Voted "Best Online Comic" by the National Cartoonists Society
What do you get when you throw an incessantly optimistic bunny into a dark, antagonistic world? The twisted and side-splitting hilarity of Buni !
Always positive, Buni doesn’t understand that the cute world he lives in is usually out to get him. The girl he loves loves someone else. And his best intentions never seem to work. Yet he wakes up each day hopeful.
Together with his cynical dad and determined dog, he inhabits a surreal world populated by teddy bears, cupcakes, unicorns, and zombies.
With few words, these comics rely on images to tell the story, which is often twisted, sad and funny all at the same time. But more than anything, they show that nothing will keep Buni down. Because true happiness is a state of mind.
Buni is a graphic novel that contains worldless comic strips that will absolutely make you laugh. Although there are some that I find a little bit off or morbid, I still had a great time checking the rest of this comic book. Moreover, I could also point out several comic panels that are my favorites, particularly the ones with the dog in it. It is a great companion to ease your boredom or to amuse you even for a while.
I've been rating too many books 5 stars lately. But I've just had such a great NetGalley haul!
Remember Happiness is...?
Well this book is also about happiness (and it features unicorns) but it's a little more....mature.
Don't read this review any further if dark humour and disturbing images get to you.
Alright. So I usually think about what to say in my reviews. I didn't really think here. I just felt. This comic is the funniest yet most charming stuff I've seen in a long time. It has the perfect balance of dark humour and the intricacies of life. It's basically me metamorphosed into a book.
So our protagonist(?) is Buni, an optimistic little bunny that just wants to love. Most of the time.
He's extremely naive, but he has his friends, Unnamed Bearded Prison Guy 1 (Who is a cynical, withered bunny) and Two-Legged Doggo, who is my favourite character of all time.
The illustrator turns tropes and popular sayings on their heads. And then some.
Sometimes I dislike Happiness is...because it really ignores that life can be shit (But sometimes that utopian view is needed). But this comic doesn't. It shows that life can be shit, but we can help each other grow stronger. Whether it's a two-legged dog or a man who just got out of jail, you can find love and acceptance.
And life doesn't have to be regular - it doesn't have to follow suit the so-called normal life. I can relate to this so fundamentally because my life has never been normal.
Conclusion
This anthropomorphic, dark-humour fuelled comic is genius and so relatable. I'd recommend this book to anyone who feels different and is in need of alternatives to cutesie self-help comics. There are hard truths about life in here, balanced out by an optimistic realist perspective, sprinkled with some jokes in-between.
I honestly wish I could put every page in my review, but you have got to go read this yourself. Here are some of my favourite pages: (I'm a vegetarian myself but the meat jokes killed me)
So kudos to Mr Pagelow for writing this gem. Here's my favourite comic:
received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This was a super quick ‘read’ of cynical and hilarious cartoons. Buni never talks and so this is basically a picture book for adults. The perfect comic book for someone like me who is ultimately pragmatic leaning towards pessimistic and is pretty cynical of everything in the world. Buni has a way of making you feel better about your own life and problems as he deals with all sorts of negativity and still finds a way to be happy and cheerful.
Received via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.
Buni is a delusional sad sack loser with bottomless optimism (and unlimited lives) whose adventures and frequent mishaps are related in short, wordless and hilarious cartoons. The art is cutesy, but the humor is frequently tasteless and/or gory. My favorite kind.
This is another collection of comics that have previously been online. Built in audience, don't you know. And if you love all things Buni, you will love this collection.
But, if you are not familiar with Buni, below are two cartoons from the book. As you can tell, the humor is dark, and odd. Buni always has a sunny disposition, even if the world around him is crap. And perhaps that is a good way to go through life, but I found the cartoons sort of sad.
It is a good collection of these sorts of cartoons, and there are some laughs in there.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Just so that you know, this adorable little wordless comic made me make involuntary happy sounds. Buni is just what people need these days. It’s a mix of whimsy, cynicism, and wonder, and ends up making you feel better about pretty much everything.
More please
Arc received by Netgallery in exchange for honest review
Very very funny. Just basic jokes with a bunny as the main character. Very simple and absurd jokes, but the kind of stuff that makes me laugh a lot. I just loved it!
This book is exactly how my husband and I try to raise our children. Everything is based on how you look at it. Look at the bright side of things. Great little book!
'Buni:Happiness Is a State of Mind' by Ryan Pagelow is a collection of comics about a happy rabbit and a dark twisted world.
This is a collection of wordless comics. They mostly start with a pretty happy scenario that ends with a pretty dark twist. Buni is in the rain. It turns to bills. Then to coins. Most have a morbid turn full of black humor.
These comics had me laughing. There is something about comedy with an unexpected ending when the timing is good, and this writer has that timing. The art contributes to that because it is so disarmingly friendly.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Buni is an incessantly optimictic bunny living in a dark, antagonictic world. No matter what he does, his intentions always fail. He is always optimistic, living in a cute world which is out to get him. He inhabits a surreal world populated by teddy bears, cupcakes, unicorns, and zombies. Although such creatures sound sooo cute but Ryan Pagelow surprises us by showing darks sides of them. He also has a cynical dad and determined dog (which I love that detail so much!) I am not into dark humor but it was really fun to read. I like how it twists against Buni but nothing keeps him down.
Buni is a bit of an incel and has weird illusions about a girl bunny who is already in a relationship with somebody else. Other than that, Buni gets into a varied mix of situations - sometimes morbid, sometimes depressing, sometimes merely strange - and always comes out on top. My favourite cartoon might be the one where he brings the dog home. There are real highlights of positivity in this, so maybe it's a bit of a pick & mix for all sorts of readers.
My thoughts on each comic, in order. Mostly jokes many references, enjoy.
My Little Pony 'n Friends The five stages of grief, acceptance BEASTARS Bad Touch The Little Mermaid, but things aren't looking good for her All balloon animals are unique Anytime I find a word in scrabble it is good Anytime it is a red umbrella, sad things happen She’s on my mind all the time. Me when I try to make friends. (I’m lonely) Things are looking grave out here “You are my sunshine” CONTEXT. The dark side of money rain I knew I had more money The Ugly Duckling The grim reaper is kind of, *blush* Storks, now a major motion picture Capitalism really be ruining the holiday season Being cupid is difficult Don’t take unknown substances Dinosaurs be living that good life still I never trusted that easter bunny Ajin: demi-human I don’t think that is how the sun works Don’t conform to gender norms Gay, steak? There is a dog for everyone The better ending to Jurrasic World Pooh bear would also agree that sometimes a popped balloon is what is needed Star vs the Forces of Evil I sense this won’t go well Who wants to cut the cake When the caffeine needs caffeine When you ask for a medium at the Mexican restaurant MLP creepypasta The other side of the tale of Jeremy Fisher Even in death, flies are annoying That don’t seem right Weird Science Frosty the Snowman 2 Reading > TV Math is hard That one part of Monsters Inc The living sandwich people are strange Nathan's big book of Dinosaur Lies Beastars pt 2 Beastars pt 3 Ned from the Try Guys Corpse husband when Sykuno gives him a gift I think this is an SCP I feel that, salmonella is no joke When the monster under the bed has your back, but you don’t trust him The circle of life Tiburon Now that is clever When you don’t live up to your parents' expectations Is this what you demand with your “organic” candy The mafia in this universe is scary Those slinkys do be going Happy Halloween When the leaves start falling, the feelings be changing The opening scene of Beastars Another solution for finding Nemo Peanuts Unexpected If only this were real The terror of tooth decay Hansel and Grettle in the modern day Strike No officer, I haven't seen him (laughs nervously) Hahahaha! When the Christmas packaging doesn’t hide what it is When the people in the house before you had some disagreements Always wear safety gear when you go biking Pig in a blanket Mold. Frown When the song gets stuck in your head Olaf, from Frozen Choo, Choo No one else will notice Dating apps… When the neighbors are petty Monday be hitting like … I have a song for this but I have forgotten it Let them eat cake The magic of filters Hey man, if it is in the couch cushions it is free game When you have to take the messages from the stars, loosely When you really need caffeine Not yet my friend So much death Rainbow laser Hey, i also like chalk art Why covid ruined birthdays Chips and salsa The pide piper When autumn is over Allergies So that is why gym memberships are expensive Need coffee When you need to do something good in the day Mime crime Art Weather Ai evolution When you dive into a good book When you are trying to befriend the vampires When the food in the fridge dies The butterfly from the last unicorn When the power goes off and the alarm doesn’t go off All it takes is one ping Trying to pick your friends back up after a heartbreak Death beach day Tone deaf Trans rights Octo chef When you pet another dog If it came from the garden its a vegetable Pinkie pie Celestabellebethabelle Umbrellcation The scale lies Be kind, do good Pizza roll
Okay, this book killed me! Perfect for fans of Cyanide And Happiness, and another great book to add to your coffee table collection. This book takes disturbing thoughts, and makes them laugh out loud funny. I loved every single page! I am already planning to gift this book to 5 of my gritty comedy loving friends.
Before coming across this book on NetGalley, I hadn't heard of Robyn Harding, but I can assure you that I will be on the lookout for her other books after reading this one. Starting from the very first page, I was completely drawn into this story. The characters were well-rounded, and I found the main character to be quite relatable. Although I figured out some of the mystery, the book kept me interested right to the end, and i actually ended up finishing it in a day and a half. I will definitely be recommending this book to my thriller/mystery loving friends.
I received this from #NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The first image you see, besides the cover, is this strange bunny-like creature rocking out with headphones; it looks incredibly awesome. But let’s face it, this comic strip is where optimism goes to die. The pseudo-bunny starts each page happy, but just a few panels later something horrible has happened to him. . . and it’s hilarious. Some of my faves to look out for: Sushi and hugs: both so wrong. . . I will never forgive this author for what he did to the redheaded mermaid! Christmas delusion. . . Cupid’s arrow doesn’t work on squirrels. Easter Bunny has quite a racket. This is the first person/animal/fictional creature I’ve seen who can have just as much fun playing with a popped balloon. Books attacking TVs could become a thing. Sharks are dangerous out of water too. If T. Rexes had keytars, they would not have gone extinct. Tinder is great for pollination. 4.5 pushed up to 5/5
I try very hard to share reviews that are both positive but also suggest also checking out the book even if I don't like it. I love comics, I loved the idea behind this one because well honestly it really fits behind my sense of humor really well! But I just couldn't get behind it. The way it was pitched and the way it played out didn't seem to match to me. Individually I would love the comics. Together they just don't seem to work. I checked out the webpage when I was looking into the author. I really do like the comics. The bunny is so stupidly optimistic in such a messed up world and in a way it's like me and I can appreciate that. I do suggest checking the book out obviously what is not for me can be for someone else. Also, make sure to check out the author.
Sebrané Buniho stripy (http://bunicomic.com). Pokud neznáte, tak se porozhlédněte online. Pokud znáte a pravidelně čtete, tak vás čeká spíš zklamání, protože (aspoň myslím) tu nejsou kousky, které by nevyšly online. Ale i tak se jedná o příjemný kousek, který se asi nejlépe hodí k tomu, abyste jím potěšili někoho jiného, kdo Buniho ještě nezná (a díky absenci slov ani nemusí umět anglicky) anebo který si dáte doma do poličky s pocitem, že jste autorovi přispěli nějakou tu kačku.
Mohlo by se vám líbit, pokud: - vás baví černý humor oděný do rozjuchaného hávu
Spíš vás zklame, pokud: - Buniho čtete pravidelně a doufali jste v nějaké bonusy, nevydané díly nebo cokoliv jiného než jenom papírové vydání online stripů
Unicorns are vicious things that eat lions; when money rains down from the heavens it's alright – until it turns into coin only; bowling pins get revenge on you when you score a strike, and everybody and everything eats something inappropriate, even a bread sandwich. The contents of this book are pretty much indescribable, but amount to the best wordless comic strip collection for many a year. Hard to define, this acerbic look at the world is well worth the purchase. It's certainly educational, too, as it'll teach you how trees feel when you nail dead, er, tree to them to make a den, and you'll have seen it all when you've seen cupcakes commit adultery.
This is a wordless book of comic strips about a very clueless rabbit. The rabbit lives in a cutesy but nightmarish world where awful things keep happening, but he is still happy all the time. Some of the comics are funny, but some are a little too twisted for my liking, like where he eats the corpse of his pig friend after the funeral. The moral of the story was supposedly that happiness is a state of mind, but what I took away from it was that the rabbit was just totally oblivious. A lot of it wasn't really my sense of humour, but I'm sure some people will really enjoy those parts.
I’m falling in love with this comic so, so, so much.
Some of the comics are about how shitty life is, but how happiness is really a state of mind. How we should always find happiness in even the most horrible and disturbing of situations.
Well, they also show how disturbing life can really be.
You’ll notice I used the word “disturbing” twice in this review. (Well, 3 times now.) If this kind of humor can’t make you laugh, you may want to avoid this book.
But if you can laugh at life and the crazy shit it throws at you, you might really enjoy this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel publishing for a copy in return for an honest review.
My sister was the one who really got me into the cartoons featuring Hapi Buni, a pure soul like no other, and a character that she resembles a lot. Brilliantly unconventional, this cartoon book will put a smile on your face with its alternative perspectives, disarming kindness, and what seems to be effortless originality.
Buni’s persistent cheer—even the cheerless Teddy world he lives in—is so endearing. I love his expressions, and I love the way he keeps trying to be joyful. Three times a week I go online to check up Buni.
BWAHAHA. Ok, it's not surprising I'd get a kick out of this little cartoony collection of weird and dark humor. Fans of comic strips such as THE PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP and CYANIDE AND HAPPINESS will get a kick out of Buni and his unfortunate adventures.