Oyasumi Punpun

What i really enjoy about Oyasumi punpun is how he makes you think about things in your life,small details,and i thought a lot about the manga i consider this one of the best mangas i ever read,not just because of the drama on the series itself but how it affects you,Inio Asano really knows how to make the reader get immersed on the manga that's how i felt reading this.

The story is really slow at the start,i took a break on the manga at the start,after a couple a time i come back to read it and i think it was really worth enjoying the whole journey of punpun,it's not a manga for everybody if u just like shounen type,will be really hard for you to enjoy this,so if ur into dark type of drama and more mature you will love punpun for sure.

There's so much to say about this manga but to describe it i'd say dark with a light twist, it suits those looking for a darker theme in a manga without getting too edgy.
Overall this is a great coming of age story with awesome art, the underlying themes hidden in the chaos of it all is beautiful this is my favorite seinen and would recommend it to anyone.This mangas strongest points are its characterization and art, the characters of this manga are very ''relatable'' on an emotional level while the art is one of the most unique styles you can ever seen in a manga the author depicts punpun as a bird which isnt something orthodox to do, its very refreshing to read through this manga because of how unique the art style is.

Inio Asano's masterpiece made me think about my whole life during a whole year. This probably happened because I saw a lot of my actions and thoughts in the manga characters, so I kinda attached to them, mainly to Punpun.

It's interesting how this manga makes you reflect on every specific point of your trajectory, from your childhood to your present moment. All this attached to the depressing story of the main character Onodera Punpun, which resembles the lives of many real people.

Certainly, one of the most interesting parts for me in the work is the construction of the destructive love between Punpun and Aiko, since when they were children. Seriously, it may seem silly, but Aiko reminds me of a certain (real) girl I know, from that, I don't even need to give too many explanations, right?

So, for all the lovers of Slice of Life and Bad Vibes stories, read Oyasumi Punpun. Sorry, I couldn't express very well in words what this manga made me feel, so it's better, you on your own, find out how it will tweak you inside.

It's the very first review I ever wrote and despite the fact that for most of the manga I read or anime I watch, I give 9-10, this one is the most honest score I ever gave without any doubts.

Oyasumi Punpun is a manga that I could relate to, one that made me think and realise about how I'm actually living, what I can do for the society today, how every person has it's own story and live their own lives, trying to fit in and survive in this big world. I noticed a few reviews stating, how they hated Punpun and in a way I did as well, but he was actually the most relatable character there, one that didn't do much whatsoever to make his life better, a complete coward and a shut-in, whom I got atached to. And just after I saw myself in him, I realised how wrong his and both mine life is, how nothing can be achieved in this world without hard work.

I enjoyed every second of this manga and wished that there were more chapters, since it's without a doubt, the best work I've ever read. The story was very detailed, Punpun's emotions written clearly, but you couldn't really see it all from outside, which made me realise how you cannot judge a person by it's cover, since none of us know what a certain person is feeling, thinking and how people are living their lives. It was like a big book of life lessons, something that I am still trying to learn and many things to overcome.

The artstyle was unusual for me, since I am used to all beautiful characters, with no flaws and the way that every different person was drawn in Oyasumi Punpun, with their flaws showing only made it more interesting to read and tought me that no one is actually perfect and even those with imperfections can reach a lot with their hard work. And the main character, Punpun, his looks made him stand out and at the same time not, since he was nothing very fancy but something very different as well, what I really loved.

This manga is as I already said without a doubt the best one I read, one that will leave a scar on me for a long time, one that I will remember once I fall into Punpun's position again, one that tought me a lot and made me realise that to succeed, you must try, even if you fail.

[Spoiler Warning]

Let me begin by mentioning that I enjoy pessimistic works with nihilistic elements. So given the hype of this manga, I had high expectations. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I would have dropped it before its first quarter was completed, but its extreme high ratings, on both websites I follow, left me with a drifting promise of a hidden depth, or at least of an extraordinary ending. The work was shallow and the ending was horrible, so all that's left for me to do, is to write this review and warn anyone who will listen.

This manga has only one good point; it has a great technical structure. What I mean with that, is that the artwork, the panels, and the direction are great. Unfortunately, the technical competency of the mangaka is wasted.

It even begins with promise; managing to conjure up some locked-up nightmares from primary school. But then it's a free-fall. The time-jumps undermine the importance the prior events. The side characters eat a good chunk of space without being interesting, and -what's more important- never contributing anything. The uncle, the father, the two classmates, the overplayed cult; they offered nothing, but asked to be paid handsomely in panels.

We continue. The forcefulness of some events make the manga look silly, for instance the way Punpun lost his virginity, or the uncle's “tragic” back-story. And then it's the pretentiousness, a strong blossoming pretentiousness that manifests twofold: All these attempts to make the story a little darker, puny attempts to insert some sick or hardcore elements, and of course all those dialogs that tried so hard to appear philosophical and deep.

Last but not least, it's the ending; I expected fireworks, but a fart is all I got. The way I see it, the mangaka was a coward; he could have gone with an inspiring happy ending, or a dark one that could leave a scar. But instead, it is like he was afraid to be mainstream with the happy ending, but also he did not want to descent underground into the darkness. And that undecisiveness lead a complete failure of an ending.

I could go on, but I think my point is clear. It is also clear that my opinion regarding this manga makes me a minority, but please take note that I rarely rate so low any work, regardless of medium. So: 2.0/10.

After reading Aku No Hana I wanted another manga that would take me on a trip a journey a ride and boy did Goodnight Punpun deliver this manga was a wild ride I really enjoyed it the art the characters the story it was all great and I know my review is not as great as some of the others but I guess I just really want to recommend this. This is a true masterpiece

Though i will warn people this manga is not for the faint of heart and deals with some heavy stuff so discretion is advised





Oyasumi Punpun

This review might contain character spoilers. It's impossible to review Punpun without mentioning some changes in tone that might somehow spoil the fun of finding it out for yourself. Be warned.

Supporting character Sashi wanted to write a manga that was not about escaping real life, but about learning how to fight it. This is such story.

If there was one flaw to this manga was the overbearing darkness that enveloped it. There was never a sense that all was well and would end well. It kept you on edge the whole read. There are plenty of manga and books I've read fearing a the back cover showed up when I next flipped the next page. This one I just wished it would end already so I would be released of the tension.

That said, this manga combines magnificent characters with magnificent storytelling. You're always feeling what Punpun is feeling. You won't particularly like Punpun, in fact, you'll probably grow to hate him. But the mangaka somehow forces you to feel his pain.

That said, even if you won't LIKE Punpun, you'll probably identify with some aspect of him, in fact, saying you don't identify at all with Punpun would be quite conceited. He's like a younger version of Nobuyuki's Kurosawa, he's just an average teenager, leaving a troubled life. His life IS troubled. But in the end, is own faults are what sends him a downwards spiral. It's his the choice to ignore his childhood dream. It's his is choice to leave a common and mediocre life. And we recent him for it. Want him to change. To chase his dreams. But then we remember we're just like Punpun. We all had weird childhood dreams. I wanted to be an medic astronaut that also played soccer. And most of us think they were stupid and childish.

My initial reaction to this manga was 'wtf most pretentious piece of shit I've ever read,' but in the end, every bit of pretentious symbolism fits like a glove. Some dialogue comes out as beautiful preaching you could post on your facebook status, but it's okay. This is that kind of story.

I wish it didn't force so many bad things to happen. This manga wouldn't lose anything if Punpun's life was just a little bit happier, and I, as a reader, wouldn't feel as if I just went in a 10 hour long emotional roller-coster. Some of the later happenings just felt unnecessary. And the same message could be covered with happier turns in the story. But then, trve art is dark and angsty. That's what cost this manga the perfect 10 in enjoyment.

In the end, this manga is but a reminder that our life is our own. And depends on our actions more than anything else. Blaming others, or life itself for every bad thing that happens to us might make us feel better, but it won't make anything better. In the end it's up to us to change our lives. To make them better. But it is okay to ask for help.

Having recently caught up on this... I'll say this, I bloody love this manga.

The story centres around the main character Punpun, who, along with his family, is depicted as a sort of 2d bird… That is most definetely not to say the Mangaka, Inio Asano was lazy in his approach to the art of the manga, on the contrary, Oyasumi Punpun has some gorgeous art, in both the scenery and in his drawings of the other characters, bringing out such glorious emotion in each and every one of his characters.

It starts out as a kind of black comedy, slice of life type manga, looking at the life of a 10 year old Punpun, and his obsession with his new classmate, Aiko. However, it gradually develops into a coming of age manga, as we see Punpun grow older, and see him and those around him make terrible, thoughtless…. and yet utterly human decisions that make them question existence… You will feel for Punpun and the rest of the cast, Inio Asano’s excellent,surreal storytelling will see to that… And trust me, there will be many such moments.

It can be fairly graphic at times, and it does seem downright depressing at times with a fairly bleak view on people as a whole. This is a tragic manga in places, but also an incredible one, it’s surreal, funny at times, nihilistic and devastating….. One of the best, if not the best, manga I have read. Read it.

NO SPOILER REVIEW

Oyasumi Punpun is such another type of beautiful; catching the essence of our day to day life and the thoughts that we cannot put into words. Punpun is a human portrayed as bird along with his problematic family. He struggles to understand himself and the world. He faces many fights between himself and his hormones. Overall, he is just your average teenager who doesn't know what to do; but the way it is portrayed is just so relatable.

Punpun aside, there are a few side stories that discuss troubles and conflict; some of which is sex. I'm not big on 18+ material but again, the way it is portrayed is just so... realistic. Lots of lust yes, but in a way that is believable and makes you think.

The artwork is FANTASTIC. The messiness of the rooms, the scenery. It's all breathtaking.

While reading, I really felt like I could relate to the characters. They go through the same day to day problems like many of us. Even though we may break down, we still keep moving forward and that's just how the characters are.

I absolutely enjoyed Oyasumi Punpun. It is my favorite series of all time by far and it left me questioning my ideals.

I really recommend Oyasumi Punpun for any of you manga readers out there that are able to take it on.


Its long (147 chapters) so you wont have to worry about finishing it in a day. It is not a light read, or anything regular manga readers are used to reading. Starts off slow (and I mean SLOW, but its for a good reason, as I'll state later on) but takes a dark turn later in the story. Its heavily psychology based. A good 90% or so of the story is the thoughts and emotions of whichever character you're following. However, that 10% of actual action that you do get is jaw dropping. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Theres also quite a bit of complicated symbolism, so you have to watch for that. The art is phenomenal. Its raw and realistic, just like the story.


There are only two thing I can criticize about it. One: the side stories piss me off. I'm trying to figure out what happens between Punpun and Aiko, and it keep alternating between Punpun's pathetic self pity (which is surprisingly interesting since its mixed in w/ his realizations of life and God's completely outlandish suggestions to fixing his problems) and the lives of people who have crossed paths w/ Punpun.

Which leads into my second criticism. Dont get me wrong, Im ecstatic that the story takes time to thoroughly develop both the characters and plot, but did it really have to take 147 chapters to do so?
The stories are all concentrated on how stress and situations build up over time and then in 100s, BAM! That 10% of action hits you out of nowhere when the situations finally boil over. Like I said, its not a major criticism b/c thats how human psyche itself work (people in reality also keep things bottled up and proceed as normal until the straw break the camels back). Its just a reflection of real life. But it is worth noting, b/c we readers have lives that need to be lived and we ain't got time to sit around and read every damn detail of the characterss' demises.


It's a complex read. Its one of those workings that doesnt try to please everyone. Really, the one character I can kind of say I like is Aiko, and I dont like her by much. Everyone else I dislike, even Punpun. The characters are just malicious and selfish enough for me to dislike them, yet why they act the way they do is so well explained that I cant hate them b/c I understand why they'd act such a way.

Theres a lot of harsh realities and slaps to the face in this story, but it manages to keep you hooked.


If it sounds like your kind of story, be sure to message me. I'd really like to see the story from another perspective to make sure I'm not missing anything.



PS: If you bitch about how Punpun is presented to the readers as a poorly drawn bird, you might as well just put the book down entirely. Don't get offended. Its not you, its the story. Its not meant for everyone.

His change in appearances represent what stage of Punpun's life you're in. And in my honest opinion, it also acts as a marker to when you reach the interesting parts.

Oyasumi Punpun is a rather dark,depressing coming of age story and too damn realistic work of fiction that focuses on the not so happy sides of our daily lives...The more I went through the story,the more I could relate to certain aspects of the story and It's characters...That's the kind of manga Oyasumi Punpun is...It's a goddamn Masterpiece and nobody can deny that. <3 <3

Story-
The story revolves around a 11 year boy named Punpun who's kinda different than most other kids his age...of course,his family issues are behind his problems..One day,A certain girl transfers to his class,he falls in love with her immediately..Then,his life begins to change drastically when he gets involved with her and certain other things his life throws at him...and more so.
The way story portrayed the unfortunate incidents in the characters lives was too good,too emotional....sometimes enough to fill your eyes with tears..This story can make you laugh,make you feel young,will depress you at times,sometimes emotional,sometimes sad...But most of all,It's a story that will leave a great impact in your heart..Enough to make It one of your most favourite manga. <3
Characters-
This story has one of the most realistic character development I've seen in fictional work,every other side character has their own significant role to play...The characters are so down to Earth that you can't help but fall in love with some of them.
Artstyle-
Since I'm not a regular manga reader,I really can't judge the art fairly...But to me,The artstyle looked perfect for a story of this caliber...The art was beautiful,It had thoroughly detailed visuals and background details...Even a Non-Manga reader could easily get used to It's fine and smooth artstyle I think.

End Note-Looking a for a deep,realistic and really different Slice of Life/Psychological story?..If so,you just can't afford to miss this one,Warning to the young audiences under 15,This story has explicit themes,depressing incidents that can affect your mind,so read with caution..I can now understand why It's that famous among all the manga reader in the world...This manga deserves praise,I actually finished this one last month..I'm writing about this today because I'd feel like a criminal If I didn't write something about this absolute Masterpiece.👌😊

[SPOILER WARNING]

“Life is immeasurably difficult, things hardly ever work out as planned, and people are generally shitty.” –Goodnight Pun or anyone who has ever worked a 9-5 job.

Goodnight Punpun is the dark coming of age story of some little shit who agonizes over anything and everything.

Goodnight Punpun has three conflicting stories. The first story, told in book one, is about a young boy named Punpun who has a crush on the new transfer student Aiko. Together Punpun and his friends go on all kinds of misadventures like trying to find porn, going to abandoned factories, and etc. Of course, things are not always good as Punpun has to deal with his parents fighting and other hardships. At this point in the story Goodnight Punpun is essentially Stand By Me with more misery porn and it is wonderful. There is mystery, soft super natural elements, and an endearing message of struggling through life’s problems.

The second story, told in book two through five, is about an older Punpun who gets sad at the mere act of being alive. Things have not worked out for Punpun for one reason or another and we see him delve into Shinji levels of self-loathing and… not much else. Still obsessed with Aiko for whatever reason, Punpun lives day to day without much meaning. He tries to get women and do other normal things but he is kind of an awkward asshole. He also sleeps with his uncle’s girlfriend and jerks off into the ocean. This part of the story is essentially the worst parts of Evangelion and gets repetitive quickly.

The third story, told in book six and seven, sees the author being replaced by Gen Urobuchi (albeit he is less of hack than he usually is). Things take a turn for the edgy as Punpun reunites with Aiko only to be forced to kill her abusive mother in a bizarre encounter that quickly escalates. Punpun and Aiko then flee and the story fades away into a fever dream of an ending with Aiko hanging herself and an exhausted Punpun resigning himself to die at the abandoned factory he and his friends went to as kids. However, Punpun is “rescued” when his friend(?) Sachi finds him. In the final scene Punpun has a chance encounter with Harumi, a childhood friend who had moved away long ago, giving Punpun a fleeting sense of nostalgia and then the story ends. This ending is poetic in a number of ways. All of Punpun’s previous actions are made meaningless with nothing working out for him even in the end where he is denied a silent exit from this cruel world and is forced to continue a miserable existence. There is no fanfare, rather than burn out the story simply fades away. It is absolutely ordinary and realistic in a way that stories rarely are. For the story told in the last two books, I couldn’t think of a more fitting ending.

Both the beginning and ending of Goodnight Punpun are beautiful in their own right, but they don’t necessarily work together. There is a weird disconnect where the first part of the story is melancholy but still hopeful while the ending is brutally unforgiving and cynical. Other peculiar choices put both stories at odds with each other as well. The soft but pervading super natural and mystery elements, ranging from serial killer confession tapes to psychic cults, work well for the beginning but not so much the ending and, ultimately, don’t go anywhere anyways. While I like both angles neither are nearly as effective as they could have been separately. Instead Goodnight Punpun is left in an awkward middle ground where it is too spectacular to be ordinary and too ordinary to be spectacular.

Other than the inconsistency in tone I felt the characters and plot, at least the side ones, were largely inconsequential. Despite being interesting they don’t really add to the main story significantly. Even if you could enjoy them for what they are, they never go anywhere and don’t have much of a pay off if any at all. They also slightly suffer from the Tarantino effect where you hear the writer in them more than the character to the point of intrusion. It is not too bad, but I would say it walks a fine line. That said I still see a lot of talent in the writing concerning the side characters and plots, but one area that’s surprisingly lacking in writing is the relationship between Punpun and Aiko. Punpun’s obsession is questionably convenient and a hard sell at best, and considering that’s supposed to be the driving force behind most of his actions I was left wanting.

To be fair what Goodnight Punpun does well it does really well. It may not have the cleanest execution but it is still pretty impressive. On a technical level the art is wonderfully detailed and expressive and that alone is worth some merit. I suppose, in the end, one way of looking at things is that two thirds of the story is good, but I have to ask what could have been with just a little bit more polish. And though it may also be the case that Goodnight Punpun and I simply have different philosophical views I can’t help but think of the old saying- pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. As cliché as it is, it is just as true, so I guess I'll end with my own cliché quote.

Life is immeasurably difficult, things hardly ever work out as planned, and people are generally shitty, but, you have to move on.

"Slice of Life" may seem like an inaccurate tag to anyone who is reading the reviews or just finished reading the manga, but Oyasumi Punpun is what it is, and at its heart, it is a story about people: nothing more, and nothing less.

The story is meandering, telling Punpun's coming of age in bits and pieces, in the spirit of all other slice of life's. Because of this, there is no coherent plot to Punpun. It is entirely character driven, and Punpun is the character central to the story.

The story starts with tragedy. Punpun's mother is in the hospital, his father has been arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse, and his uncle has just moved in to take care of him. Punpun is still almost unbearably young, however, and he doesn't care about any of this. He cares about the new transfer student, Tanaka Aiko.

And so it begins.

We follow Punpun through rape, suicide ideation, domestic violence, body image, and a whole slew of other morally debatable problems, and this manga, at its center, tackles what it means to be human.

Almost every character has their own backstory, their own tragedies.

Oyasumi Punpun highlights a truth in our lives: normality is nothing but a social construct. It highlights the uniqueness of each character and how they live their lives. There is no normal path to take; every person's path is different.

While Inio Asano's art is not personally my favorite style, I will not deny the skill that is obvious in his drawings. Emotions, poses, quotes, are all skillfully placed in the manga. The abstract representation of Punpun is a stroke of genius, leading us through his various mental states. The small bird seen on the cover of the first volume shows Punpun as a child at his most innocent. At varying points in the manga, he becomes a floating tetrahedron, a bird head with a human body, and a dark black head with a hole straight down the middle, among others. The one time his face is shown, his eyes and nose are blacked out. This, along with the fact that Punpun's real name is never revealed, allows us to both better follow his mindset and also better put ourselves in his place.

Goodnight, Punpun.

Oyasumi Punpun hits so hard it will send you flying straight up to the isekai world in an instant, and here's why...

Story...
What's so great about this manga is that it tackles a very unusual story while keeping most of its readers interested, it just keeps on throwing you oddly interesting yet disturbing events that will leave you on asking what’s next. But that’s not all, what’s more interesting is that the story can be or might actually be happening in real-life…or in other words, it’s slice of life except it’s more mature. All of this is revolving around Punpun, his decisions, delusions, obsession, etc. all of this, while he’s struggling to survive his own self-made problems.

There are also side stories of characters that is relevant to Punpun which also tackles that character’s perspective. Much like Punpun, the characters for the side stories are also brimming of immaturity which caused them their own detriment.

Art…
The art style is amazing, the proximity between the story and the art style is so on point. It gives its readers the exact feeling of what they should feel on a particular scene, which is really engaging.

Characters…
Most of the characters are so full of negativity it makes them hard to be loved by the readers, but that’s the strong point of this manga. This may sound odd but watching what the characters would do after constantly pressing every wrong button they could possibly press even though they know that it’s wrong is really intriguing, and this is because they act like as if they we’re real people, each character have their own thoughts, way of solving problems, habits, beliefs, you name it, they are living on their own while portraying a strong sense of human irrationality.

What’s more interesting about the characters is that they’ve become themselves because of the environment around them (e.g. how their parents treated them, traumatic experiences, etc,)which is really close real people develop their character, and because they live on their own, and have their own way, which is why it’s hard to blame them for their own actions.

Just some thoughts…
This manga is really amazing, it’s pretty rare nowadays to see stories in this medium that will make you stop thinking of everything else except of how lucky you are that you’re not in such an unpleasant situation. The story may not have been super interesting, nor didn’t teach us anything new, but at least, it made us aware that there are miserable people out there, they may not be as worse as the characters portrayed in the manga but they do exist.

Lastly, although some parts (literally just 3 panels) felt forced, and the fact that it’s hard to portray real life in a story even though it’s a just a sector of it, the manga still successfully showed a different view of our society that some of us may not even knew existed, and with that, it's a masterpiece.

This is the single sentence to describe this manga :

teenager writes a nihilistic view on the world + bird boi

( NO SPOILER )

i gotta give props for them to make the main character look like a bird lol ; it's really good execution

however, if you're into philosophy beyond ' nihilistic ' majority of this will be seen as pretty much poopie. nihilistic philosophy is sort of like your first step into questioning the world ; the problem arises though once you grow out of that phase + find meaning in it yourself / other branches of philosophy much more complicated compared to it.

nihilism = " life is meaningless '"

this entire storie's premise is basically about nihilistic theory ; it's not exactly hidden either - though i'm not surprised it's so popular cos of course there are a lot of teens or those still stuck in the childish mind. it's quickly to sey ' life is meaningless ' once you're growing up cos your mind or soul has not developed. it's sort of like a child asking ' how come i have to eat my vegetables ? ' ( even though i love brocolli )

so the reason how come nihilism is such a low logic is cos if you expand it out towards entropy ( the end of our universe ) you could say there is no meaning to anything at all ( which is comforting to those lost ; cos now you got an excoos to not think about yo future lol )

i personally don't think this nihilistic view of the world ( nor do others who do love philosophy ) is good writing material ; do to the fact that the ' end ' is so simple that quite literally you could give the premise to a 3rd grader and he'd write basically the same thing as 20 year old. ' oh nothing matters ? then in the end people just all die :D '

i don't want to sound like i'm bashing all you youngsties on this site ( as i'm definitely part of the nihilistic group once i was younger too; around 15 or so though i grow out of it coming to 20 if i do remember correctly )

only it's quite telling that a philosophical basis that can be ended in the same story over and over again ; it goes to show how simple the premise itself is

so the basis of this story is already pretty noobie lol ( not hating of course ; )

it wouldn't be given such a low rating by me if that were it though , the reason why i gave it such a low score is due to mainly the story + characters

STORY: 3/10

This story without spoiling anythiing is like looking at a Korean drama ; not sure how many of you weebs are aware - though, in korean dramas something normally random pops up just to add more ' spice ' to otherwise BORING story. for instance, love triangle? NOT COOL ENOUGH ! THIS GIRLS TWIN SISTER IS EXISTS / THIS GIRL GOT ??? CANCER / THIS GUY IS ACTUALLY A PRINCE FROM THE 1300TH CENTURY / OMG THE COOL BOY LOVE INTEREST IS ACTUALLY LUCIFER ( GIRL LOVES HIM )

This happens quite often in this story, i've on one hand now counted 10 story routes that attributed almost nothing from their actual ' shock ' value. it's like if i told you guys the story of the tortoise and the rabbit, the tortoise wins cos he goes at a slow and consistent rate, the rabbit is over confidence = lost ; how bout i ' spice it ' ? ' the tortoise now has to visit his dying dog in the hospital in the middle of the race, so he goes there slowly, oh yeah the dog dies too - the rabbit bangs 100 rabbits whilst racing + you find out the rabbit is gey + this rabbit is evil cos doesn't like dogs. o + this tortoise is suicidal too '

this race ends up the exact same way with the exact same moral / theme ; so how come all that excess s*i* ? ' cos it's spicy '

This story is just not good, HOWEVER - if you DO like it ; it just means that you enjoy the korean drama spice too ( where it seemingly throws random plot shit into your face that is so ridiculous LOL ) hey if that's your thingie ; go for it LOL

i'm not trying to bash on anyone disliking this ; it's just like cheap drama - or fast food ; if you want to consume it : Consume ( i no there is audience for this )

Characters 3/10

( IMO ) 2 characters are the only 2 good character interactions i've found in this *ENTIRE* story ( seki + shizimu ; their relationship seems one that actually is realistic + you can tell there is deeper meaning in their friendship )

1 character is the only one whom i've found to have deep writing put into her ( aiko ; her story is quite tragic though i believe she is quite possibly this story's BEST written character - she grows, she's fragile, she's tough, she's innocent ; )

( the MC is just so horrendously written on the 1/3rd end of the story it's LOL worthy ; like seriously i think this is just a case of Flanderization ( where you over exaggerate a characters attributes til it just becomes ridiculously stoopid LOL ) )



i'd write more ; i don't want to cos this journey is WAIST OF TIME !!! ( BIG FAST WAIST ( 1000 pounds )

Please read this Manga.
Honestly there's not one thing i'd ask to be changed, it's perfectly polished in all aspects.

Relatively spoiler free.

STORY:
Perfect. There's a raw honest realism to this story, even with some of the crazy things that happen that seem surreal. Nothing is sugarcoated. Even with many of the dark turns that happen in this story there are many things that are relatable to the average person. Which kind of takes this story to a new level.

ART:
Perfect. The way the main character and his direct family is portrayed is wonderfully unique, it gives him an innocence that couldn't be depicted in any other way. (at least in my mind). There are still images from this manga that are permanently ingrained into my mind. The way they keep Punpuns face hidden through out the manga gives it a anonymous feeling where he could be anyone, it's easy to find yourself getting lost in/as this character.


CHARACTER:
Perfect. Everyone is so thoroughly fleshed out, absolutely everyone is interesting and has a story. There was never a moment that I felt like the story was dragging on or that a certain character had too much 'screen time'. For many characters there was a emotional trek, where at some points you'd hate them but in the end for most if not all you could understand them. Even though many things weren't 'just' in our mind, everything had a reason of why it came to be.

ENJOYMENT:
This is my favourite Manga of all time. I can't even see this being put to justice if it were to be adapted into an anime. Theres something about this manga, that made me feel like my eyes were opened or something had changed. I highly recommend this.

OVERALL:
Please read this.

*This review contains minor spoilers
This is my first review and it may not be good but I just want to share my opinion. Also English is not my first language (obviously)

So I read Oyasumi Punpun before around year and half and honestly I still don't understand everything. I'm just so mad. The story looks so good planned but the manga did not go well. The plot is just weak and the most of the manga was just "fillers". It was so boring so I almost dropped it several times but I didn't because I was still hoping I could see what all the hype was about. In my opinion it gets interesting just before the end when finally Aiko and Punpun met up. And honestly the last few chapters (around the runaway) were an actual roller-coaster because so many things happened at once and I just couldn't hold myself from crying. But unfortunately this was the only reason I rated the manga so high.
So yes I did not care much about Punpun I just wanted to see him with Aiko. Well I hoped to see his real face at the end because it was a bit strange that the main character is a chicken while everybody else was a human. But I liked that a bit because his looks represent the way he feels. (maybe?) Like he feels so helpless like a chicken or I don't even know. But I still relate to him so much. The overthinking, the loneliness, the daydreaming are regular part of my life so I expected something more interesting and different. I didn't even got the "psychological" part of that manga (or maybe it's just in me?). Like everything looked mainstream and normal and yeah. Also the end. Maybe, just maybe if it ended more dramatically this work could have left a something good in my heart even a bit. But no. And the worst is that I didn't even understand the ending.
I thing there are more things I could write about but I'm just disappointed. And the actually funny part is that I still keep thinking about this manga as well. Very often. Sometimes I wish I could change someone else's works because Oyasumi Punpun just had the chance of becoming really enjoyable and interesting. But it is not and sadly I can't do nothing about it.

I have a strange relationship with this work. There are many things I understand about it, and there are many things I do not. Once in a while I will come back and peruse -- flip to a random page, read on, and see what new meanings I unearth. I never leave empty-handed.

Much in this manga does not seem to make sense. Often the characters will make an offhand remark or do something (there is one thing in particular) that at first is confusing. There is even an arc, a thread running throughout the story, that seems out of place and at odds with the rest of the manga. But there is nothing in this manga that is not written in for a purpose. Whenever I ruminate upon some cryptic line, or one of the character's hidden, meaningful gazes, I discover exactly what emotion is invested in each word, and the character is given extra dimensions, added subtleties; nothing is wasted.

Oyasumi Punpun is rich in meaning. In the span of 147 chapters, 13 volumes, it touches upon countless themes and explores them in painful depth. What does it mean to completely understand another human being? What ideals might one be creating in and expecting from another person? How deep does obsession run, and how strongly do the angels and demons of our past reach out and seize hold of us? This, and so much more.

There is so much that is real, both in who they are and all the things that they do. Ultimately, however, Oyasumi Punpun is a consummate fairy tale. There are events -- and I do not mean with Pegasus -- that would never feasibly happen here in reality. But the manga succeeds in giving us characters that feel as real as any character can feel, and giving them complex, tumultuous emotions, wrought so convincingly in this beautiful black-and-white medium, that there really is nothing notable in the manga that reeks of disingenuousness or contrivance.

Asano Inio has a phenomenal cinematic sense for subtlety and emotion, and he wrings out every ounce of feeling that the manga format has to offer. When juxtaposed with the rather cartoonish characters, the backgrounds, created with actual photographs, evoke the grittiness of reality, the tenderness of the flesh and the air and of being alive, and the devastating sense of stillness that some moments require to properly impart what they were designed to impart. It's a beautifully rendered world, populated with real people in real places, and all the complex matters of their hearts. All to deliver a darkly tragic modern day fairy tale, wrought with stirring pathos and a gentle, resigned humanism.

There are vast worlds of nuance and meaning left unsaid in this short review of mine. I don't have the time or patience to say all that I have to say about this manga (and I only continue to discover more). Much of the premise and other basic ground is covered in other reviews. If you are reading this to decide whether or not you yourself are going to read it, then please, give it a shot, especially if any of the above sounded even remotely interesting. Even if you end up disliking it, it is still 100% worth the try; it's that kind of a manga.

After reading the manga, I'm left unsatisfied by the ending and confused by the dark, violent tonal shift the plot suddenly took around its final third part. I would not suggest people read this unless they are looking to be left feeling frustrated and empty inside, since it's not written very well.

The story contains quite a bit of side plots, with one especially appearing too frequently, and dragging on way too long. It regularly sacrifices believability for shock value, even though it attempts to make statements about the real world through the events that happen. This especially began to weigh down the manga after it tosses away any of the lighthearted elements it had and begins having the characters make extremely consequential choices. The later chapters become a complete clusterfuck as a result. As a drama, the story tries to define every character by some sort of personal philosophy, but many of these are uninteresting due to being cliché or dull. Therefore, a lot of the personal moments we have with the characters fall flat.

Overall, I was very unimpressed with everything this story had to offer, except the art. The choice to visually juxtapose Punpun against the rest of the world allowed for very brilliant representations of his character evolution, and I contend that the art has carried the manga to the fame that it has.

You are reading a review of Oyasumi Punpun, a narrative in the form of a manga. The purpose of a review is to critique, praise, recommend, analyze, and so forth for a narrative -- ultimately to give hesitant or curious readers an opinion on whether or not the narrative is worth experiencing. If a narrative has many flaws, that would certainly discourage one from reading or watching it; if it is entertaining, emotionally impactful, enlightening, then it is worth the time.

Often, perhaps too often, a cause for criticism is the level of realism depicted in the story. As narratives take place in worlds that are presumed to be quite like our own, in terms of the color of human nature (which would determine how characters interact) and the general laws of physics (e.g. the constant passage of time, gravity, etc.), they are reflections of our own world. When creating a narrative, the writer writes from experience living in his or her world, because it is natural and because the more realistic the story is, the more it can resonate with audiences.

Now obviously many narratives take place in universes in which the nature of energy is different. Look no further than the power systems of shounen. And being visual mediums, anime and manga make use of the license of exaggerating certain things for emphasis, humor, etc. As such, much of the surface material that isn’t realistic, like the character designs, shouldn’t be criticized. It is part of what makes the medium unique, for it serves to represent ideas that can’t necessarily be expressed in words alone or even in live action. Stylistic aspects are just that, stylistic, and whether you like it or not is personal preference.

But beyond that, things such as pacing, degree of acting, and whatnot serve to make the anime or manga realistic on a deeper level. Again, it all comes down to how the characters behave; do they resemble our own human psyche well enough, are they acting as expected given their personalities and circumstances, etc. Moreover, those narratives recognized as more realistic and thus lauded for it tend to treat mature themes and display the darker sides of humanity.

This is why plot armor is so heavily criticized, especially in long-running shounen, for it is unrealistic for so many good characters to survive time and time again when in real life battles aren’t so one-sided. This is why getting back up again and again solely due to the power of friendship and bonds may be endearing, but ultimately doesn’t look too good after so many repetitions. Yes, Fairy Tail, I’m talking to you.

Taking all of this into consideration, it is ironic then that so many narratives have happy endings. This almost mandatory facet of the constructed story appeals directly to its artificial nature, that being published publicly for human audiences who will give it profit, it must end satisfactorily. After all, we all grow attached to certain characters and don’t want to see them lose or die. We all want the conflict to resolve in favor of the light. We all want to finish the book or anime or movie or what have you with gladness in our hearts.

In the real world, life is not always like that. The world we live in is indifferent to human desire. We are merely highly intelligent animals who delude ourselves with notions such as “humanity” and “morality” when in the end our actions serve to satisfy our own selfish needs. If you live out your life in the service of others, you do it because you enjoy it. We could take religious views into account and propose that humans are indeed special, but for the purposes of this review I’ll leave that out. I’ll just say that if we humans are special, then it’s not something we can know for ourselves, for that would be a completely subjective opinion.

And now, on to the actual review. Forgive my long-winded introduction.

~THE ART~
Art is personal preference. I personally don’t like the art of, for example, Akame ga Kill that much. But others out there do. The style that the manga artist uses to depict his or her story is just that, a style. If you don’t like the art of a particular manga, don’t mention it in a review. (Heck, all reviews themselves are subjective.)

Now quality, on the other hand, is somewhat arguable. I haven’t read that many manga, but I can say without a doubt that One Punch Man is manga art at its finest. And so too is Oyasumi Punpun. The level of detail is insane, it looks like black-and-white photographs, especially the drawings of buildings. People look like real people. I honestly don’t think that Asano Inio, the mangaka, missed anything in terms of detail, his art is that realistic. Just as for some anime the animation quality is so up there that it alone can make it worth watching (e.g. anything ufotable or Makoto Shinkai), the art here is so amazing that the story is not necessarily relevant. What’s even more amazing is that the art is but a means of conveying the story, which is far more stunning.

~THE QUESTION~
The mangaka, employs much dialogue and interior monologue. He often uses supporting characters, each with his or her own problems and all too human qualities, to voice different aspects of that ultimate question that we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another: the meaning of life. Is life worth living; is it worthwhile going through the doldrums and tribulations of human life. Our being but more advanced animals, trying to elevate our sense of living on this planet is futile. What makes the human more deserving of such an exalted privilege than the dog or flower? We just happen to be more intelligent, more emotively capable, and thus have the time and resources to ponder this question. But let me tell you, this question is rhetorical at its core. Perhaps the dogs and flowers don’t question their existence, and they probably don’t, given the lesser intelligence and lack thereof, respectively. But that shouldn’t make them any less precious as forms of life than we arrogant, prideful humans.

Having been raised in the church and still retaining some of the theological beliefs, I do still believe that a God exists. I know that many attribute a divine existence to mankind’s attempt to justify themselves, to place a higher being that would be the arbitrator and savior and all-knowing and so on. Several characters, in addition to a somewhat fanatic cult, in Oyasumi Punpun believe in and/or question this existence. While not seeming completely necessary to the plot at first, the cult of “good vibrations” does present many provoking metaphysical ideas, such as the notion that the universe is a an infinite music box. And often, as I mentioned before, side characters have interior stories that may detract from the main character’s, this is not anything to look down upon. Just because a narrative is a narrative with a main character doesn’t mean that the entire story has to be about that character. Asano, or at least in my opinion, is exploring that message of human triviality and reality, and to do so he utilizes the thoughts and actions of multiple personae.

~REALISM~
Oyasumi Punpun excels in showing to the reader, without any reluctance whatsoever, mankind’s true nature that is typically shadowed and only hinted at in most narratives. I thought the likes of Psycho-Pass and Monster were realistic, but then I encountered the bird called Onodera Punpun, and all such notions were blown away. In these 147 chapters we see his character mature and struggle to find his place in a cruel world amidst the turmoil of depression. We see him as an 11-year-old in chapter one and as an adult by the end. We see him masturbate and we see him have sex. We see him question the existence of a God. We see his thoughts, black and cold and dark, amidst a rigorous paneling structure that surpasses any manga I’ve read or seen so far.

We all experience the lusts and desires of puberty. Punpun is no different. I’ll be very frank here and admit that I, too, have and still do feel the same thoughts as he does, strongly yearning for sexual intercourse. You can’t say anything against that, because we all feel the same way, some more than others.

What’s interesting about Punpun’s thoughts is that they are spoken from an objective bystander’s perspective, like the “narrator” or author himself. In addition, Punpun rarely speaks, that is, his words are rarely expressed via the speech bubble coming directly from him. Usually other characters, by responding to what he says, imply the words that aren’t explicitly written. I feel like this technique, in stark contrast to the expected first person perspective, is telling of human self-centeredness: we all see the world around us and think with only our own minds. That’s obvious, but it inherently lends itself to selfishness. In other words, Punpun is not special, even though he is the main character. We are not special, even though we see the world through our own eyes and our own eyes only.

Speaking of eyes, you know how anime is often scolded for portraying humans with otherworldly proportions? We’ve all seen the enormous eyes, the bowling ball breasts, the hair that would astound any barber, etc. Even more than this, though, is the prevalence of attractive characters. Perhaps it’s the perfection of form, or the facial symmetry. Whatever it is that makes so many anime and manga characters appealing, it’s not reflective of real life.

But Oyasumi Punpun reads like a live-action film. By the time I was fully immersed and plowing through the chapters into the wee hours of the night, the sheer realism and almost photographic nature of the characters made me feel as if I were looking at real people. (Obviously besides the Punpun family, who are all birds, which was equally expressive as it mirrored their perceptions of themselves and their psychological states.) Oversized boobs and oversized hair are nonexistent. The males and females are not super attractive. I wasn’t reading a manga after all. I was in fact looking at a parallel universe of our own reality.

Another facet of realism is an unhesitant willingness to show misfortune. Game of Thrones, an excellent live-action TV series that is praised for its medieval realism, has many (perhaps too many) character deaths. And lots of violence, sex, all that good stuff. Oyasumi Punpun is also unafraid to have its characters go through hell. Punpun especially, my God, his existential crisis that takes up basically the entire manga -- I have felt some of the same thoughts, but he -- I’m being serious here, I feel really sorry for Punpun. The poor bird. Trying to fly against a bitter wind, and not succeeding much.

In almost every review out there for any narrative is character development. I believe that it is not necessary for a narrative to do this. For it to be necessary, that would also illustrate the narrative’s artificial nature, and I firmly believe that narratives can be viewed as excerpts from another world. And in our world, does every single person really change significantly throughout his or her life? And do we all do so in, say, a span of several years? For example, let’s look at Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan). There is much hate on Eren Jaeger for not changing that much after two seasons and for being the same annoying brat who only wants to kill Titans, and even more Titans. But seriously people, it’s not all that common for people to change. Eren doesn’t change or “develop” that much, but neither does Mikasa, or Armin, or practically anyone in the Attack on Titan universe we’ve seen so far.

Oyasumi Punpun comments on this. People don’t change that much. I’ll tell you right now that such lauded “character growth” isn’t really a thing in this manga. Humans don’t really improve over time. Humans aren’t as nice and honorable as is so manifest in modern thinking. As I mentioned earlier, we’re just trying to address our insecurities and unwillingness to accept the bleak truth of humanity: that we’re nothing special.

I’m not saying that we’re insignificant, or that life has no meaning. I’m just trying to say that the world doesn’t care what you think, and that the world is a harsh place.

But Oyasumi Punpun isn’t all dark and negative. Life goes on, and there is a reason why we continue to live. Oyasumi Punpun opened my eyes to my own insecurities and faults, very human faults. It showed me a glimpse of the real world. This manga can’t even be called escapism. It’s that realistic.

Oyasumi Punpun. Absolutely phenomenal manga. I would put this in my Top 5 Narratives of All Time, and that’s including works of other mediums like film and novel and anime. Without a doubt. Amazing. I give this the highest kudos I can possibly give.