I've been reading this manga online for quite a while now, and last week I finally bought a copy of the first volume at the bookstore. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.
"I'll Give It My All... Tomorrow" is a seinen (young men's) manga by Shunju Aono. It is serialized every month in Monthly IKKI magazine in Japan, and the English online magazine equivalent in the West.
The story is about Shizuo Oguro, a 40 year-old man who decides to quit his job as a salaryman in order to find himself, much to the dismay of his aging father and simultaneously inconveniencing his teenage daughter. As the story goes on, he decides to become a manga artist, although his drawing and storytelling are quite poor, and in order to pay the bills he works at a hamburger joint where he is subordinate to men half his age. It's a series of slice-of-life tales concerning Shizuo and his musings and mishaps as he struggles to get published and fighting off mid-life crises.
The subject matter, although highly depressing, is actually quite refreshing, seeing how it's much different compared to most other manga. Many people will hate the art, although I personally like it, but it complements the writing style of this manga, and in turn produces a more natural look when reading it. I doubt kids and teenagers would like this series, since they might find the story boring or would call the art ugly, but it's pretty good for the older set, especially for people who are going through their own mid-life crises. I recommend this manga to anyone who wants to read something different in a manga and prizes writing over art.
The first volume is out right now online and in bookstores, with volume two going on sale this December. The series can also be read in monthly installments online for free here.
Overall recommend? Yes. Especially since the newest chapters can be read for free online, you won't have to worry about investing money on a book you may not like.
"ORE WA MADA HONKI DASHITENAI DAKE" ©2007 Shunju Aono/Shogakukan. English version © Viz Media.
