View source for What a Wonderful World!

{{Short description|Manga series}}
{{About|the manga series|the Louis Armstrong song|What a Wonderful World|the Sam Cooke song|Wonderful World (Sam Cooke song)||Wonderful World (disambiguation){{!}}Wonderful World}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name            = What a Wonderful World!
| image           = Subarashii Sekai v1 cover.jpg
| caption         = The cover of the first volume of ''What a Wonderful World!'', featuring a gangster on the run from the story "The Bear from the Forest"
| alt             = A man in a bear costume runs holding a gun
| ja_kanji        = 素晴らしい世界
| ja_romaji       = Subarashii Sekai
| genre           = [[Comedy]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Official Website for What a Wonderful World! |url=https://www.viz.com/what-a-wonderful-world |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |access-date=July 29, 2018}}</ref> [[slice of life]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Santos |first1=Carlo |title=What a Wonderful World! GN 2 - Review |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/what-a-wonderful-world/gn-2 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |access-date=July 29, 2018|date=December 13, 2009}}</ref><!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). -->
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type            = manga
| author          = [[Inio Asano]]
| publisher       = [[Shogakukan]]
| publisher_en    = [[Viz Media]]
| demographic     = {{transl|ja|[[Seinen]]}}
| magazine        = [[Monthly Sunday Gene-X]]
| first           = June 2002
| last            = April 2004
| volumes         = 2
| volume_list     = 
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{nihongo|'''''What a Wonderful World!'''''|素晴らしい世界|Subarashii Sekai|lead=yes}} is a Japanese [[manga]] series written and illustrated by [[Inio Asano]]. It consists of loosely connected short stories about young adults in modern Japan and their life decisions. The manga was serialized in [[Shogakukan]]'s  {{transl|ja|[[seinen]]}} manga magazine ''[[Monthly Sunday Gene-X]]'' from 2002 to 2004 and is licensed in North America by [[Viz Media]].

== Release ==
The manga was serialized in the Japanese manga magazine ''[[Monthly Sunday Gene-X]]'' by [[Shogakukan]] from the June 2002 to April 2004 issues.<ref name=sundaygx>{{cite web|script-title=ja:浅野いにお / planet|url=http://sundaygx.com/sakuhin/sakkaInfo/asano_planet.html|website=Sunday GX|access-date=November 18, 2015|language=Japanese|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140610164358/http://sundaygx.com/sakuhin/sakkaInfo/asano_planet.html|archive-date=June 10, 2014}}</ref> Shogakukan collected the 19 chapters into two volumes from May 19, 2003<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:素晴らしい世界 1|url=https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/books/09157211|website=Shogakukan|access-date=30 December 2018|language=Japanese}}</ref> to May 19, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:素晴らしい世界 2|url=https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/books/09157212|website=Shogakukan|access-date=30 December 2018|language=Japanese}}</ref> Shogakukan also included the manga in a collection of Asano's original works in 2010.<ref name=sundaygx/> The series was licensed in North America by [[Viz Media]] in February 2009,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Loo|first1=Egan|title=Viz Adds Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Boys over Flowers Epilogue|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-08/viz-adds-yu-gi-oh-r-boys-over-flowers-epilogue|website=Anime News Network|date=February 8, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> with both volumes published on October 20, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=What a Wonderful World!, Vol. 1|url=http://viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=8751|website=Viz Media|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230165214/http://viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=8751|archive-date=30 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=What a Wonderful World!, Vol. 2|url=http://viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=8752|website=Viz Media|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230165136/http://viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=8752|archive-date=30 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The manga has also been published in France by [[Kana (publisher)|Kana]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Un Monde Formidable Tome 1|url=http://www.kana.fr/produit/monde-formidable-un-t1/|website=Kana|access-date=18 November 2015|language=French|archive-date=14 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714164425/http://www.kana.fr/produit/monde-formidable-un-t1/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Germany by [[Egmont Manga & Anime]]<ref>{{cite book|title=What a Wonderful World! 1|id={{ASIN|3770466594|country=de}}|language=German}}</ref> and [[Tokyopop Germany]] (republisher),<ref>{{cite web|title=What a Wonderful World, Band 1|url=http://www.tokyopop.de/manga-shop/product_info.php?products_id=3997|website=Tokyopop Germany|access-date=18 November 2015|language=German|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426111942/http://www.tokyopop.de/manga-shop/product_info.php?products_id=3997|archive-date=26 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> and in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=zh:多美好的人生 1|url=http://www.tohan.com.tw/products/detail_1.php?id=1432|website=Taiwan Tohan|access-date=18 November 2015|language=Chinese|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220012309/https://www.tohan.com.tw/products/detail_1.php?id=1432|archive-date=20 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Asano wrote a sequel to the 11th story "After the Rain" in the August 2008 issue of ''Monthly Sunday Gene-X'' titled "What a Wonderful World", which was also collected in ''Before Dawn and the End of the World''.

== Reception ==
Reviewers have praised Asano's art and writing, but noted the limitations of the short story format for character development as well as Asano's overuse of character tropes. [[About.com]]'s [[Shaenon Garrity]] called it an excellent debut work which, while not as good as Asano's later works and lacking in some stories, has great art and writing.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Garrity|first1=Shaenon|author-link=Shaenon K. Garrity|title=What a Wonderful World! Volumes 1 & 2|url=http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/WonderfulWorld12.htm|website=about|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906002120/http://manga.about.com/od/vizmedia/gr/WonderfulWorld12.htm|archive-date=6 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Deb Aoki called the manga "mysterious, humorous, magical and tragic all at the same time," adding that it "remind[s] us that living can be the greatest adventure of all."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Aoki|first1=Deb|title=Fall 2009 New Manga Preview|url=http://manga.about.com/od/reviews/tp/Fall2009Preview.01.htm|website=about|date=September 7, 2009<!--from publishDate in page source-->|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208002652/http://manga.about.com/od/reviews/tp/Fall2009Preview.01.htm|archive-date=8 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Grant Goodman of PopCultureShock called the manga unique and solid, but felt that half of the chapters were not memorable and that the theme of "life's losers" made the stories feel repetitive and predictable.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Goodman|first1=Grant|title=What a Wonderful World!, Vol. 1|url=http://www.popcultureshock.com/manga/index.php/reviews/manga-reviews/a-wonderful-world-vol-1/|website=PopCultureShock|date=December 23, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102025530/http://www.popcultureshock.com:80/manga/index.php/reviews/manga-reviews/a-wonderful-world-vol-1/|archive-date=2 January 2010|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Carlo Santos of [[Anime News Network]] complimented the stories that were slightly surreal as well as Asano's penwork, but disliked the "[[wikt:woe is me|woe-is-me]]" facet of the stories.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Santos|first1=Carlo|title=Right Turn Only: What a Wonderful Gundam|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/right-turn-only/2009-10-13|website=Anime News Network|date=October 13, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> David Welsh of ''The Comics Reporter'' disliked the use of overdone tropes in the stories, but praised the design of average-looking characters and the page composition, finding the stories "polished and effective," but not "linger[ing] in the mind".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Welsh|first1=David P.|title=Flipped!: David Welsh On Inio Asano's What A Wonderful World!|url=http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/flipped_david_welsh_on_inio_asanos_what_a_wonderful_world|website=The Comics Reporter|date=November 16, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209094242/http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/flipped_david_welsh_on_inio_asanos_what_a_wonderful_world|archive-date=9 February 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Johanna Carlson of Comics Worth Reading found the traits of the characters to be annoying but said that the detailed and expressive art grounded the story, making it more believable.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Carlson|first1=Johanna|title=What a Wonderful World! Volumes 1 and 2|url=https://comicsworthreading.com/2009/11/30/what-a-wonderful-world-books-1-and-2/|website=Comics Worth Reading|date=November 30, 2009|access-date=27 November 2015}}</ref> Leroy Douresseaux of ComicBookBin praised Asano's ability to depict the struggles of young people in the first volume, but felt that this was downplayed by the large number of characters.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Douresseaux|first1=Leroy|title=What a Wonderful World!: Volume 1|url=http://www.comicbookbin.com/whatawonderfulworld001.html|website=ComicBookBin|date=October 18, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> He called Asano's ability to "balance and compare and contrast what is celebrated and what is ridiculous about life" the most engaging part of the second volume.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Douresseaux|first1=Leroy|title=What a Wonderful World!: Volume 2|url=http://www.comicbookbin.com/whatawonderfulworld002.html|website=ComicBookBin|date=October 26, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' found that Asano's characters were "prone to platitudes" but not as much as in ''[[Solanin]]'', with the shorter stories also making the characters more sympathetic, and called the artwork and storytelling attractive.<ref>{{cite web|title=What a Wonderful World! Vol. 1|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4215-3221-9|website=Publishers Weekly|date=October 26, 2009|access-date=5 April 2016}}</ref> Al Sparrow of [[IGN]] noted the theme of survival in the stories, remarking that Asano portrays youth through an unfiltered lens.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sparrow|first1=Al|title=Manga Meltdown Vol. 2|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/10/30/manga-meltdown-vol-2|website=IGN|date=October 30, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref> Greg McElhatton of Read About Comics found the stories to vary in quality, but called the manga charming and described the art as a "beautifully delicate creation".<ref>{{cite web|last1=McElhatton|first1=Greg|title=What a Wonderful World! Vol. 1|url=http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2009/10/19/what-a-wonderful-world-vol-1/|website=Read About Comics|date=October 19, 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{ann|manga|8969|noparen=true}}

{{Inio Asano}}
{{Monthly Sunday Gene-X}}

[[Category:2002 manga]]
[[Category:Comedy anime and manga]]
[[Category:Seinen manga]]
[[Category:Shogakukan manga]]
[[Category:Slice of life anime and manga]]
[[Category:Viz Media manga]]
[[Category:Inio Asano]]