Abu-normal
(Abu)Normal

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(Abu)Normal tells the story of Eiko Abu, a 29-year-old woman who has never been "normal", and as such, needs help from others to become her ideal "normal" self, but what if instead of achieving this goal she learned all the wrong lessons out of it?

It's a pretty solid premise that doesn't fully set in until after the 17-chapter mark. Don't get me wrong, it leaves a great first impression with chapter 1 but after that, it shifts focus to another character I didn't care as much for as I do with Abu since she's the stellar selling point for the series. However, after that specific ... story arc, I can say I'm pleasantly surprised with the rest of the manga, it manages to balance comical/ridiculous situations and serious suspenseful moments remarkably well.

The joy of reading this story comes from how Abu will react to certain social situations, such as being given a difficult task at her job, dealing with difficult co-workers, finding love, etc. Since it's never a straightforward answer. Sometimes Abu can be very gullible while other times she's extremely calculating and thorough in her problem-solving, some may say this on-and-off switch in intelligence leaves her character to feel inconsistent while I'd argue it's more about her inherent innocence and ignorance, she emanates an uncanny presence because of how weird she is and always comes back with unique solutions to her issues.

Another strong point of the series is its art. It makes great use of contrasting black and white colors to elevate the characters' emotional states and always renders their reactions sublimely, with lots of ugly faces! There's not a single boring chapter to look at. One thing to keep in consideration though, is that the world present in the manga is an exaggerated portrayal of our own, don't go in expecting it to be realistic since that's not the point, what the series does is heighten any and all situations through absurdity.

In conclusion, (Abu)Normal is a unique character study about someone who lacks what we'd consider normal attachments and sensibilities trying her best to adjust to society, and in a way that in which she wishes to fit in is just as weird as her. What anybody considers "normal" is purely subjective and Abu takes in all the wrong conclusions from others' teachings which makes for all the more hilarious and tense situations in the story. I recommend it but admittedly I find one of its initial arcs very weak in comparison to the rest of the series, it's not instantly engaging but sticking with it absolutely pays off.