Volume 1 of the manga Insomniacs, seinen written and illustrated by Makoto Ojiro, author of the series La Fille du Temple aux Chats, was published by Soleil on May 12.
The birth of a friendship
High school student Ganta Nakami is an insomniac. Unable to sleep during the night, he is exhausted during the day and needs to isolate himself to rest between classes. While finding the perfect place to lie down discreetly, he meets Isaki Magari, a young girl in his class, who also suffers from insomnia. Bound by their secret, the two high school students will begin to forge a tender and touching friendship.
United by insomnia
Makoto Ojiro tackles the subject of insomnia with intelligence and reflection. Far from being a simple excuse to allow the meeting of two characters, the insomnia from which they suffer is at the very heart of the story. The evil that gnaws at Ganta Nakami has forged him an irascible personality that distances him from his comrades, who are totally unaware of the reason for his bad mood. The latter even laugh at his clumsiness due solely to fatigue.
A mysterious observatory
Ganta Nakami and Isaki Magari found refuge in the school's observatory, which was disused following the closure of the astronomy club. A mystery hangs over this observatory, maintained by a dark ghost story that prevents the curious from venturing to the top of the school. Makoto Ojiro suggests to the reader that this place will have an important role to play in the sequel to Insomniacs. Pleasantly drawn and well constructed, this volume 1 of Insomniacs manages to capture the attention of its readers and arouse the desire and impatience to discover the rest of this seinen.
