Anime and manga are unique mediums of storytelling, offering uplifting tales of triumph, invigorating action, or epic adventuresalong which important life lessons are learned. Many of these stories have gained massive amounts of popularity and critical acclaim, eventually becoming household names around the world. And as us fans progress through our lives, so many of our favorite characters and stories remain close by, reminding us of the positive lessons we’ve learned. Inio Asano’sGoodnight Punpunis not one of those stories.
This isn’t to say that the tale of Punpun Onodera isn’t any of those things. In fact,Goodnight Punpunis one of themost popular and critically acclaimed seinen manga seriesto have ever been released, receiving nominations for several awards worldwide.Author Inio Asano recently had another of his works adapted into an anime, which could bring more curious eyes toGoodnight Punpunbut potential readers must be warned. Lessons are taught within its pages, but they are by no means uplifting or empowering.
I went into the series with extremely limited knowledge of its events, expecting an emotional, moving story that would leave me with a bittersweet sadness, like so many of my favorite series have. ButPunpunoffered only devastation and despair within its pages, and by the time I finished it, I hated it. As time went on, though, I found the events of the story constantly penetrating my psyche, and before long,it was all I could think about.Goodnight Punpuntaught me lessons that I never wanted to learn.
Goodnight Punpun is a Story of Innocence Lost
Punpun’s Childhood Trauma Shapes Him Into Adulthood
One of the mostcommon tropes in manga and anime is the tragic backstory. So often will a character experience some sort of traumatic event in their childhood, which instills important core values and beliefs thatact as pillars of the protagonist’s characterization. Whatever hardship suffered will act as fuel toward the character’s main goal, pushing them forward while they leave their mark on whomever they come into contact with.
These characters are often inspirational, ideal heroes.Goodnight Punpun, however, does not provide its main character with any saving grace. There is no great power to strive for, no shoulders of friends to stand on. Instead,Goodnight Punpunoffers only acold, unrelenting, realistic vision of the world we live in. A poignant section that still haunts me today is when Punpun and a childhood friend got lost, playing as children do. What should have been a fun, innocent memory was painted with distress when the friend was hit by a car.
Coming-of-age storiesoften play on their readers' nostalgia. As we watch our favorite characters grow, we are reminded of our own formative years, the memories we’ve made, and the people who shaped us.Punpunis like a nostalgia trip for all the negative experiences of childhood. Instead of warm reminders of the past, I was met only with events that once left me scarred. Unfortunately, tragedy isn’t always a springboard for success, and Punpun’s story shines a bright light on the nasty effects of childhood trauma.
Punpun is a Warning Against Falling Into Cycles of Abuse
The Onodera Family Has a Habit of Trading Scars
What truly blindsided me during my reading was just how horrible everyone in the titular character’s life was throughoutGoodnight Punpun, eventually including Punpun himself. His home life is a wreck; his mother is abusive, his father is absent, and his uncle is constantly trying but failing to get out of his own way. Each person in the Onodera household isboth a victim of abuse, and an abuser themselves.
Author Inio Asano walks a very thin line throughoutGoodnight Punpun, painting his characters as monsters capable of making others' lives a living hell, while attempting to make us, the audience, empathize with them. It’s difficult to watch this dysfunctional family consistently tear each other down, only to turn the page and find those same people experiencing some of the absolute worst that life has to offer. Each of them faces their own unspeakable trauma,and then turns around and passes it on to the next person.
Punpun’s father abandoned his family, and so his mother often takes her frustration out on Punpun. His uncle is jaded, and passes his warped worldview to Punpun when he is still far too young to understand it. His uncle’s girlfriend is distraught when he disappears out of the blue, and she goes on to abuse Punpun in unspeakable ways. Trauma, when not dealt with healthily, manifests itself in horrifying ways, andtheOnodera household is built on its habit of trading scars.
Punpun’s Story is Worth Reading, Despite How Difficult It May Be to Get Through
When I finally crossed the finish line ofGoodnight Punpun, I was drained and, admittedly, a little agitated too. I wanted nothing more than to put that final book on the shelf and forget all about it. I kept wondering why a story that serves little function other than to torture its own characters is so well renowned.Goodnight Punpunis ugly, and I hated it, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.
There are lessons to be learned inPunpun’s pages, however dark and difficult they may be. Life is not always a shōnen battle series or a rosy rom-com, sometimes it’s really hard. And thoughGoodnight Punpuntakes life’s difficulties to an extreme, the story isn’t all that unrealistic, barring the strange, semi-supernatural cult storyline. The story reminded me that dangers exist all around, and if we are not careful, it might be easy to fall into the many terrible decisions seen inGoodnight Punpun.
With a heavy content warning attached, I have finally come around to thinking that the series is worth a read. Stories like these exist largely to remind their readers to not become anything like its characters, and Inio Asano is able to communicate that masterfully while forcing some sympathy from his audience.Goodnight Punpunmay not be an enjoyable read in any sense, but it is one that is sure to stick with audiences in the same way it has for me, and for a long time at that.
