Solanin

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Solanin – Spoiler Free – Recommended

TLDR
Story – 9/10 – 9 x 0.275 = 2,475
Art – 9/10 – 9 x 0.2 = 1,8
Characters – 8/10 – 8 x 0.225 = 1,8
Enjoyment – 8/10 – 8 x 0.3 = 2,4
Total: 8,475 -> 8

“There’s a war being fought somewhere today. Many people are being killed. But it’s hard to believe that kind of thing when you look at this peaceful scene. I thought it would be nice if it went on forever…”
... Solanin

Story – 9/10
Solanin is a small gem in the world of SOL (slice of life). Its author, Inio Asano, the creator of the legendary Goodnight, Punpun, shows once more that his skills are nearly unmatched in the genre. Solanin tells a very human story – as any SOL should – around two characters in their 20s, facing their ambitions and hindrances in Tokyo. The story develops well and is structured around their lives. The end result is a story that is humane and sweet, although short. It becomes a swift read for its quality. The ending – the epilogue – also adds a layer of complexity to everyone who needs to “move on” from something or someone.

Art – 9/10
The art style in Solanin is of the same impeccable quality as in Goodnight, Punpun: it is pristine and very detailed, with flowering panels of unestimated beauty for the sight to behold. The landscapes and scenarios are done with shadowing worthy of awards, and the characters are incredibly expressive: one can easily read a character’s face and emotions. Character design is also well done, making it easy to recognise characters from one another. Panels have a good fluency and make it easy to follow the story along.

Characters – 8/10
The characters are very likeable and believable, being a SOL with a firm grasp of the human condition. We feel their pain and agony, as well as their hopes and dreams, and the art helps convey all these feelings in singular panels. This is central about Solanin’s characters: they are human, like ourselves; they face the same challenges, they face grief and loss, they fall in love, etc. All of this is done in an extraordinary fashion.

Enjoyment – 8/10
Solanin is a joy to read from start to finish, although the second half of the manga is slightly better than its first half. With excellent characters and an emotional story about grief, loss, and overcoming obstacles, Solanin also offers good reflections on the human condition, as the quote above shows. This one has meant a lot to me in recent times. It is a beautiful consideration in such troubling times of longing for peace and harmony over war and chaos. Solanin is just as precious as the quotes it produces, more than deserving of a Recommendation for such a work of art.

Solanin is a little window overlooking the uncertainty of life. A gentle whisper of that bitter sense of aimlessness that silently permeates everyday life, an ennui shared by all humans as they enjoy the tiny precious moments that link memories together.
The characters of Solanin quietly struggle to find their footing, a sense of purpose to keep them occupied as they timidly enter adulthood, with an honest realism that gives the story enough dramatic weight without being overhwelmingly negative, balanced by the uplifting solace offered by the genuine, believable moments of joy scattered throughout. It is a powerfully touching mood that gets significantly ruined by some ... characters being rather flat (in a character-focused story such as this one that is a huge shortcoming), the bond between two characters not being nearly as fleshed out as it should've been and the narrative abruptly changing direction past the midpoint, suddenly becoming a much more clichéd and uninspired type of story.
Solanin is still a charming, pleasurable little journey despite its many flaws thanks to a very strong emotional core that shines through its panels, its characters and its story. A soul full of melancholy but also peace. An optimistic pessimism.

Solanin's a seinen coming of age story centered around a couple of now graduated band-mates that aimlessly wander their post-graduation phase in life. To some, this period of time may be difficult to adjust to. The leisurely life you had in college now compels you to work 9 to 5 in a job you don't care about at all, with a degree you just randomly chose after drifting along the first few years of college.

Solanin...captures this to an extent. While I empathize with Meiko and Taneda a little bit, to me, the story wasn't particularly engaging or compelling. The manga is largely slice of ... life and really focuses on character development and their emotions, so the entire foundation of this manga is dependent on the reader empathizing with Meiko, Taneda, and the rest of the bandmates' lives and restlessness.

However, what really grinds my gears is when a manga entirely about slice of life and coming of age comes crashing down with dramatic events. Like yes, these events could have happened, but the fact that this manga that tries to ground itself in reality and these sorts of things happening just doesn't sit well with me.

Not that I enjoyed the manga before that happened, but I definitely would not have finished this series if not for the fact that it was a pretty short 29 chapter run