Mid Sweden University

The purpose of this essay is to thematically analyse the manga Solanin by Inio Asano and discuss the suitability of using the work in an educational context. As manga is a format that employs both image and text to create meaning, the essay analyses Solanin through a multimodal lens with a focus on the terms mode and semiotic resource to observe and discuss how image and text interface with each other to depict the work’s theme. In my analysis I focus on four characters and how the theme, the purpose of life is depicted through them. The analysis shows that the four characters are depicted differently in relation to the theme. The purpose of life is heavily connected to success in music in three of the characters, Taneda, Katou, and Billy. The three characters want to have a successful career in music, but their dream is initially thwarted by a failure to obtain a music contract and Taneda’s death. Later, Katou and Billy continue to play music due to Meiko, the main character. Her purpose in life is depicted not as a career in music, but a wish to be free, which she from the beginning of the story manages to be despite the negative events she goes through. The main benefit of using Solanin in education is its possibility to introduce students to new perspectives that can help them gain valuable insight about themselves and their futures.