Not Simple

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“not simple” is a short story that invites us to be a witness to a total stranger’s life. Excluding the prologue chapter, the story is told in chronological order from the days of Ian’s early youth right up to his fateful meeting with a woman who “left her family”. Most fictional stories, especially in the world of manga, have at least one element that clearly separates it from reality and/or is written in such a way that the reader knows very well how detached they are from the world being presented to them. However, the storytelling of “not simple” is composed such that it almost ... feels like we’re having a conversation with a man telling us the full life story of a man he grew to respect. For me, it’s reminiscent of having a conversation with my uncle who would at any given moment bring up a fond memory of his closest friends. And, as someone who followed the advice of my friend and read the prologue at the end, this sort of atmosphere is established in my mind without even having realized just how close to the truth that is.

The title belies its minimalistic art style. If you’re a fan of the Nishioka Kyoudai siblings or you’ve read any of Okazaki Kyoko’s work then you’re perhaps already quite acquainted with how minimalism looks like in manga form, but if you haven’t then I hope you’re able to approach it with an open mind. Most people regard minimalism as an inherently inferior artform, or at least one that isn’t able to rival the epic peaks of realist manga like Vagabond or Vinland Saga or contend with the great scores of other unique art styles that thrive in the industry. While I do hold a strong personal preference in favor of those art styles as well, I would advise to avoid letting its minimalism deter you from reading it. The manga was drawn this way with a purpose. It adds a whole new dimension to the experience, one that serves to contextualize Ian’s story in the massive fabric of life. Horrific events proceed as if they were just normalities. The victim, the evil wrongdoer, the bystander, they are all reduced to their barest forms, stripped of the exquisite individuality that you may see in most popular works. No one has a shadow. Their chopstick legs only exist so that we can be sure that they’re still human.

At the heart of its tale, “not simple” is a narrative about coming to terms with tragedy and tackling the importance and role of family. Ian is a man with nothing to cling to. His life is one of undue pain and constant suffering. Yet, there is one hope that continues to inspire him: the promise he made to his sister. While Ian has a complex relationship with the rest of his family, his sister has always been there for him. She is the one unequivocal ally that he’s had since childhood, it only makes sense that he holds his promise to meet with her so dearly. However, as he chases his sister across the world she only seems to appear to grow further in distance and even more impossible to contact. Ian refuses to surrender. His sister is the most important person in the world, how could he not? Family is not the only complex tragedy explored within these simple panels, but I’ll leave it to you to read the manga and delve into the other themes. Regardless of your attachment to your family, I hope that you do find something of substance here.

The world is cruel, ruthless, cold, and unforgiving. We chase our hopes and dreams only to find disappointment. This is the life of an ordinary man with extraordinarily awful luck. But, there’s something about his reluctance to give in and submit to the injustice of the world that is just so…beautiful. I’m not sure what this manga is trying to say, I’m not sure whether it really has a message to begin with, but if there’s one thing I can be certain of it’s that the world truly is “not simple”.

Just beware that this story has a lot of trigger warnings, though I won't list it down since it would possibly spoil the story

“What I really want...is to feel the warmth of the people who should be closest to me"

This one-volume manga is such a quick, but definitely not an easy read. Dark, emotional and distressing, it deals with a lot of heavy, messed up topic. Yes, this story is short but definitely a messed up one, And that depressing and tragic vibe has a such great impact, atleast to me. I didn't even realize that this little story can cause a massive heartbreak until ... I started it.

The story started out where you'll see the end of Ian's story at the prologue and you'll get to backtrack his unfortunate life leading to that moment in the succeeding chapters. Not Simple, a very befitting title, and you'll definitely know once you finish this story. In my opinion, 14 short chapters are enough content for this story to unfold. It's more impactful to me that way.

"Your life is unbelievable"

This line from Jim is the most accurate description of this manga. I don't think recommending this to everyone is an appropriate thing to do but please give it a try. Just don't forget that this has distressing topics and you should read at your own discretion.

ALSO, the art might not be for everyone and personally, it took me half the story to get used to the art style. Just so you know.

"Not Simple" by Natsume Ono is anything but simple. A beautiful story about a brother trying to find his sister through various hardships and family struggles. The story keeps switching back from the present to his past and shows us various times of his life. With only a very handful of characters, Natsume was able to flesh them out well enough and with only 14 chapters she was able to tell us such a beautiful story. The art might not be the best thing you see but it has its aesthetics and with easy-to-draw characters, she was able to focus more on her story.