One of the most disturbing and odd works that I’ve come across so far. Goodnight Punpun could definitely work as a novel, but is presented only as a manga. This might turn a lot of people away, but I feel that it benefits massively from utilising the visual medium over mere words.
Following Punpun Onodera, we witness the majority of his life from childhood to early adulthood, with the few ups and many downs that come with it. Despite this intimate connection with the character, Punpun himself is almost always depicted as a cutesy bird avatar, resulting in an abstracted persona of him. At first, it feels odd and out of place, but the avatar often changes or disappears completely depending on Punpun’s mood, his situation, and his outlook on life. It’s a deceptive and clever way of masking how morally messed up the narrative and Punpun are, working well to make Punpun feel more innocent than he really is within his spiral of hopelessness.
Aside from his name, the only consistent detail about the character is how he remains faceless for the entirety of the story (even when his human form is shown). This is perhaps the work’s greatest strength; allowing room for self-projection, whilst somewhat dehumanising Punpun in the process. It’s a subtle effect, but it plays into the dark story that is buried under a strange sense of humour, as well as some satirical elements that seek to mock people and the ways of Japanese society.
Punpun’s story is one of shattered dreams, tortured emotions, desires and delusions, alongside an entire loss of innocence. His life starts normal, and he remains an optimistic and almost egotistical boy, up until his first love and heartbreak. By the end he is a mostly broken and cynical man, lost within himself and existing in a world he cares little for — the majority of his past being nothing more than a horrid memory that he wants to repress, yet he can’t forget the faces of his first love, his family, or his various childhood friends.
It’s incredibly difficult to describe without spoiling major qualities that are designed to shock the reader and stir up emotions, so I will refrain. Just know that it is a fantastically disturbing and unpredictable story of misery, abuse, delusion, and self-hatred. In the online sphere, Goodnight Punpun has been deemed a manga that is so good, yet so graphic, that you ‘can’t recommend it’ to anyone.
In defiance of that, I do. I strongly recommend it. Even to those who aren’t really into comics or manga (as I, myself, only keep up with a handful in my spare time), I still recommend it.
Asano’s story is certainly one of the most touching and crushing works I’ve read, always clawing deeper into a near-bottomless pit of misery for our equally irredeemable main characters. It is a true showcase of how a person’s exterior can mask the crumbling, or already ruined, mess they are inside.
I think it would be a shame to pass it up just because it’s a Japanese manga, or because its horror is rooted in an exploration of our selfish, possessive flaws and everything that spirals out from that, rather than something supernatural or fantasy-like.
Leave a Reply