Two sleepless teenagers find kinship as they escape to their school’s astronomy observatory.
Unable to sleep at night, Ganta Nakami is cranky in class and unpopular with his classmates. He discovers that the school observatory, once used by the now-defunct astronomy club, may be the perfect place for a nap-but he’s not alone. Fellow insomniac Isaki Magari is willing to share the observatory with Nakami, and a friendship between the two begins as they bond over the most unlikely of things.
Dark rumors about what befell the members of the astronomy club keep people away from the school observatory, and that’s what makes it the perfect sanctuary for Nakami and Magari to get some much-needed rest. Unfortunately, the school faculty can’t allow its unsanctioned use. But if there were a new astronomy club, maybe these two insomniacs could have a place to call home!
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Imprint: Viz Media
Publication date: 27/04/2023
Illustrator: Ojiro, Makoto
Series: Insomniacs After School
Insomniacs after school
By Makoto Ojiro
Review by Mida
Plagued by sleeplessness, Ganta Nakami struggles through the night and barely survives the day, cranky and tired. Until he meets another student with insomnia in the old astronomy club room. With someone to suffer beside, suddenly their nights are filled with moonlit wanderings and whispered phone conversations as they wait for the hours to pass and the sun to rise.
I don’t think I have ever read a manga that made me as relaxed as this one. With soft and dreamy art, stark blacks and gentle shading, the night comes alive as our leading duo explore their town by starlight. A great exploration of the special kind of frustration that comes with long-term insomnia, Insomniacs After School also examines the beauty that comes with the night; silent streets, empty beaches and clear starlit skies all sprawl out for Nakami and Magari to wander through together.
I adored spending time with these two. I rarely read manga with teenagers that feel as real and down to earth as this duo, and I miss them already. This is one of the most feel-good manga I have ever read, save for maybe Tanaka-kun is Always Listless or Nights With A Cat. I can see myself reaching for it again during my own sleepless nights to lull me to embrace the dark.
