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Solanin (Solanin #1-2)

by Inio Asano

4.20 · rating details · 447 ratings · 67 reviews

College graduates struggle to cope with the real world. Music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude.

Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Shigeo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country

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Paperback, 432 pages

Published October 21st 2008 by VIZ Media LLC (first published October 21st 2006)

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Nov 17, 2011

Thao rated it

The art is BEAUTIFUL, and the characters, especially Rip and Tanada, are hilarious! Meiko reminds me of how life can be like a videotape that never pauses, and once the film starts to fall apart, it can never be taped back again.

But, she changes, even after her economic problems, her dissatisfaction with life and her job, Tanada's death. Inio Asano creates an amazing piece that shows how the world is, how life is limitless.

Though the art was realistic, I found some parts ...more

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Sep 19, 2011

Harmony Cox rated it

Yes, Solanin is a manga. It is a comic book, from Japan. There is no escaping that. If that fact is insurmountable to you, then you do not get to read Solanin. Your loss.

That caveat out of the way, Solanin is well-worth your attention. It's a well-written and beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a group of young adults who are struggling to negotiate their lives past college. The main character is a disaffected OL (think administrative assistant) who took a job with a large comp...more

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Aug 02, 2010

Julaybib rated it

Shelves: manga

Manga untuk dewasa (bukan khusus dewasa tapinya :P) yang cukup menarik. Bercerita tentang anak-anak muda yang berusaha melawan kehidupan orang dewasa normal yang cenderung menjemukan, dan mencari serta mewujudkan mimpi dan cita-cita yang layak untuk diperjuangkan. Tokoh utamanya seorang pekerja kantoran biasa yang jadi muak dengan pekerjaannya yang dianggapnya membosankan meskipun gajinya lumayan. Ia pun mengundurkan diri dan bertekad untuk memakai waktu luangnya untuk memikirkan apa yang sebena...more

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Jun 18, 2010

Beck rated it

Recommends it for: 20-somethings, new grads, RIF'd folk who are questioning how they fit in the real world

Recommended to Beck by: Snow Wildsmith

Shelves: contemporary, manga, growing_up, quarter-life-crisis, y_recommended

ARGH! ARGH! Hear my rage! (Goodreads just ate my darn review, and I actually wrote useful comments for a change.)

Let's try again.

Beautiful story. Very touching, a little heartbreaking at times. There's just something truthful in it.

It also was the perfect time in my life to read this story, as I can definitely relate to the emotional growing pains of figuring out what simultaneously fulfills you, pays the bills, and keeps you connected with those you love....more

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Feb 15, 2010

Barky rated it

Shelves: manga, coming-of-age, adult-ya-crossovers, adult-fiction, 20-somethings, music, music-industry, musicians, self-discovery, friendship, realistic, graphic-novel, relationships, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Meiko and her boyfriend Taneda (last name) have been together for 6 years, and in that time, Meiko has been the “responsible” one – she’s got the large apartment, and the full-time job that pays well. Taneda works part-time as a graphic designer, but dreams of getting his band back together and making it big. When Meiko decides that she’s had enough of her job – she wants to find out what it is that she really wants to do, Taneda encourages her to explore her options. Meiko tenders her resign...moreMeiko and her boyfriend Taneda (last name) have been together for 6 years, and in that time, Meiko has been the “responsible” one – she’s got the large apartment, and the full-time job that pays well. Taneda works part-time as a graphic designer, but dreams of getting his band back together and making it big. When Meiko decides that she’s had enough of her job – she wants to find out what it is that she really wants to do, Taneda encourages her to explore her options. Meiko tenders her resignation and then finds herself floating through her days – unmotivated and drowning in an excess of time and freedom. Lacking ambition for herself, Meiko latches onto Taneda’s dream and begins pushing him to pursue it. Both are under a lot of pressure to do something before their money runs out. It’s too much for Taneda, who takes off for 5 days, making Meiko think that he’s left her. When she finally gets a call from him, he’s made his peace, wants to come home, and is ready for the next big thing. He never makes it home, however – a motorcycle accident takes his life. Meiko misses him terribly and wants to do something to honor his memory, so she picks up his guitar, studies his songs, and gets his band back together – with her as the lead singer/guitarist. It’s exactly the right thing, and while it doesn’t solve all of her problems (Meiko’s still a little directionless), it brings everyone involved the closure that they need.

This is a sweet story of that transitional period most of us go through in our early twenties – trying to figure out how to realize our aspirations, or at least fit them into the opportunities that are available to us. There’s a lot of soul-searching, frustration, misery, as well as happiness (they’re young, they’re on their own, and they can handle what life throws at them). The artwork is all in black and white – not too chibi or as big-eyed as some, but detailed and descriptive. Meiko is beautiful in an understated, fresh and freckled way (perfect for the character). The others don’t leave as much of an impression, but, then, this is her story. I liked this a lot, perhaps because I’m still looking for the kind of answers Meiko and her friends are seeking – I can relate. Topic-wise, this will probably appeal more to adults (or, at least the teens who are already thinking about where their lives are going to take them). Beautiful work.(less)

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Jan 19, 2012

Miz Moffatt rated it

Shelves: coming-of-age, japanese, manga, slice-of-life, translation, book-to-film

Meiko Inoue is a small town girl and recent college graduate who works as an average drone in the heart of Tokyo. She fetches tea, photocopies reports, and resists the urge to fall asleep at an office that manufactures office equipment. She lives with her boyfriend of six years, Naruo Taneda, who works nights as a part-time freelance illustrator for another nameless design company. With his pittance of a paycheque, Naruo relies on Meiko for shelter and sustenance. But, after two years of working...moreMeiko Inoue is a small town girl and recent college graduate who works as an average drone in the heart of Tokyo. She fetches tea, photocopies reports, and resists the urge to fall asleep at an office that manufactures office equipment. She lives with her boyfriend of six years, Naruo Taneda, who works nights as a part-time freelance illustrator for another nameless design company. With his pittance of a paycheque, Naruo relies on Meiko for shelter and sustenance. But, after two years of working in the same stifling office space, Meiko decides to quit her job without warning—and with nothing more than one year's worth of savings to support her.

With no plan and no guidance, Meiko drifts through her days in search of what will make her feel happy and fulfilled. Meanwhile, Naruo senses the new pressure—in the absence of a regular, substantial income, he is forced to choose between longer hours at a frustrating dead-end job or a last shot at pursuing his music with the band. He must weigh his own confidence against his need to measure up to the world around him; however, the cost of both options turn out to be far too much to bear…

Inio Asano strikes a scene that's at once believable, palpable, and relatable—he captures the unfocused angst of the young adult and renders it both beautiful and tragic. Asano explains in his afterword that he wrote this manga as a twenty-four year old recent graduate who found himself debating whether he could make a decent go as a professional mangaka. His doubts about his artistic talent, his fears over risking his uneventful and good life for the sake of change, and his questions over what constitutes true happiness overwhelm the pages of Solanin, and I think these are universal issues among the twenty-something crowd out there. He handles his characters with great care and humanity, to the point where I could see reflections of myself and my friends within this group's dynamic. Excellent work overall, and a compelling read for folks in their late teens/early twenties.

Ideal for: Manga disbelievers who ought to be converted; Listless, fearful, or dissatisfied twenty-somethings in need of the reassurance that they're not alone in this; Readers who like stories about bands or that special band-induced camaraderie; Artists (in any medium) who need a shot o' inspiration.(less)

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Jul 27, 2011

Cricket rated it

Shelves: 50-book-2011-challenge, graphic-literature, summer-reading-list

Wow. 400 pages have never flown by this quickly--and that's not just because it's a graphic novel. I borrowed this book from a friend one afternoon, began reading at 10, took a brief six hour nap (give or take), and finished reading at 8 the next morning. I simply could not put this book down.

What floored me was the understated action that revealed characterization. Meiko struggles to find sense in her day to day life during a time after college but before she knows what to do. She w...moreWow. 400 pages have never flown by this quickly--and that's not just because it's a graphic novel. I borrowed this book from a friend one afternoon, began reading at 10, took a brief six hour nap (give or take), and finished reading at 8 the next morning. I simply could not put this book down.

What floored me was the understated action that revealed characterization. Meiko struggles to find sense in her day to day life during a time after college but before she knows what to do. She works perfunctorily for a company, performing menial tasks for surprisingly good pay. Her boyfriend, Taneda, is a part-timer living with his girlfriend only, as Meiko claims, because he can't afford his own place. Yet, in a flashback conversation, they discuss their future, and she tells Taneda she tried to find the largest apartment available in her price range, hinting at the possibility of moving in together. Meiko complains about him using her as a crutch, but she seems to enjoy taking care of him.

It also spoke to me on a personal level about confusion towards the future. Meiko's largest question throughout the story remains, "Where do I go from here?" After she quits her job, she floats aimlessly, trying to find what to do with her life. When Taneda quits his job, she wonders how they'll cover expenses. Ironically, she discovers what her boyfriend should be doing before finding her own way. She also wonders how to survive in the adult world without being a "grown-up," who, in general, she finds boring and short-sighted. Yet she finds that she must find a way to leave her childhood fancies behind.

Having just graduated high school and currently preparing for my freshman year in college, I feel almost exactly the same way that Meiko does. One of my largest anxieties is the fact that I'm starting college as an undeclared and I worry that I won't find a major within the small span of four years, much less a career to accompany it. But this book gave me confidence about the future. Even if I have to take the hardest route like Meiko, someday I'll find it.

In short, it's a perfect read for anyone unsure of where they may be headed in life.(less)

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Mar 16, 2011

Felipe Chiaramonte rated it

"Solanin" é um quadrinho japonês de volume único, escrito por Inio Asano lá pelos seus 20 e poucos anos, sobre as inseguranças de um grupo de jovens adultos num subúrbio de Tóquio frente à monotonia de seus primeiros empregos, primeiras moradas e às frustrações de terem de abdicar seus sonhos para sobreviver em meio às engrenagens do mundo ou simplesmente se tornar uma delas. O acabamento é impecável - a arte é em PB, com exceção de algumas páginas, e mescla fotografia em algumas tiras...more

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Sep 16, 2010

Bonnie rated it

Recommends it for: people who don't know what to do with their lives

Shelves: death, fiction, graphic-novel, love, manga, music, realistic-fiction, romance, young-adult, japan, wla-2011

I kind of didn't know what to think of Solanin when I started reading it. I had seen the great reviews and that it was highly recommended, but I kept putting off reading it. When I did start, it was hard to connect with the characters. It seemed odd, because here are people asking the same questions I've asked myself so many times, and even still ask myself. Or I think about these questions for the people in my life - are they happy? Is this what life is about? Will I be doing this job for ...moreI kind of didn't know what to think of Solanin when I started reading it. I had seen the great reviews and that it was highly recommended, but I kept putting off reading it. When I did start, it was hard to connect with the characters. It seemed odd, because here are people asking the same questions I've asked myself so many times, and even still ask myself. Or I think about these questions for the people in my life - are they happy? Is this what life is about? Will I be doing this job for the rest of my life? Is this what it means to be an adult? Is there something more?

So I'm not sure why it took me so long to click with these characters! Perhaps its because we don't know much about them until much further into the book - we just know their circumstances. Meiko is working in an office building and she hates her job. She's been out of college for awhile and is the "responsible" one in her relationship - her boyfriend Taneda works part-time as a graphic designer and talks about getting his band going full-time again, but he's pretty aimless. Or so it seems. They have the same group of friends from college, who also happen to be in Taneda's band, and they're all wondering about their place in life. Meiko surprises herself and her friends when she suddenly quits her job and decides to spend a year being free, hoping to discover something that sparks her passion. Quitting her job sets a series of events in motion, forcing each of the group to ask themselves about what's important to them and what are they willing to sacrifice to keep that thing going.

I don't know if I'm being very clear in my description... this book is about living. It's about choosing what to do with your life and following through. And it's about friendship. I really liked how Meiko's mother tells her and Taneda that life isn't always about taking the difficult path - that happiness is actually easier to find than you think. Once you get to know these characters, to understand them, you can really get immersed in the story. As the author explains, these aren't larger-than-life characters; they're meant to be real people that can easily fade into the background. And what happens to them is beautiful and sad and wonderful.

On a quick note, the artwork here is amazing. It's filled with detail but also simple. And the moments where the band is playing really evoke the passion and power you can feel when you're creating something. Towards the end of the book there's a performance and the way that the lighting works and the characters move and drip with sweat... it just shows the passion that they're seeking in life.(less)

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Dec 14, 2010

Jacki rated it

Shelves: graphic-novel-manga

Summary: A group of early-20-somethings struggle with life in general in present-day Japan. Should dreams be sold out for a better apartment? How do you measure whether a relationship is "worth it"? What does it mean to be an adult? Meiko, her boyfriend Taneda, and the other members of the music club they belonged to in school all struggle with their own difficulties in this illumination of the growing pains we face when we try to grow up.

Characters: This book rides on charac...moreSummary: A group of early-20-somethings struggle with life in general in present-day Japan. Should dreams be sold out for a better apartment? How do you measure whether a relationship is "worth it"? What does it mean to be an adult? Meiko, her boyfriend Taneda, and the other members of the music club they belonged to in school all struggle with their own difficulties in this illumination of the growing pains we face when we try to grow up.

Characters: This book rides on characterization. The overall character group is diverse in personality, but they are linked by their uncertainty and occasional apathy. The author deliberately chose a very ordinary group of people who would blend into the background if you saw them in public. The main character by a nose is Meiko, who grows from a frightened, questioning young woman into a slightly less frightened, still questioning young woman. Still, over the course of the book, Meiko acquires a hard-won outer confidence and a measure of peace. The supporting cast includes her boyfriend Taneda, who is torn between staying in a paying job and trying to find success with his band, and his bandmates Kato, a good-natured loser, and Rip, who has a job, a bit more certainty than his friends, but still possesses a quiet unease and a crush on Meiko.

Plot: The plot is character-driven and extremely personal. Characters make choices, and those choices impact the lives of the people around them. Halfway through the book, a terrible tragedy changes everyone's outlook on the world. Despite the personal minutiae, or perhaps because of it, the book is a fascinating look at a generation.

Art: The life and energy in the art is understated but powerful. While this book relies heavily on dialogue and inner monologue, the art is definitely not superfluous.

Writing/Dialogue: Somehow Asano manages to keep the dialogue and inner thoughts here both true to the characters and poignant. While rarely uplifting or cheerful, this book is never a burden to read.

Ending: Is there hope in the ending, or only more uncertainty? Where will the characters go from here? It all depends on your point of view.

What more did I want?: I wanted closure in the ending, even though it would have ruined the book. I strongly identify with these unsure, drifting kids at this point in my life, and I wanted to see things work out for them.(less)

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Dec 13, 2009

Hung Truong rated it

Grabbed from here.

I think Solanin (ソラニン？）sets really high expectations and ultimately fails to deliver on them. There are lots of characters, all with unique backstories, but the interesting ones (non main characters) get pushed aside for the main plotline which I found kinda dull.

Temporally, the manga is really confusing. Manga typically signify a flashback via black borders around the edges. I couldn't tell what was a dream, what was a flashback and what was happening i...more

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Dec 23, 2008

Jared Millet rated it

Recommends it for: fans of Will Eisner who haven't tried Manga yet.

Shelves: literary-fiction, graphic-novels

It's sad, but a manga like this is probably the closest I'll ever come to reading literary fiction of my own free will. Solanin is reminiscent of the anime series Honey & Clover in that it follows the trials and tribulations of young artists in Tokyo making the transition from adolesence to adulthood. Solanin focuses on Meiko Inoue, who quits her job and decides to spend a year doing absolutely nothing and 'finding herself.' She seems intent on avoiding growing up as long as possible, until a...more

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Apr 25, 2011

Koonu rated it

Shelves: manga

So, you're 20-something. Things never go your way and you realize that you aren't as special as you thought you were. Nothing's fair and instead of being the main character, you're just an extra in somebody else's story. You think about purpose and question yours. Then a thought pops up. The thought that you just might be on this world solely to teach somebody else a lesson with your life, and it terrifies you. Because hey what the hell, it happens.

Yup, life sucks. Questioning and wo...more

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Mar 01, 2011

Jamie Fahlgren rated it

Shelves: manga

I have mixed feelings about this one. I liked the slice-of-life laid back start to the book and I definitely related to the questions posed by the main character as she deals with post-schooling life. I still don't really know what I'm doing with my life and I don't think I want to become an "adult" either!

However, about half way through, something dramatic happens and I just felt as if it was an attempt to play with my emotions. It didn't really feel like it fit in with...more

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Jan 05, 2011

Mazohyst rated it

Shelves: manga, owned, favourites, teens, read-again, tear-jerkers

Ah to be young! I can't really say that, since I'm rather young myself, but when I read Solanin, I'm filled with hope. The characters are trying to find their place in the world and establish themselves in the adult world. It's harder than it looks, and maybe, they're "just not cut out to be part of the real world."

Asano's art is really great. I feel refreshed when I look at the artwork. It's unique,simple, and cute, but not so cute that you want to kill all the sparkles surr...more

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Apr 14, 2010

Katie rated it

Shelves: graphic-novel

Only two books have ever made me cry- actually, bawl, while reading them. The first was Kafka's The Metamorphosis. The second was Solanin. Not only are the pictures in this graphic novel so beautifully done, the story stays with the reader long after the last page has been turned. Every recent college grad or early 20-something should read this book.
It follows the lives of Meiko and her boyfriend Taneda as they drift through life and contemplate the years of uncertainty following graduat...more

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Aug 13, 2010

anthony added it

There are few pieces of work, in any medium, that depict so perfectly, so profoundly, so heartbreakingly the experience of living and growing. What it means to be human. I had never cried at a book I was reading before solanin. Wherever I go, I'll be taking this with me.

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Dec 18, 2011

Micah rated it

Shelves: manga

This is just the case of right place right time for me. This is just a really cute book about a woman making a change in the direction her life is going. I really like it. A lot. So much. Basically the main character quits her job and tries to figure out the next move she is going to make in life. Then there's the personal drama of dealing with her boyfriend who is in some sort of holding pattern and the life of her friends who are all in different places. The thing that works for me is the tone...more

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Dec 08, 2008

Cera rated it

Excellent slice-of-life manga about people in their early/mid 20s living in Tokyo. The heroine is working a stereotypical office lady job, stapling and photocopying, bringing people tea and trying to smile while inside she's going crazy with boredom. Her boyfriend, a part-time graphic designer, is no happier -- except when he's practising with his band. Can they find a path out of the monotony of conventional adult life, or does growing up mean that you have to put up with a lot of misery for...more

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Jul 02, 2011

Avi rated it

Shelves: favorite-books

It's like a real story of confused bachelors living in a big city, living together with a lover, having a band, still trying to figure out what they want to be, quitting the job and then getting it back, one of those moments when you look at yourself and say, "Damn it I'm gonna get through this phase sooner or later!"

Fun to read, interesting characters, I fall in love with Taneda's personality, and moreover he's a guitarist and slash or vocalist, brilliantly sad on it's sad p...more

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Jun 11, 2011

Rise rated it

Shelves: i-can-have-both, wide-to-receive, whatever-happens-i-love-you

At first I read the English version for the assignment of Japanese Society through Manga and Anime class & finally I ended up buying the Japanese version. It's a very beautiful manga. Seems so real and very close to daily life for young generation in Japan, where people struggle between dream and reality. The story is kinda bittersweet, made me laugh with the joke but also cried with the tragic reality. I think some people can relate themselves to the characters' condition in Solanin or at least...more

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Aug 05, 2009

Ali rated it

Shelves: must-reads, favorites

Solanin is by far one of the best reads I have personally ever had. It's a wonderfully crafted story with the most character, charm, and personality a graphic novel has had in quite some time. I felt all emotions while flipping through theses pages and no other story had produced so many tears for me. Although it's sort of a depressing story, the answer that Inio Asano gives us is perserverance and hope. Solanin is a must read.

The main character Meiko, is a relatable girl. She'...more Solanin is by far one of the best reads I have personally ever had. It's a wonderfully crafted story with the most character, charm, and personality a graphic novel has had in quite some time. I felt all emotions while flipping through theses pages and no other story had produced so many tears for me. Although it's sort of a depressing story, the answer that Inio Asano gives us is perserverance and hope. Solanin is a must read.

The main character Meiko, is a relatable girl. She's been out of collage for just a few years, worked an office job, and realizes soemthing--she's bored. Her place in life is not exactly what she wants, but she is content. This predicament causes her to question her happiness and what that really is. Her story is one that every person goes through at one point or another and in some form. Meiko is representative of the modern woman and the crazy society that moves around us.

The book also dives into the minds of Meiko's boyfriend and her friends from college. They all are around the same age and although they are doing different things with their lives, they are all questioning life, its meaning, and what they want out of it. With so many characters' insights and opinions there is always something to get out of the text. I find myself going over quotes from the book during everyday moments and also thinking, "This is just like Solanin."

In addition to Asano's flawless use of words, she illustrates her novel with stunningly drawn japanse anime style pictures. Basically, the book is like a thick manga with more of a serious plot devolopment. Don't let this throw you off though. You do not need to be a anime of manga fan to enjoy this read. Its soul and feel will whisk you away to the point where you won't even realize there are images on the page.

Solanin is a masterpiece in itself. It is pure magic that will
captivate your attention. I read this whole book in just a few hours because I could not bring myself to put the thing down. Once you get a feel of who these characters are and what their lives are like, you will never forget them and they will stay in your heart forever. It's not very often that an author can create something like that.(less)

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Jan 12, 2010

Sridhar Reddy rated it

I have always viewed the pursuit of art as a career a mighty privilege, one afforded to me because I have the immense fortune of the love and support of my family. I think to myself that if I did not have such support, I could not afford the time it takes for art to manifest itself - the days of thinking, the dreaming of structures and plots, the times when writing five words was considered progress.

Art takes time, but it also requires a far more vital element (one that requires tim...moreI have always viewed the pursuit of art as a career a mighty privilege, one afforded to me because I have the immense fortune of the love and support of my family. I think to myself that if I did not have such support, I could not afford the time it takes for art to manifest itself - the days of thinking, the dreaming of structures and plots, the times when writing five words was considered progress.

Art takes time, but it also requires a far more vital element (one that requires time itself), and that is life experience. For art to remain truthful and vital it must carry the veracity of a life lived, the pain of loss and heartbreak, and the joys of rebirth in many manifestations.

I have yet to come across a more naked and bare demonstration of the drivers of art than Inio Asano's manga masterpiece Solanin. At one facet it is a portrait of youth, of bad decisions born from the lack of experience and hubris, and at the other end it is of the journeys that people are required to take to make truthful art.

The story centers around the life of Meiko Inoue, a recent college graduate who lives in the big city and toils in a job she cannot stand. She lives with her college boyfriend Taneda, a mercurial part-time graphic designer with aspirations of making it big as a rock star. Feeling inert and with a desire to move on in life, Meiko unexpectedly quits her job and decides to find her bliss, which, for the moment, is being with her boyfriend. Taneda, following suit, decides to become serious about his artistic aspirations and decides to reunite his college band to give their music careers a fighting chance.

What transpires thereafter is a lovely and gorgeously rendered mediation on desire, love, self-actualization and contentment. We are placed face-to-face with our own doubts of what will happen in our lives, the fear of what may lay ahead, and the reality of the grinding work it takes to make labors of love come to life. It is told in the simple language of very real people, many of whom make poor choices, many of whose bravery of youth has dissipated into the conservatism of adulthood. Dreams are deferred to obligations and responsibilities, but every character in Solanin questions if they are truly happy.

Binding all of this together is Inio Asano's pen, using razor-sharp details and some of the most gorgeous landscapes I've ever seen. Asano's work is classic manga at its heart, at times veering to exaggerated physical expressions and body hysterics. But he is also rooted in realism, and his technical drawing skills are on the same, highly-impressive levels as Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame. A lofty comparison, but well-deserved in my opinion.

There have been countless books that offer the perspective of being young and thrown into the world of adulthood, yet few I have read have been so effortless, so graceful, and so completely honest with its characters and subject matter. The destiny that connects these characters are best exemplified in a single, delicate line that threads itself through the chapter pages of the book, a line that twists, bends and is even sometimes broken, but its simplicity, grace and water-like flow is always reassuring, always comforting. This is one of those stories where it is impossible not to care for its characters, because those characters represent everything that makes us as people relevant and wonderful. It's a story that will break your heart in a thousand different ways, and yet will heal you with its sincerity. I cannot recommend the book enough. Required reading for otaku and non-comic book readers alike. (less)

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Nov 06, 2010

Kendra rated it

Oh, this was lovely. I really enjoy stories like this where the beauty is not so much the events themselves but the way the story is told. The artwork is amazing; the backgrounds are filled with all of these tiny details that really brought the tale to life. The theme of finding yourself and tackling life post-college is something I can certainly identify with. Solanin doesn't try to force a message across though; it's just a story of some ordinary young adults. Definitely worth reading (and re-...more

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Jan 04, 2009

Lord rated it

Recommends it for: people who don't like manga

Shelves: manga, slice-of-life

I would put this manga somewhere among BECK, Nana and Tekkon Kinkreet. Both art and story are very original and are very close to european comics. What I don't like is the occasional use of photographic backgrounds but they are done well in this manga so I can't complain much. I must also praise the VIZ company for treating this manga in a special way. Bigger format, color pages and two volumes in one book for a nice price. Every manga lover should buy this book.

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Sep 16, 2010

Megan rated it

Shelves: comeing-of-age, music, manga

A book all about turning into an adult. With lovely illustrations we follow five college graduates as they struggle to align their youthful idealism and dreams about life with the reality of being an adult, struggling to understand their own personal version of happiness. Not phenomenal, not bad, a pinch sentimental and worth the read as this struggle will resonate with 20-30 somethings. For better or worse, the book was light on conclusions.

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Nov 18, 2010

Marianna rated it

Shelves: could-not-finish

I tried to read this, but I INTENSELY dislike any Japanese manga that goes on and on about how their society is full of sheep, blah blah blah, saying how they wish everyone would die and they would be willing to oblige. All I heard from the main character was "I can't stand the life I am FORCED to live." Whining. I had zero interest in the story. Or the heroine's journey to becoming a hammered down nail.

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Jul 28, 2011

Sarah Stumpf added it

I really liked this book. The art was lovely and I managed to both relate to the story and be annoyed by it. Which I suppose is kinda the point. Sometimes you want to encourage these characters to follow their dreams and sometimes you just want to kick them so they stop whining. But this story of disaffected youth with certainly ring somewhat true to any 20something unsure of life's meaning.

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Jul 11, 2011

Jay rated it

Shelves: manga

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 01, 2011

Kristina rated it

Shelves: borrowed, manga

So I asked my friend who reads manga to let me borrow some of her faves to see if I'd like any, and the first series I read was really fun and addicting, but this one was super boring to me. There were some parts I liked and could relate to but mostly I found myself skimming just to see what would happen. I'd give it a 1.5 probably

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Japanese: 浅野いにお

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avg rating	preview: Solanin Goodreads rating: 4.20 (447 ratings)
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Solanin (Solanin #1-2)

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