Hit the “Random” button and see what comes up! In this feature, we take a look at whatever manga the Random Number God decides to throw at us and find out if it’s worth your time.

This time: PositioN, by Hitoshi Ashinano

I was going to do Bonnouji this week, but it turns out Aquagaze already did it and I’m just an unobservant plebe! So that’s that. But, the random button decided to have mercy on me and gave me something short, enjoyable, and from a mangaka I’m already a huge fan of! Also it’s been 52 weeks of Random Manga Theatre, which means we’ve been doing this blogging stuff for a whole year now (actually the real anniversary is on July 7th, but I consider RMT to be a de-facto measuring stick here)! Whoa!!

PositioN is slice-of-life in its purest form. It’s only a single volume long (because it was cancelled, actually), and each chapter is a short vignette, wherein something strange or not-so-strange happens. That’s pretty much it.

It’s hard for me to really put what I enjoy about this manga (and Hitoshi Ashinano’s other manga) into words. But, if I had to, I guess I’d call it… serene? Elegant, maybe?

All of these little things that happen to the characters – you can almost believe that they could happen to you too, if you were slowly biking home at night, or heading out to the beach. Even though they probably won’t, and you know they probably won’t.

It lets you take a break from reality, but the pensive tone grounds it in a way other series lack. It’s only a half-step away from reality, just enough to rouse a sense of wonder.

Verdict: I Like It
Anyone who has known me for a halfway decent length of time knows that one of Hitoshi Ashinano’s other manga, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, is among my favorite manga of all time. This has a very similar feel to that, a slow and deliberate smoothness that makes it seem like actual slice of life, unlike the manic antics we tend to label as such. Give this a look, you might become a fan just like I did.