Will I Be Single Forever?

by Mari Okazaki, おかざき真里

Mami is 36 and unmarried, and the entire world seems to be telling her she must be miserable. But is she? Does she really need a ring on her finger to be happy when she has a job she loves and friends who support her? A collection of interconnected stories that explores the hazards and joys of unmarried life through the eyes of three single ladies.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Japan

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2015

About the author

Mari Okazaki (Japanese: おかざき真里, Okazaki Mari) is a Japanese manga artist.
Okazaki was born in Nagano in 1967 and grew up in the region of Kansai. She graduated with a major in Design from Tama Art University and worked in advertisement for a number of years.
Okazaki had been publishing illustrations and short comics since high school, although her professional manga career started around 1994. In the early 2000's she left her day job to become a full time cartoonist and illustrator.
Okazaki comics have appeared in josei magazines (marketed to an audience of young adult women) as well as seinen magazines (marketed to an audience of young adult men). Her longest completed manga series to date are the josei Suppli, serialised from 2003 to 2009, and the seinen A-Un, serialised from 2014 to 2021.

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the ideal illustration of "single doesn't mean lonely"

[Lexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four stories about the lives of four former classmates, set around their reunion. I admit that all four were relatable to me as each realizes "single" doesn't have to mean "lonely".

I wish I could read the essay collection this is based on, as well as the interview collection Okazaki put together featuring the original author (Mami Amamiya) and other women.

Its a quick read as well with stories that end hopefully (and with realistic goals).

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il volume è molto interessante, con premesse moderne e intelligenti... peccato per la pessima traduzione che rende alcune parti praticamente incomprensibili, come ad esempio l'illeggibile intervista finale che mi ha fatto ipotizzare di essere stata tradotta con Google Translate, tanto da risultare senza né capo né coda (ho dovuto rinunciare a finirla, nonostante tutti i miei sforzi). Peccato perché il tema era davvero meritevole di essere affrontato.

[Akira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vi prego pagate i traduttori, non è possibile che un manga potenzialmente bello e interessante sia rovinato da una pessina traduzione alla google translate.

[Azjatycka Półka · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Czy chcesz zostać starą panną?" skupia się, jak sam tytuł wskazuje, na tych kobietach, które z różnych powodów nie decydują się na małżeństwo. Czy to ze względu na chęć pozostania niezależną, skupienia się na pracy czy też nierealizowania się w roli żony czy matki – bohaterki komiksu, w krótkich scenkach pokazują swoje motywacje do pozostania w stanie panieńskim.

Ich decyzje nie istnieją w próżni, bo ich otoczenie poddaje je surowej krytyce. Określenie „panna” brzmi jak obelga, a troska o przyszłość i to, jak poradzą sobie same w życiu podszyta jest wyrzutami. Przez to wszystko bohaterki czują ogromną presję, by podążyć utartą ścieżką wyjścia za mąż i założenia rodziny.

Każda z bohaterek jednak na swój sposób odkrywa w końcu, że realizowanie własnych potrzeb jest ważniejsze od spełniania oczekiwań innych. Dopiero refleksja nad tym, czego same chcą od życia, staje się dla nich drogowskazem, a fakt, że otoczenie kładzie im kłody pod nogi na tej drodze do bycia sobą i samoakceptacji, wywołuje w nich słuszny wkurw.

Chcę wierzyć, że w dzisiejszych czasach jesteśmy nieco dalej na tej ścieżce do zrozumienia, że jest więcej niż jeden słuszny styl życia a.k.a posiadanie męża/ żony i gromadki dzieci. Jednak wciąż wiele kobiet odczuwa strach przed życiem bez partnera czy partnerki. Nie chcę tu używać słowa „samotność”, bo ten jeden czynnik, jakim jest bycie lub niebycie w związku, nie decyduje o poczuciu samotności w życiu.

Myślę jednak, że jeśli ma się lub miało podobne doświadczenia co bohaterki, dzięki lekturze można poczuć się zrozumianym. To, o czym opowiada komiks, jest bowiem bardzo uniwersalnym kobiecym doświadczeniem, a poczucie, że nie jest się osamotnionym w swoich doświadczeniach może dodawać sił do przezwyciężania trudności.

Na blogu przeczytasz, kim są "skomplikowane dziewczyny" - to pojęcie ukuła Mami Amamiya.

https://azjatyckapolka.wordpress.com/...

[Soobie is expired · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo so che io e Mari Okazaki non abbiamo proprio un bel rapporto, ma una copertina così bella rosa non poteva lasciarmela scappare.

E si conferma che io e Okazaki-sensei non andiamo d'accordo.

Scorci di vita di tre donne oltre la trentina - target in cui rientro - che non hanno un compagno - come nel mio caso - e che sono soddisfatte del loro lavoro, come me. Eppure non son riuscita a trovare uno spunto interessante in questa raccolta di storie interconnesse.

Neanche lo stile di disegno è granché.

[Karen Compere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable

When I turned 25 everyone asked me when I would get married. I informed them I have no desire to do so. Now at 30, that desire hasn't changed this really helped me see that I'm not alone. I'm not lonely, I'm just fine being alone tho.

[Misa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

An interesting adult manga about some women who just don't see a problem in staying single unlike their families and friends who just keep nagging them about the importance of being married. I like okazaki's style, it's different and more realistic.

[Dean Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Some really hard hitting moments but not fleshed out enough to satisfy.

[Ivie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. I read this at just the right time. Now the question I'm asking is, will Tokyopop leave Mari Okazaki's Suppli incomplete forever?

[Angelika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polkom też przydałby się zbiór takich anegdotek.

[scarlettraces · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okazaki-sensei's art is always too beautiful for words.

(Won't someone please publish &? Please please please? I will make sacrifices and invocations to the manga publishing gods.)

[Kiwi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zdecydowanie nie czytam tego we właściwym momencie, ale i tak doceniam.

[Pennin · Rating 4 out of 5]

eloquently told

[Adele Lostinaclassicworld · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[richa ⋆.˚★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was like taking a peek inside my brain and exploring the different possibilities.

[slovebooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

50/50 złe nie było ale 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Natal Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bardzo fajna manga, na razie jedna z moich ulubionych.

[Noninuna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatable.

[Marika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardzo cute

[Cubierocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible composition, heartfelt stories, and relatable central characters, dampened by some unfortunate exotification of "the other."

[Niche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Societal pressure and insecurites

Based on an essay of the same name, this manga follows four stories of three women (the first has two stories) as they face the pressures of being unmarried and single in their 30s. It does contain a brief sex scene, but this is meant be a grounded look at their inner thoughts and not josei swooning over background tone staining bishis and smut.