Oyasumi Punpun
Goodnight Punpun

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Goodnight, Punpun – Spoiler Free – Recommended

TLDR
Story – 10/10 – 10 x 0.275 = 2,75
Art – 10/10 – 10 x 0.2 = 2
Characters – 9,5/10 – 9,5 x 0.225 = 2,1375
Enjoyment – 8/10 – 8 x 0.3 = 2,4
Total: 9,2875 -> 9

“Punpun understood clearly that there was no God. There was only a stagnant, rotten soul lying around without purpose.”
... Punpun - Vol. 6

Story – 10/10
There is no God and there is no purpose.
Goodnight, Punpun is widely considered Inio Asano’s magnum opus, and it is not without reason. The story is a perfect slice of life with (very) dark twists and turns. There is no better way to describe Goodnight, Punpun than through the quotes it produces, for they encapsulate the beauty and sadness of the story – such as the quote presented above.
The story follows the life of Punpun, who started as an 11-year-old boy from Japan, and his family until he reached his 20s. There are multiple plotlines, and not only that of Punpun’s. Although they aren’t bad by any account, the excellence of his plotline is rivalled by none in the manga. The weaker volumes are the ones that this plotline is less grazed upon.
In Punpun, when one expects a normal and happy slice of life, one is met by one of the most depressing stories in manga. This weight, which would normally just crush the reader, having no mercy whatsoever, is able to touch a variety of incredibly difficult topics, such as suicide, homicide, domestic abuse, or cheating in relationships and toxic relationships in general, in a surprisingly lightweight manner. One must say: the story is surprisingly dark, but, especially during the innocent phase of Punpun, it is able to contrast the carefree life of Punpun with a crushing world outside of his love stories and visible through his family.
The story, which is beautifully written, can be roughly divided into two: a first half and a second half, marked by Punpun’s independence. Both parts are great – without a doubt –, but the first half shows the dark side of his family magnificently while playing with Punpun’s innocence, while the second half doesn't contrast with his innocence anymore, being a more raw and stark approach to the whole story. It does fit quite well with the overall tone of the manga and Punpun’s life.
The final section of the story is an absolute page-turner – being propelled by one of the darkest moments in the entire manga. It is just impossible not to get addicted to the final chapters of Punpun.
The sentence “Goodnight, Punpun” also takes entire new meanings throughout the manga – and done superbly.

Art – 10/10
The art for Goodnight, Punpun is extraordinary and unique. The several depictions that the main character – Punpun – goes through are an excellent contrast to the detailed human characters. The characters are, thus, highly detailed and have magnificent designs, just in typical Inio Asano fashion – just like in Solanin. The scenarios and landscapes are breathtaking, for they are detailed and immersive. They are just a joy to look at.
The art is also quite graphic and sexually explicit, even though the stylisation of Punpun renders the final result differently than expected.
One fact that always remained was the depiction of adults as completely crazy people while he was a boy and even later on. This serves as comic relief and a reminder that the outside world is a wild game.

Characters – 9,5/10
The characters are completely believable, human and complex. They struggle with the same things and deal with the same problems as us. Asano’s character writing is anything but ordinary, exposing morality and complex philosophical issues with an elegance that is rare to find. One can also argue that their depiction of humanity in such a convoluted story is probably one of the best monuments to storytelling in Goodnight, Punpun. He, nevertheless, nails it almost perfectly.

Enjoyment – 8/10
Enjoyment is also high in Punpun, although not as high as the other parameters. Although entertaining and engaging, the story is heavy, very heavy, in fact. The constant switching between plotlines also doesn't help in the enjoyment, as the story becomes much better when it solely focuses on one of them. Moreover, the beginning and the end volumes are the best ones. But there should be no doubt: Goodnight, Punpun is a masterpiece and the perfect slice of life mixed with a coming-of-age story, enshrining Inio Asano as one of the most influential mangakas of his time. It more than deserves a recommendation.

Goodnight PunPun is the perfect example of a story that I love, but would never recommend. There is something raw and sharp about it that feels real. The characters don’t seem to be characters, but people that happen to live within the pages of the manga you’re reading. It's intense and hard to read. It’s also boring but lively. I have often thought that although people ask for realism they do not truly want it. We prefer realism that feels real, but doesn’t act real. Goodnight PunPun is realism that acts real. It feels like I am a fly on the wall watching a sick ... person. At many points I stared at the page and felt a deep sense of disappointment. Not how I usually would with media, but more visceral as I would a loved one that has done me wrong. It’s extremely impressive to me that a story can do this. Yet, I probably won’t finish it and I will not recommend it. It exists within my mind as it is and that is enough for me.

The story is difficult to follow, with temporal jumps and tone changes that leave the reader lost. Also Punpun and secondary characters lack depth and development, making it hard to connect with them. The conclusion is abrupt and unsatisfying, and make me hate more the characters. Punpun is a hard-to-connect-with character due to his vague personality and lack of charisma, because his lack of emotional response to intense situations is frustrating. Punpun shows no significant growth or change and his self-pity can be exhausting. Besides, Aiko is an underdeveloped character with poorly explored motivations and feelings, she's portrayed as an idealized girl stereotype without ... complexity. Her relationship with Punpun is unhealthy and poorly explored and Aiko seems to have no control over her choices and actions. Additionally, their connection is superficial and not deeply explored, because they rarely communicate effectively.