I believe in their are books for the right time, Inio Asano is one for that mood.
I was surprised to see Asano’s latest work on library shelf just sitting there, highly requested books like that are never just sitting there.
My first experience with Asano work was Solanin, coming of age story on uncertainty of life for two characters. Making a mess of things and million mistakes along way. Then reading A Girl On The Shore exploring sexual curiosity of youth. I was hooked on this author’s raw approach to his stories.
Downfall partially fiction and autobiography demonstrated once again how deep Asano is always willing to go but exposing apart of his own life to the story. Letting vulnerability just wash over you as your turning the pages. Inio Asano book are mood every time, Downfall gives the real grim of pursing your one passion, life love. With nothing else in the scope everything around begins to fall apart. Fukazawa has just completed manga series, with no idea what to work on next? He constantly puts off figuring anything out. Putting a strain on his marriage, sleeping with random girls for hire.
Fukazawa looks like anyone in a ‘I don’t want to do anything slump’ which is my current mood. Motivation for blogging is at all time low right now and these slumps take forever to crawl yourself out of. This read was depressing, empty at points but that’s okay. I wanted to resonate with those feelings. Reading this makes it feel okay to accept your lack of inspiration or motivation or just do in general.
Choosing a career towards being a writer, manga artist is colliding of your dreams and love towards one passion. Then caused Fukazawa endless conflict, the latest trends are what will sell best. To freely create is tied down by trends nearly all the time and expectation. I started this blog for my love of anime, never the intention of turning that passion for side money. If that happened, no way I’d love anime as much as I do. Downfall only enforced let some of your life loves and interest remain just hobbies. All the pretty instagram pictures, detailed graphics aren’t what matter to me but the talk of books, anime. It’s important to me anime remains that creative outlet much as my art does to me.
I feel like to pursue something you love so much, you need true dedication. Fukazawa hated manga but still drew it, he was too insensitive to look outside his scope, read other peoples work. I’m sure he started out with pure aspirations and still exist but slowly this self absorption became his crutch. Im sure was never the end goal. Drowning in bitter and misery for however long. Asano’s dark, bold art style displayed this misery strain Fukazawa lived with for so long and out of reach to easily escape from. A hollow crevice.
Downfall is a mood. A window into mangaka life. What involves to make it through. motivation, your love towards something can be a soul stripper, from expectation, external pressures and industry itself. But also crawling out of hole of negative isn’t something simple to comprehend.
This was a really great read for exactly my mood right now. My motivation right now is writing this whole thing on my phone in bed.
If your next in a slump definitely pick up this one shot.
Hope you enjoyed this read!
I’ll see you all in the next post!
Lita Kino
litakinoanimecorner.wordpress.com 
Wow, I really want to read this like right now.
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This response makes me very happy !!! It’s all I wanted to see someone to give it go !!
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Wow, that does look like a fascinating manga. So many of my dreams have died for years like me wanting to work in the music industry or to be a voice actor, but they didn’t work out. When I did get a job as a booking agent at a venue, things got really toxic for me. I almost gave up anime because I was bullied for liking it. maybe I should’ve insulted those people back for what they enjoyed, I don’t know. I do know the feeling of working so hard for that passion only for it to crumble. Thanks for bringing light to this manga.
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Oh this manga was good but not for being a happy series but getting to the nit grit of things! It made me think about how many times I’ve just wanted to throw in the blogger towel. an option I have thought about lately even but I’m still here for only two reasons anime and people here that’s it. If you can let me know your thoughts of this manga !!
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Definitely. I can certainly handle darker stories. I’m sorry to hear that about being tempted to give up on blogging. When I get to read it, I’ll certainly let you know.
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