New manga impression: Ojiichan shinanai

Synopsis

An old man lies on his bed and realizes that his time is about to come. Upon realizing this an angel appears before him and informs him that she will be taking him to heaven. Things however, do not turn out as expected…

The Good

Does anyone know of a comedy anime/manga where an elderly character is not only interesting but also the main protagonist? Well here’s one; and with just 13 pages this is one manga whose first chapter got this writer into a fit of giggles. It’s short yes but it’s straight to the point and doesn’t pull any back any punches especially when the key hook is revealed. What is that key hook you may ask? Why it’s none other than the old man being a smooth flirt.

You read that right, while the manga begins with him in his bed clearly sick and about to head to heaven. The kicker is not the fact that he’s being picked up by a pretty angel but rather the fact that he actually charms her and manages to escape heaven with a kiss. You would think that the guy would be a plain old man or maybe a surprise super pervert, but instead the manga gives this surprise smooth gentleman which in the opinion of this writer, is amazing.

Honestly this is just a nice change of pace from the usual short comedy manga works and while it may seem like a small thing for some people that a manga is interesting just because the main character is a different kind of old man type, but there is just so much potential to be found with the work and should at least be checked out.

Being as short as it is, the manga may not appeal to as many people who want a semblance of a plot introduced to them. And when you think about it, the trope of a guy charming himself out of trouble has been done before, the only difference is the guy’s age. Then again, as a first chapter, a manga cannot be judged too negatively, after all, it may just be the prologue of the series and the second chapter is what really begins the story.

Conclusion

What else is to be said? The series holds a lot of potential, it had a simple plot which left this writer grinning till the end and it has an interesting old man of a main character. Sure, it might be too short for other people and there is a trope to be found in the work but again, it’s different and again it has a lot of potential. Whether it be for the comedy or the possible unorthodox romance, this is a short first chapter with every page worth reading.

Rating: 7.5/10