A Girl on the Shore

First off, let me extend my gratitude to Vertical for supplying me with another fix of Inio Asano.  It’s been almost two years since “Nijigahara Holograph” came out and I was starting to get antsy.  Kudos to Viz as well, with their forthcoming two-in-one releases of “Goodnight, Punpun” starting next month.  But what about this actual manga?  It’s good, but winds up being on the low end of Asano titles that have been translated into English so far.  The series is about the tortured relationship that develops between two junior high kids, Sato and Isobe, after they decide to have sex one day.  Isobe wants a deeper relationship, Sato isn’t sure, and things get more complicated from there.  While the characters are developed with skill and a hint of irreverence (customary with Asano), Isobe is the only one who truly resonates here.  Mainly due to the fact that he has a more clearly developed backstory involving the suicide of his bullied brother.  The way we see him deal with his grief is heartbreaking and even shocking at points.  Sato doesn’t have the same drama to deal with — a childhood friend who wants to be closer, a local playboy who’s also a creep — and winds up being less interesting as a result.  Even if she does wind up getting a happy ending of sorts.

That last bit is key because reading “A Girl on the Shore” is sure to bum you out after a while.  Pretty much every scene is a reminder about how awkward and painful adolescence can be — both figuratively and literally.  It’s not aggressively miserable, mainly depressing in a low key.  I was honestly surprised to see that things kinda worked out well at the end.  Though that’s debatable.  Even if this does sound like your kind of read, be aware that Asano does not shy away from the sex scenes between Sato and Isobe as they are quite frequent and cover a wide variety of kinks as well.  (Including one that’s a definite “no go” for me when it comes to hentai manga.)  This is definitely not a manga that is safe for work or for those squeamish about such things.  Thinking about it some more, I realize this is probably most safe for Asano’s existing fanbase out here.  Those of you who are not converted yet should go check out “Solanin” instead.