Solanin
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga
written and illustrated by Inio Asano
. It was serialised in Shogakukan
's Weekly Young Sunday
from 2005 to 2006. The manga is licensed and published in English by Viz Media
, in French by Kana
and in Taiwanese by Taiwan Tohan. The manga was nominated for the 2009 Eisner Award
for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan.
The manga was made into a live-action film, starring Aoi Miyazaki
as the female protagonist. It was released in Japan in April 2010.
Unhappy with the rhythm of their "normal" graduate lives, things change when two important decisions are made: Meiko decides to quit her job, and Taneda decides to devote time to write his first proper song for the band. Having broken free of their old routines, they now find themselves uncertain of where their new life will take them. Slowly, Meiko and Taneda come to embrace their unpredictable future together but an unexpected tragedy occurs, changing their lives and the lives of their friends forever.
. It was serialized in Shogakukan
's Weekly Young Sunday
from 2005 to 2006. Shogakukan
published the manga's two tankōbon
between December 5, 2005 and May 2, 2006. The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media
, which released the manga as a single volume on October 21, 2008. The manga is licensed in France by Kana
, and in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan, which released the manga's two tankōbon volumes between June 23, 2005 and September 24, 2006.
for Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Japan. It was nominated for the 2009 Harvey Award
for Best American Edition of Foreign Material. About.com
's Deb Aoki lists Solanin as the best new one-shot manga of 2008 along with Disappearance Diary
. Pop Culture Shock's Katherine Dacey criticises the manga's backgrounds, saying they look "like dioramas or collages". Deb Aoki from About.com commends the manga for capturing "the angst and uncertainty of a young adult's life with humor and heart." Mania.com's Greg Hackmann commends the author for his attention to detail "especially when it comes to the manga's many cramped urban settings". Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
's Lawerence T. comments on the manga "accepting what life has to offer".
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
written and illustrated by Inio Asano
Inio Asano
is a Japanese manga author. Asano created the acclaimed manga Solanin which was released as a feature film in Japan in April 2010, starring Aoi Miyazaki. He is known for his character driven, realist stories that range from slice of life stories to psychological horror...
. It was serialised in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's Weekly Young Sunday
Weekly Young Sunday
was a weekly manga magazine published by Shogakukan in Japan since the first issue on April 10, 1987. It replaced Shōnen Big Comic in Shogakukan's lineup of shōnen titles, and many of the titles in Shōnen Big Comic were continued in Young Sunday...
from 2005 to 2006. The manga is licensed and published in English by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
, in French by Kana
Kana (publisher)
Kana is a French publisher affiliated with Les Éditions Dargaud. Kana was founded in 1996 by Yves Schlirf. The company publishes manga in French and Dutch. Its headquarters are in the Dargaud offices in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.-External links:*...
and in Taiwanese by Taiwan Tohan. The manga was nominated for the 2009 Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan.
The manga was made into a live-action film, starring Aoi Miyazaki
Aoi Miyazaki
is a Japanese actress. She is best known for her pure image and roles such as in Nana and Virgin Snow. Her brother Masaru Miyazaki is an actor, and they starred together in the film Hatsukoi. She married Sosuke Takaoka on June 15, 2007, her partner since she was fifteen.-Career:Miyazaki started...
as the female protagonist. It was released in Japan in April 2010.
Story
Meiko and Taneda graduated from university two years ago. Having no real goals or direction, they step into society, clueless. Meiko works as an Office Lady to pay the rent for her apartment, while Taneda works as an illustrator in a press company, earning just enough to take some of Meiko's burden. While Taneda often meets up with his bandmates from their University days to jam, he still feels something is missing. His bandmates know what it is: they need to step out, promote themselves and let their songs be heard by a larger crowd; which has been their dream since their first meeting in their university's "Pop Music Club".Unhappy with the rhythm of their "normal" graduate lives, things change when two important decisions are made: Meiko decides to quit her job, and Taneda decides to devote time to write his first proper song for the band. Having broken free of their old routines, they now find themselves uncertain of where their new life will take them. Slowly, Meiko and Taneda come to embrace their unpredictable future together but an unexpected tragedy occurs, changing their lives and the lives of their friends forever.
Manga
Solanin was written and illustrated by Inio AsanoInio Asano
is a Japanese manga author. Asano created the acclaimed manga Solanin which was released as a feature film in Japan in April 2010, starring Aoi Miyazaki. He is known for his character driven, realist stories that range from slice of life stories to psychological horror...
. It was serialized in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's Weekly Young Sunday
Weekly Young Sunday
was a weekly manga magazine published by Shogakukan in Japan since the first issue on April 10, 1987. It replaced Shōnen Big Comic in Shogakukan's lineup of shōnen titles, and many of the titles in Shōnen Big Comic were continued in Young Sunday...
from 2005 to 2006. Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
published the manga's two tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
between December 5, 2005 and May 2, 2006. The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
, which released the manga as a single volume on October 21, 2008. The manga is licensed in France by Kana
Kana (publisher)
Kana is a French publisher affiliated with Les Éditions Dargaud. Kana was founded in 1996 by Yves Schlirf. The company publishes manga in French and Dutch. Its headquarters are in the Dargaud offices in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.-External links:*...
, and in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan, which released the manga's two tankōbon volumes between June 23, 2005 and September 24, 2006.
Reception
Solanin was nominated for the 2009 Eisner AwardEisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Japan. It was nominated for the 2009 Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for Best American Edition of Foreign Material. About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Deb Aoki lists Solanin as the best new one-shot manga of 2008 along with Disappearance Diary
Disappearance Diary
is a manga by Hideo Azuma and published by East Press in Japan in March 2005. The manga is a somewhat-fictionalized autobiography of part of the author's life. It has received multiple awards inside and outside of Japan...
. Pop Culture Shock's Katherine Dacey criticises the manga's backgrounds, saying they look "like dioramas or collages". Deb Aoki from About.com commends the manga for capturing "the angst and uncertainty of a young adult's life with humor and heart." Mania.com's Greg Hackmann commends the author for his attention to detail "especially when it comes to the manga's many cramped urban settings". Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County , is the public library system of the city of Charlotte and County of Mecklenburg in North Carolina- About :...
's Lawerence T. comments on the manga "accepting what life has to offer".