Goodnight Punpun

Goodnight Punpun

The cover of the first volume of Goodnight Punpun
おやすみプンプン
(Oyasumi Punpun)
Manga
Written by Inio Asano
Published by Shogakukan
English publisher
Demographic Seinen
Magazine
Original run March 15, 2007 – November 2, 2013
Volumes 13

Goodnight Punpun (Japanese: おやすみプンプン, Hepburn: Oyasumi Punpun) is a manga written and illustrated by Inio Asano about Onodera Punpun, a normal child depicted in the form of a bird. The story follows him as he copes with his dysfunctional family and friends, his love interest, his oncoming adolescence and his hyperactive mind. The manga has been licensed in North America by Viz Media.

Summary

Goodnight Punpun follows the life and experiences of Onodera Punpun, a young boy living in Japan, as well as a few of his friends. The manga follows Punpun as he grows up, splitting the book into around 4 stages of his life: Elementary school, Middle school, High school, and his early 20s.

Characters

Punpun Punyama (プン山 プンプン, Punyama Punpun) / Punpun Onodera (小野寺 プンプン, Onodera Punpun)
Punpun is a young boy who is most often depicted as a bird, although he is also shown in the other forms. When he is feeling confused about life or depressed he consults "God" using a chant his uncle taught him.
Aiko Tanaka (田中 愛子, Tanaka Aiko)
The child of a cult member, Aiko is Punpun's primary love interest. Early on, she suggests that she and Punpun run away to Kagoshima. She occasionally takes on the last name Orihara (織原).
God (神, Kami, literally God)
A being, displayed as a photographic afro head, that often appears in front of Punpun in his times of need (Punpun "summons" him by saying, "Dear God, Tinkle tinkle hoy").
Yūichi Onodera (小野寺 雄一, Onodera Yūichi)
Punpun's uncle, a 30-something freeter. Yūichi takes care of Punpun while his mother is in the hospital.
Midori Ōkuma (大隈 翠, Ōkuma Midori)
Yūichi's girlfriend that runs a cafe. She briefly joins Punpun's family during middle school and helps take care of him and his family.
Sachi Nanjō (南条 幸, Nanjō Sachi)
A young woman Punpun meets in his young adult life. She is an aspiring manga artist who grows to be one of Punpun's close friends.
Seki Masumi (真澄 関, Masumi Seki)
One of Punpun's childhood friends, who is a close companion of Shimizu. He is cynical and aloof, but cares deeply for Shimizu.
Kō Shimizu (清水 コー, Shimizu Kō)
Another of Punpun's childhood friends. Shimizu has a wild imagination and depends on Seki. He later joins Pegasus' cult.
Toshiki Hoshikawa / "Pegasus" (星川 敏樹, Hoshikawa Toshiki)
The leader of a cult in Punpun's city and a recurring side character.
Mitsuko Tanaka (田中 光子, Tanaka Mitsuko)
Aiko's mother. She is cruel and abusive to her daughter Aiko, and shows signs of having mental instability. Though she later ends up crippled, later chapters suggest this may be an act.

Production

Asano announced the manga a year after finishing Solanin. Encouraged by its success, Asano said he was done with "feel-good stories".[1] Despite initial opposition from his editor and publisher, he went through with the manga. Tokie Komuro, the Editor-in-Chief of Monthly Sunday GX, who is a supporter of Asano said that the only reason Asano was able to serialize the manga was because of his good track record and reputation from his earlier works.[2]

I wanted [to] take the readers coming to the book because they thought Punpun was cute, and upset them. (laugh) I wanted to say to the reader, "Here's a different kind of manga. Look at what kind of depths of reality manga can plumb."

Inio Asano[1]

When he initially planned the story, Asano wanted to chronicle Punpun's growth spanning ten years over seven volumes.[2] The first half was supposed to be a romance, and the second half when Punpun and Aiko go on the run similar to a road movie. The manga grew to thirteen volumes because Asano wanted to focus on the art and because many characters developed their own side stories. Asano purposely emphasized elements of the first half like its silliness to increase the shock of the second half. With every dark turn in the manga, sales dropped, which Asano regretted because his readers were being alienated. He also felt that he saw his readers as an enemy when he received criticism, which led him to react harsher and cause more backlash. The manga also served as an outlet for Asano's doubts and fears, such as the fear that he might be a victim or perpetrator of murder.[1]

When designing Punpun, Asano wanted to find a balance between making his male protagonist too handsome or too ugly and decided to let readers imagine his face.[2] Asano originally planned to depict all the characters like Punpun's family, but his editor didn't like the idea.[3] Asano utilized photography and computer graphics for the backgrounds of the manga. Outdoor backgrounds were created by taking photographs, converting them to black-and-white, and printing them so his assistants could draw outlines and objects on them. Interiors were created in 3D modeling software, which had the benefit of capturing angles impossible with cameras. When asked why he placed so much emphasis on the backgrounds, Asano said that it allows the drawings to have more impact, especially since characters like Punpun are lacking in dynamism.[2] Asano later came to regret digitally processing his images because he felt he was ruining his pen art.[1]

Themes

Punpun's depiction as a faceless caricature was meant to help readers identify with Punpun and encourage them to keep reading, both when he was depicted as a bird, and in his later forms.[1] Asano also utilized Punpun's simple look for symbolism,[2] like giving him bull horns to represent Altair, the cowherd star, to symbolize his love triangle as the Summer Triangle with Aiko as Vega and Sachi as Deneb.[1]

Asano described the young Punpun as a fundamentalist, which leads to his regrets and dislike of gray areas later. Asano also ascribed these characteristics to the other characters: "The main characters in Punpun always remain children in the way their purity leads them to fail and become social misfits." At end of the manga, Asano was originally going to make Punpun die while saving a child of a friend, but he felt that it was too "clean" of an ending. He continued the theme of nothing going right for Punpun by making him live and by denying Punpun solitude after Aiko's death by pairing him up with Sachi. In the final chapter, Punpun's experiences are contrasted with those of his childhood friend Harumin to show Punpun from the perspective of a normal person. Harumin sees Punpun surrounded by friends, but in reality nothing went right for him, further emphasizing the theme of failure.[1]

In terms of genres, Asano disliked the labeling of the manga as an utsumanga (depressing manga) or surreal, which he felt pigeonholed the manga. Since the manga was serialized in a seinen magazine, Asano created the manga for readers who could accept immorality rather than see the protagonist as a role model.[1]

Release

The manga was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Weekly Young Sunday and, later, Big Comic Spirits by Shogakukan from March 15, 2007 to November 2, 2013.[4] Shogakukan compiled the 147 chapters into thirteen volumes between August 3, 2007[5] and December 27, 2013.[6] Some of these volumes have been sold as limited special editions with extras like: a phone strap, t-shirt, colored pencil set with figures, and lensless glasses.[7] In July 2015, Viz Media announced at Otakon that they licensed the manga[8] and will be releasing the manga in seven omnibus volumes,[9] with the first published on March 15, 2016.[10] The manga has also been published in France by Kana,[11] in Italy by Panini Comics,[12] in Germany by Tokyopop,[13] in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan,[14] in Spain by Norma Editorial,[15] and in Argentina by Editorial Ivrea.[16]


Volumes

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 August 3, 2007[5]ISBN 978-4-09-151218-5March 15, 2016[17]ISBN 978-1421586205
Aiko Tanaka transfers into Punpun Punyama's middle school class and they come to like each other. At home, Punpun walks into what looks like the aftermath of his father abusing his mother. While she stays in the hospital and his father separately, her brother Yuichi Onodera comes to live with Punpun. Punpun also learns that Aiko's mother sells miracle water and he makes a promise with Aiko to take her away to her uncle in Kagoshima. Punpun and his friends watch a porn cassette and stumble upon a taped-over confession from a man who has murdered his family, requesting that they locate the bodies and an award. Punpun and his friends, along with Aiko, visit the abandoned miso factory mentioned in the video.
2 December 28, 2007[18]ISBN 978-4-09-151259-8March 15, 2016[17]ISBN 978-1421586205
At the factory, they meet a girl, but don't find anything. However, on the roof of the last building they see the silhouette of a man. Most of the group flees, except Aiko who gets knocked out and Punpun who stays with her. At the same time, a cigarette that Seki had smoked causes a fire. The man approaches them, Punpun's life flashes before his eyes, and he faints, with the fire having been put out by rain. As the semester ends, Punpun dreads having to face Aiko after not being able to grant her wish. On the last day, she asks him to meet her later. However, Punpun finds out that his mother had jumped off her hospital balcony and instead visits her. Punpun spends the rest of the summer depressed and secluded, and when school starts again, Aiko ignores him. Punpun's parents get divorced and he vows to become an adult. Two years later in middle school, Aiko is dating Yaguchi, the badminton club captain, and Punpun still has feelings for her.
3 June 5, 2008[19]ISBN 978-4-09-151333-5June 21, 2016[20]ISBN 978-1421586212
Saving him from bullies, Seki becomes closer to Shimizu. One day when Punpun skips practice, Yaguichi befriends him. In badminton, Punpun's friend Komatsu starts to dominate Yaguichi, who is also suffering from achilles tendinitis. When Punpun confides his feelings for Aiko to Yaguichi, who is torn between his sports career and her, Yaguichi wagers his relationship with Aiko over the result of the upcoming tournament. Yuichi meets Midori, a worker at a coffee shop, who asks him out. Although they get along, Yuichi holds guilt from a past relationship and tries to drive Midori away, but she demands to learn about his past. Yuichi recounts how five years ago he was teaching at a pottery workshop and went on a date with the high school age daughter of one of his students. She revealed to Yuichi that after having had an abortion, she was being kept under house arrest by her mother and requested Yuichi's help.
4 January 30, 2009[21]ISBN 978-4-09-151413-4June 21, 2016[20]ISBN 978-1421586212
Yuichi took the girl to his apartment and they almost had sex, but Yuichi resisted because he knew he couldn't help the girl. When Yuichi returned to work after two weeks, his coworker Washio attacked the girl's mother with a hammer. As Yuichi ran outside to find a policeman, he met the girl, who revealed that she had seduced Washio into the act. Midori makes Yuichi visit the workshop with her and they learn that everyone involved in the incident is doing better now. Having the weight of his guilt lifted and feeling no more ties to the world, Yuichi attempts suicide by sitting in front of an oncoming train, but stops at the last minute. Him and Midori make a commitment to each other. At the badminton tournament, Yaguichi and Komatsu are the finalists and Yaguichi takes a lead. Punpun meets Aiko, who tells him that she only wants to love someone who is completely devoted to her and can take her away. Yaguichi's leg gives out and he concedes defeat to Punpun. However, when Aiko asks Punpun to leave together to Kagoshima with her, he refuses. Punpun becomes depressed and reclusive. Two years later, Midori has become close to the Onodera family and they prepare to move to a new apartment, but Yuichi has been missing for over a week.
5 June 30, 2009[22]ISBN 978-4-09-151430-1September 20, 2016[23]ISBN 978-1421586229
Having studied hard, Punpun enters into high school. Midori is running the coffee shop herself now and Yuichi's disappearance takes its toll on her. Yuichi had returned to work at the pottery workshop, but after he had an affair with a student, the woman's ex-husband demanded an exorbitant payment from him. Midori starts to rely on Punpun for comfort and one day at the coffee shop, she rapes Punpun.[24] Seki, needing money, decides to work odd jobs along with Shimizu. A property manager asks Shimizu to help clean out an apartment where a man died, but he backs out. Seki is hired by a woman to murder her ex-boyfriend, but Seki changes his mind when noticing the nice weather. Seki and Shimizu become more determined to stick together. Punpun goes to karaoke with classmates, but doesn't enjoy it at all, leaving with a girl named Kanie who he asks out on a date. After finding out about the death of his grandfather, Punpun and his mother visit his home in Ōfuna, where he learns from Midori that Yuichi had come back home and the two had gotten married. While returning home, Punpun's mother gets irritated at him and tells him to not return home until the following day because she is having a man over.
6 December 26, 2009[25]ISBN 978-4-09-151479-0September 20, 2016[23]ISBN 978-1421586229
Punpun's mother is having an affair with a married man. She gets a panic attack and while threatening to kill herself, suffers from pneumothorax, becoming hospitalized. She befriends Harumin, whose girlfriend is in the hospital, and the pair discuss their problems, including her difficulty in connecting with her son. On his date with Kanie, Punpun visits an art gallery. Punpun tries hard to get her to like him, but they don't form a connection. As their date comes to an end and Kanie calls him narcissistic, Punpun forcibly tries to kiss her and is slapped. As she is getting discharged from the hospital, Punpun's mother tries to find Harumin, whom she developed a fondness for, discovering that he just left. Returning home, she finds Punpun still cold towards her and can't help but lash out at him. On a return appointment, Punpun's mother discovers that she has aggressive cancer. Two years later, Punpun's mother is on her deathbed and apologizes to Punpun for how she treated him, saying that she loves him.
7 September 30, 2010[26]ISBN 978-4-09-151499-8December 20, 2016[27]ISBN 978-1421586236
Punpun's father visits him and asks him if he would like to live with him, but Punpun declines. After Punpun graduates from high school, he works part-time jobs with his friend Mimura. On the train ride home, he spots Aiko, but is unable to find her when doubling back. Punpun moves into an apartment near the station where he saw her, hoping to find her again. After not having success, Punpun stops going outside and becomes reserved. His landlord, Shishido, who is worried about him, tries to offer him help. He takes him to a bar, where Punpun meets Sachi, who he had met at an art gallery on his date with Kanie. Sachi tells Punpun that she wants to illustrate a story he wrote in her guest book.
8 February 26, 2011[28]ISBN 978-4-09-151510-0December 20, 2016[27]ISBN 978-1421586236
Sachi spots Punpun while he is out searching and he goes to her house again. There, he opens up to her about his issues and Sachi accuses him of not wanting to actually find Aiko. After she pushes him, Punpun writes her a draft manuscript which she finds unsatisfactory. Sachi confides in Punpun that she used to be unconfident like him too, getting cosmetic surgery, so she has to keep pressuring him to try. Punpun resolves to keep working on the story and they work towards a final draft by the end of summer. Shishido offers to give Punpun a job once he gets a real estate license. After a misunderstanding, Punpun reveals to Sachi that he loves her, the two have sex and they start growing closer. A year later Sachi finishes the manga and prepares to show it to a publisher with Punpun.
9 October 28, 2011[29]ISBN 978-4-09-151529-2March 21, 2017[30]ISBN 978-1421586243
10 April 27, 2012[31]ISBN 978-4-09-151537-7March 21, 2017[30]ISBN 978-1421586243
11 November 30, 2012[32]ISBN 978-4-09-151543-8June 20, 2017[33]ISBN 978-1421586250
12 June 28, 2013[34]ISBN 978-4-09-151549-0June 20, 2017[33]ISBN 978-1421586250
13 December 27, 2013[6]ISBN 978-4-09-151555-1September 19, 2017[35]ISBN 978-1421586267

Reception

In 2009, the manga received a Jury Recommendation at the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards.[36] The series was nominated for the 2017 Eisner Award in the "Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia" category, for its first four volumes.[37]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Inio Asano interview — 'Reality is tough, so read this manga about cute girls and feel better'". mangabrog. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015. (Original Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine.)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Inio Asano". Imagine-nation. Season 2010. Episode 23. 7 December 2010. NHK World.
  3. ↑ Ozaki, Mio. "The disaffected world of Inio Asano". Daily Yomiuri Online. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Inio Asano's Oyasumi Punpun Manga to End on November 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 "おやすみプンプン / １". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  6. 1 2 "おやすみプンプン / １３". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "おやすみプンプン の全巻一覧" [Goodnight Punpun Full Volume List]. Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Viz Media Licenses Inio Asano's Goodnight Pun Pun Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Beveridge, Chris. "Viz Media Talks 'Goodnight Punpun' Manga Release". The Fandom Post. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Goodnight Punpun, Volume 1". Viz. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Bonne Nuit Punpun". Kana (in French). Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  12. ↑ "Buonanotte Punpun 1". Panini Comics (in Italian). Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Gute Nacht, Punpun, Band 1". Tokyopop (in German). Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "晚安,布布 8". Taiwan Tohan (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "Buenas Noches Punpun 1". Norma Editorial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Oyasumi Punpun". Editorial IVREA (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  18. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ２". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ３". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  20. 1 2 "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  21. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ４". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ５". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 3". Viz Media. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  24. ↑ Silverman, Rebecca. "Goodnight Punpun GN 3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017. ...after [Punpun] experiences statutory rape by Midori...
  25. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ６". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  26. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ７". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 4". Viz Media. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ８". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  29. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / ９". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 5". Viz Media. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  31. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / １０". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  32. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / １１". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  33. 1 2 "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 6". Viz Media. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  34. ↑ "おやすみプンプン / １２". Shogakukan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  35. ↑ "Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 7". Viz Media. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  36. ↑ "Summer Wars, Vinland Saga Win Media Arts Awards (Update 3)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  37. ↑ "Goodnight Punpun, Orange, The Osamu Tezuka Story, Princess Jellyfish, Wandering Island Nominated for Eisner Awards". Anime News Network. 2 May 2017. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
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