Adolescents struggling to figure out their place in the world. A sushi chef trying to make things right with his brother. A young salaryman who wants to rediscover the fun of his youth. All of these are present in Inio Asano’s What a Wonderful World!, the series that launched his career into the beloved writer and artist he is today. Despite the shorter length, these 19 stories manage to encapsulate how simultaneously wonderful and heartbreaking life can be.

The first aspect of What a Wonderful World! that immediately stuck out to me was how well the single stories worked. While there are some intersecting plot lines, such as the Shinigami who appear throughout the stories and recurring characters, all of them manage to come together in a complete package that mirrors the real world. Life, death, happiness, sadness, fulfillment, longing for more, all of these emotions are present at some point in the collection and can resonate deeply with the reader. Asano is renowned for his works featuring heavy themes and realistic characters, and all of that began here with this short but sweet anthology series. Without this, we might have never obtained modern classics such as Goodnight PunPun or Dead Dead Demon’s DeDeDeDe Destruction, both of which are known for these exact elements.

The series overall also covers a wide variety of issues and topics, all of which feel realistic and personal to the characters. By the end of the series, I am sure that everyone who reads it will have at least one story that resonates with their own lives and experiences by the end. For example, younger readers might relate to chapters 5 and 10, which revolve around how harsh academics and bullying can be, while adults might resonate with the chapters such as 13 and 14, dealing with topics such as the hardships of maintaining a family and truly feeling like you are truly content with your life. Because of the length of the chapters, however, this does result in some feeling more well-rounded and having more to say than others, but even the weaker ones are worth the read. The short windows we get to see of each character are similar to seeing a random stranger on the street, where we only view a brief amount of their lives in the current moment. Whether they are living their best lives or have hit their rock bottom, everyone needs to keep moving on with life and work hard to become their ideal versions of themselves. By the end of each story, all the reader can do is wish the best for whoever the protagonist is for that chapter, hoping that they can ultimately be happy with their lives.
While it might not be perfect, What a Wonderful World! manages to do so much in such a small amount of time. It might lack the appeal of a long-running series with multiple character arcs that the reader can grow close to as the story continues, but there is still so much to love about this more simple episodic approach to a slice of life. This manga mainly serves as a stepping stone for Inio Asano’s later works, with his talent being clear this early on in his career. The purpose of this review was more so to shed some light on an underrated series rather than get into a deep breakdown, as simply writing about it would not do enough justice. If you are a fan of Asano’s work, enjoy realistic stories, or simply want a great read that should not last more than an afternoon, this is the perfect series to read.