Slice-of-life… a genre that takes the beauty of life and puts it into stories… They can make us feel understood, grateful or even make you rethink your own life…
No matter if it is a hospital romance or just someone following their dreams of becoming a musician…
Slice-of-life is a genre that is multifaceted and – in my opinion – something that everyone may find beauty in, if the topic hits home.
However, most of the time we do associate this genre with romance or feel-good vibes.
While this of course is not entirely wrong, there are some stories that prove that not every story from this genre has to be just that.
Stories that take the darkest places of the human mind and do not give them a happy ending…
Stories that deal with fears and thoughts that no one wants to tackle… Stories that only one man wants to write…
This is your not-so-regular slice-of-life mangaka: Inio Asano!
Who Is Inio Asano?
Inio Asano was born on the September 22, 1980 in Ibaraki, Japan.
There is not much known about his personal life – similar to most mangaka – but we do know how his career developed.
At only 20 years old, he released his debut short story Futsū no Hi in 2000.
This story enabled him to become an assistant for Shin Takahashi, where he was able to develop his skills further.
Not even a year after his debut, he won a young talent award for another short story – a format that he would later find to be his thing.
Only in 2002 did he start his first series called “What A Wonderful World!”, which would run for 2 years. However, these are also just 19 loose stories that share a similar topic.
When this series finished in 2004, he already began working on Nijigahara Holograph and also released a follow-up to What A Wonderful World with Sun Village.
However, his career would pick up to a whole new level with his generational run from 2005 to 2007, where he released Solanin – one of his most successful short stories – but also started working on Goodnight, Punpun – the story that would change his life.
By 2013, Asano finished Punpun and also released some other short stories on the way.
At this point, he had already established himself as a small legend, which came from his unique writing and incredible artworks that rival reality.
After Punpun, he never lost his love for short stories, but also started a new series called Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction in 2014, which ran until 2022 and was a bit more sci-fi than his usual stuff.
Currently, Asano is more focused on his third and latest series called Mujina Into The Deep, which is considered to be a new height for his immense talent in drawing.
What Makes Inio Asano Manga Different?
Asano is a bit of a misfit sheep in the manga scene, which is also what makes him so special.
Similar to other slice-of-life stories, Asano writes about what people or society as a whole face in our current times or in the foreseeable future. While this is not special in itself, it is the way how Asano approaches it.
His writing is fearless of what society’s standards may expect from stories, resulting in offering perspectives that are often too dark for most authors.
His characters go through hell and back, while portraying thoughts and fears that no one wants to admit they may have.
But… of course, he is not the only one doing that.
What makes Asano truly special - in addition to that - is his conclusions.
Asano does not always offer an answer to the problems he portrays nor do all his characters find happiness.
This can feel depressing or even dissatisfying. But… it sometimes is real, which makes Asano so painfully good.
This, of course, comes with the price of being known as “the author you should not read if you are severely depressed or if your life is not good right now”…
However, it can also feel good to be seen or represented if you have gone through hell yourself (although there are themes and characters that probably only Asano or maybe no one can relate to).
In addition to that, his art is something that will always make him an immortal legend. It is clean, realistic and just out-of-this-world.
Just look – then you will get it, with no further words.
Inio Asano Themes: What His Manga Are Really About
But what are these themes and topics that Asano represents in his coming-of-age / psychological manga that are too dark for most authors?
Modern life and quiet despair
First of all, almost all manga of Asano are set in our modern world – even if some sci-fi elements are taken into our time.
Asano loves to show us, how sick economy, expectations and the whole system of our societies are and what the consequences of living in it may look like.
He does this through tragic characters, who are facing very modern and relatable problems.
In the end, these characters become so relatable to us, that it even feels like Asano is processing things he felt himself by living through our current world.
Growing up and losing illusions
Asano loves to portray our society through its people, but most often through those who are falling into its claws for the first time: teenagers and young adults.
They are leaving a carefree time of their lives, only to face adult problems and feeling the need to find a spot in society. All of that, while going through puberty too!
The illusions of childhood are fading away slowly but noticeably. Taking its place are the harsh aspects of life, which are not always very patient.
Growing up means facing how complicated and painful life in our world can be and that there is no hero coming to save you.
Additionally, it is realizing how most adults are carrying heavy burdens and are all basically trying to figure it out themselves.
This is what Asano finds fascinating and thus chooses young protagonists to portray this erasure of innocent illusions.
Loneliness and social isolation
While there are different topics and themes Asano portrays, almost all stories of his deal with or portray characters facing loneliness and social isolation.
These come from different problems like falling out of society due to economical factors or by just straight-up being a misfit, who cannot find a real spot in this turbulent society.
While some characters find comfort in these situations, others suffer from it and represent what certainly almost everyone of us have felt at least once.
Additionally, it represents a huge problem that not only global society faces, but also what the Japanese one has to deal with.
Isolation and loneliness in Japan go so far that there is even a group of people called “Hikikomori”, who are people that never leave their homes and spend their life alone.
A phenomenon having a name represents how huge of a problem it is…
Love, distance, and damaged relationships
Loneliness and isolation can also be caused by finding unrequited love or losing something that made one happy.
This does not have to mean romantic love only, but just connections in general. Asano loves to portray how relationships can fail and how hurtful it is to try to find closure.
He also often shows us, how painful connections can be, because we all are trying to figure out how this world works.
This means… Asano shows love from a unique perspective, which is not romantic at all, but just painfully real.
Characters who are hard to idealize
“Characters trying to figure out life” is a good key phrase for the next theme.
What is fascinating about reading a story by Asano is the fact that although you may relate to certain elements of a character, it is almost never possible to idealize anyone.
Almost all characters are flawed and problematic. This ranges from an asshole with a good heart to a straight-up demon.
However, although you cannot idealize anyone, these characters do feel very authentic and real.
They are hurt by life, cannot find a place in society or represent how the lack of confrontation with your inner demons drags you deeper into hell.
Asano does that with a certain goal in mind… His characters are not created to be liked, but to show us a mirror.
Nonetheless, this mirror is not always a warning or reflection of only problems, but can also be a comfort.
Asano wants to show us the darkest corners of human nature without commenting on it.
Some characters you may see as an example of how you do not want to end up, while others may show you that you are not alone with your fate or problems.
Both can help and both can also offer comfort.
It is interesting to see how someone can write characters that are so problematic, but also… so important to portray.
A real talent, if you ask me!
Realism mixed with surreal imagery
All of that is already incredible, but becomes a masterpiece if you see how Asano does not try to be as realistic as possible.
He tells stories about the darkest pits of human nature, but he also does this by mixing reality with surreal imagery.
You may ask yourself, what that means?
Why not explain that point by looking directly at his works, to truly see these themes in action?
What Manga Did Inio Asano Make?
As you may have noticed in his short biography: Asano LOOVES short stories!
Thus, he offers us a lot of different opportunities to try out his works – either through his series or through one of his many one-shots.
Inio Asano’s Most Well-Known Manga
Goodnight Punpun: Inio Asano’s Most Famous Manga
However, what better way is there than to explore Asano through his most famous manga Goodnight Punpun (or Oyasumi Punpun) – which beautifully portrays all of Asano’s themes!
At first, Goodnight Punpun may seem like your ordinary coming-of-age manga… but it is much more than that!
Let me explain…
In Goodnight Punpun, we follow this rather ordinary boy called Punpun Onodera, who we have the privilege of being able to see throughout his whole life – from childhood in a remote town to adult life in the big city.
Sounds rather basic? You are judging too quickly!
What makes this manga truly special are three major elements.
First of all, most of the manga is drawn very realistically, while Punpun sticks out not only due to his odd behavior and almost no words uttered, but also because he is drawn like a cartoon bird.
Goodnight Punpun Manga - Goodnight Punpun Manga Volumes
This may seem odd at first, but it not only allows readers to not be distracted by looks or expectations, but also enables us to project ourselves onto him.
Additionally, this abstract choice allows Asano to portray Punpun in interesting versions of himself, which represent his journey.
However, the biggest reason is the fact that it shows how disconnected Punpun is from society. An artistic choice which becomes genius in contrast to the realistic drawings of Asano.
And before you ask… Nope, this is not how the world sees him. It is just for us to truly get the feeling across.
However, this stylistic choice is not the only thing that makes this story so popular.
At the beginning of the story, we have a classic coming-of-age manga with all the elements you would expect from this genre.
Punpun has a crush on his classmate Aiko Tanaka, he experiences different types of friendships, school is annoying and some dysfunctional family dynamics are also sprinkled in there.
However… How do I put it? Well… Punpun is a rather tragic figure.
While we all can relate to the fact that not everything always goes smoothly, even during childhood, Punpun’s life is filled with huge hardships.
I do not want to spoil anything here, but let me say… he really does go through some sh**!
This trauma from different types of abuse ultimately leads to a spiral of self-destruction, which goes in a direction that no one would see coming from the first rather unsuspecting chapters.
Finally, Punpun tells this story without trying to romanticize or tone down anything.
He shows what life gives you, if you are like Punpun, who does not try to escape his nihilistic views, stemming from his shitty life.
Asano does not try to comfort his characters or give them what they want… But he also does not try to punish them to an unrealistic extent.
Some of the pain Punpun is not responsible for, while at other times he could have changed the outcome.
Ultimately, this manga is a beautifully illustrated journey, across 7 volumes, about depression, loneliness and how difficult it can be growing up. It comes with dark twists and painful realism, which will make you rethink everything – especially that the slice-of-life manga genre can truly be a dark manga genre too.
However, be careful.
Punpun is not only the one story that made Asano famous, but also the one that led to the constant warning of “Only read if you are mentally okay.”, forever attached to his work.
It is definitely an emotionally heavy manga that needs some processing afterwards, but can also become very rewarding if consumed correctly.
A Girl on the Shore: A More Intimate and Controversial Inio Asano Manga
If you do not want to commit to a long series right away, Asano of course has a lot of different short stories too.
While I will get to the other ones in a second, A Girl on the Shore is without a doubt his most popular one – also because it is controversial.
Similar to Punpun, Asano takes us to a remote town once again. This time we are at the seaside with beautiful scenery, but not a lot of perspectives for the youth.
Two of the few youngsters in this coastal town are Koume Sato and Keisuke Isobe, who are both dealing with their own sets of trauma and insecurities.
While they both find comfort in each other, it is purely physical and without any actual emotional connection.
As this connection further develops, readers get more of a glimpse into the dark reality of finding comfort in such relationships without facing your own problems.
It shows us how complicated it is to grow up without perspectives and a heavy burden, while also warning us how diving head-first into each connection with no caution can cause emotional damage.
Similar to Punpun, this coming-of-age manga becomes a dark psychological manga very quickly.
It is a bit difficult to read, not only because of the dark themes and heavy consequences, but also because it is quite controversial.
We follow two young people, who are both hurt in their own ways. This leads them to very hurtful decisions, which can be triggering.
However, Asano also does not shy away from portraying their intimacy head on. This is heavily discussed online!
While some defend this as necessary to show the depths of their pain and the destruction of youth, others – like myself – do not find the portrayal to be necessary to truly bring the point across and even see it as problematic.
However, I will let you be the judge on that, if you want your first Asano manga to focus on relationships, loneliness and adolescence in a beach setting that does become controversial.
A Girl On The Shore by Inio Asano TP
A Girl On The Shore Collector's Edition By Inio Asano HC
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction: Inio Asano’s Sci-Fi Coming-of-Age Manga
Asano’s stories are mostly written on a smaller scale, where one character represents different problems.
However, he did not want to shy away from bigger stories that target societal problems and real-world crises either.
Born out of this was a post-apocalyptic / science-fiction manga, which is also kind of a slice of-life manga, called Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction… or simply the DDDD manga.
In this manga, we follow two high school girls named Kadode Koyama and Ouran Nakagawa, who are living their normal life – well at least they are trying to.
Because above them is a HUGE spaceship that has been looming over Tokyo for a while now.
But life has to go on, so basically the whole world tries to live while this threat is above them – kind of like the Sword of Damocles.
This story is so unique in its vibe, because you constantly get dragged into these slice-of-life sequences within mundane settings focusing on adolescence and friendships, while getting reminded on the next page that there is a global crisis going on.
It feels like such an incredibly realistic depiction of how society would react during these times that one could assume Asano wrote this because of Covid… but no… he started it in 2014 and finished it two years into Covid.
However, it still holds up. Asano uses humor and surreal moments to create a satirical socially conscious manga about politics, media manipulation and how society just adapts to the most f-ed up situations.
Nonetheless, the DDDD manga across its 12 volumes is definitely the best manga if the other stories are way too heavy or even intimate for you.
I would also say that, out of all his manga, this could be the one people could enjoy, even if they do not like other Asano stories.
It truly feels different, while still keeping his good writing and artworks with even better panel work than Punpun - which is insane to even write!
Asano just one-ups himself every time and this wasn’t even his peak yet…
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 01
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 02
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 03
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 04
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 05
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 06
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 07
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 08 Asano
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 09
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 10
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 11
Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction GN Vol 12
Other important Inio Asano works
While these are the highlights, Asano has way more to offer, which I will now rapid-fire at you! :P
Solanin: The Best Inio Asano Manga for Beginners?
Solanin takes us into a bit of a later time in life rather than school – the transition from university to adulthood.
Meiko and her friends all suffer under the pain from boring jobs, no perspectives for the future and dreams that are slowly dying.
Especially her boyfriend Taneda, who is playing in a band, becomes increasingly depressed as his hopes of making it in music fade.
Suddenly, a life-changing event happens, which, on top of the already existing problems, raises the question in Meiko: “What is the meaning of life?”
It is another heavy manga from Asano, but with fewer triggering themes and a more hopeful approach.
It is the perfect entry point for Asano, because it is short (a single collected edition) and slowly eases you into Asano’s themes, which only get darker from here.
So, if you are less into sci-fi and want a more grounded story to get into Asano – here you go!
Nijigahara Holograph: Inio Asano’s Most Challenging Psychological Manga
This one is one of Asano’s earlier works, but also one of his most challenging in terms of reading and psychological depth.
We follow different perspectives and different times that all deal with one specific event that involves heavy bullying and violence in the past.
It is a story that deals with trauma, grief and the consequences of one’s mistakes.
However, it is difficult until the very end to really connect everything, because Asano’s goal was to convey a message and a feeling instead of a plot that fully explains itself.
If you love storytelling with weird symbolism that confuses and doesn’t let you go for days…
or if you love a story about trauma and sins of the past, then this short anthology is a must read for you!
Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano HC
Downfall: Asano At His Lowest…
This one-shot manga feels the most personal out of all Asano stories. Not necessarily to me… but to Asano himself!
We meet a mangaka who just finished his most successful long-running manga series… What a great success!
Or… is it?
Society does not always talk about what happens after you reach your dreams and get your happily ever after… because sometimes it is not that happy…
Instead of feeling fulfilled and happy, Kaoru Fukazawa feels empty and useless. He fulfilled his seemingly only purpose and is now a dead man walking.
Everything in his life crumbles – relationships, work and even his relationship to himself… Will he overcome this or fall down even deeper?
We get a rare perspective into this situation, probably because Asano himself reflects on his time after Punpun through this story.
This is of course just speculation, but feels very personal once you read the manga (because of the situation and the similarity between Asano and his protagonist in terms of looks).
Definitely one of the best manga to read after you have learned a bit about him and his writing – like after this article :P
Downfall GN Vol 01 Inio Asano TP
Mujina Into The Deep: Asano At His Peak?
You want to know what Asano is up to today and how his art looks at his current peak? Then waste no time and jump (Mujina) Into The Deep!
We are, once again, in a bit of a futuristic setting. And while the one in DDDD was also not very utopian, this one is even darker…
We are introduced to the concept of “Mujinas”, who are people that are not really included in the legal system and thus are forced to live in the shadows.
Because they are these misfits, they are often forced to live a life in crime – similar to our protagonist Ubume.
She is always in the middle of surviving through shady contracts, intrigues between factions and is never seen as fully human.
However, who would have guessed that one fateful meeting would lead down a rabbit hole that would uncover her dark past.
Asano is really outdoing himself with this one. The art is at a new height and as detailed as ever.
Additionally, although Asano keeps his unique style of writing and stays critical towards society and politics, there is much more action and worldbuilding in this.
It is something new for Asano, but it doesn’t feel that foreign to him.
It is interesting to see this shift, but it will excite fans of Asano for the coming future and the endless possibilities.
Mujina Into The Deep, Vol. 1 Inio Asano
Mujina Into The Deep, Vol. 2 Inio Asano
Mujina Into the Deep Vol 04 *PRE-ORDER*
Is Inio Asano Worth Reading?
Asano is one of the most unique writers and artists that Japan has to offer.
He is painfully real and extremely talented, which offers a skill set that will probably never be replicated again.
I think that this real approach to stories, inspired by a tortured society and its people, accompanied by one of the best art styles ever, is why people love to read Asano.
He understands how to write and draw.
He understands how to use stylistic devices and creative choices to portray themes that one cannot explain, but can only feel.
He creates an atmosphere that no one else could, which in turn makes his art immortal.
If you love stories with deep messages or psychological stories that show the darkest corners of human nature – or even if you already loved the cult classic Goodnight Punpun - you 100% have to dive deeper into Asano’s tortured art.
It is painful, but something you will never find again.
However, please only do so, if you are in a stable state of mind or if you have a stable support system.
Like I said, his stories do get dark and do not always offer happy conclusions. This can open wounds or even drag you deeper into a pit…
Please look out for your mental health and do not shy away from finding help.
But if you are interested in exploring Asano’s stories and feel like you are in the right place for these themes and stories, you now have everything you need to know.
