not simple
Posted: January 16, 2010 Filed under: not simple 8 Comments »Natsume Ono – Viz – 2010 – 1 volume
Holy… just… what? That was one of the most depressing things I’ve ever read. Also, probably one of the best. They just don’t write them like this.
The narrative is a little strange, starting at the very end and then going all the way back through the life story of Ian, and then the epilogue is a major event that was skipped in the main narrative. Ian’s days are numbered, and for more reasons than it first seems. Actually, not an awful lot about this story is as it seems. It will start off with disturbing subject matter, and then somehow twist it so that it gets even more disturbing when we learn the truth of a situation. Themes of incest, sexual assault, murder, alcoholism, STDs, prison sentences, divorce, death, and child abuse come up at various points in the story, and are dealt with in a more serious and somehow offhanded way than I’ve ever seen.
Ian himself carries the story. I don’t really want to describe the plot since it will spoil it, but it’s enough to say that it’s simply the sad life of Ian. Ian is a quiet boy of few words that has the most terrible things happen to him, but he takes everything as it comes without a sound. Usually the points of these stories is to rail against injustice, but Ian doesn’t do that. It wouldn’t do Ian much good anyway, since he has very little say about what happens to him as a child, and has no say whatsoever what happens to those around him when he gets older. But despite all the terrible things, there’s something very solid in Ian. People seem to find strength in him, and his sole friend describes him as being upbeat and pure, but not simple, despite how rarely Ian speaks or shows emotion. Because he is quiet, he tends to be a loner, and the only people that speak to him are relatives, a friend of his sister, and one man who decides to be a friend to him. Well, there’s a second friend too, but it’s the first man, a reporter who meets Ian when he becomes a track star, that stays his friend until the end. He doesn’t have many words or any comfort to offer Ian, and others think that he may just be in love… but it doesn’t seem anything like that. He’s just… there for Ian, as he searches the United States state by state for his missing sister. He’s a friend. He also eventually writes a novel about Ian’s life, which is supposedly the story we’re reading. Eventually there is someone that Ian may be falling in love with, but there are various reasons it can never be, and the reasons are unfortunately not the most obvious ones.
It’s just a depressing read. It becomes more and more of a downer as the story continues, and it finishes on the saddest note imaginable. The sad note is something we know from the first chapter, but it becomes even more crushing when we find out everything behind it. But the nicest thing that happens to Ian is saved for last, so the story doesn’t end on an entirely bleak note. And the story uses all this sadness for positive ends, because the themes are ultimately about being happy with what you have and keeping your loved ones close. It’s a bleak way of saying it, but still excellent. I love stories like this (though I hesitate to call this “realistic,” like the works of Inio Asano), and I think this made a complete Natsume Ono convert out of me. I am very much looking forward to her other works coming out in English (Ristorante Paradiso, Gente, and House of Five Leaves), but I have to say, I’m not sure how any of them will ever surpass the power of this story.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
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It made me want to go hug my mom pretty tightly.
Ristorante Paradiso has similar themes but is far more upbeat and jovial with them. Not as impactful as this, but just as enjoyable or maybe more as it’s not as downbeat. I am very much looking forward to Gente now, and House of Five Leaves.
I just got Ristorante Paradiso in the mail. I haven’t started it yet, but I am happy to hear that it’s more upbeat. I loved not simple, and the themes were handled incredibly well for what they were, but man, I don’t know if I could take another whole volume of something like that.
I’m still torn on whether to read House of Five Leaves on Ikki online or wait for the graphic novel. I feel like I should hit up the Ikki website more since I’ve only sampled bits and pieces of what’s there, but those series make for nice graphic novels, too.
Well the ending of Ristorante is definitely a happy one, so look forward to it. It has a nice bonus chapter too, about the characters on their days off.
I read two chapters of HoFL and it’s good so far, about a rather unintimidating ronin getting lulled into a bad gang. I’ll wait to read the rest in book form, I think it’ll be worth it. Not that you need me to tell you that.
I have however succumbed to weakness and read the entirety of both Saturn Apartments (very very good, cute art) and Kingyo Used Books (entertaining, all about obscure manga titles we’ll never get to read) online, which I’ll be getting both of come release date. I bought Dorohedoro without reading it first and that was surprisingly funny and also gory. I recommend checking those three if you decide to dabble.
SigIKKi can’t fail so far in my eyes. Although that Turtle comic seems quite uninteresting.
I’ve been skipping around a little bit on Ikki, though Children of the Sea was the one I read the biggest chunk of. I’ve read the first couple chapters of Kingyo Used Books, but since I work in a used bookstore, some of the customer details just struck me as hilariously unlikely. I did like it though, and I think I’ll probably wait until that’s out in book form to read the rest. I also read the first chapter or two of Bokurano: Ours after hearing good things about it some time ago, but it wasn’t to my liking.
Saturn Apartments was one I was on the fence about, but I think that will be a definite purchase when it comes out. I passed over Dorohedoro since it sounded like it could go badly, but I didn’t realize it was funny. Is it a dark sense of humor? That could get very interesting. I think I will try that one out online.
I’m also hoping that the first volumes of some of the Ikki series hook me enough that I’ll be more inclined to sample from the website more. It is a real shame I don’t take free awesome manga when it’s offered, but I really do dislike reading on the computer, and there are few series, legal and otherwise, that I like well enough to read online.
Very dark humour! I was worried that Dorohedoro would be unrelentingly bleak and depressing but it surprised me to find most of the characters are more interested in goofing off or making wisecracks than pursuing plot points. The bad guys even spend a chapter getting ready for a meal to discuss their plans for the lizard man.
I can see how it could get bleaker or heavier plot wise but seeing as the last chapter online features a scene with Caiman – the lizard man – being given his dismembered head in a plastic bag by the town doctor, probably not by much. If that sounds funny then you will very probably like it, the tone’s similar throughout. Plus the book has some coloured pages too, like with Pluto. Bonus!
Yeah, I completely prefer to read offline. If it’s a web-only scan with no chance of publishing I’ll read it online but wishing it was on paper somewhere. It’s harder to lose a book than it is a zip file.
Actually, yes, that sounds exactly like the kind of story I love. I really, really need to check that out. Just placed an order for the first volume.
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