Solanin
| Solanin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Author | Inio Asano |
| Format | Manga |
| Publisher | Shogakukan |
| English Publisher | Viz Media |
| Original Run | 2005-2006 |
| Length | 28 Chapters
424 pp |
Contents
Genre
Sum it up in a Sentence
Meiko and Taneda deal with romance, reality, and the malaise of twentysomething life after college.
Main Description
Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Naruo Taneda is permanantly crashing at her apartment because his jobs as a freelance illustrator and local band member don't pay enough for rent. Her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut our to be a part of the real world.
Live Action Adaptation
Released in 2010, starring Aoi Miyazaki of Nana fame, with the title song performed by Asian Kung-fu Generation.
If You Liked This, You Might Like...
- What a Wonderful World!
- Oyasumi Punpun - What the mangaka did after Solanin. An expansion on the themes explored here, Asano follows the titular Punpun throughout a lifetime of struggling to carve out a niche in the world. Be warned, the world of Punpun is a lot more eccentric than the world of Solanin, but the craziness is just window dressing, once you move past it Punpun definitely lives in our world.
- Ciguatera
- Honey & Clover
- NANA
Personal Opinions
Grenadier
I'm a huge fan of Asano's work, but until Punpun finishes this is it. An extremely engrossing story and, for feckless twentysomethings like myself, potentially a pretty emotional one. It captures the uncertainty and anxiousness of that period of life to a T. The characters are remarkably well fleshed out which is impressive given just how unremarkable they are. They're just everyday dudes and dudettes but the drama is one hundred percent there. An inexpensive, quick, solid read... highly recommended.
linall
A fantastically engrossing read from start to finish, Asano breaks down the nerve-wracking purposelessness that comes with being twenty-something amazingly well. Prepare to ride an emotional roller coaster with Meiko and company. Nothing really extraordinary takes places in Meiko's life, but in spite of, or even because of, this you will feel her victories and defeats as acutely as you feel your own. A must read for sure.
