Personally, I enjoy books that revolve around a single character quite a bit, and Pink is definitely the perfect representative of this. Yumiko is such an iconic character; she perfectly embodies the whole sentiment behind the story and is just so endearing to read about. I find it lovely, Yumi’s way of being uninterested in everything besides what really matters to her, that being Croc, her pet crocodile. Furthermore, Haruo serves as a perfect contrast; a young man unimpressed and unexcited with life, who succeedingly finds a new way to live his days, learning from Yumi while complimenting her character. In Pink’s afterword, Okazaki mentioned Yumiko’s character being inspired by her sister, a Tokyo office lady, unmoved by external expectations and very much concerned about her manicure. This goes back to the idea of Okazaki using Pink to protray her own views and observations of modern society, as what a better way is there to link the story to her personal experiences than to take direct inspiration from her life?
The art is yet another aspect of this manga to congratulate Okazaki on. Her clean yet scratchy lines provide the characters with feeling and expression. It gives the manga a playful feel and complements its comedic aspect, emphasizing Yumi’s irreverent and self-pleasing nature. Much like the story itself, hidden behind a funny and bubbly story is a vital message to be passed on, proving that lightearted does not equal insubstantial. With Pink, Kyoko Okazaki does a great service to Josei, contributing to its catalogue and further cementing it as a demographic to be taken seriously. And Tokyo Girls Bravo, River’s Edge and Helter Skelter were yet to come!
Pink’s ending is absolutely fantastic. Yumiko’s evil stepmother turns her pet Croc into a suitcase, in a disturbing turn of events. Yumi, disgusted and mad, goes to beat her up with a bat, but leaves her alone as her little sister pleas for Yumi to pity her mother. The following chapter opens with the phenomenal line:
“Sorry, but I’m quick to recover. That’s ‘cause I’m dumb and ‘cause I only think about what’s right in front of me.”
The status quo is seemingly restored until Haruo dies off-scene in an accident on the street, right by a reporter. His death is immediately covered and broadcasted on television, playing on the TV at the airport, where Yumi waits for her boyfriend. However, Yumiko dismisses the news, saying: “Who cares? Not my problem.”, in her usual, unconcerned self. Firstly, such a dramatic ending contrasts the fun and laid-back story up until that point, making it all the more satisfactory. The seemingly uneventful plot, all of a sudden, explodes, much like one of Yumi’s whims, popping into her mind at a random time. The death of both Croc and Haruo are shocking, and Yumi’s reaction to these, so much in character for her, disturb the reader more the like. All of it has a horrific edge to it, from the cruel way Yumi’s stepmother mailed her her pet in the form of a suitcaise, to the fact that Haruo’s death is given less than a few pages of development, not even being directly shown. This reminds of other Okazaki works, notably Helter Skelter, which incorporate thriller elements in some form or another, something not extensively found in Josei manga.
These above are just some of the many enjoyable tidbits of wisdom Pink has to offer. Such an entertaining, funny, heavy, personal read that is a must; I recommend this to anyone and everyone, regardless of their taste. Compiled in a single book is the (allow me to call Pink,) ultimate hedonistic young woman Josei story.
PD: Credits to the Sin Orden ni Concierto blog, which has a terrific review of Helter Skelter that aided me in writing this.
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