Quite a fascinating manga though by the end Punpun became a selfish insufferable bastard.
All of his attempts at finding meaning, hope and purpose are based upon extrinsic value that society judges important. He strives to be relevant in these aspects.
Whereas inside, Punpun as an individual is an empty husk finding solace from isolation, misery and escapism as he descends into a spiral of decadence, rationalising and excusing his disturbed fantasies as a normal pursuit of adulthood, a proper way of life as shown by his family and society.
It is how one should love, selfishly and recklessly. Control, expose and dominate. Emotions are a burden, feelings are a lie.
The tragedy of Punpun is that his parents, relatives and friends displayed and re-enforced this type of worldview and perception repeatedly. They showed that this is how one manages ups and downs in a healthy life, how one succeeds and finds love.
Oyasumi Punpun was just full consistent build up, great thematic exploration accompanied with masterful artwork, truly top class.
Yet this mangas many emotional moments felt off, the heart was missing. The atmosphere was tinged with apathy and nihilism, more immersed in exploration of thought and mind. It could be due to Punpuns character or the nature of work itself. All i know is that my mind was happy, heart was meh...
Also, the ending here was just low on optimism and positivity.
Still, I am glad i got to read it, probably read it again later.
If you find tragedy funny, you would enjoy this.
It is an absurd fictional work. A Penguin noir.🐧