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| THIS IS A MANGA ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING BEYOND THIS CHAPTER. ---------------------------------------- A short but inspiring manga. Taneda's dead got me by surprise, I thought he was going to be alright after that accident but nope. Asano Inio did a fantastic job drawing the sad and tragic moments, I'm going to read more of his work. Beatnik is right, I saw the Solanin film adaptation trailer, and they gave everything away, not worth watching. ☺ 8-9/10 |
TuzoAnimeFeb 21, 2010 10:30 PM
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TuzoAnime said: Taneda's dead got me by surprise, I thought he was going to be alright after that accident but nope. same here. i thought he'd just end up alright in hospital or something. still, i really, really enjoyed it. awesome story. shame about the film trailer though, haha. |
| I'm the minority here but I thought this manga sucked. The angsty female protagonist and her loser boyfriend who supposedly a guitar player. Maybe I'm just being an elitist because I'm in college and wonder why the couple preferred to skip the option of college and lay around doing nothing and rely on being in a relationship and hoping that it won't end. On top of that, Meiko is dumb enough to think that her shaky relationship with her boyfriend will make her forget about real life troubles, such as money and having a good social life. My bias made this manga torture to read because it's stupid choice after stupid choice made by the characters. However, the mangaka was good enough to make me care enough about the characters to judge them. At its best, the manga illustrates the worst of what can happen when twenty somethings don't have a set goal in life that they want to pursue and simply lounge around. At its worst, it's another drama manga with a tragic situation thrown in to pander for the readers' sympathy. 7/10 (Good. +/- 1 Point) |
arimakenshinApr 13, 2010 3:37 PM
| *Warning to people who have not read "Solanin": Some of this is put into spoilers due to a very high amount of direct story discussion. I do not want to ruin it for you. Thank you. Unto the post now~ ......................................... Hmmm...everyone here has really great arguments, especially "arimakenshin". Now, I would like to discuss the serious downfalls to "Solanin". The good things about "Solanin", please. ......................................... ......well, I have probably typed a loooooooot more than I needed to. But, that's okay. Just try to read it all or glance at it, please. As well, even though I have seemed to really rant about this manga I really enjoyed it acutely. I thought it was pretty well done and I do suggest it to anyone who is willing to read it. So, yep! :3 P.S: arimakenshin, I must say that they did not skip college all together. "Solanin" is set right after they graduated. So, this is post-college. Just wanted to point that out. Sorry if this bothered you ^^; Also, writing this entire post....makes me want to change my score for it acutely. *drops score from 9 to 8* |
sillyker0nianJul 19, 2010 12:09 AM
sillyker0nian said: P.S: arimakenshin, I must say that they did not skip college all together. "Solanin" is set right after they graduated. So, this is post-college. Just wanted to point that out. Sorry if this bothered you ^^; Also, writing this entire post....makes me want to change my score for it acutely. *drops score from 9 to 8* Thanks for the correction. When I look at the manga after several months since I completed it, what really rubbed me the wrong way is when I asked the question, "What purpose does this manga have?" Does it really improve the reader's understand of different lifestyles? Entertainment? Is it unique compared to other manga? There are way too many manga, especially in the Seinen genre, that discuss the same "twenty something existentialism". It gets quite boring after the first few masterpieces. Solanin offered nothing more than a short quick form of entertainment that can be completed in twenty minutes without any deep message. |
Osakanaut said: I agree wholeheartedly with arimakenshin and sillyker0nian. But I am interested in what has been done right in this genre; what are the other 'masterpieces' that you mentioned above? :D +1 They pointed out exactly all my issues with this manga. I still enjoyed it but not as much as the others. |
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| I think it was just decent. The death of her boyfriend was a significant incident and a turning point of the story but it didn't seem to have much impact on her- not enough impact anyway. |
| The death was really really confusing, he's lying down after the crash THEN it goes into the story about him playing guitar and stuff.. which is all apparently a flash back he had right before dying.. but how the heck are you supposed to know that? |
| I dunno what's wrong with all of you. This is one of the most beautiful mangas I have ever read. |
| I normally don't read much manga, but this... goddamn. This was something amazing. It make me experience just about every emotion possible and ended beautifully. This is my first 10/10 for a manga. |
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| Inspiring manga, great character and so damn realistic story. |
| A great manga, I think of all the manga I've read to completion this is probably my favorite. I think what makes this such a great read is how relatable the characters were. They are just normal 20 year olds fresh out of college, they have dreams but they also know they probably will never accomplish those dreams. They are inbetween being "kids" and full blown "adults" as far as their attitude and outlook on life, much like myself. I also like how the characters have these little doses of playful randomness, especially the guys, reminds of all the times me and my friends would do something positively goofy "just because". The art is also pretty spectacular, very realistic and alot of show don't tell here. The characters look like normal japanese people which is, of course, exactly what Asano wanted I'm sure. I hate how some people in this thread are bashing this just because this kind of theme has been done before. So what? What matters is that Solanin does an absolutely incredible job of handling its subject matter with just the right use of humor and melancholy. If there is something that does this kind of story as realistic and honest as this does. Feel free to recommend it. |
| "Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job." - Geralt of Rivia |
| This was a great manga :) It felt as if it wandered off at times, but as a whole it was well worth my time. |
I have my own anime blog. It's called Anime Viking. Hope you'll you read it! |
| God damn I wish I read this sooner. Going through a lot of the same issues that characters were going through as well so maybe this spoke to me more than a few people above me. But much like real life this manga didn't have the ultimate answer to the question of "what do I do with my life" because honestly there is no answer so I like Solanin handled that. Made it feel more real to me. And again much like the characters this story isn't going to make me go out and fix all of my problems in an instant, but i'd be lying if I say Solanin didn't inspire me. 10/10 |
| enjoyed thoroughly |
"Urushibara Ruka. The mannerisms and voice of a woman... No... More feminine than any woman. But he's a guy. Taller than Mayuri, but so very thin... But he's a guy. Looks great in a miko outfit... But he's a guy. It's already twilight And yet, it's so hot. The cicadas are crying. But... He's a guy." |
| I don't know if this a great manga or not, but it just reaaallllyyy spoke to me in a way in which most manga/anime (which are pretty escapist stories) simply haven't. The struggles of life in one's twenties are some of the most bittersweet one can find. Can highly recommend it. |
| "Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov |
| I liked it but I think I hyped it to myself too much. |
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| I've reread this manga 3 times now. It still gets me every time. Heart breaking and real. Probably the only work in the manga/anime medium that struck me on a completely personal level. It knows when to be raw, it knows when to pull back, it knows when to create distance, and it knows when to blow you away. It also makes me hate the film. It's by no means a bad film. But it lacks the struggle, rawness, and soul that this had. Also, juxtaposing the final scene with the band performance was a horrible horrible idea. Dumb call, film. Still, love this manga. I might read it once more. And bawl my eyes out again. |
| Great manga 9/10 |
| You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes you might find You get what you need |
| Damn, this manga was really powerful. I think it speaks to everyone who has ever experienced those 'forks in the road' in their life. As others have already said, the mangaka is really skillful at portraying realistic human emotions. This was truly an emotional rollercoaster in 28 chapters, and almost made me feel like crying which is very rare from the entertainment medium, for me. The art is so pretty too, I love the character designs. 9/10, one of my favorite manga for sure |
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| Hmm I dont know what I was hoping for by reading this manga but I didnt get it thats for sure. Maybe it was an answer of what I should do with my life. I just dont know. :/ |
| That was a nice manga, short and to the point. I really want to see the band part animated despite the awkwardness of the gimmick employed there. But overall, a great portrayal with realism and themes in regards with the characters. 8/10. |
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TuzoAnime said: [i]Taneda's dead got me by surprise, I thought he was going to be alright after that accident but nope. Personally I found this manga really good. Too bad it was short, but still I enjoyed it. 7/10[/i] |
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| Just your average story about some average people trying to find a way to live on this world. Story was good, characters were nice and the art looked amazing, a short but great manga. |
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| It didn't leave a big impact on me, but it really was an enjoyable read and I found myself empathizing with the characters, which is a big plus. I was a bit surprised at Taneda's death, but then again not that much either, since I thought something like that might be the reason for the good rating :) |
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| I may have to say that Solanin is definitely not for everyone. I myself am a 20-something aimlessly wandering through life, wondering what to do next. This manga speaks to me in volumes (heh, get it) because I relate so much to what Taneda is feeling and thinking. Solanin hits too close to home that it's scary. Asano Inio's works has always given me a very "real" feeling. This is what true art really is. It makes you "feel" something. Oyasumi Punpun had me depressed for weeks even. Solanin might also do the same. As for the "how are we supposed to know that those were flasbacks?" comment, you can tell by the color of the background panels because flashbacks have black panel backgrounds while present time happenings are in its standard white. In the end Solanin, for me, may not give me the kind of resolve or solution to what lost 20-somethings should do...but isn't that reality? In a span of what, a few years? Not everyone finds resolve. At least the characters somehow took a little step toward their dreams, unlike so many of us who cower deeper into our comfort zones, get the "ideal" job, be a "normal" adult, and just die not feeling "completely unhappy" but also not "truly happy" as well. Overall, Solanin was a great read. It made me realize to just be brave sometimes and follow my dreams, even though it's reckless, even though it's dangerous, it makes me realize that trying is better than not trying at all. Whoever reads this at the very end, thank you. :) |
| I feel like I read this at the perfect time in my life. #relatable |
| A shame this was short but I guess it accomplished what it set out to do so can't complain about that. I really digged how real and relatable the cast was, especially Meiko...I could sorta see a little bit of myself in her. Didn't think it was that amazing but still good regardless. 7/10 |
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| It' was very boring this manga for me. I never really liked the cast, specially Meiko but I can understand the reason: this is dedicate to the young adults who lacks a purpose in theirs lives, have their mind in the sky or "unreachable" dreams with a harsh reality, I'm none of thoses. This manga is not for me, simple as that sound. |
JoycdonnellMar 7, 2018 3:37 PM
| This fell down horribly after the first half. I feel the focus in volume 2 was completely different from what volume 1 was set up to; missed potential. Taneda dying was kinda unnecessary and the story never actually showed it or developed it properly after that, and the characters didn't seem that much impacted by it either. Volume 1 had interesting themes, if only the story had supported them further.. |
AquamirrorOct 7, 2017 8:56 AM
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| Inspiring, although it's saddening that they only moved forward after Taneda died. I also liked the lyrics of the song Taneda made for Solanin especially the idea of it. 8/10 Edit:I just found out the author wrote the lyrics for the Solanin song by AKFG which is nice :D |
EGOISTMar 6, 2018 3:35 AM
| Dang, I quite enjoyed this manga. I never expected Taneda to die though, that was pretty sad. Not the best manga, but enjoyable. |
| Pretty good manga. Characters had pretty good development especially meiko and rip after taneda's death. I hope that young kid also finds his happiness. |
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| I'm not sure what I expected when I decided to read this, but I don't think I got what I was looking for. That's ok tho. I've seen how hyped Oyasumi Punpun is, so I figured I'd read Solanin to get an idea of Asano's work before jumping into OP. This manga did very well conveying the mood of being in your 20's and not knowing for sure what to do with your life. It has a genuine realistic feel and the manga flowed very well throughout the whole story. It felt more like one huge chapter instead of being broken down into parts. I feel like the manga should have been a little bit longer tho since it was written in this manner. That way the more impactful events have time to be fleshed out a bit so that it doesn't get lost in between the slower uneventful parts. One of the biggest problems I had with this manga is Taneda's character. He was a shitty bf. He didn't help Meiko in any way that was helpful and ends up bringing her down. Then he wants to bail when he sees things are starting to get real and Meiko is expecting him to step up. Instead of trying, he goes and essentially commits suicide. It just made me feel bad for Meiko because she had quit her job and tried to be happy with Taneda, but in end, he just left her even more unhappy after his death. I'm glad she was able to pick up the pieces of her life and make a change of her mistakes. It was even nice how she honored Taneda by learning his song and playing it in concert to bring this manga to a close. I wish the characters had been a bit more memorable, but overall it was an enjoyable read. I give it a 8/10. |
zomikJan 11, 2020 7:17 PM
| it took me so long to finish this manga not because it was boring or smt it just did cause I am a little lazy ass. But I digress, the manga was very enjoyable and realistic, the characters were ordinary adults which is why it felt so real and I could relate to them. Taneda's death somehow killed the realism for me... I was expecting this couple to figure out how to live and settle, eventually, find stable jobs and have a child. Oh well, but the story is very good. 9/10 |
| “Life is a constant process of dying.” |
| Beautiful story. It shows that even though life is tough, there's always a good side of it. And all the little things matter, like time spent with your beloved ones. |
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| Really nice ending of the manga, overall I liked this manga a lot. The problems they were dealing with are very relatable to many people nowadays. I guess Oyasumi Punpun is the next thing Il read from this creator to see what his most apraised work is about. This was a great read and won't be forgotten for quite some time 8.3/10 |
| Wtf, he died? That's stupid and hate that ngl |
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| This manga really hit me strong with some of it's parts. I wasn't as surprised as others when Taneda's got into that accident. I felt connected with most of the characters and finished reading this in a day, it's been a while since I had read a manga that was like this. |
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