©Suzume Takano

19th Manga Division Jury Selections

SAYONARA GIRL FRIEND

TAKANO Suzume [Japan]

Outline

This work depicts a stifled, gloomy little girl in a small rural village from a unique perspective. Chiho, a high school senior, hates the insular human relationships with the dull boyfriend, classmates who are only interested in gossip, and feels suffocated by a mother who is herself antipathetic towards rural people. An encounter with a “bitchy senior” who gave up and enjoys this world marks the beginning of a strange relationship.