BUENAS NOCHES, PUNPUN 08

おやすみプンプン [Oyasumi Punpun] #8

by Inio Asano

世間から頑なに心を閉ざし、「三角形」になってしまったプンプン。そして、今までに出会ったことの無いタイプの女性・幸と急接近。この出会いがもたらすものは……！？切なく、苦い、衝撃の悲喜劇。待望の第8巻！！

Genres: Manga, Seinen, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Drama, Slice Of Life

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2011

About the author

Inio Asano (浅野いにお, Asano Inio) is a Japanese cartoonist. He is known for his character-driven stories and his detailed art-style, making him one of the most influential manga author of his generation.
Asano was born in 1980 and produced his first amateur comics as a teenager. His professional debut happened in 2000 in the pages of the magazine Big Comic Spirits. Since then, he has collaborated with most of the major Japanese magazines of seinen manga (comics for a mature audience). Among Asano's internationally acclaimed works are: the psychological horror Nijigahara Holograph (2003-2005); the drama Solanin (2005-2006); the existentialistic slice-of-life Goodnight Punpun (2007-2013); the erotic A Girl on the Shore (2009-2013); the sci-fi Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction (2014-2022).

Reviews

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya tengo personaje favorito. Sachi es lo que necesitaba en medio de toda esta historia.

[Shi2chi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume focused more on punpun and sachi , their past , their goals, the effort they put in trying to move forward in life while dealing with a lot of trauma
I especially liked the event that made punpun go back to the memory of his first kiss with aiko, you see there are some people who think when someone is not doing certain things or doesn't hang out or avoids going to certain places or avoids celebrating certain occasions he must have logically decided on acting in this way after some bad experiences and he basically is acting this way on his own accord but they're wrong sometimes going to those places and doing those things or celebrating those occasions actually take you back to the memories of the people you have lost and the grief that comes immediately after cripples you down you can't do anything when that happens sometimes you can't even breathe normally and seeing how this was depicted in this volume shows authenticity in inio asano's writing in comparison to other writers who show this thing as if the person is just a bit sad and unwilling.

[yengyeng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seki and Shimizu reappear. Yay!! I think they have the loveliest friendship.

[Aida · Rating 4 out of 5]

End. 1401/4/26

اون یه قوی‌سفید بود. در اصل یه جوجه اردک زشت بود که تبدیل به قوی‌سفید شد.
من......بلاخره لذت مورد تمجید و تعریف قرار گرفتن توسط دیگران رو درک میکنم.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't want anybody to hurt my girl Sachi.
I don't want Punpun going the same path as his uncle.

[Dragana]

Ne znam šta da mislim o ovom delu.
Def bolji od prošlog...ali sve bizarnije za moj ukus

[Gustavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó esta versión de una comedia romántica de Punpun. Aunque es un poco en chiste, me pareció re interesante la forma en la que Asano usa una historia típica de comedia romántica (los personajes que son amigos pero parece que podrían ser algo más) para enmarcar una historia que en realidad va en contra de muchos de los clichés del género, con personajes que tienen reacciones auténticas, que dicen lo que piensan, que resuelven confusiones de forma humana (por ejemplo, cuando Sachi busca a Punpun en su casa después de que la deja plantada en la estación), entre otras cositas.

Obviamente que esto es una simplificación, porque este manga en general tiene distintos niveles de interpretación, pero ese aspecto me gustó mucho y me hizo reir a pesar de que el manga en general conserva su esencia de niño emo. Un buen tomo, que contrasta mucho con el anterior.

[Alex Pler · Rating 5 out of 5]

"¿Sabes lo que pienso? Que ya no dentro de dos años, sino dentro de diez años seguirás buscando excusas por el estilo. Con aspecto como de estar sufriendo y en realidad siendo incapaz de pensar o actuar, viviendo una vida totalmente vacía. No te creas, no me importa. No son pocos los que se sienten satisfechos jugando a estar desesperanzados."

[Aitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tomo bastante más flojo que los anteriores. Creo que adolece de lo mismo que el tercero: cierta falta de rumbo. Allí, el problema era el exceso de atención en personajes secundarios y sus respectivas ideologías (que podían llevar a capítulos algo abotargados); aquí, creo que reside más en la relación principal. Comprendo que Asano quiera dedicar varios capítulos a explorar tanto a Sachi como a Punpun en un contexto romántico/necesitado de amor, pero no creo que termine de fluir del todo. Por supuesto, que mi puntuación redondee para lo alto porque GR necesite terapia de estrellas dice bastante: aun con estas cosas, el tomo funciona bastante bien.

Al ser Sachi un personaje bastante distinto a lo visto hasta ahora (y uno de los pocos que merecen cariño absoluto), de repente varios capítulos con ella al frente dejan de resultar tan aburridos. Con su carácter fuerte y ese interior que tanto gusta explorar a Asano, logra ser bastante interesante. La forma en que se resuelve el conflicto de Punpun Triángulo es cuca y lo suficientemente abstracta como para funcionar sin excederse. Me alegro de que Sachi sea algo así como la voz de la razón para nuestro pollo deforme y que Asano exprese a través de ella comentarios que condenan el autoodio en busca de soluciones. Como suele suceder, no todo es blanco y negro, e incluso eso aparece en boca de Sachi, cuyas inseguridades pueden haber producido una mentalidad que no termina de ser del todo positiva. El autor se enfrenta directamente a los problemas que acarrea la depresión y su influjo en las relaciones interpersonales sin dejarse llevar por la compasión propia. Buenas noches, Punpun es un manga realmente controvertido: pocas veces es posible hacer todo un estudio tan profundo sobre la depresión sin caer en maniqueísmos o respuestas fáciles.

Pero para qué negarlo: este tomo ha pasado un poco sin pena ni gloria por mis ojos. He disfrutado como un gorrino del dibujo, más quisiera, pero siento que no todo termina de perfilarse como podría. A lo sumo, podría decir que es un tomo de transición y que, como tal, cierto bajón de calidad en una serie por otra parte excelente es de esperar de vez en cuando.

[Nio Fatone · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that u just gotta take material for materials sake. Its hard not to kind of disassociate while reading, that makes the experience of reading this book all the more immersive.

[Jon Ureña · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is called "Goodnight Punpun" in English. I'm just reviewing this volume. Four and a half stars.

We left our psychotically depressed protagonist in a bar, as he realized that the woman that had entered and started chatting his apartment's owner was the artist who had painted a painting of the Milky Way he had admired for his own private reasons back when he was sixteen. Her name is Sachi Nanjou. She remembers him as well, and in fact had been hoping to run into him since then. She starts by bringing up the fact that he had been in a date back then, and tells him how that high school girl was doing now: in college, dating someone, likely not being a virgin anymore. The kind of blunt banter common in some people. The protagonist, who can barely stay around people without ending up crying, decides to leave, but Sachi grabs his arm and apologizes. In fact she had wanted to speak to him. The protagonist, after looking at the painting back in the day, had used an associated notebook to write a sort of sci-fi story that thinly veiled told about his past and his hopeless love/obsession with Aiko Tanaka, the odd girl he had been after since he was around 10 years old. Sachi had been inspired by the raw honesty behind those words, and wanted to create an illustrated book with the protagonist's help. He is surprised and touched, but doesn't know how to handle it. Being in a bar, he drinks too much and ends up on the floor, admitting stuff about how much of a pathetic lowlife he is, how Sachi would be better not associating with him, etc.

He wakes up in his apartment, hungover. Once he stumbles into the living room he sees Sachi sprawled on the ground, sleeping. His gaze focuses immediately on her exposed panties, and the bit of hair sticking from the sides. He feels an almost uncontrollable urge to fuck her right there and then. He writes a lie about having to go out to meet a friend, and leaves his own apartment.

He spends a few days going through his routine of working at his pointless part time job and then wandering aimlessly through the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of Aiko Tanaka. He hears someone calling him from behind, and depersonalized as he's living, he can barely process it. It's Sachi. She invites him for a meal at her apartment. Although the situation is quite normal, just two people having a meal in an apartment, he feels that he can't communicate like a human being, nor be around others without feeling that he's going to be pushed out any moment given the utterly pointless piece of rotten trash he is. Sachi, a tough and easy going woman, pushes him to open up and say what's on his mind. He won't scare her. Reluctant at first, the protagonist tells her: when she crashed that one time at his apartment and he caught a glimpse of her panties, it took all of his willpower to keep himself from sticking his penis in her. He made up a lie about having to meet a friend, because he couldn't handle it. When he came back home he broke his promise from high school to never masturbate again, and jerked off thinking about having sex with her. In fact, he had done little else in the last ten hours but masturbate over and over. Sachi bursts out laughing.

She keeps the conversation going, and tries to convince the protagonist to write a draft for the story she's planning to illustrate. He's reluctant: he doesn't have any talent, and in fact doesn't even read regularly, let alone write. It was something that just came out of him. She pushes him: he should stop isolating himself and drifting through life without any plans. But he has a plan, he argues: he's looking for this girl from his past in order to build a life with her. Sachi presses him. Surely it shouldn't be that hard to find her; doesn't he have his school's yearbook? Can't he contact some past schoolmates and ask for Aiko's whereabouts? Sachi asks him to tell her Aiko's full name, and she promises she'll find her in three days. The protagonist panics, and asks her to shut up. Sachi isn't having it. "You don't want to find her, you want to pretend that you are doing something because you enjoy licking your wounds. I'm willing to bet that deep inside your heart, you don't actually want to see her again." If he hates his life that much, she says, he should stop bullshitting and just kill himself. The protagonist has had enough, and heads for the door. Sachi gives him her number and tells him to call her whenever he writes anything, and she'll gladly read it.

They meet again later on, and Sachi has brought a rather annoying friend with her. The protagonist has written a draft of something. Sachi isn't precisely impressed with it, and I don't know how she would be, given that he doesn't write regularly nor even reads. It lacks the raw honesty coming from the heart that she read in the notebook back then. She pushes him to keep trying. We learn more about Sachi from her friend: she was a promising author when younger, and wanted to draw mangas, but stopped getting awards when she reached adulthood, failed to get something serialized, and now feels something of a failure.

The protagonist accompanies Sachi through mundane stuff like looking for a new apartment (as she's fed up with a stalker who keeps waiting for her after work). The apartment's manager offers the protagonist a part time job there somewhat out of pity, but the owner's daughter disagrees, and berates the protagonist for being a worthless, lazy bum with no spine. He can't defend himself, but Sachi yells at the woman. Sachi and the protagonist leave pretty bummed out. She wasn't attempting to defend him; it's just that the woman could have used those same words for Sachi's past self. She used to consider herself a complete failure. She came from a broken family; her mother remarried and the step-father and his family clearly didn't want Sachi there. She had felt she could do nothing right, and that in fact she had been marked from childhood with nothing but failure for her future. But unlike the protagonist, she goes on, she didn't give up and spend her time moping around. That's unfair for her to say, the protagonist argues; she's pretty, smart, talented. She can't understand what's like to be him. She retorts that she used to be much uglier, and in fact had spent much of her first wages in plastic surgery to correct glaring issues that were impeding normal relationships with other people. Everything she didn't like about herself, not only physically, she had worked hard to change. And when she looks at the protagonist, she's ashamed because she recognizes the same hopelessness she used to feel, and she won't give up helping him until he snaps out of it. The protagonist is moved, and promises to work hard at writing whatever she wants until she likes it.

They get together regularly to work on or just talk about their goals, and the protagonist also helps a bit at his apartment manager's office. The protagonist feels that simply words like "see ya" coming from Sachi are enough to make him want to wake up the next morning. They plan to get together to watch some fireworks, but he wants to surprise her by waiting for her after work. He watches her get out with a strange man she seems to be very acquainted with. The protagonist goes home, ditching the plans to meet with Sachi without telling her, and doesn't pick up the phone when she calls. He feels horrible; he can't handle the thought of losing the connection he has with this woman, and hates himself for letting his guard down. Of course she's with some other guy. Why would she hold the protagonist in the same esteem he has for her? To hurt like this, it would be better to have never met her at all.

Sachi pushes her way into his apartment and gets him out of bed. Ah, you saw me with that guy. He's my exhusband. I told you I was getting stalked by some guy who waits for me to get out of work. The protagonist realizes that it's nothing at all, that as usual he had let himself go overboard with worry and despair. Sachi drags him outside to catch the fireworks. The protagonist, rather mesmerized by this cool woman who insists on helping a garbage human like him, opens up: you are so genuinely nice to everybody, and I'm a lowlife piece of shit who immediately thinks the worst about everything; if she keeps being so nice to him, he'll seriously fall in love. She says she's fine with it.

They sneak into the vacant apartment Sachi had planned on moving to, and they watch the fireworks. The protagonist tells her that now he knows who Sachi reminds him of: his mother. He never liked his mother, and in fact he thinks he never will, and can't explain properly why Sachi reminds him of his mother, but she does. Shortly after such romantic words, they have sex. When the deed is done, they wander outside. The protagonist, burdened with severe depression for years, doesn't feel better after sex. In fact, becoming that vulnerable only makes him teary eyed. You're such a handful, Sachi says.

They spend months together experiencing regular life stuff. One day they are together in his apartment she draws a portrait of the protagonist's face, who as you might recall is drawn by the author of this series as a bird caricature (or as a pyramid head at times; it's complicated). Very symbolic that the woman who managed to see the human being in the protagonist is the one drawing him as one. That night, as she's sleeping, the protagonist wanders to the living room, where the portrait is displayed. He imagines the portrait speaking, "Don't go and be all happy like you're some normal, well-adjusted person, you worthless trash. Just how long do you think this little fairytale of yours will continue on for?"

A year passes. Sachi and the protagonist have finished their manga, and they travel together to meet with some editor. There's a rally nearby where the leader of the cult from the subplot that has been bubbling up hijacks the mic and states that he'll run for governor, and that the world will end in half a year (don't know what that's about, and I don't like it). Meanwhile, two of the protagonist's childhood friends (who haven't seen him for what feels like decades), are 19 year olds who have crashed hard into adulthood; one of them doesn't have anything resembling a normal job, and the other seems like a co-dependent schizophrenic. The volume ends with both of them running into Aiko Tanaka, of all people.

I love the character of Sachi Nanjou. She isn't well-adjusted, she doesn't believe life to be a fairy tale with a predestined path that some God will oversee; she sees everything clearly and yet rages against the night. Probably the only kind of person who could drag the protagonist out of his hole. Too bad that with a story like this, something will end up going terribly wrong for both of them as a couple.

[Connor Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably my favorite volume so far. sachi is one of my favorite characters so far. punpun keeps getting worse, devolving into such a perversion of his old simplistic not quite pure self. im starting to hate his guts

[tilche · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that this short "happiness" is gonna pass is tragic to me.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pues despues del re-encuentro con la chica pintora PunPun huye, pero ella realmente quiere que el escriba algo, y pues tras cierto evento con la hija del cacero y una explicacion rara, pues sto se convierte en una historia interesante.

4 stars

SPOILERS



Me dio mucha risa cuano PunPun se atreve a decirle porque se fue el dia que se quedo, y pues que bueno que la reacción de Sachi fue tomarselo medio a broma.
La conversacion de ambos tras lo que pasa con la hija del casero, creo que fue importante para sacar a PunPun de su modo depre
Fue bueno verlo esforzarse por trabajar en escribir para Sachi, y tambien para relacionarse con ella, fue un poco surprise que Sachi respondiera que si.

Eso si, creo que Sachi tenia razon, cuando le dice a PunPun que quiza no quiera encontrarla, y eso que ella no sabe que es la hermana de su amiga

[Alesmu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 estrellas

Este volumen profundiza en el personaje de Sachi y explora la relación entre Sachi y Punpun.

Sí lo disfruté, pero es un volumen saltable. No pasaría nada si alguien decidiera no leerlo. Sólo se perdería el regreso de Aiko, claro.

Más allá de eso, Asano continúa entregando una historia buena con dibujos increíbles.

“Pero el mundo no es tan simple como para poder vivir solo.”

[Jair Mercado · Rating 5 out of 5]

La serie de Oyasumi se va volviendo cada vez más oscura conforme pasan los tomos. Es simplemente brutal y bello observar cada una de las viñetas, como si se tuviese una mariposa en la mano que en seguida le abandonará a uno la piel.

[Arley Guzmán · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sachi eres increíble , nunca cambies mi reina.

[Volo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No son pocos los que se sienten satisfechos jugando a estar desesperanzados."

[Leila ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me acuerdo NADA de los primeros capítulos de este volumen porque los leí hace casi UN AÑOS Y MEDIO, pero me comí un spoiler en tiktok de cosas que pasan al final y me coparon así que me pintó la de ver si puedo terminar esta historia (o ver si el aburrimiento vuelve a ganar).

2 de 5 estrellas.

[Brujaxa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5
Una vez más, tengo sentimientos encontrados. No me termina de gustar la historia y la evolución de la misma es muy lenta. Siempre nos estamos regodeando en la miseria.

[Mon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qué bueno ver a viejos personajes de nuevo.

[Eduardo Remolins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hacia falta un respiro de tanta tristeza. He disfrutado mucho de este tomo, pero se siente como si estuviera en el ojo de la tormenta.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

can aiko please fuck off and not ruin shit again

[Federico Elías · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creo que este tomo es uno de los más esperanzadores de Oyasumi PunPun, ya que si bien no deja de sentirse ese patetismo absoluto en los personajes, acá varios de ellos parecen comenzar a aceptarse a sí mismos y tratar de lidiar con sus mambos, sobre todo PunPun que pasó por una seria crisis de identidad, que parece no del todo resuelta. Aún así todo el tiempo estoy pensando que todo esto puede salir muy mal en el futuro, no porque haya algún indicio concreto, sino porque este manga me tiene acostumbrado a eso.

[Alfit0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

El tomo más alegre hasta ahora y uno de los más redonditos, al final pareciera que punpun puede ser feliz junto a Sachi que es uno de los personajes más redonditos, pero bueno inio en algún momento nos hará sentir peor

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are really starting to look a lot brighter. Pun Pun’s story reminds me a lot of my own in a few ways. I was a huge misfit that struggled with major self doubt issues growing up, it was nearly impossible for me to maintain friendships or relationships of any kind. It was only when I discovered my passion for writing that I began to shed out of my cold shell and see the beauty in the world. I’m eternally grateful for that.

I’m glad to be out of that dark place and it’s nice to re-experience that feeling through this series. I really wish the best for Pun Pun. I’m rooting for him.

[Yuki Ura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Punpun has become positive by meeting Sachi. That's probably a great thing.I was uncomfortable with the bright development as I was cramped so far.Aiko also seems to be going to meet again and again, so it is anxious whether to prioritize Sachi-san or Aiko-chan when they meet again.

[Raúl · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia de Punpun toma tintes existencialistas, mientras que la amenaza de que todo se entrame puede suponer un golpe para este manga tan extravagante como interesante.

[Kiyoyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muchas ganas del siguiente asi es

[Met · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume un po’ sottotono onestamente. Però continuo a restare affascinato dalle soluzioni grafiche per Punpun: ogni sua rappresentazione è un’assurdità metafisica da decifrare.