Sunny

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One beautiful thing that Sunny has opened my eyes to is the importance of certain details and habits my mom has always had with me, which I found in the book.

[Personale take]

I know exactly the unmistakable smell of the Nivea cream that Haruo always sniffs. Its greasy consistency and white color that leaves a residue on your skin if you don't spread it well. My mom has always put it on me since I can remember, and even now she wants me to use it if she sees that my skin is irritated for any reason. Especially during the winter period, when the corners of ... my mouth were dry and wounds would form, I remember she would put it on me so generously that I always had some cream left in my mouth. I couldn't stand it, and that's probably why, even now as an adult, I still can't stand putting creams on my hands or anywhere else. That Nivea cream from that blue tin has marked me since I was a child.

But it's funny, because now as I read Sunny, if I think about it, I find that my mom's way of doing this is an unforgettable love language, given that I'm still talking about it now. Through Sunny, Taiyo Matsumoto has managed to make me understand the sense of gratitude I should have for the maternal and paternal affection I received when I was a child and how we should be more aware of what we have.

[Review]

"Sunny," serialized by IKKI magazine from 2010 to 2015, is a Seinen manga written and illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto. Acclaimed for his unconventional style, outside the typical stylistic canons, Matsumoto focuses on storytelling and conveying emotions rather than pleasing people. It is published by Jpop in Italy and divided into 6 volumes in total.

In "Sunny," the sensei tells the stories and daily lives of some kids living in an institution/orphanage called "Hoshinoko." The manga shows how this will influence their perception of life and how they, in turn, are perceived by society. The Sunny, an out-of-use car parked in the institution, serves as a safe place for the kids. A place where adults are not allowed and where their dreams and worries can be expressed.

There are a total of 37 chapters, each self-contained yet connected by a unique sense of time and progression.
The story does not have a main character; instead, every presence within Hoshinoko gets to tell their own story and essence. This allows us to empathize with all the characters, whether they are those we like the least because of their personality or our favorite characters. It is thanks to this mode of narration that I was able to grow fond of some children whom I initially found insufferable but later understood why they have certain ways of behaving that could be mistaken for mere whims or absurdities. It is known that children always have unique ways of communicating.

Most of the characters are developed equally, except for two or three who had only one chapter dedicated specifically to them. The characters that impressed me the most are Adachi, for his paternal sense towards all the children in the institution, especially Haruo, who until the last chapters demanded to be the one Haruo needed to stay on the right path; Sei, for his unwavering hope of seeing his mother again, his calm and gentle demeanor that captured me from the beginning when he had to take care of a new boy in the institution; and finally Haruo, for the development he underwent throughout the manga.

From an artistic standpoint, this is my first time delving into Taiyo Matsumoto's style. Initially, I was skeptical, but I learned to appreciate his art more and more thanks to his wonderful way of storytelling.

You don't have to be an orphan to understand these children's feelings. A little empathy is enough to grasp the pain or happiness within the pages being told. This work managed to take me back to being a child but with the awareness and perception of the world through adult eyes. It was a narrative as delicate as it was harsh, like the reality of life, leaving a bittersweet taste in the mouth. There were several points in the manga where the master made me close the book and think, "Wow, that hurt."
I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone because it's a story that deserves to be read.

Truly lovely. These stories are so rich and the children are so tender...gentle, polite, brave, brash, foolish, silly, and hopeful, all at once. At times a bitter warning to adults that their choices have far-reaching implications, at times a reminder that to be young is to be filled with a capacity for anything and everything, irrespective of environment.

My favorites are Mr. Adachi, Sei, and Haruo. Of course the children are the stars but the adults at the home are truly commendable. Mr. Adachi is not cool or suave. He does not play a character; he isn't paternalistic or apathetic. He treats each child as a ... human being and weathers each outburst with patience. Someone to aspire to emulate.

Taiyō Matsumoto has done it again. The realism that this manga can portray is extraordinary. The way each character is fleshed out, the way they act during certain situations is so realistic it’s almost as if the manga is a live adaptation itself. Especially with chapter 26 and the last two chapters.

Matsumoto didn’t come up with some grandiose plot that he was going to stick to when writing this manga, and it makes this story much more meaningful, he let his hand go free on the pages, which is hard ... to do in this industry with success. Recommend this to any and all ages. Sure Matsumotos drawing might be displeasing for some(I love it), but it’s best when the author draws how/what they like, if not, it can become painful for them to continue their art in servitude.