Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Random Interest: Solanin

As I'm sure it's now obvious, Jonathan and I love to strive to show you guys something that you might not have seen before. And today is no exception!

Today's topic, ladies and gentlemen, is that of Solanin by Asano Inio.


(The cover of Solanin)

A vibrant twist on the mundane day-to-day of a young 20-something, this illustrated story deals with that scary realization every person deals with: This is it? This is MY life? Centered around Meiko, a recent college graduate who finds herself struggling to enjoy coorporate slavery, Solanin documents her journey to break away from the social standards of having a stable job. She choses freedom over stability, and over the course of the book, she discovers herself through music.

Also weaved into the plot is a love story, a story of friendship, and a story of an artist. But, I'll spare you all of those summaries.



(A page from the manga.)


Totally void of age-old plastic characters and dead storylines, Solanin is purely a joy to view. I fell in love with it, and finished it in maybe four hours tops. I guess the story is a bit relatable, haha.

What do you think? Have you seen this before?

Until later,
-Kateri Joe

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