Customer Reviews

not simple

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What first attracted me to this book was the illustration on the cover. The art was one of the most unique styles I've seen in a while, and definitely the most unique I've seen on a published comic. The illustrations ended up suiting the story perfectly.
On to the story. The tale is incredibly tragic. It follows the life of young boy named Ian as he unravels his family's past, and the unfortunate truths that surround the family. Ian, however, seems entirely pure and innocent, uncorrupted by the unlucky incidents that befall him. It is written in such a unique manner, and, unlike many works, wasn't even wordy about it. Natsume Ono uses very few words to imply the story, rather than say it directly. I enjoy that style of writing greatly, and "not simple" was a prime example of a great piece using that less wordy style.

Please read this! It was truly beautiful, and I can't stop thinking about it.

There is very little adult themed manga. Most just ends up being hentai or melodramatic fluff. "Not Simple" is a wonderful surprise. It is an intelligent and emotional story. The art takes a little getting used to but the minimalistic style suits the heavy storyline. The way the writer guides the reader without overtly exploitative artwork or dialogue is masterful. I don't think I've ever seen a manga character convey so much in just one panel. This is not a childrens manga. I'd go as far as to say it's not a teen manga. I'm not ashamed to say a cried at the end. This is a beautiful and powerful piece of art work. It's simply superb.

What attracted me to this book, like other reviewers, was the cover. It so... well, simple! The art in this story is simply gorgeous, conveying so much sentiment and emotion in a very original manner. The story itself is dramatic, somewhat tragic, but incredibly sweet all the same! Ian is a character that I'm sure many of us could relate to, and the tale of his life is something that reaches out to the reader and draws them in, making it hard to stop reading until you're finished with it. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a different take on adult-oriented manga, and anyone looking for a gorgeous art style that matches a superb plot.

Like others, I picked this book up based off the cover. There's just an undefineable something about it that arrests the eyes. There's something about this art style that, while seemingly so simple, it, as the title claims, is anything but. Each panel is rich with unspoken emotion. And the art is only one half of the whole.

The writing, dialogue and overall plot are all up to the same high standard. It's a fantastic read. Once I finished, I flipped the book back over and began again. You'll want to do the same if you want to catch an entire underbelly of insight still to mine. It's complex, it's depressing, but it's also achingly beautiful at times.

This book is a fantastic example of what can be done with the graphic genre of fiction. A flawless marriage of art and written word that should not be missed out on. The only caveat that I'd list is that this is a book definitely intended for older audiences. It's not for children. That said, you should definitely consider picking this one up the next time you're browsing the stacks.

I'm a visual person and this is one of the best books, let alone graphic novels, I have ever read. It is beautiful, subtle and filled with emotion. I read it once before, put it down, and then came back to it a year later. It's still amazing, and filled with details I missed the first time through. I now own this book, and so should you!

Read the book in one sitting. Very good, compelling plot. The art style is fantastic. I'd highly recommend picking this book up.

I think this book proves that you can judge a book by its cover. I too was drawn in by the simple and captivating artwork and style of the cover of the manga, which jumped off the shelf right away. The book itself, though sequential art (graphic), is very complex and deep. The artwork is very original, and the type of story told is unconventional in the manga format. Like other reviewers have said, most adult manga turns out to be sexual or just fluff, this gem is pure well written drama. I can't wait to read other works by Natasume Ono, and to reread NOT SIMPLE as soon as I can.

The art was the most appealing aspect of the story. It's not typical for manga and does most of the heavy lifting in character development given the sparse dialog. For a single volume, the story could've been pared down with more focus on the main character. Or the story should've been extended to give more depth to all the characters. Any emotions I may have felt was cut short by the pacing and the fragmented storytelling.

Worth the read. I chew gum because of my anxiety problems, and I think of Ian.

It's just an interesting read that is easy to dedicate your life to for about two hours, then think about it for a while, then let go. I've re-read it a couple of times. So there is re-readability.

I was hanging out at a book store with two of my japanese friends (if anyone hasnt been to the japanime section of a bookstore with two live living/breathing japanese folks, then they are totally missing out on some fine entertainment). I picked this book up expecting to be another book full of random perversion that American folks seem to LOVE about the Japanese comics. I noticed that it had a different art style and that appealed to me. I bought it, read it that night, wrote a review the next day, and it is a truly wonderful book. It took me a while to figure out how to read it, not being used to reading things backwards, and also because I am not used to reading graphic novels, but it was very rewarding. Very haunting and touching story, even if completely depressing.