Reviews

Nov 24, 2024
Mixed Feelings
Ozanari-kun – Spoiler Free – Mixed Feelings

TLDR
Overall: 4/10

Disclaimer: due to the nature of this work – a collection of short stories of a gag manga –, my normal parameters of Story, Art, Characters and Enjoyment with a weighted average won’t be applied. Instead, a global overview will be offered.

This is Inio Asano at his most experimental work (aside from Nijigahara Holograph): he experiments with visuals – and with terrific success – with the format of a gag manga. With all due honesty, Asano doesn’t quite work the same way outside of his genre: depressive slices of life with full-fledged characters that are believable and likeable are where he excels.
Ozanari-kun is the living proof of that. Most stories are 2-3 pages long, which only exist for the punchline – as is typical of a gag manga. Asano, however, has the sensibility to always use the same characters for his stories, which is a great move by him: it allows some character development and depth in an otherwise shallow work. With this, we are able to connect beyond the jokes. However, the jokes are repetitive and, in general, most aren’t comic. This is a big problem when the jokes are the centrepiece of your manga. Some jokes are also too over-the-top to be funny.
Art also changes considerably from the rest of Asano’s works: not only is everything different, but he also uses photography and colour to a great extent. This is the manga’s strongest suit, as it adds a whole different dimension that only contributes positively.
Characters are relatable and are well conceived, even though they are stereotypes and are clearly exaggerated, which fits its comical purposes.
Overall, Inio Asano’s take on gag manga is refreshing and well done, but it is still not enjoyable enough on its own. Although technically well-conceived, and aside from the funky and enticing visuals (although much worse than his usual art style), the jokes didn’t work, and it wasn’t a joy to read, quite on the contrary: it was boring from a certain point onwards. Although this is a light-hearted manga, it just doesn’t accomplish its main objective: to be an enjoyable read despite its technical successes. For these reasons, it deserves a mixed-feelings stamp.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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