Being happy is a problem in itself in life. We cannot achieve happiness completely if we do not understand the special keys behind that happiness. What is meant by happiness? Why do people around me become happy. What is happiness? Under what conditions can happiness be measured?
That is the question that Nanoka Koyanagi, the protagonist of I Had the Same Dream Again by Yoru Sumino, tries to answer in this story. Nanoka is a 4th grade elementary school student who likes to make close friends with people older than herself. Nanoka is a girl who has high curiosity, she is also kind and honest. Nanoka considers herself clever. This is the story of Nanoka Koyanagi's journey in searching for the meaning of happiness. Nanoka doesn't have any close friends in class. However, she has a little friend, namely a cat he rescued while walking not far from his house. When she found the cat, Nanoka didn't know where to take him. Then, he headed to an apartment building. Nanoka rang the bell of every door she found. However, all the residents of the flat ignored him. Until Nanoka arrived at the last door. From outside the door, a voice came from inside. She didn't have to wait long, a beautiful woman immediately opened the door and invited Nanoka to enter. The woman immediately treated Nanoka and washed Nanoka's clothes which were wet from the rain. From then on, Nanoka became close to the beautiful woman.
The beautiful woman who rescued the cat did not reveal her name. However, in front of the woman's door, Nanoka saw the words "Abazure". In fact, in Japanese, the word has a negative connotation. However, Nanoka, who was still small, didn't understand the meaning and instead thought the words were like words in a foreign language. The woman also just said yes when Nanoka asked her name. Nanoka concludes that the beautiful woman is named Abazure-san. The beautiful woman enjoyed playing othello with Nanoka. Abazure-san's character is like an older sister figure to Nanoka. Nanoka often call her Miss or Ojou-chan. Apart from that beautiful woman, Nanoka also knows a kind grandmother who is an expert at making cakes. Nanoka accidentally found the grandmother's house when she was walking. Nanoka thought Grandma's house was very unique, until she went inside. Obaa-chan or grandmother is a wise person too. Since their meeting, Nanoka and grandmother have become close. Grandma often calls Nanoka "Nacchan".
Still on her way to fulfilling her teacher's assignment to find the meaning of happiness, Nanoka meets other people who also become close to her. She met Minami when she entered an empty building located at the top of a hill. There, Nanoka saw a high school girl who was slashing her wrists. From their first meeting, Nanoka became close to the high school student. Actually, the high school student's real name is unknown. Nanoka calls her Minami-san, because she saw the words "Minami" on her uniform. Even though she uses a slightly harsh tone when talking to Nanoka, in her heart, Minami is a good girl. A series of strange events begin to experience Nanoka when she searches for the meaning of happiness. Through their stories, Nanoka learns about the pain and suffering that they endure, and how they cope with it. She also reflects on her own life, and how she can find happiness in the future.
The manga is a touching and emotional journey that will make you cry, laugh, and think in only a short amount of chapters. It seems like a light-hearted read, but it is rather a deep one that tackles issues such as bullying, trauma, suicide, self-harm and death. The manga does not offer easy answers or solutions, but rather poses questions that challenge the reader to think for themselves. What is happiness? How do we achieve it? How do we cope with the pain and suffering in life? How do we connect with others and ourselves? It also reminds the reader that sometimes, happiness is not something that we can achieve alone, but something that we can get and share with others. That sometimes, we just need someone to stand by our side, support us, and reassure us that we are not lonely.
Through the story of I Had The Same Dream Again, we can know that happiness will not just come to humans. Therefore, it is humans who must approach happiness. Happiness is defined as a choice, something that can be chosen based on your own desires. Everyone can be happy because of your own words or actions. You can be happy if you allow yourself to feel joy, such as by appreciating the people who are important to you, and appreciating yourself. Happiness is not something that is given to humans from the universe. Happiness comes from within humans themselves. You can choose and create happiness with your own hands. Through this story, we can also know the importance of learning. It is very important for a person to learn things he does not know. Don't let it be the other way around, never assume yourself to understand something that you actually don't know. Because, if you do that, you are deceiving yourself. This story also reminds us that humans have a tendency to remember bad things more easily than good things. This tends to be negative, because you forget about positive things and focus more on negative things. Therefore, we should be able to think fairly and control our emotions, so we can live more positively.
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