PositioN

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The term “slice-of-life” is used to refer to a genre consisting of mundane, day-in-the-life events of characters and the environment they are within. As often as it is used in the anime and manga community, the term and the genre itself rarely leaves beyond its boundaries, making anime and manga such a unique experience. But what exactly, is slice-of-life? What are the standards to be had to properly define it as such?

Everyone would have different interpretations of what a definite grasp on what the genre means, but for me, I believe a proper definition is accurately expressed by Hitoshi Ashinano, an artist renowned for Yokohama ... Kaidashi Kikou. With his careful and minimalistic detail of elements within the foreground and background, drawn in a manner that urges the reader’s internal desire of movement to fill in the lines he traces, Ashinano’s talent to immerse the spectator in such a static medium is unwavering and praiseworthy.

With these ideas in mind, Ashinano’s PositioN may not be on the same caliber as YKK, or as detailed as any of his recent works like Kabu no Isaki or Kotonoba Drive (of which is a loose sequel to this one), it remains a solid entry in his soothing collection. Of all his works, PositioN may be considered the one with the most common setting—vignettes of people’s experiences with the supernatural and the unexplained, usual interactions with friends, and finding special things from leisurely strolls in the road.

There would be no other mangaka to properly define “simple” than Ashinano. And in PositioN, his most “simple” work may this trait be fully seen. Slice-of-life relies not on the grand scale of things, but in minute but significant interactions in our days that may seem simple, but makes life much more special.

PositioN is a fairly short manga due to being canceled, consisting of only 7 chapters, but it is more than worthy for your attention.

In view of the long wait for my reading of Yokohama Kandaishi Kikou (the only manga that could dethrone my top 1), I'm keeping busy by reading Hitoshi Hashinano's various works.

After the very charming but above all very short Kumabichi No Koto and before the promising Kotonoba Drive, PositioN is a kind of little oasis between all these works. It doesn't pretend to have a big, complex plot, but plunges us into the strange daily life of Suu-chan, a young girl who can see certain "special" things. In just 7 chapters, rather unrelated to each other, Ashinano transports us with its atmosphere and mastery of ... the slice of life.

I wasn't expecting it, but I think Ashinano will quickly become one of my favorite authors in the future. Thank you for this idyllic moment.