Peanuts: not just grimmer than you imagine

[james_davis_nicoll]

Grimmer than you can imagine.

Comments

[harvey-rrit.livejournal.com]

Not grimmer than I can imagine.

Not at that age.

[dewline.livejournal.com]

...yeah. Some days, it was exactly like that.

[sean o'hara (from livejournal.com)]

You think Peanuts is bad, there's a manga called Watamote, or No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular, that's a slice of life story about a girl with crippling social anxiety disorder. A typical chapter consists of her going to McDonalds after school and panicking when some kids from class show up because if they recognize her, they'll tell everyone in class that she's a loser with no friends and everyone will make fun of her.

For an extra slice of grimness, the main character isn't even that likeable -- she thinks any girl more popular than her is a slut, torments her younger brother for being cool, and fantasizes about her class getting chosen for Battle Royale.

[thomasyan.livejournal.com]

It's also an anime.

[nojay.livejournal.com]

I managed to stick with it for half a season before I realised her cute junior-high friend, the one she's always on the phone with, is actually imaginary. Real slit-your-wrists comedy.

[sean o'hara (from livejournal.com)]

No, Yuu-chan is absolutely real. Not that it makes her existence less despair-inducing -- having your best friend from middle school suddenly become popular, get a boyfriend and not have time for you is even worse than not having any friends to begin with.

Really, you want to see how depressing the series can be, you need to see episode 10/chapters 19 and 27.

[nojay.livejournal.com]

Who else ever saw Yuu-chan or spoke to her other than Tomoko?

OK it's a theory but it fits...

[sean o'hara (from livejournal.com)]

During the school festival, Tomoko tells Yuu that she had to dress up as a maid for the class cafe. Later on Yuu brings it up where one of Tomoko's classmates can hear. The classmate gets a WTF expression and Tomoko has to hurry Yuu out of the room before the classmate can expose the lie.

Recent chapters have also introduced Komiyama, a girl that Tomoko can't stand but who was also friends with Yuu in middle school. She's a major character in the 4-koma prequel series, and the latest chapter of the main series featured her and Tomoko having lunch with Yuu.

[dewline.livejournal.com]

If that's Japanese comedy, that's downright scary.

[sean o'hara (from livejournal.com)]

It's as representative of Japanese comedy as Natural Born Killers is of American, or The Office of British. Plus, a significant portion of its fanbase is American -- it first became popular on 4chan, then Japanese blogs started running articles along the lines of, "Why the hell do Americans like this?" leading to an increase in Japanese sales. It's on graphic novel bestseller lists in both countries.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Here's an American who is equally puzzled...it just seems so relentlessly depressing.

[sean o'hara (from livejournal.com)]

Yes, that's how black comedies work.

[ilya187.livejournal.com]

I guess I have to take your word for it -- that's how black comedy works for those for whom it works. Black comedy never worked for me.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

There's also Welcome to the NHK.