I’ll get right down to it folks. I spent the past few months of my life methodically hunting down and individually digesting every single piece of Inio Asano’s manga catalogue I could find. Now I’d like to review them.
I have to admit this was a massive endeavor. I say this not so much because of the difficulty, since most of his content was fairly easy to both find and read. Rather that I dove into the mind and soul of one of the manga industry’s darkest creators of all time, through the course of his over 20 year career. It’s a ton of content; especially dense considering the extremely graphic subject material Asano is well known for peppered throughout many of these works. The things I do for science…
As a quick preface, I’m admittedly a huge Inio Asano fan. The style of his art, his careful story creation, and his unique ability to make you feel incredibly visceral emotions through just a few images and words on a page are truly remarkable. It’s a style of writing that is often overlooked in favor of more popular superhero or action based manga, and while these are good in their own right, there’s something about these darker themed works that induce deep thought and introspection that I find myself craving more and more these days. As such, I’ve developed a deep admiration and respect for Asano through his more popular works like Goodnight PunPun and Solanin. Yet there’s so much more of Asano to discover beyond this, with many of his lesser known works often surprising me in their quality. So now I’m taking on the daunting challenge of reviewing each and every one of these works to help shed some light on Asano’s incredible artistry and storytelling.
Before I begin, I have to regretfully admit I was not able to find everything in Asano’s manga catalogue. I’ve done my best to track down everything that I’m aware of, but unfortunately some one-shots are just not available anywhere. There’s also some difficulty in confirming exactly what his full catalogue even contains, as his wikipedia page does not perfectly match the listings on MangaDex, and there are some listed on MangaDex that are not shown on the wiki. So, without any better ideas, I’ve combined the lists here as best as I can to hopefully include everything. If anyone can help sort this out, or if any readers know of one I’m missing and can help find a translation, please let me know so I can add it to the list.
I’d also like to note that since the single-chapter one shots are so limited in content, I will likely go in a bit deeper on their reviews to provide ample context, which may contain some minor spoilers. Again this will be only for one-shots, but nonetheless I wanted to give a fair warning.
Finally, a quick note about the rating scale. It’s quite difficult to rate some of the shorter manga on the same scale as his completed works, simply because of the stark difference in overall quality and time put into the story. It’s not exactly fair to compare something fully fleshed out like Punpun to a single chapter story, but I’ve done my best to take that into consideration in my ratings. As such, most of the shorter stories will have a relatively low score. My ratings use a combination of my personal level of enjoyment, the strength and uniqueness of the storyline, the quality of the artwork, and re-readability to determine the final score.
Without further adieu let’s dive in, starting with the oldest.
That’s A Bit Much, Kikuchi!! (1998)
5 page oneshot, first ever made. mangadex. Review coming soon.
Futsū no Hi – An Ordinary Day (2000)
Unavailable online, as far as I can find. I’ve heard it’s fairly ordinary though.
Sotsugyōshiki Jigoku – Graduation Ceremony Hell (2000)
Also not available online. Sad. Sounds interesting.
Uchū kara Konnichi wa -Hello from the Universe (2001)
Again not available. Boooo. Starting off strong… to be fair many of his early works did not get much publication, nor were they very popular. Here’s hoping I have a generous reader that can help provide these lost pieces.
What a Wonderful World! (2002-2004)
This 19 chapter collection of short stories was one of the strangest yet most gripping random event saga’s I’ve encountered in a long time. Staying true to its title, What a Wonderful World! depicts a slice of life series of events, very loosely connected chapter by chapter, that places an emphasis on the beauty of life through the eyes of random people. Each chapter brings a unique story and only reuses characters briefly, leaving a feeling of familiarity in each new chapter despite having an entirely new series of events to work with. Some chapters hit harder than others, and admittedly there are a few that seem more like filler material. Still, a few chapters from this are especially memorable, like A Bear in The Forest.
Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that this chapter does so much in so few pages. To give a very general spoiler free idea, we’re given an extremely realistic glimpse into the lives of two people, with one in particular who wears a bear costume, that ultimately gives you a perspective into the mind of someone going through an extremely stressful period of life. Much like the remaining chapters, this short story ends in a way that reminds you of life’s beauty, but of course in Asano’s own twisted way.
Again, these chapters are seemingly hit or miss. Most don’t carry the same weight that A Bear in the Forest does, which takes away from the overall rating. Still, the few that do are worth sticking around for. With this in mind, I enjoyed this enough to give this early Asano compilation a 5/10 rating.
Nijigahara Holograph (2003-2005)
This early work of Asano is largely based around the town of Nijigahara and a fairy tale told by a young girl. Told through non-sequential events, this mystery/thriller type series starts with the story of a young girl who prophesies that a monster will destroy the town. This innocent tale unfortunately starts to worry the townsfolk and starts to even scare her friends at school, who all just want her to stop the scary storytelling and to behave like a normal kid. As fears build, the people slowly start to band together and torment this young girl, which ultimately leads to her demise after being pushed down a water well by her classmates.
As life carries on for the townsfolk, they’re seemingly haunted by the ghost of this poor girl. This mysterious presence leads several people through a wild series of events in an effort to solve this horrible murder as they uncover more and more of the mystery hanging over this town.
I have to admit, I didn’t get this story the first time through. Honestly I still don’t think I’ve fully grasped everything that this manga is trying to convey. Frankly this is not an easy manga to follow, mostly because pieces of information are scattered and it’s up to you as the reader to piece everything together. This leaves much of the manga up to personal interpretation. Generally I enjoy a challenge, but in my opinion this was almost too vague to make it truly stand out. I was forced to go to several other blogs to find a somewhat decent analysis, but even those I found to be a stretch from what I took from it.
All of this to say that I actually liked this. There’s a strong chance I’ll come back to this manga again to better understand it, and the artwork/story is gripping enough in Asano’s classic style to merit a read. I wish it was better explained, but maybe that’s part of its charm. Because of this, I give this a 6/10. Could easily be bumped up to a 7 on a re-read.
Hikari no Machi – City of Lights (2004-2005)
Another collection of short stories. Still on the to-read list. Review coming soon.
Sekai no Owari to Yoake Mae – The End of The World and Before Dawn (2005-2008)
Here we have a third collection of short stories, very much written in a similar style to his first two collections. Each chapter tells a unique story, and arguably most of these are incredibly well written. Clocking in at only 11 chapters, this short manga once again depicts the hidden beauty of life found through the eyes of random people.
Given it’s only 11 chapters, there’s not much I can say here that can do this work justice without having you read it on your own. With that in mind, there’s one particular chapter early on, Sunday 6:30 PM, that’s broken up into three unique perspectives of the same day for a son, daughter, and dad. I won’t spoil anything, but I have to admit that this three part chapter is probably one of Asano’s best examples of layered storytelling in such a small space. I’m actually going to give this a 6/10, mostly because of how well Asano keeps this energy up through the rest of the manga.
Solanin (2005-2006)
Solanin holds a special place in my heart for how well it’s able to depict the grueling troubles of adolescent life through the eyes of protagonists Taneda and Meiko. In only 29 chapters, Asano is able to perfectly capture the harrowing journey of these two young adults as they navigate post-college life into the working world of adulthood. I’ve already discussed this manga at great lengths in another other post, so if you’re interested in a more in-depth analysis please go check that out. I’ll keep my review here rather short.
I’m certainly a little biased here, but I have to argue that this manga is a masterpiece in both artwork and storytelling. It’s absolutely incredible that so much is able to be conveyed in only 29 chapters, and it left an immense imprint on me as a reader in a way that I don’t think any manga I’ve read to date has been able to match. I would love to give this a full 10/10, but I’m holding back a bit due to how simple the storyline itself is. It’s not an entirely unique or earth shatteringly crazy series, but more an incredibly well written tale about finding purpose in mundane adult life. So if you’re looking for action or fast paced series you might want to pass this one. But, if you’re like me and can obsess over a good coming of age drama, then look no further. All in all, 9.5/10.
Goodnight Punpun (2007-2013)
This here is Asano’s true masterpiece and claim to fame. Spanning a total of 13 volumes and over 140 chapters, this is by far Asano’s longest and most in-depth work, and considered by many as his magnum opus. The story revolves around the main character, Punpun, who is portrayed through the entire manga as very basic depiction of a bird, basically like a child’s doodle of a ghost with a beak and legs. This is part of what makes this manga so unique, as Punpun and his family are the only ones drawn like this, contrasted by everything else drawn in Asano’s classic, ultra realistic style. Which leaves it up to the reader to determine exactly what the heck is going on with Punpun and kin.
The story follows Punpun’s day to day life as he grows from a boy into a young man living throughout Japan, and along the way we see exactly how a child with great potential can spiral into total chaos.
I’m afraid that saying any more is risking spoiling important details of the manga. What I can say is that Asano delivered an absolute masterclass in how to convey emotion. I can still very viscerally feel so many events of the series like they happened to me, and to this day I still get chills thinking about certain chapters. Yet nothing compares to the sheer horror of what is to come for our protagonist as the manga slowly unveils the oddities of PunPun and his family.
Ok, now I need to be absolutely clear. This is not a manga I would recommend to a casual manga reader, someone I consider a friend, or anyone struggling with mental health issues. It’s one of the heaviest hitting pieces of media I’ve ever experienced in my life, and should only be approached with full awareness that you may never be the same after reading those pages. Personally I’d recommend taking a day or two off after reading the final chapters, just to clear your head. Trust me. You’ll need it.
With that said, this same reasoning is part of what makes this story so incredible. The entire series is gripping from start to finish, even if there are parts that make you pause and question your own sanity. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be completely lost trying to piece together how afro god, Pegasus, poop god, and many more mystical phenomenon fit into this tale about a young bird-like kid.
All things said, I still put this in my top 3 manga of all time, rivaling only the likes of One Piece and Berserk. There’s something undoubtedly remarkable about how Asano is able to wrap together this perfectly packaged depiction of pure despair in the form of manga that has hooked me to my core, and that’s why this earns the highest possible rating, 10/10.
Ozanari-kun (2008-2011)
If I didn’t see Asano’s name directly written on the title, I would never have guessed this manga came from the same person who wrote Punpun. Ozanari-kun is a complete 180 from the dark material Asano is known for. Instead, this goofy, off the wall cartoon is a light hearted depiction of a simple salaryman, Ozanari-kun, and his interactions with his boss. When I say this is a 180, I mean it doesn’t resemble anything even close to what we’ve seen from Asano, at least in terms of the artwork. Every panel is drawn like a knock-off Roald Dahl drawing, and its cartoony-ness is only exaggerated more by the loony-toon like violence shown through the fast-paced 30 some chapter series.
I’ll be honest, there’s not much to take away from this manga other than a goofy little story and some slapstick comedy. There’s mentions of a band and love interests that work their way into the story, but it’s all so shallow that it makes it difficult to stay interested to the end. To me, it seems this story may have been Asano’s way of dipping into his more lighthearted side while writing PunPun, especially if you consider the fact that many reaction panels of Ozanari-Kun look nearly identical to PunPun’s goofy reactions. It’s almost like he was practicing a new style of artwork, and although it missed its mark here, it likely helped influence his writing of Punpun. For that, I’m giving this a 3/10.
A Girl on the Shore – Umibe no Onna no Ko (2009-2013)
Written during the same time period as PunPun, A Girl on the Shore carries with it many of the same undertones, diving into the concepts of teen suicide, bullying, teen romance and overly sexual content. The short 20 chapter manga is largely based around two high school teens who engage in a friends-with-benefits type of sexual relationship, and shows us how this situation impacts both of their lives.
This is a highly controversial manga of Asano’s, largely due to his highly graphic depiction of these two 15 year old’s engaging in increasingly sexual acts in great detail. While this is not the entire focus of the manga, it’s present enough for you to reasonably question whether or not this is manga or hentai. I’m not sure that was Asano’s intention; it seems like these scenes are more of an attention grab than anything else, but there’s so much of it present in these 20 chapters that it makes for an awkward read.
Despite this, the remaining story and artwork are incredible as usual. Our author is able to weave an intricate story in between these explicit scenes, and his full page spreads showing the quiet seaside town are some of the most beautiful landscape pieces I’ve seen in any of his manga. If you can look past the sexual content, the remaining story is worthwhile and captivating in its own right. Because of this, I give A Girl on the Shore a 7/10.
Ctrl+T (2010)
Working on it. only 2 chapters. Review coming soon.
Planet (2010)
Unavailable.
Toshi no Se – Year-End (2012)
Part of Cigarette Anthology. Short story, not much to it. I’ve read it but need to re-read to give a proper review. Coming soon.
Inio-chan’s Cool Japan! (2013)
Mangadex oneshot. Have not yet read this one either. Coming soon.
Kinoko Takenoko – Mushroom Bamboo Shoot (2013)
Before I get into this one, I’ll share a quick story. This manga was inspired by two popular snacks in Japan that look incredibly similar to each other, and are even produced by the same company. However, due to the separate packaging and branding, this sparked an increasingly heated “war” between customers arguing over which product was better. I found this quite relevant to the overall story, and it adds a bit of lightheartedness to this darker themed tale.
This one-shot explores a war between two factions, the Bamboovians and Mushroom Land. While not much is revealed about the war itself, it’s clear there’s some sort of disagreement between the groups, which has led to bloodshed and all-out war. We’re introduced to a young boy and girl who are caught in the middle of this dilemma, and we can only watch as they endure through the chaos around them.
This manga is clearly trying to convey the absurdity of war, especially between people who are seemingly so similar. We’re shown all of this through the eyes of two unwilling participants, who can obviously tell this is not right, but are unable to stop the momentum this movement has collected. This all culminates in an unfortunate end for both factions, and leaves us with the simple message that needless war is exactly that: needless.
There’s some charm to this short story, but beyond that it’s fairly plain. The story seems rushed and after hearing about the snack situation, this is simply a recreation of an odd phenomena from the late 70s into a fun short story. It’s still worth a read just to check it out, but beyond that it’s just not that remarkable. For that, this earns a 4/10.
Light Trap (2014)
Mangadex oneshot. Review coming soon.
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction (2014 – 2022)
Perhaps one of my favorite Asano concepts to date, this completed, 100 chapter series takes a look at the lives of two seemingly normal young schoolgirls living in Japan. There’s just one major problem – there’s a massive spaceship in the sky lingering over Japan, and nobody has a clue what to do about it. It’s just been sitting there for three years, not moving, not doing anything. Just hovering in the sky, menacingly. Yet, despite the insanity of this alien presence, this series instead shifts the focus onto the lives of these two girls as they navigate school, relationships, and their own day to day lives. In their minds, it seems the spaceship is just a nuisance preventing them from being regular kids, and they just want the problem to go away.
As the girls continue on with their lives, the alien presence slowly starts to increase, and with it comes some challenging ethical concerns for the world. People don’t know what to make of the aliens, which leads to an ongoing argument on whether to treat them as friend or foe. The girls end up getting caught in the drama as their curiosity mounts, which leads them to encountering someone that completely changes the course of their lives – and perhaps the fate of humanity.
There’s just so much to enjoy in this manga that it’s hard not to give this a perfect score. There’s countless elements of social commentary that leave the reader as the judge to decide who’s in the right, and as more information is revealed this manga has you questioning nearly every assumption about these invaders. It’s a story with so many unique twists and concepts to discuss that quite simply makes for an incredibly interesting read, and something that is undoubtedly unique in premise. On top of this, the artwork is absolutely breathtaking. I had to pause several times while reading just to appreciate the immense scale of these drawings, many of which are depicting the aforementioned spaceship gracefully sitting atop the skyline of Japan. I plan to read this again in the near future, and I can honestly say I loved every bit of the series thoroughly from start to finish. This masterpiece earns my second 10/10 rating on this list.
Bakemono Recchan – The Monster Recchan (2015)
The Monster Recchan is a one shot of Asano’s that provides a unique look at how we as humans handle diversity. Since this is only one chapter, I’ll go a bit more in depth with this one. Spoilers ahead.
The story stars Antou, a relatively normal high school girl, with just one major issue – she has the face of a monster. I mean that literally. She has a regular human body, hair, skin, all that jazz, but instead of a face she has bug-like pincers and razor sharp teeth that are oddly reminiscent of the sandworms in the Dune series. Yet as far as we know she lives a normal life for a teen girl.
The problem comes in when the whole school, completely out of the blue, suddenly all seem to worship Antou. They want to put her image on the school flag, use her as a model for the school, and everyone is being unusually nice. It’s all a dream for Antou, who has always been ignored due to her looks. Yet something seems off, and the class president takes note of this.
We then cut to Antou competing in a school track event, running her little monster heart out. She’s seemingly doing well but suddenly slips and falls. In the sheer panic of the situation she wets herself, which is then quickly followed by her whole body exploding/morphing like a Transformer robot into a full-blown monster the size of the school. The whole school quickly remembers she’s a monster after seeing this, and shortly after we see her being ignored once again by her entire class.
The final pages show the class president scolding her classmates for being fake friends to Antou. She leaves class to find Antou, whom she angrily lashes out at, calling her a monster. Surprisingly, Antou thanks her, and the manga ends on a touching note. It seems all she wanted was for someone to truly care about her for who she is.
It’s not a stretch to say that Asano is calling out what I’ll call politically correct culture, where certain people will be put on a pedestal for simply being different than others so that those promoting them look good themselves. Or, perhaps more simply, it’s just a reminder to pay closer attention to the needs of others instead of assuming what they might want. It’s not the deepest subject matter, but it provides some food for thought. Because of this, I give The Monster Recchan a 4/10.
Yūsha Tachi – Heroes (2015-2018)
Here we have another manga that shifts from Asano’s typical brand. Heroes reminds me a lot of the show Adventure Time, with characters looking like they’ve just been pulled directly out of one of the episodes. The 8 chapter manga begins with a group of heroes who have all just returned home after fighting the forces of evil. We begin with introductions for the entire hero party, which is comprised of some of the strangest and most cartoony heroes imaginable (one is a UFO cat, to give an idea). However, the heroes don’t seem to get along as well as they should. We quickly find these heroes either in the act of killing each other, or are otherwise distracted by the lingering forces of evil, and one by one the hero party dwindles down to just two final members.
The story culminates with a flashback to how the hero party started in the first place, which helps unravel the mystery of what’s going on with the heroes now. The last couple chapters take an oddly dark turn, but the ending is clever enough to make this a worthwhile read, especially with only 8 chapters.
I particularly enjoyed this series because of it’s creativeness and break from the traditional Asano style. It’s easy to read, the characters are fantastic, and the storyline itself is so off the wall that it makes for a genuinely interesting series, especially the ending. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer. Because of this, I rate this a 7/10.
Funwari Otoko – A Gentle Man (2016)
I found this challenging to enjoy.
The story itself is mainly about a young girl and her crush from work, both seeming in their early 20s, who fall into a romantic relationship when the girl realizes she’s found a ‘gentle man’. The artwork is fairly on point to Asano’s brand, but it reads almost like the neurotic thoughts of an insecure teenage girl trying to find the man of her dreams. Each of the 3 chapters repeats the same artwork frame by frame, with the only difference being the dialogue. The guy is overly caring and considerate of the girl’s needs, which leads to the girl swooning over him, and eventually going home together.
It turns out this manga was sponsored by a liquor company, and that sort of explains this actually. Seems like Asano was just collecting a paycheck. I want to like this manga more, but there just isn’t much here to work with. I read it twice trying to find some deeper meaning, and I guess it’s kinda cool finding the differences between each chapter, but beyond that this manga doesn’t have much more to offer. Because of this, I give this a generous 2/10.
Sayonara Bye-Bye (2016)
This cute little one shot is a quick story involving an adult brother and sister who are at odds over the sister’s new husband. The brother is described as your stereotypical basement dweller nerdy computer guy, who we learn is coasting off of his sisters success to continue living his unemployed lifestyle. The sister’s new husband is a well known politician who we never see, but it’s mentioned that his policies are not well liked by the brother. They siblings argue for a moment, but then are forced to be civil as they ride the brother’s motorcycle into town to buy some groceries. During the trip they have a conversation that seems to bring out their true feelings, which results in them coming to terms with their previous misgivings. It ends on a heartwarming note as the pair are seemingly now on good terms.
While I enjoyed this manga, there’s just not much here to talk about. It’s a quick read that doesn’t really hit on anything other than a sweet little sibling bonding moment. It’s all well drawn, which merits a few points for my rating, but that’s really about all this has to offer. Because of this, I rate Sayonara Bye-Bye a 3/10.
Reiraku – Downfall (2017)
Here we have a story that breaks down the arduous life of a manga artist. In this relatively short manga series, we follow an accomplished manga author going through a writing slump after finishing a manga series that has so far defined his career. He’s clearly burdened with finding his next story, and most of the manga shows us how the demand for his continued work weighs on him. We stay with our author as he navigates relationships, feelings of doubt and the struggle to continue producing. It’s a very self-reflective feeling manga that hits on some very intimate moments in an author’s life.
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that this story is likely Asano drawing himself and his own writing struggles into a manga (the manga series he finished in this manga has an almost identical name to Goodnight Punpun… I mean come on). Everything in this manga feels deeply personal, with many of the thoughts and concepts referenced being in line with what I imagine our author felt throughout his career, and drawn at such a level that makes you feel like you’re experiencing it too. Admittedly I doubt that this story is anything close to an autobiography, but I have a feeling there is much more of himself in this main character than Asano might let on. The ending shares a similar tone to many of Asano’s classics, and left me with conflicting feelings for our protagonist.
I wanted to enjoy this manga more than I did. The artwork is fantastic as usual and the storyline is somewhat well put together, but the story itself felt much darker than the usual Asano tale I’ve come to know. Almost like the difference in someone telling a scary story about someone else versus telling someone a scary story about yourself. There’s a level of intimacy here that makes this manga feel especially personal and honestly a little depressing, which makes the darker material stand out that much more. It also doesn’t have nearly as gripping of a hook as many of his more popular works, which makes the story feel fairly basic. The girl with cat eyes bit is about as interesting as it gets. Because of this, I rate Downfall a 5/10.
D (2018)
Mangadex, oneshot. Review coming soon.
Service Area – Sābisueria (2018)
This is a one shot of Asano’s, and was the first that I had to actually do some digging to find. I wonder if that’s because it’s just not as popular as his other works. Anyways, I found it. 🙂
This single chapter manga gives us a look at the troubled relationship between a father and son. We start with the adult son reflecting on his youth, looking back on days when he quarreled with his dad, mostly due to the father’s alleged lack of ambition. After a particularly intense argument, the son decides to move out to pursue his own dreams and leaves his parents behind.
We then catch up to the son, years later, on a road trip with his girlfriend and her child. They are travelling to meet the his parents for the first time, and would also be the son’s first encounter with his father in many years. The remainder of this story shows how the father and son are able to come to terms with their differences while also providing some brief glimpses of the two actually getting along together while celebrating the new year and the son’s new family.
Asano uncharacteristically leaves us with a relatively cute ending to tie everything together, and despite being only one chapter this story actually carries a lot of weight. It’s nothing like his longer works, but for what it’s worth this manga checks a lot of boxes in quality and ability to tell a compelling story. Because of this, I rate Service Area a 5/10.
Tempest (2018)
This dystopian themed one shot manga seeks to answer the age old question of how a society can handle a large and constantly growing senior population. Calling for a new age in Japan, we learn that the Japanese minister has set in place new laws that will now require anyone over the age of 65 to move into an elderly care facility, where you are forced to relinquish your human rights. During this time, you are given three choices:
- You can choose to end your life through one of the assisted suicide systems in place, with financial incentives in place for your family if you choose to do so.
- You can bide your time in the facility and study for the Elder Recertification Exam, which can only be taken once you reach the age of 90. If you pass, you can re-enter regular society as a normal human.
- You can choose to return to society at any time without your human rights, essentially making you the equivalent of trash. This is also the consequence of failing the recertification Exam.
It’s clear this fictional society has no love for elders, and this system Asano has created is possibly his way of dealing with his frustrations with the older generation while also discussing some important social topics.
We join an old man in this story as he navigates his way through the newly created elder care system and chooses to try his chances at the exam. Through his journey we see how this new system has affected society, and ultimately this story seeks to show what would happen if this horror became a reality.
I have some mixed feelings about this manga. On one hand this is wildly dystopian, and almost Nazi level of crazy. It’s not far off from being a Japanese concentration camp for the elderly. Sure it’s interesting, but good lord at what cost? I sometimes wonder where his ideas come from.
Yet, on the other hand, this exact style is how this manga is able to dive into some brilliant social commentary that I think might only be possible in a story like this. It’s written in Asano’s traditional introspective approach, and the artwork is once again breathtaking. All of this combined made for a surprisingly entertaining read that leaves you with something to ponder. Which, for a single chapter manga, is an exceptional feat. Because of this, I rate Tempest a 6/10.
1999 – what a wonderful world (2019)
one shot, mangadex. Still researching.
What If Tokyo – Hello Tokyo (2020)
Separate one-shot, mangadex. Kinda confusing title names here. Still researching.
What if Tokyo… – Moshi mo Tōkyō (2021)
This one shot manga takes a stab at the absurdity of life in a generation dominated by AI and virtual reality. Here we find two young adults living in a virtual world, only able to meet through their digital interfaces. Somehow, against the odds they have seemingly experienced a true love connection together. As they grow closer, they vow to meet with one another in the real world to finally break down their virtual barrier. However, main twist is then revealed when the girl informs her lover that he’s actually a form of artificial intelligence, and all of his memories are in fact just sophisticated programming.
The remainder of this short manga deals with his reaction to this news and an eventual unveiling of the real world as it currently stands. It’s left up to the reader to decide if the man is actually AI or not, and the ending leaves a cliffhanger in usual Asano fashion. Being a one shot, it doesn’t have the space to fully flesh out this not-so-far-off fantasy world, but instead challenges us with a question of what is and what isn’t human in a world teeming with growing technology and powerful AI. It’s an interesting question, and with today’s scientific advances it’s not far off to think the same situation could happen in our own reality.
While it’s a great premise, it’s just not unique enough to stand out. The movie Her did this back in 2013, and the Disney channel has that movie about the talking AI home from the 90s. The story has been done. While this was a nice twist, it just wasn’t enough to make this stand out in comparison. Yet, for what it’s worth, this beautiful short story reminds you that life isn’t always what you expect. For this reason, I give this manga a 5/10.
Clorets (2020)
One-shot, not in English as far as I can find.
Rabuka (2021)
mangadex. Have not yet read this one. Review coming soon.
321 (2022)
mangadex oneshot. Review TBD
The Smell of Summer Kills the Magical Girl Twice (2022?)
Mangadex, unconfirmed date. Still hunting this one down
Shangri-La: Before the Destruction (2022)
drawn by asano. one shot. Haven’t read this yet.
Mujina Into the Deep (2023-)
Mujina Into the Deep is the most recent series by Asano, and is quickly becoming one of the best series he’s created yet. It’s still very early in production, but this manga is starting out as an absolute banger right from the gate. In another shift from his typical style, Asano is taking a more commonly seen approach for this manga series – violence based action.
In this fast paced action series, we’re introduced to Japan’s new trend – mujinas. Trend is probably the wrong word, as in this world, being a mujina means relinquishing your humanity to become a ghost. Essentially, a mujina is someone who is legally non-existent and has given away their rights as a human. Consequently, this also means that they can do anything they want without fear of prosecution, because technically there’s nobody to prosecute. This unique situation allows giant corporations and other figures of power to hire mujinas to settle their disputes without any legal repercussions, bringing on an age of mujina warfare that’s all technically legal. The only problem is that it’s also entirely legal and even encouraged for anyone to kill a mujina. To most of Japan they are scum, not even worthy to live.
This manga centers around an up and coming mujina who is making waves throughout the scene, and we’re simply along for the ride as we follow her exploits around Japan and encounters with other mujina as they battle to be the top dog. The series is incredibly bold in both artwork and dialogue, and marks a huge shift in Asano’s storytelling abilities. It’s exciting to see something so out of character from him, and I’m incredibly curious to see what the remainder of this manga brings. However, with only 14 chapters released so far, I’m hesitant to give too high of a rating. Because of this, I’m awarding this a tentative 7.5/10 rating, with room to be bumped up as the story develops.
Final Thoughts
There really isn’t a place to make random comments throughout this without throwing of pacing, so I’m adding a little section down here for those tidbits. Enjoy.
After reading all of these, one of the most common things I notice is the similarities in Asano’s character drawings through his manga. Most women look like Meiko or Aiko, like so much so that it’s making me think Asano has a thing for women like this. Same for the men, but this is a bit more spread out. Recurring characters seem to pop up from series to series looking almost identical, which may just be a limitation in drawing the expressions of asian men. I can only speculate.
Inio also seems to have a fascination with butterflies. There’s a pattern of crime through at least three of these with swarms of butterflies. The dude is obsessed.
I can only speculate once again, but I have a large suspicion that Asano suffered a serious heartbreak early on in his life. There’s so much of this present in his manga and the emotion is so real and raw that it has to come from something out of experience. There’s no way you can write like that without experiencing some heartbreak yourself.
I’ve truly enjoyed the evolution of Asano’s art over the years. It started a bit sloppy but he quickly found his style and was solid for nearly a decade with the same style. Of course he ventured into some new territory with Ozunari-Kun, but for the most part his style has always been so detailed and realistic. I’ve especially enjoyed his transition to digital art, where he’s able to get even more ambitious while keeping a lot of his original style. I imagine that’s much better for his production process too. Now, seeing Mujina compared to An Ordinary Day, it’s like looking at a completely new mangaka. Just crazy to think how far this man has come, and will hopefully continue to do this for many years to come.