
a review by KiriKos

a review by KiriKos
I just finished goodnight Punpun and I have had to gather my emotions for a day to see how I feel overall. Punpun is a massive emotional ride, something I read on a whim but so happy I did. Punpun has this cutting realism with it's writing that I have seen in very few works. Punpun is truly a modern masterpiece in it's own right. Showing the corruption of people from their young years into adult. No character is really that likable but they are painfully real which adds to these characters. Most people in this book are blind fully selfish and act like they care for others but really only do things for themselves whether they mean to or not. Punpun's kindness is often taken advantage of and it leads to him becoming one of these adults who showed him no kindness and took advantage of his youth. This is a journey that will keep you anxious. With it's eerie feeling and art style it keeps you on your toes. The only character you find comfort in is punpun and his image. Slowly his form starts to change as he grows and becomes older and loses himself. He loses that kindness and naivety- he had as a kid. He's now an adult and a creation of the things and people he grew up around. He's no longer Punpun Onodera or Punpun Punyama he's no one. No one he could recognize in the mirror at least. Growing up and losing who we are, being corrupted by society and the people and things we are raised in is a part of life. Many can relate to this concept of losing who you were and not even knowing who you've become. This manga has so much to say about life and society as we know it. It creates an existential dread and an emptiness like no other. Their is no happy ending only a next generation that will take on the same pain Punpun, his uncle, Aiko, Sachi, Seki, and Shimizu felt. Punpun as a character is far from likable most of the story. He is selfish and only acts in good faith when he feels it necessary. He continuously self loathes and feels bad about himself even though he is the one who isn't trying. But that very fact is what makes him a great protagonist. Those emotions he feels and shows are what many of us show everyday. I don't wish to say much about the story itself because it is worth your own deep dive. Punpun is a manga i'll never forget, a dissection of growing up and the corruption of adults and society. Punpun has much to say in it's 147 chapters. Life is not easy and life is what you make of it. Punpun perfectly represents the pain and despair of many people in this world. Punpun is a journey that is so very worth it. With it's twist and turns and meaningfully painful ending I can't say enough good stuff about it without going on for a million words. Thank you for reading and I sure do hope you will give it a read. Goodnight Punpun.
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