Geekscape Reviews: ‘GOODNIGHT PUNPUN’ Vol.1 By Inio Asano
[This review is based on a sample provided by the publisher.]
I admittedly don’t have much experience in the whole coming-of-age genre. But when it came time to review the first volume of Inio Asano’s GOODNIGHT PUNPUN, that didn’t seem to be much of a problem. This manga is completely unlike anything I have ever read. The story follows Punpun Punyama, a boy (who is portrayed as a cartoony bird) growing up in a dysfunctional household in Japan. Volume One covers elementary school life up until the beginning of the first year of middle school.
OYASUMI PUNPUN © 2007 Inio ASANO/SHOGAKUKAN
One of the first things you notice when reading is that, beyond Punpun and his family, every other character is drawn as a normal human. The one exception is God, who looks as though he may be a photograph of a afro-headed, bespectacled, smiling man. I can’t help feeling that there is a deeper meaning to that choice, perhaps to display a sort of hierarchy in Punpun’s reality. All the same, to see such a great contrast contained within a single page can be a bit jarring.
OYASUMI PUNPUN © 2007 Inio ASANO/SHOGAKUKAN
The majority of Punpun’s interactions in Volume One are with his Mother’s younger brother and his classmates, specifically Harumin, Komatsu, Shimizu, and his crush, Aiko. The design for these characters is to be applauded because they all felt like real people with real flaws. Punpun’s uncle is definitely not ready to take care of a child and says thoughtless things at times. Shimizu is portrayed as having some hallucinatory mental disorder, in which he sees and hears things others do not and has delusions. His friends call him a “liar” and often disregard the things he says. And Aiko? Well, without spoiling too much, let’s say she has a different view on life then most.
OYASUMI PUNPUN © 2007 Inio ASANO/SHOGAKUKAN
Whoever handled the English translation did a stellar job. Each line reads as though as if it was originally written is English. The dialogue maintains the nuance I expect was in the original. I will say I am dying to know what Punpun’s prayer, “Dear God, Dear God, Tinkle Hoy,” was in Japanese.
Is GOODNIGHT PUNPUN for everyone? No. The story is, at several points, very upsetting and because it takes place in a real world setting, it resonates more. It deals with some very heavy themes and situations. However, if thought-provoking manga set in the real world is your jam, you can’t go wrong with GOODNIGHT PUNPUN.
