Solanin - Inio Asano

Solanin has a rating for Older Teens and I’d say that’s probably about right for the subject, the themes and the manner in which they are handled in Inio Asano’s pleasant - perhaps even just a little too nice - manga story, but that’s not to say that the book doesn’t have attractions for a wider audience.

There’s a fair bit of soul-searching here, the story built around a young couple who have met in college and have ended up living together without really planning where they are going. Now 24 years of age, both of them wonder whether they have simply let their lives drift and lost sight of what it is they really want. Meiko realises that she isn’t cut out for mundane office work and suddenly quits her job, while her boyfriend Taneda who has been working as a freelance illustrator decides that it’s time to make a go of his dream to be a famous musician in a band. Deciding to shake-up their lives means however that Meiko and Taneda also have to consider whether they even should remain together.

That’s fairly humdrum as storylines go, taking in the obvious question of how or whether to make the leap into adulthood, as well as how to find true happiness while dealing with the little trials and upsets that life sends your way. The plot revolves however around a central incident that is a little bit contrived, but it does nonetheless propel the soul-searching themes meaningfully forward.

Solanin however is not also without some style and humour (band members Rip and Kato providing some welcome craziness) and the drawing is attractive, lively and expressive, striking a nice balance between cartoony and realistic. Written moreover by the author when she was the same age as the main character Meiko, there is certainly an authenticity to Inio Asano’s characterisation of young Japanese post-grads and the real challenges they face fitting into modern society.

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