Goodnight Punpun Omnibus, Vol. 4

Goodnight Punpun Omnibus #4

by Inio Asano

Punpun is having a coming-of-age story, but look out—his slice-of-life adolescence slices back.

This is Punpun Onodera’s coming-of-age story. His parents’ marriage is falling apart. His dad goes to jail, and his mom goes to the hospital. He has to live with his loser uncle. He has a crush on a girl who lives in a weird cult. Punpun tries talking with God about his problems, but God is a jerk. Punpun keeps hoping things will get better, but they really, really don’t.

Like most kids his age, Punpun is in high school. In fact, he made it into the best high school in town. He is such a good student. He studies so he doesn’t have to think about his life. Maybe a meteor will crash into Earth and destroy everything.
A guy can wish, Punpun…

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

456 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2017

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

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder to me that small acts of kindness can have effects on people that I may never be able to imagine. Hugs incoming.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Punpun. He's his own worst enemy, yes, but the deck's also stacked pretty heavily against him - from his horrible childhood to the fact that his uncle married his rapist (who can't take a hint and leave him alone) to both his and society's inability to understand his mental illness, Punpun is a quietly ticking time bomb. With the cult storyline taking on a bigger role, I begin to wonder if Punpun will make it out okay - and if, at this point, that's even possible.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

We are back to square one where I am not a big fan of this series, just as I started to feel like I was grasping this story.

[Phu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuộc sống đầy áp lực và lo toang đang đến. Punpun đang cố gắng bắt đầu một cuộc sống tự lập, nhưng có vẻ nó lại hỗn độn. Cũng là lúc cậu làm quen với cô họa sĩ Sachi Nanjou. Giữa họ đân hình thành nên sự mập mờ khó nói. Mình đã đoán được Nanou chính là cô gái đã từng xuất hiện ở nhà máy miso, khi vết thương trêm trán được tiết lộ, chỉ là mình không ngờ Nanjou phẫu thuật thẩm mỹ.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Punpun’s relationship with Nanjo was good but the Good Vibrations stuff was awful, I hated the section where Punpun was drawn as a pyramid and the side characters were much weaker in this volume. Definitely the weakest so far in the series, but I’m still invested in Punpun’s story.

[Clara Levi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe… just maybe… we can be done.

[Whitney Jamimah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel kind of bad giving this volume 4 stars because nothing hugely tragic happened to our main all star Punpun but, hey, it is what it is. I am still hugely enjoying this series but compared to the revelations we got in volume 3 this one was just a little bit of a quieter moment in Punpun's life and that's ok, none of us need to be in turmoil all day every day and it was nice to see Punpun having some halfway decent times. The chapter there there was Sachi's birthday and everyone was chillin was definitely heart warming. We'll see how long that lasts...

[Janani Sree Ganesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars for zero character development of literally every character in this manga

[Amir · Rating 4 out of 5]

الف.
در قسمتی از داستان، پون‌پون غرق در بیهودگی و بی‌تفاوتی، روزمرگی‌ش رو بی‌هدف طی می‌کنه. تا اینکه به‌طور تصادفی (و یا شاید سرنوشت؟) یگانه عشق زندگی‌ش رو بعد از مدت‌ها دوری برای لحظه‌ای بین انبوهی از جمعیت می‌بینه. همین برخورد ساده باعث می‌شه تا نیرویی بی‌نظیر در پون‌پون شکل بگیره و زندگی‌ش رو هدفمند کنه. پون‌پون هر روز و هرشب توی خیابون‌های شهر می‌چرخه بلکه دوباره چشمش به اون زن بیفته و شاید حسش رو بهش بگه. رویای زندگی مشترک با اونه که بیدار نگهش می‌داره.

ب.
در بخش دیگری، نانجو که گذشته‌ای مثل پون‌پون داره، از پون‌پون ایراد می‌گیره که چرا چنین اهمال‌کاره و هیچ کاری انجام نمی‌ده. پون‌پون هم الف رو برای نانجو تعریف می‌کنه. نانجو هم جواب خوبی داره. "شاید تو نمی‌خوای اون رو پیدا کنی." چرا که پون‌پون ارتباطات و دیتای قابل‌توجه‌ای برای پیدا کردن محل زندگی اون زن داره و با این حال اقدام نمی‌کنه و فقط شهر رو روزانه قدم‌رو اسکن می‌کنه. عشق پون‌پون که حقیقیه پس چرا کاری نمی‌کنه؟ چون پون‌پون از آسیب‌زدن و آسیب‌دیدن می‌ترسه. از اینکه ممکنه چی پیش بیاد وحشت داره. از اینکه باز ناامیدش کنه یا ناامید بشه نگرانه. از اینکه دلش رو بشکنه یا دل خودش بشکنه. همین می‌شه که انگار ناخواسته عشقش رو بروز نمی‌ده. اون عشق سالم و زنده‌ست ولی توی قفس حبسه.

[caoimhin · Rating 5 out of 5]

calm before the storm I assume.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 210/300

content warnings: sexual assault (past), mental illness, stalking (mentioned, side character), alcohol

in this fourth installment of goodnight punpun, punpun is learning how to be on his own as an adult. he technically has a job, but it doesn’t pay very well. he’s perhaps the loneliest he’s ever been, with even “God” appearing less in this volume. this was a great continuation of the series. punpun seemed even more emotionally withdrawn than normal, but he ended up making a friend who i think will help draw him out of that. it seems like maybe he’s found something positive to focus on, but there are three volumes left, so i’m not going to be too hopeful. i’m also very curious about the cult subplot (which is creeping closer and closer to the main plot). i wonder how this will affect punpun in future volumes.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I don't want a manga to make me forget about reality. I want a manga that makes me face reality."

This citation from the book describes it in a nutshell.

This is story that reminds us how fucked up life can be, but putting us in the place of the observer, gives us a different point of view on things.

Things look differently when we feel in the first person or as a 3rd person observing, so I think this story can actually help us better understand some aspects of life.

Inio Asano's art is simply too good to describe. One of the masters of our time, for sure.

Masterpiece.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

definitely the lightest volume in the oyasumi punpun series. it's nice even in the dark stuff, and I love sachi nanjou SO MUCH! it's interesting to think about punpun's state on mind in this volume considering the turn the series takes. to me, one of the most relatable characters ever.

I still have a lot of trouble with how they decided to divide the volumes and how they don't match the different parts of the story

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

PunPun is so happy. Will it last though?!

[Trevor Abbott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m so over this series

See you soon volume 5

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After four omnibus volumes, Goodnight Punpun finally got me. In its crazy monologues and juvenile perversions, every beautifully drawn page of this manga resonates real life, both in the mind and heart, and the one that manifests in the world. It is sad, mundane, promising, arrogant, simple, apathetic, and intimate all at the same time. Inio Asano perfectly encapsulates all these thoughts in his writing and art.

Perhaps the one character that captivates me the most, and the reason why OP finally got me is Sachi Nanjo. While her background and secrets are talked about very scarcely, her character gives a grounded and pragmatic pov, a slightly jollier character that made Punpun gravitate towards her. And I love her and Punpun's dynamic. It might be a deliberate shift by Inio Asano from the previous girls Midori, Kanie, and Aiko, but I welcome the freshness of Sachi's personality nonetheless. It gave Punpun the much needed character development, and an overall lightheartedness in the story.

Oyasumi Punpun tells its readers, at least for me, that we have all been there, in our youthful days, full of immature conceit, half-baked philosophies, and unsatiable perversions that made myself reflect a life that I have. Not life-changing reflections, but more of a look-back to who I was years ago. And it was great! No matter what happened. Because of this, I am thankful to have read this manga. You should, too.

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sachi y Punpun 🥹✨
PD: que ilu verlos crecer a todos, tanto Punpun como sus antiguos amigos y conocidos

[Angie Ospino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó ver un poco sobre la vida y el pasado del tío de Punpun. Ese hombre me agrada mucho, aunque a veces es un poco raro.

[Emre Yavuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bu cilt çok tutuk başlasa da bir anda su gibi akmaya başlıyor.

[V.S. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will a Goodnight Punpun volume ever get less than 5 stars from me? Probably not.
That said, I felt like I particularly enjoyed this volume - having read it while I waited for my plane to take off (storms were brewing).
The plot of volume 4 felt very focused and I loved the reintroduction of Sachi Nanjo from Volume 3. While it's true that Punpun's life is, and probably always will be, a complete mess, it felt like he turned a corner in this volume and that made me happy. I've come to think of Punpun as one of my favourite imaginary book friends and I genuinely want him to do well out of life. Even when I felt like I was reading Bakuman towards the end of the volume, I didn't mind because I love Bakuman.
They key thing about Punpun, in this volume and any others, is that I can feel the shitty realness of it. While Punpun's life in no way mirrors my younger years, I'm sure they mirror somebody's and I love that Punpun himself is basically an arsehole as it's so common for the protagonist to appear a demigod striding among mortals. Punpun is an arsehole and will probably always be an arsehole, I love him for that.
What really got me about this volume was the reappearance of Aiko -albeit brief. I was worried that Asano was slowly pushing her away - something that was important to Punpun in his youth but not something that had any place in his nearly-adult life. To know that Aiko is still a part of Punpun's world makes me want to read this story even more. I suppose that part of the story I can relate to. Some people in life have a hold on you that never goes away. Poor Punpun, we've all been there!
Can't wait to read volume 5!

[Plagued by Visions · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this volume can’t help but feel like the preamble of something truly sinister about to come, nonetheless I enjoyed the ephemeral feel of this particular section of the story: the delicateness with which it is told, moments so fragile they can break at any second, and yet, even if darkness looms ahead, there’s a genuine beauty and tenderness here that the author never loses track of. Definitely the least dark installment thus far, but there is still plenty here that unsettles. This was a much more introspective section of the story, in which we see Punpun’s interiority, his own struggles with identity and behavioral issues. I predict there are terrible things in store, and yet this was a nice “breather” that really showcased a lot more of Asano’s visual and storytelling creativity than previous volumes.

[Rahul · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Star

Surely a much positive volume, considering the dire emotional state of its characters. All the crisis are all around, but the character seemed to continue on with living. Looking forward to volume 5.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

probably my favorite volume of this as of yet. in this one, punpun becomes a pyramid and you actually feel happy for him, which is weird for this series!

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

O início foi um pouco arrastado, talvez porque passou algum tempo da leitura do volume anterior, e acho que é o traço e as técnicas para representar a personagem Punpun que me dão ânimo para continuar a ler a saga. Sendo esta uma personagem depressiva, socialmente inapta e irracionalmente complicada, torna-se difícil segui-la, é exaustivo ver as suas falhas e a sua incapacidade para gostar de si próprio. Penso que este volume é o mais feliz de todos, onde parece que o Punpun conseguee estabelecer uma relação positiva. No entanto, conhecendo a personagem e o seu passado complicado, sabemos que a Aiko não saiu da sua cabeça e que algo vem aí para o destruir (ele próprio, pois é, e todos os seus traumas (quase como se fossem de estimação)). Como alguém que acredita que é preciso sempre continuar, é difícil compreender como é que alguém fica tão apegado a pessoas da sua infância/adolescência e difícil aceitar que é incapaz de viver porque sim, porque está vivo e o merece por si só. Posto isto, preparo-me para a desgraça. Não recomendo esta série a quem não gosta de ter contacto com a podridão da alma humana.

[Rita Neves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Algo que me faz adorar toda esta saga é também a maneira como nos põe em contacto com as filosofias de vida de cada personagem e como cada uma vê a sua vida e a condição humana no geral, e o mais engraçado é perceber sempre que todas elas são válidas e fazem sentido.
Ensina-nos a ser mais tolerantes perante os outros e as suas ideias, porque estas também não surgem do nada e nunca poderemos ter a convicção que a nossa maneira de ver as coisas é que é a mais correta (em especial quando falamos de coisas tão abstratas). No fim, seguimos o que faz mais sentido para nós, e tal não quer dizer que é o que faz mais sentido para os outros!

[Kesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good decision to start reading Goodnight Punpun again .

[Jordan Tomasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite so far but still good!

[Casper Paaske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Sachi.

[lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

de depressie stopt gewoon niet…

[Raissa Fabretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

"... mas sua própria existência.. era tão insignificante como um grão de poeira flutuando pelos céus.."

:(