally driven into the story, ranging from domestic violence, to Punpun having to deal with the unintentional effects of seeing his first gravure, to a disturbing interlude when the boys get together to watch their first adult video. It’s the extreme depictions of his over-active imagination, matched at every step by a cast of bizarre characters, ranging from an odd homeroom teacher, to a special guest appearance by God… and I’m not even going to mention the Doodoo-head aliens. Oh, I just did…nuts.
Asano swings the story effortlessly between reality and fantasy, funny and nightmarish, but he never fails to keep our attention firmly glued to the page, as the story unfolds. He’s built a complex world, filled with endearing, if odd, characters and it’s watching Punpun negotiate this minefield of life that makes this a page-turner.
If you’re familiar with his work, then you’ll pleased to know the attention to detail within his artwork is as sharp as ever, as is his (by now) trademark character design. There are panels depicting ordinary scenery within this manga, that one can easily spend minutes studying, taking in all the fine details.
Goodnight Punpun is a worthy successor to Asano’s small, but impressive, body of work and possibly the one that will appeal to wider audience, than say “What a Wonderful World,” or “Solanin.” If anything, he’s raised the crossbar yet again and I’m certainly looking forward to more releases from him. If you’re looking to read something that will have you laughing out loud one moment, and cringing the next, read this. You won’t be disappointed. read more
|
|
Both of these seinen titles feature dark narratives involving adolescents and young adults. In Aku no Hana, it is prevalent from the start. In Oyasumi Punpun, the plot gradually takes a dark turn.
A relatively normal boy meets a slightly abnormal girl whose presence gradually causes him to become more corrupt.
While Punpun's depth and sense of realism is nowhere to be found in Aku no Hana, at their core they're somewhat similar. Each story features relatively unhappy people trying to live their lives the only way they can- even if it eventually has dire consequences for all involved.
Both got similar dark atmosphere. Relationships of main characters are weird and kinda erotic. Both are well drawn and you just can't stop reading them, wanting to know what will happen next with each chapter.
I recommend reading manga and i warn all of you who want to watch Aku No Hana anime version, just read the manga because you will ruin great story for yourself. The anime is so badly made, it's such a shame.
|
|
|
Both can be hilarious, dark, insightful, disturbing and lighthearted all at the same time. They're both slice of life about a naive character dealing with the world around him.
Both deal with individuals surrounded by people and situations that are rather psychologically twisted. Both contain very similar types of dark/morbid humor, and main characters with rather "lively" imaginations. The lead females (Aiko/Misaki) also have very similar issues and situations.
|
| No posts for this board were found |
Related ClubsAsano Inio Fan Club, Depressing Anime Club, Marketplace Germany, My personal favorites., Recommendation Club, seinen & josei, The Derailers, Veronin is the greatest user on MAL with the best taste and everybody who disagrees with him is a horrible person who deserves a painful death.
|
10 minutes ago |
2 hours ago |
2 hours ago |
2 hours ago |
2 hours ago | |
2 hours ago |
3 hours ago |
7 hours ago |
8 hours ago |
9 hours ago |
|
External LinksOfficial Site, MangaUpdates, Wikipedia
|
|