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RANKING EVERY SINGLE INIO ASANO WORK - A THREAD
Ever since I read Oyasumi Punpun, I have become completely entranced by Inio Asano's art and writing. It reached a point where I actually went out of my way to read everything he's ever written and has been translated to English.
Ever since I read Oyasumi Punpun, I have become completely entranced by Inio Asano's art and writing. It reached a point where I actually went out of my way to read everything he's ever written and has been translated to English.
And I'm happy to say I have succeeded in my endeavor, so I'm bringing y’all my Top 10 manga by him. But first, I wanna get an honorable mention out of the way, which is the excellent one-shot Tempest. I’m not ranking it since it’s not a manga, but it is a must-read.
#10 A GIRL ON THE SHORE
This is in my opinion his weakest work. Dealing with some uncomfortable topics, it is heavy on existentialism and intentionally pedantic (really), and although often misunderstood, it is far from perfect. Still an interesting read.
6/10
This is in my opinion his weakest work. Dealing with some uncomfortable topics, it is heavy on existentialism and intentionally pedantic (really), and although often misunderstood, it is far from perfect. Still an interesting read.
6/10
#9 NIJIGAHARA HOLOGRAPH
This is probably the one manga by Asano that relies the heaviest on symbolism. The nonlinear narrative makes it by far the most complex of his works outside of Punpun, when it comes to storytelling. An interesting read, but should be left for last.
7/10
This is probably the one manga by Asano that relies the heaviest on symbolism. The nonlinear narrative makes it by far the most complex of his works outside of Punpun, when it comes to storytelling. An interesting read, but should be left for last.
7/10
#8 BEFORE DAWN AND THE END OF THE WORLD
His first anthology. Asano's best one-shots outside of Tempest are on here, especially the really introspective Tokyo and the very funny A-ko the Daydreamer, where he flexes his top-tier character writing in only 16 pages.
7/10
His first anthology. Asano's best one-shots outside of Tempest are on here, especially the really introspective Tokyo and the very funny A-ko the Daydreamer, where he flexes his top-tier character writing in only 16 pages.
7/10
#7 CITY OF LIGHT
A transitional work in his career, that tells a lot about Asano's mindset and what was to come with Solanin. The Bus Stop chapters are particularly excellent, dealing with some pretty morbid themes in a very blasé sort of way.
7/10
A transitional work in his career, that tells a lot about Asano's mindset and what was to come with Solanin. The Bus Stop chapters are particularly excellent, dealing with some pretty morbid themes in a very blasé sort of way.
7/10
#6 DOWNFALL
Here, he really lays it on thick his feelings about the life of a manga author and the industry itself. Also serves as an exploration of what it means to be free, but antithetical to the way he'll explore the same exact idea in another one of his works...
8/10
Here, he really lays it on thick his feelings about the life of a manga author and the industry itself. Also serves as an exploration of what it means to be free, but antithetical to the way he'll explore the same exact idea in another one of his works...
8/10
#5 OZANARI-KUN
This is Asano at his most experimental and surreal, so not for everyone. I didn't expect to enjoy it this much, but it's so wacky and crazy and so much fun. No wonder he believes this to be his most complete work. Perry Uraga still lives.
8/10
This is Asano at his most experimental and surreal, so not for everyone. I didn't expect to enjoy it this much, but it's so wacky and crazy and so much fun. No wonder he believes this to be his most complete work. Perry Uraga still lives.
8/10
#4 WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
One of the most thematically consistent works by Asano, about the relentless pursuit of happiness. I liked how the "world" is the protagonist and the chapters are named Tracks like we're listening to a music recording and each chapter is a song.
8/10
One of the most thematically consistent works by Asano, about the relentless pursuit of happiness. I liked how the "world" is the protagonist and the chapters are named Tracks like we're listening to a music recording and each chapter is a song.
8/10
#3 DEAD DEAD DEMON'S DEDEDEDEDESTRUCTION
No surprises in my top 3 really. DDDD is where Asano's art peaks when it comes to pure technique. The characters and their dynamics are all so charming, especially the female co-protagonists, and you gotta love how meta it all feels
9/10
No surprises in my top 3 really. DDDD is where Asano's art peaks when it comes to pure technique. The characters and their dynamics are all so charming, especially the female co-protagonists, and you gotta love how meta it all feels
9/10
#2 SOLANIN
A deeply personal story that I think everyone should read. Asano also explores what it means to be free in this work, but in a very different manner from Downfall. Just incredible. If you wanna get started on his stuff, this is the manga to go for imo.
9/10
A deeply personal story that I think everyone should read. Asano also explores what it means to be free in this work, but in a very different manner from Downfall. Just incredible. If you wanna get started on his stuff, this is the manga to go for imo.
9/10
#1 GOODNIGHT PUNPUN
One of the greatest stories ever told, I feel like my mind is still trying to catch up to what I read even to this day. This is the finest storytelling I've ever seen in a manga and nothing comes even close. It's for fighting reality, not escaping it.
10/10
One of the greatest stories ever told, I feel like my mind is still trying to catch up to what I read even to this day. This is the finest storytelling I've ever seen in a manga and nothing comes even close. It's for fighting reality, not escaping it.
10/10
In conclusion, Inio Asano is in my opinion THE greatest mangaka. His character writing is top-notch, his storytelling is unrivaled, his art is boundary-pushing. He doesn't have a single black mark in his whole bibliography. Go read his stuff now. 
