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Welcome, one and all, friends of ADTRW! Please allow this humble servant to indulge his fancy for a moment and introduce you to one of my favorite genres of manga, what I shall call Absurd Daily Life. This is a "genre" - if it can be called that - involving stories which take place in the humdrum modern world, except for some kind of oddity or surrealism that somehow manages to inject itself into the characters' lives, oftentimes with amusing results. Here are the thread's Top Picks of 2014! Please feel free to talk about them, and list others that you know of! Sumire 16-Sai!  Sumire Yotsuya is an ordinary high school girl. She's cute, peppy, and super-energetic. And she's totally thrilled to be going to high school. She'd be fairly normal, except for one crucial difference: she's actually a puppet controlled by a middle-aged ventriloquist. When she (he?) suddenly makes an appearance on the first day of school, every single student in the classroom shows their shock -- one of the main gags of this manga is how every single sane person seems to notice that their classmate is a puppet, and the students even refer to Sumire as "Old man". Yet one of the wonderful things about this manga, is that it's more than just reaction gags (which are funny in and of themselves). It's about friendship. It's a manga that actually has a very warm heart, below the surface absurdity of a middle-aged puppeteer attending high school with a puppet. Though the old man is often beat up by delinquents, or suffers accidents and pranks, he always gets back up and never breaks character, never says a word. And, over the course of the manga (and its My Neighbor Seki   A light, sweet, and amazingly hilarious short skit series, this story is about a girl named Yokoi who sits next to a boy named Seki near the back of the class. Seki has some strange habits. For one thing, he's never paying attention in class. In fact, he seems to spend all his time in class playing with stuff at his desk, and here is where most of the humor of this series happens. It's really funny to see all the wacky things that Seki builds on his desk, magically never getting caught by his teachers. Yokoi invariably gets drawn into whatever incredible scene Seki is building and lets her overactive imagination get the better of her, with comical results. Although the humor and characterization is simple and formulaic, it's a winning formula for sure, and has kept me consistently entertained all through its short run. The next three have a mature content warning, since there's a few risque scenes, but it's nothing really creepy or overly sexual. Do exercise caution when reading  manga!Voynich Hotel   A work by the inimitable Douman Seiman, Voynich Hotel introduces us to the spooky (and kooky) characters of the eponymous Voynich Hotel, located on an island somewhere south of Japan. Seiman merges the mundane with the surreal with his unique artistic style vaguely reminiscent of Tim Burton by way of Mike Mignola's sumptuous angular inking, and the characters' easygoing approaches to the absurd lend it a sense of magical realism! Centaur's Worries   DO NOT let the first chapter fool you! In fact, it's probably a good idea to skip it entirely. This isn't just another run-of-the-mill story about cute monster girls running around being moe. No, in fact, Kei Murayama uses the format and his wonderfully unique art style as a platform to tell a fascinating story about daily life in a multicultural, multi-species world, as a way to slyly get across some truly progressive messages about racial tolerance, diversity, and awareness for the handicapped. It's a strangely-realistic world populated by Centaurs, Angels, Devils, Satyrs, and other half-human creatures. A fascinating read. Midori Days   One day, local tough-guy hoodlum Seiji Sawamura, famed for his devastating "Devil's Right Hand", wakes up to find that his famed right hand has been replaced by a green-haired girl from the waist up. The girl is named Midori, and she's had a crush on him for a while now. While she's strangely ecstatic to finally be so close to him, he's profoundly alarmed that his hand has... well.. become a girl. As any sane person would! And so begins the story of two characters brought together by a most unusual circumstance. It's actually quite a heartwarming tale, and far less creepy than the premise would have you imagine! Finally we have... Legend of an Angel (Angel Densetsu)   It's essentially a manga about a guy with a really scary face, but a really good heart. People constantly mistake him for a criminal or a monster, run off, hit him, or yell at him, but despite it all, he manages to make friends despite all the strange misunderstandings. There starts to be an emphasis on fights and battles a few chapters in, but it never really gets into the pitfalls that most fighting manga tend to fall for. By the author of Claymore. Honorable Mention One of the thread's many, many, many children, this was voted one of the thread's top faves, but since it got its own thread, suffice to say that the link is here too! Hinamatsuri   It's the story of a psychokinetic girl who appears in the life of a Yakuza middle-manager named Nitta. She's a complete spacey idiot, who has apparently lived her entire life in some sort of lab, and has now escaped into normal society. Madness ensues! However, it's much much more than just that! It ends up being the daily, slightly surreal, always heartwarming story of the folks around her as well. Very recommended! Go to the thread and read it! DrSunshine fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Mar 26, 2014 |
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Aug 20, 2012 03:44
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How can you not have Saint Young Men? It's Jesus and Siddartha Buddha loving around in Tokyo. That's all that needs to be said. Apparently it's licensed?
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Aug 20, 2012 04:35
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MadRhetoric posted:How can you not have Saint Young Men? It's Jesus and Siddartha Buddha loving around in Tokyo. That's all that needs to be said. Apparently it's licensed? That's why I invited folks to recommend their own! I totally forgot about this, but Saint Young Men is incredible. Buddha keeps attracting birds and things, and Jesus accidentally turns water to wine. It's great! And for some reason I keep imagining their voices as super  lisps...
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Aug 20, 2012 04:47
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A New chapter of Seki-Kun! This is the greatest surreal daily life manga. I think Seki's doing it just to see Yokoi's reactions.
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Aug 24, 2012 01:23
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Sumire 16-Sai has the kind of lovely artwork that makes me wonder how it even got published in the first place, but... ...I can't... ...stop... ...reading it... 
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Aug 24, 2012 09:58
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I am loving Sumire AND The Wandering Girls. Thank you OP.
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Aug 24, 2012 22:51
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Thanks for reminding me of Sumire-sai!, I had that marked "to read" forever now but had completely forgotten about it. What a crazy premise for a story. I think I like it! As a bonus, I found this over in the PYF cosplay thread: 
a kitten fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Aug 25, 2012 |
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Aug 25, 2012 15:42
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I guess I could mention the Daily Lives of High School Boys, but we already have a thread for that.
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Aug 25, 2012 15:52
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Kleptobot posted:I guess I could mention the Daily Lives of High School Boys, but we already have a thread for that. Mmm, it's not as obviously "odd" as Sumire or St. Young Men, though. I'm more thinking about manga that have some weird, actually real element in them. Speaking of, if you haven't read it, you certainly must give it a try. Here is a small sample of the sort of humor it contains. Saint Young Men  Jesus runs a movie review blog. Somehow the concept just tickles me. 
DrSunshine fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Aug 25, 2012 |
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Aug 25, 2012 16:17
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Regarding Sumire, what happened to Subaru Tamiya? Did he die or transfer to a different school? It seems like he never appeared again after Chapter 13 or 14.
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Aug 25, 2012 18:26
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DrSunshine posted:Sumire Yotsuya is an ordinary high school girl. She's cute, peppy, and super-energetic. And she's totally thrilled to be going to high school. She'd be fairly normal, except for one crucial difference: she's actually a puppet controlled by a middle-aged ventriloquist. When she (he?) suddenly makes an appearance on the first day of school, every single student in the classroom shows their shock -- one of the main gags of this manga is how every single sane person seems to notice that their classmate is a puppet, and the students even refer to Sumire as "Old man". This could definitely be one of the more screwed up things I've read out of Japan, and considering this is Japan we're talking about that's saying something. I've read like every chapter without even realizing it... This is way too drat addicting.
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Aug 25, 2012 19:41
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DrSunshine posted:
Oh by the way, Sumire 17 isn't a sequel but a prequel of sorts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeru_Nagayoshi posted:
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Aug 25, 2012 20:34
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Liar posted:This could definitely be one of the more screwed up things I've read out of Japan, and considering this is Japan we're talking about that's saying something. I've read like every chapter without even realizing it... This is way too drat addicting. You are telling me. I marathoned all of it in the last day. I just couldn't pull my eyes away from it. JosephWongKS posted:Regarding Sumire, what happened to Subaru Tamiya? Did he die or transfer to a different school? It seems like he never appeared again after Chapter 13 or 14. And he came back during the last chapter. That's even more jarring than if he'd totally never returned at all. JosephWongKS fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Aug 25, 2012 |
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Aug 25, 2012 21:13
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JosephWongKS posted:You are telling me. I marathoned all of it in the last day. I just couldn't pull my eyes away from it. I'd say my favorite thing about this whole manga is how people transition into seeing Sumire as a normal person. In any first encounter "she's" just a still puppet with a creepy guy behind her, but slowly the guy fades away and instead people see facial expressions and a full range of emotion. For example...  Also any time the old man's perverse nature creeps into things in absolutely hilarious, like with his love of bloomers.
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Aug 25, 2012 22:15
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Liar posted:I'd say my favorite thing about this whole manga is how people transition into seeing Sumire as a normal person. In any first encounter "she's" just a still puppet with a creepy guy behind her, but slowly the guy fades away and instead people see facial expressions and a full range of emotion. For example... It's extra amazing to me because the guy just doesn't seem to be all that technically skilled at drawing. Yet in spite of that, the art does exactly what it needs to do and does it really well.
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Aug 25, 2012 22:31
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JosephWongKS posted:Oh by the way, Sumire 17 isn't a sequel but a prequel of sorts. Spoiler: Sumire 16 was made after 17, but 17 actually takes place after 16, the ending of 16 ties them up, it's pretty cool.
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Aug 26, 2012 00:22
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a kitten posted:It's extra amazing to me because the guy just doesn't seem to be all that technically skilled at drawing. Yet in spite of that, the art does exactly what it needs to do and does it really well. Tell me about it. When I saw this page I nearly balled like a little girl. http://i.imgur.com/SFuLX.png Liar fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Aug 26, 2012 |
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Aug 26, 2012 01:15
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Liar posted:Tell me about it. When I saw this page I nearly balled like a little girl. You should spoil that, it's like the best part of the entire manga! EDIT: It is such an amazing page, though. It makes me choke up in my throat even now. So touching. 
DrSunshine fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Aug 26, 2012 |
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Aug 26, 2012 02:48
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DrSunshine posted:You should spoil that, it's like the best part of the entire manga! I didn't think to do that because there was no context of where it came from in the manga, or why the old man was even reacting that way. But I'll spoiler it anyway because honestly when a first time reader stumbles on that page in the series I'd love for them to react like I did. I wish I could think of a series to add content to this thread. I don't know if Angel Densetsu would really count. It does wrap its self completely around one person having an absurd face that makes people pretty much poo poo themselves with fear, but it's not at all surreal.
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Aug 26, 2012 03:55
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Ohmigosh! I loved that series! That made me crack up so much from laughter-- it's hard to believe that he went from that to Claymore. I think that an allowance can be made for it given that gag of his face being so terrifying. It's more the themes of "intrusion of something odd into daily life" and a certain type of reaction that makes this genre, I think. The idea for this thread was to find daily life comedies that're slightly unhinged, or sort of "weird" in some way, and I think Angel Densetsu fits the bill-- and is another one of those mangas that seem to be overlooked.
DrSunshine fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Aug 26, 2012 |
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Aug 26, 2012 04:04
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Holy poo poo, this is great. I am literally angry with rage that I have to stop reading and sleep.
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Aug 26, 2012 07:31
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Sumire is so great. I honestly could not stop reading it after I started! Any plot with Sakura and Sumire just made me die laughing, especially Sakura's puppeteer running away all the time after she picks fights.
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Aug 26, 2012 10:30
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It's been so long since I've read Angel Densetsu. I think it's time I reread it! I think this image pretty much sums it up.  The art is kind of wonky-looking at first, but the humor makes up for it. Weird, that so many of the "Absurd Daily Life" manga that have been recommended have slightly bad art! I wonder if that is "a thing"?
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Aug 26, 2012 14:39
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DrSunshine posted:Weird, that so many of the "Absurd Daily Life" manga that have been recommended have slightly bad art! I wonder if that is "a thing"? Art tends to improve as series continue. Look at something like One Piece. And most of the series in this category are on the shorter side, so it's not like the artist had time to really develop their skills. I consider that a good thing. Series with silly premises that get dragged out for too long get boring and repetitive, but these guys know when to end when the emotional level is at its' height.
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Aug 26, 2012 14:51
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I don't usually read mangas, but I might as well read something funny if I'm actually going to. So I decided to start with Sumire, what the gently caress am I reading and why is it so amazing?  This thing is awesome, I'm enjoying it a lot so far.
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Aug 26, 2012 17:40
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drat, I saw there was a second Surmie series, but it didn't pan out. Too bad, but really I imagine all that needed to be covered had been covered in the original series unless the author intended to further explore the old man... Which would somehow detract from everything in my opinion.
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Aug 26, 2012 18:13
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I just finished reading Sumire, and I... I... ...what's wrong with me? (does anyone know if there are any subs for the live action series?)
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Aug 26, 2012 23:14
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I'm really digging the art style of the Hating Girl. it's so clean and minimalist compared to what I've been reading recently. Sumire too is also enjoyable.
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Aug 26, 2012 23:47
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Rexides posted:I just finished reading Sumire, and I... I... Nothing wrong with that, it had a really nice ending for something with such a weird concept. I started The Hating Girl not too long ago, I don't know why I like the absurd poo poo that's going on in this one and in Sumire, but it's keeping me occupied. 
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Aug 27, 2012 00:48
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Fighting Falken posted:Nothing wrong with that, it had a really nice ending for something with such a weird concept. I'm at Chapter 52 of Hating Girl now, and it manages the impressive feat of somehow being even weirder than Sumire. Nose-hair girl 
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Aug 27, 2012 09:50
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Sumire 16-Sai is fascinating and ridiculous and strangely hopeful. It has no reason for being as good as it is.
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Aug 27, 2012 11:05
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Just finished marathoning all of Hating Girl in a day too. It would have been great if it ended at Chapter 85. The way he talked her into sex in Chapter 86 when she was so uncomfortable with it feels rather icky.
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Aug 27, 2012 11:12
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Aaaaand I've finished all of Tonari no Seki kun as well. This is a great series - I had a grin on my face during every chapter and broke into outright laughter when Seki brought out the cats. Seki's intense concentration and elaborate plans, and Yokoi's flights of imagination, make for a fantastic combination.
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Aug 27, 2012 12:34
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Soulcleaver posted:Sumire 16-Sai is fascinating and ridiculous and strangely hopeful. It has no reason for being as good as it is. To me, Sumire feels like it's the very essence of what a shonen manga is meant to be. Shonen manga should be fun and full of boundless optimism, and it should convey a hopeful and positive social or moral message. EDIT: On a side note, I'm glad folks are enjoying the mangas I've linked here! Nice to see that there's an audience for these. I think that this: Fighting Falken posted:what the gently caress am I reading and why is it so amazing? ... pretty much encapsulates the feeling that's supposed to hook you and keep you wanting more. I almost should've named the thread "Surreal Daily Life Mangas: What The gently caress Am I Reading And Why Is It So Amazing?" if it weren't too many characters. EDIT2: Incidentally, the more I reread Angel Densetsu the more I realize that Clare and Raki are just reincarnated Ikuno and Leo.  Ikuno is so cool, I like her a lot. The wind's always blowing and ruffling her skirt and hair in an overly dramatic fashion, and it's hilarious how she's utterly calm and straightforward all the time, even to the point of absurdity. She's cool-- so cool that she's stupid.  Hahaha! DrSunshine fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Aug 27, 2012 |
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Aug 27, 2012 14:25
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DrSunshine posted:Ikuno is so cool, I like her a lot. The wind's always blowing and ruffling her skirt and hair in an overly dramatic fashion, and it's hilarious how she's utterly calm and straightforward all the time, even to the point of absurdity. She's cool-- so cool that she's stupid.  Certainly one of the wiser statements of the series.
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Aug 27, 2012 15:12
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Liar posted:Tell me about it. When I saw this page I nearly balled like a little girl. Jesus what a great series, that last chapter is amazing. Which is not something I expected out of some weird ventriloquism-style manga.
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Aug 27, 2012 17:04
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Mo_Steel posted:Jesus what a great series, that last chapter is amazing. Which is not something I expected out of some weird ventriloquism-style manga. Agreed. Every time I click on the link I posted I start to sniffle. I think what I like most about that one scene is how Surmie just looks like a wooden puppet, with the old man being given the spotlight as a genuine person with his own feelings.
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Aug 27, 2012 17:11
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Liar posted:Agreed. Every time I click on the link I posted I start to sniffle. I think what I like most about that one scene is how Surmie just looks like a wooden puppet, with the old man being given the spotlight as a genuine person with his own feelings. It's painful, because through that one expression you can tell that he so badly wants to hear what they've been up to and he's so happy to see them but at the same time he's dedicated to what he's doing and the character he's portraying. I'm sure for all the time since they split up he has wanted to call them and ask them how they were and have such good times again, and the moment they saw his expression they could tell that too. It just says without a doubt "I wanted to see you all." Between this and Onani Master Kurosawa I'm thoroughly convinced that bizarre deviant stories of youth are somehow the most masterful way of expressing the conditions of growing up.
Mo_Steel fucked around with this message at 17:30 on Aug 27, 2012 |
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Aug 27, 2012 17:24
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Liar posted:Agreed. Every time I click on the link I posted I start to sniffle. I think what I like most about that one scene is how Surmie just looks like a wooden puppet, with the old man being given the spotlight as a genuine person with his own feelings. Funny thing is, it was not that scene that moved me. It was actually the grown up girls putting on the dead eyes and pretending not to know him. That alone put everything else in the manga into perspective, if you think about it.
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Aug 27, 2012 21:27
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Rexides posted:Funny thing is, it was not that scene that moved me. It was actually the grown up girls putting on the dead eyes and pretending not to know him. That alone put everything else in the manga into perspective, if you think about it. I actually questioned how to interpret that. At first I figured this meant that Sumire had touched the lives of every person who put on dead-eyes, but then I remembered the issue where the principal walked into the police station and suddenly the officer in charge of the squad had dead eyes. So either the principal somehow managed to completely convince him that it was fine in a five second explanation, or dead-eyes are like a magical disease.
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Aug 27, 2012 21:53
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