Asano Inio's Solanin captures people in a pivotal moment in their lives. The early twenties. That awful precipitous moment of our lives when we are suddenly hit by pangs of self-doubt and uncertainty about our future, our path in life, all the more pangy because we've already been forced to study subjects we may or may not give a shit about and passed college and university and have been pushed into the wide world so there's no going back.
But there is going sideways. Speaking of sideways, Asano's stories feature elements that are so out of left-field it prevents his manga from falling
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 Alternative TitlesJapanese: ソラニン More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 2
Chapters: 28
Status: Finished
Published: Jun 30, 2005 to Apr 6, 2006
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Young Sunday (Weekly) Authors:
Asano, Inio (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #4322 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #107
Members: 117,819
Favorites: 5,424 Resources | Reviews
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Aug 27, 2009
Stories you can relate to on a personal level are some of the most powerful ones you’ll encounter, but sometimes, they can be a bit hard to swallow if they hit too close to home.
STORY - Solanin is about the quarter-life crisis: your quarter-life crisis, my quarter-life crisis. After graduating college, Meiko finds herself working as an “office lady.” The hours and pay are decent, but she doesn’t feel any connection towards what she does, her coworkers, or her boss. So she quits. How many other graduates find themselves wanting to do the same not long after starting their first job? We leave high school ... 
Apr 8, 2015
Stretched across the spectrum of time and addressed repeatedly within timeless works comes a subject matter that is ladled with dissonance and admiration by all those who touch it.
And why shouldn’t it? The topic is us, as us: us as our everyday selves beneath the apathetic masks that we adorn; us as our forgotten selves tethering above the riddles of societal norms; us as our unfulfilled selves stuck between a monochromatic world we can’t color and the world we want to stain with the hues we keep locked in our hearts. We as a collective society are frequently hindered by the very ‘norms’ we instill—an absurdity ... 
Jan 22, 2015
"What now?" is the dilemma some fresh graduates experience. On the surface, the issue seems extremely trivial and somewhat privileged. The graduates who experience this must have the luxury to hesitate and question the world around them instead of just plunging headfirst into the cool and foreboding waters of society to make ends meet and survive. Which, I acknowledge, is fair criticism. However, that does not invalidate the legitimacy and emotions felt by those graduates. There is actual meat to what they contemplate over. It is a question of meaning. And it's a personal question. Feeling trapped in a dead end situation because the path
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Apr 9, 2013
Having read the 11 volumes of Oyasumi Punpun (by the same author), which I'd easily rate as a 9/10 or 10/10 personally, I decided to read this manga. Unfortunately I found myself disappointed.
Starting out, there wasn't really much in particular that hooked me into story, except for maybe the fact that the main character is somewhat cutely drawn. Regardless, having some awareness that something dramatic will occur later on during the story, I read on with an open mind. Ultimately though, I was disappointed by the twist. Though the short two-volume format doesn't help matters, apart from the heroine, I feel that the characters were not ... 
Jul 28, 2014
Under the guise of postmodern human life lays an undisputed mystery, searching for a straight answer to living a good life. This mystery would be the purpose one has to endure to escape adolescent life and try to cultivate under harsh conditions of the financial needs of surviving in the adult world. Do I stick with the status quo and live a stable life with hardly any trouble despite the boredom that goes with it? Or try to luck out by giving a big middle finger to it and indulge me in a lifestyle that will practically make life difficult but will make my experiences
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Apr 27, 2015
When I finished my senior year of high school and began my freshman year of college, it hit me that I was on the threshold of the so-called "real world" and I was plagued by anxiety over the fact that I knew not what the future would have in store for me. To this day, that anxiety still haunts me and I don't think it'll ever truly leave me. At the same time, Inio Asano's Solanin managed to put me at ease (for the most part) when it comes down to my uncertain future. In the past, I've come across many works that were empathetic
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Jun 22, 2009
One of my favorite mangas ever! Asano effectively captures the true emotion and thoughts of modern young adults. He tells it like it is without adding any "Hollywood" glamor or unrealistic plot characteristics. The characters are sincere and believable, and the reader can fully sympathize with them. Being intricately weaved throughout the characters' memories and thought, Solanin focuses much on the restlessness of youth and what happens to get there.
Asano also pays close attention to detail, making the art very exceptional. The character design is unique; each of them has their own physical, realistic depiction very different from the huge eyes and spiked hair typical ... 
Jul 27, 2019 Mixed Feelings Funny 
Slice of life is a genre that I'd consider to be inherently flawed when not having an additional element added to have it stand out from the crowd; for example, Planetes having the interesting premise and execution of slice of life elements in futuristic sci-fi or Haibane Renmei being slice of life in a fantasy setting with a philosophical focus. When not given a unique and specific focus to tie events together and allow it to stand out from the crowd, however, it causes a slice of life to not have much to make one interested or invested in it.
Solanin is an example of such ... 
Jun 10, 2015
Solanin by Asano Inio tells the story of a group of young people in their early twenties and their everyday life. Most of them have already graduated from college and are trying to handle the responsibilities of adulthood, but at the same time they still don't know what they should expect from life.
The main characters, Meiko and Taneda, make a great, but also really realistic couple. They have been together for around six years, so they know each other pretty well. Even after Meiko quit her office job because she didn't want to fall into a routine, Taneda supports ... 
Oct 22, 2010
Inio Asano’s Solanin through Narratolgy; an academic understanding of the devices in the manga
Solanin’s story at it’s core is the clichéd, or perhaps universal, account of a group of friends uncertain about their future. The spectacular accomplishment in how the story sets out in achieving its purpose through the skillful use of narration techniques enables it to be a successful and acclaimed manga. In a Japanese context, manga are varied in genre and the artists and writers have a history of being able to create exceptional literary works through skilled artwork and narration. Inio Asano’s work of Solanin can be analyzed by identifying Aristotle’s key ... 
Sep 7, 2011
Inio Asano's Solanin struck such a chord with me. I had picked up the manga initially but forgot about it after a few days only to jump right back into it once I continued it. The best part about this manga is the fact that you feel it could be real - the characters, the settings, the situations, basically everything.
Other than that, the manga is easy on the eyes as all the drawings are crisp, clear and neat. It's a fast read too as the chapters are relatively short. Every once in a while, there is something that a character says, be it main ... 
Apr 20, 2018
Solanin poses questions I’m willing to bet most people above a certain age have asked themselves. The first is whether it is better to pursue an unlikely dream or to face reality and resign yourself to working 9 to 5 so that you can survive and enjoy your hobbies in your free time. This question becomes more difficult to answer when nothing drives you and you don’t know if there is anything you can be passionate about. The second is the question of when the right time is to leave your childhood behind and join the world as an adult, possibly giving up on unrealistic
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Jul 4, 2022
Solanin is a little window overlooking the uncertainty of life. A gentle whisper of that bitter sense of aimlessness that silently permeates everyday life, an ennui shared by all humans as they enjoy the tiny precious moments that link memories together.
The characters of Solanin quietly struggle to find their footing, a sense of purpose to keep them occupied as they timidly enter adulthood, with an honest realism that gives the story enough dramatic weight without being overhwelmingly negative, balanced by the uplifting solace offered by the genuine, believable moments of joy scattered throughout. It is a powerfully touching mood that gets significantly ruined by some ... 
Aug 28, 2023
Asano chose a theme fairly common to write about: dreams, happiness and youth. He chooses a personal perspective on these topics, following the life of Taneda and Meiko who leave together in Tokyo, struggling to find their own place in the world in their early twenties. I like how he did it, giving the voice of the dreamy youth to a character, that's why this is so relatable, everyone (or maybe not idk) dreams and have hobbies that they wish they could make a living with it, and how painfully it is if you can't do it? Are you willing to sacrifice almost everything you
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Aug 20, 2014
Solanin is one great piece of work. It isn't your regular slice of life manga, not by any means. The story is not that original, but yet, really heart catching. The "cast" is composed of your regular teenagers, each one of them in that part of life where things start to get hard. The story is about them guys, struggling here. Did somebody ever claimed you had talent in anything? WELL NOPE. You're a regular person.
You'd like to become the greatest guitarist in the whole world? You'd like to become a famous lawyer? NOPE. Slap in your face. Everything is not neccesarily going to ... 
Oct 24, 2022
Solanin is refreshing. And when I say this, I mean that Asano has truly made something beautiful. Meiko Inoue, a 23 year old young woman, is living her daily life and fighting on her own in Tokyo. Along with Naruo Taneda, a wannabe rockstar, they decide to revive a long time band, called Rotti. With some college friends, they try their way in the music industry.
The fascinating point about Solanin is its simplicity, it is somewhat touching to the young adults, but also beautiful in a general scale. Considering that the whole industry is completely centered in teenage protagonists, Solanin truly stands out not ... 
Jun 7, 2021
This was my first time reading Inio Asano's works. And it was a pretty good journey.
Story 8/10 The message of the story to me is to do what makes you happy even if it's a big risk. For example, quitting your job to focus on your passive income or something. The story is very realistic and relatable. Either tho I'm not a big fan of the ending it was good but I thought maybe it could have been a happier ending. Enjoyment 7.5/10 I had a pretty good time with this manga. It made me feel I wanted to do something out in the world. And reminded me ... 
Jun 25, 2018
Solanin by Inio Asano
Long-Winded Review #3 [Sleep Deprivation Edition] This is, in my opinion, yet another masterpiece by Inio Asano. This is a lot more grounded than some of his other work, and as such a lot more accessible. This manga focuses on capturing the fragility of life for someone in their mid-20s. Asano explains it best in his afterword: "[...] In my anxiety and impatience, I felt that all I could do in my manga was try to get a true depiction of the times as experienced by my generation. Lovers, friends, money, jobs, a society with an unclear future, one's own pride... ... 
May 2, 2019
SS Review – Solanin
(Short and Sour) This is a story about a struggling band and the relationship between the band members, with it mostly centering on the lives of the lead singer and his girlfriend. Like I said the manga focuses on the relationships of the band members and how they cope with a certain incident. They formed their band in their school days and the name of the manga shares the same name as a song they made. Unfortunately I haven’t got much else to say regarding the story and characters as this is a short manga and I don’t want to spoil any of the ... |
