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Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Manga Review: NonNonBa by Shigeru Mizuki


Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Release Date: 2012.
Volumes: 1.
Spoilers?: No.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The first English translation of Mizuki's best-loved work

NonNonBa is the definitive work by acclaimed Gekiga-ka Shigeru Mizuki, a poetic memoir detailing his interest in yokai (spirit monsters). Mizuki's childhood experiences with yokai influenced the course of his life and oeuvre; he is now known as the forefather of yokai manga. His spring 2011 book, Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, was featured on PRI's The World, where Marco Werman scored a coveted interview with one of the most famous visual artists working in Japan today.

Within the pages of NonNonBa, Mizuki explores the legacy left him by his childhood explorations of the spirit world, explorations encouraged by his grandmother, a grumpy old woman named NonNonBa. NonNonBa is a touching work about childhood and growing up, as well as a fascinating portrayal of Japan in a moment of transition. NonNonBa was the first manga to win the Angoulême Prize for Best Album. Much like its namesake, NonNonBa is at once funny and nostalgic, firmly grounded in a sociohistorical context and floating in the world of the supernatural.

Review:

This is a big, done-in-one volume of manga. Featuring Mizuki as a kid, the lessons regarding yokai from his grandmother, and how those played out in real life and in his imagination.
This was a really fun volume. We're introduced to some really interesting legends of yokai, and some odd yokai creatures. How they might portray in the real life. And all followed with his grandma, kind of a crazy old woman, but the kind that you love dearly.
It's based in a past time, and the art style is also more childish and not-modern, but in a really endearing way. Big circular heads and cute facial expressions. I quite enjoyed it, even though it's not something I would normally pick up.

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