Not Simple

Okay, so today I finished reading “not simple” by Natsume Ono. This is a wonderful little graphic novel and a great find! I originally got this book solely because of its peculiar art style. Though it was clearly Japanese, the art was extremely sketchy and reminded me more of Scott Pilgrim than anything.

However, upon opening it and reading the book, I can say that this was a fantastic story. Very sad, emo, whatever you want to call it. But – it was done very artistically, and fast. I’ve never really read anything that is so fast and at the same time so sad. The art style moves you from page to page rather than keeping you fixated on the image for long periods of time. I like this, as it lends itself to animation, allows the artist to crank out pages faster, and still keep the story intriguing. It goes to show that a simple, almost child-like, presentation cannot entirely override story – just as a horrible story cannot override an amazing presentation with jaw-dropping visuals. All-in-all, I recommend this to my American friends and colleagues. It’s a cheap buy to add to a growing collection, and the title definitely trumps the art style when it labels itself “not simple”.