A rare bird in mangaIts cover is jarring among of piles of other manga: a bird drawn with a childish
A rare bird in mangaIts cover is jarring among of piles of other manga: a bird drawn with a childish characteristic in relief on a yellow background. Its contents prolong the shock: in a manga with a classic appearance, this strange bird represents an adolescent, Punpun, amidst familial and school agonies.A strange storyIts young author, Inio Asano, found an opportunity with a simple stroke of a pen : “If the main character has an original appearance, people will really notice. But this risks preventing the readers from identifying with the main character because of the physical difference. So I decided to replace the main character with an abstract figure, because the readers could imagine his face and his clothes as they liked. Without thinking about it, I chose a character that I had drawn in my sketchbook.” The story is also counter-current to classic manga: little quotidian events, exasperating teachers, first love for Aiko, Punpun’s brazen little classmate… One thinks oneself for a moment in Kitano’s film, Kikujiro. “For this story,” continued Asano, “I’m not trying to prove my cleverness. I’m trying to describe ordinariness, and what it is. I’m not trying to respect plot conventions or the usual methods of Japanese manga. Because in my opinion, a “good story” or a “story that touches your heart” doesn’t help young people. I’m trying to not follow this tendency.”There are thirteen volumes scheduled. As for knowing if Punpun will grow up with his readers, his author stays modest. “Like how Punpun isn’t a remarkable person, he can’t improve. Certain people never grow up.” -- source link