Not Simple

Worth the read. I chew gum because of my anxiety problems, and I think of Ian.

There is very little adult themed manga. Most just ends up being hentai or melodramatic fluff. "Not Simple" is a wonderful surprise. It is an intelligent and emotional story. The art takes a little getting used to but the minimalistic style suits the heavy storyline. The way the writer guides the reader without overtly exploitative artwork or dialogue is masterful. I don't think I've ever seen a manga character convey so much in just one panel. This is not a childrens manga. I'd go as far as to say it's not a teen manga. I'm not ashamed to say a cried at the end. This is a beautiful and powerful piece of art work. It's simply superb.

I was hanging out at a book store with two of my japanese friends (if anyone hasnt been to the japanime section of a bookstore with two live living/breathing japanese folks, then they are totally missing out on some fine entertainment). I picked this book up expecting to be another book full of random perversion that American folks seem to LOVE about the Japanese comics. I noticed that it had a different art style and that appealed to me. I bought it, read it that night, wrote a review the next day, and it is a truly wonderful book. It took me a while to figure out how to read it, not being used to reading things backwards, and also because I am not used to reading graphic novels, but it was very rewarding. Very haunting and touching story, even if completely depressing.

What first attracted me to this book was the illustration on the cover. The art was one of the most unique styles I've seen in a while, and definitely the most unique I've seen on a published comic. The illustrations ended up suiting the story perfectly. On to the story. The tale is incredibly tragic. It follows the life of young boy named Ian as he unravels his family's past, and the unfortunate truths that surround the family. Ian, however, seems entirely pure and innocent, uncorrupted by the unlucky incidents that befall him. It is written in such a unique manner, and, unlike many works, wasn't even wordy about it. Natsume Ono uses very few words to imply the story, rather than say it directly. I enjoy that style of writing greatly, and "not simple" was a prime example of a great piece using that less wordy style. Please read this! It was truly beautiful, and I can't stop thinking about it.