No truly, this is my favourite manga ever. I look forward to every update and it genuinely makes me day even if the chapter is dark. It’s so fleshed out and wonderfully done. I’m so glad you this isn’t romance centric and touches upon so many aspects of life through different characters.
What are other mangas like this that you’ve read? Because I can only name Skip and Loafer. Barakamon is another good slice of life but it’s more comedic than progressive.
honestly i was just thinking about skip to loafer when I think about progressiveness, but I think if I had to name another series I would say probably blue period. I think especially about the progressiveness when they include queer characters. Like how Nao-chan is a trans woman, and in blue period we see a character named Yuka who is genderqueer. We get a deep insight with Yuka's gender identity and the struggles they face.
especially because Yuka is AMAB, a male at birth, who chooses to express themselves femininely through clothes and long hair. Yuka also chooses to date men, who we see end up rejecting them because they 'aren't a real girl.' Blue period is overall about art and the struggles of an artist. And there's many progressive topics that I think it includes and it's an amazing read. It's a very heartwrenching read, but it's so painfully relatable to artists.
and even then, I do think skip to loafer is also just unique on it's own for how progressive it is in all aspects. I like how mature it is while also still feeling good to watch.
No agreed, Skip and loafer is progressive and touches upon so much more! I’ll check Blue Period out eventually!!
Oh and I guess another one would be one of my favorites Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan. While it's a comedy and a lot of it is funny, it's also a very mature series in the way that the main character Uramichi feels like a real adult. In fact every person in the series feel like a lot of real adults who live cynically, drowning their problems in cheap alcohol and cigarettes, meanwhile they all star on a kids TV show as hosts. But while this is happening, Uramichi gives hope to the young generation of kids. He gives really solid advice and a lot of it stems from his traumatic childhood.
As a kid, he was abused by his father into being a gymnastic athlete and it was something he pursued even to college. (3 of the 5 main characters know each other bc they were in the same college for sports) We don't know what happened specifically, but all we know is that he got an injury and had to quit, which is why 10 years later, we see him as Uramichi Onii-San the host of a kids show.
What I really like about it is the way despite the comedy (trust me it's hilarious) we see the real pain that every character goes through. And it's a very honest story about adulthood. Things like drowning in alcohol and cigs (Uramichi), gambling addictions that keep them going paycheck to paycheck (Usahara only lol), relationships that you don't find satisfactory and just want marriage to get it over with (Utano), a corporate employee who quit his job because he chose his morals first (Kumatani), and so on. This series in cynical in the way it shows honest stories about adults, but what I like about it is that despite it all, they are all helping and caring about each other.
So if you want a recommendation, I highly recommend Uramichi first. Be prepared to keep laughing and crying (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
I skimmed through most of this bc I actually know of Uramichi!!! I'm avoiding spoilers as much as I can but I watched a little bit of the anime and was in tears (especially the penis jokes, I'm so juvenile) but wow I didn't realize it had such mature concepts. I'll read it bc comedy manga hits better than the anime usually.
this is why i love skip to loafer so much. it's just so painfully relatable, every single person. and god the cycle of pain from having parental issues. the painful cycle of hating your parents, then feeling guilty for hating them, then feeling sad for what your relationship has turned into, and then they do something that reminds you why you hate them. especially, because this is about shima's mom.
and as someone with mommy and daddy issues, this whole process is just so painfully relatable. the cycle of hatred, anger, guilt, and sadness is brutal. because more than just feeling anger and hatred for your parents, the WORST part is the unending guilt you feel for even being angry.
And I think, I'm loving this wave of new manga series that are just progressive. Not only having good slice of life, but the topics discussed are real and complex topics. I don't know the last time I've seen a series seriously talk about child star trauma and the way people treat each other. Idk if I'm even saying it right, but there's just something so different about the way that skip to loafer addresses their topcis and I appreciate it.