Another slice of life manga that doesn't much get into the story in this first volume. In it you meet the two insomniacs who find friendship around their struggles. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Insomniacs After School is an incredibly relaxing read. The series takes it time to develop the relationship between Nakami and Magari, rather than immediately establishing a form of romantic tension. While each chapter in this volume would work as a standalone story, there's still a sense narrative progression that culminates in the re=establishment of the astronomy club. Makoto Ojiro's free-form approach to character designs is also a wonderful touch, and it fits with the laid-back tones of the series. I would definitely recommend this manga to anyone looking for a low-key but enjoyable read.

A quick lighthearted manga about two teenagers who are insomniacs and make an unlikely duo to create a place they can hide away from everything. When their new place is threatened they join together to join the astronomy club and keep their secret place. A fun quick read.

Ok, I admit, I fell for that cover, the title and the description of the book. The book did not disappoint. The artwork was realistic, done well and attractive. The characters were not what I expected, in a good way. I SO love how they sleep better with someone they trust by their side, dude, SAME.

And, the best part about this?? It has a CAT.

Great slice-of-life story, taking place in HS in Japan, with no overt romance, just two people getting to know one another as they suffer through and support each other with their insomnia, which they try to hide from others.

I really did like this one. Nothing OTT, no love-at-first-sight, no love dodecahedron, no wacky hi-jinx or magic or monsters. Just regular, every day life, with a debilitating condition that no one else can see or understand.

I really liked this one and highly recommend it. 4, I admit it makes me kinda sleepy but in a good way, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I enjoyed reading this manga - It has gorgeous artwork and it is funny while still being mysterious. I think its good for teenagers. Can't wait for volume 2.

I don't have strong feelings about the beginning of this series one way or the other. It was an okay series, and a very fast read - but there was nothing really special or memorable about it. The first couple pages really set it up to have an amazing story then it just fell a little flat in my opinion.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #vizmedia for an eARC of this book to read and review.
#InsomniacsAfterSchoolVol1

This was a really cute manga. I've never read anything with insomnia being the main issue for the two main characters. I love the astronomy aspect and I'm excited for them to start exploring that in later volumes. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Two sleepless teens find refuge in their school’s abandoned astronomy tower. The artwork is beautiful, especially the night-sky images. The main characters, Nakami and Magari, are adorable. They are definitely opposites—sunshine vs. grumpy-pants, picky type A vs. freewheeling type B.

Overall, I really like this first volume! A few scenes, images, and bits of dialogue seemed out of place, but maybe they’ll be explained in later volumes? I would definitely come back for more!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5360389911

Insomniacs After School Volume One features two insomniacs who discover that they’re not alone in their affliction.

Insomniacs After School Volume One
Written by: Makoto Ojiro
Publisher: Shogakukan
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: March 21, 2023

The volume begins by explaining why the school that serves as the setting for the series no longer has an astronomy club. It’s a tragic story, but it provides background for the rumor going around about the ghost that’s haunting the school’s astronomy tower. Because of the rumor, most of the girls avoid going anywhere near that area of the school if they can at all help it.

After this explanation about the end of the astronomy club, the reader is introduced to a young man named Ganta Nakami. He suffers from insomnia, and the only person at school who knows is his best friend. He keeps this a secret from everyone else, because he doesn’t want to be seen as weird. Unfortunately, due to his lack of sleep and his peers not knowing about his insomnia, his classmates see him as someone who’s grouchy and thinks that he’s above everyone. His class is working on their entry for the upcoming school festival, and Ganta is forced to go get a stack of boxes from the stairway that leads to the astronomy tower.

When he reaches the stairway, he sees the stack of boxes is pretty small and thinks he’ll be criticized for not bringing more. He knows that the astronomy tower is being used by the school as a storage area and thinks there may be more boxes in there. He lets himself in and sees it as a perfect hideout that he can use to hide from his classmates and catch some sleep. However, Ganta is surprised when he finds that his classmate, a girl named Isaki Magari, is already in there, asleep.

After being startled awake, the two classmates learn that the other is an insomniac. Isaki had discovered this room first and has been using it to secretly get some sleep. As these two classmates get to know each other better, they spend time together in the astronomy tower. In order to keep the fact that they’re insomniacs secret, they can’t really talk to each other around their classmates, because they had never really talked to each other prior to the start of the series. Ganta isn’t quite sure what to make of their relationship, although by the end of the volume, I think it’s safe to say that they have become friends. However, there are hints thrown into this volume that Isaki may be developing a romantic interest in Ganta. He might also be developing feelings for her as well, but the hints for Ganta’s feelings are nowhere near as blatant as what we see for Isaki.

Unfortunately, the school nurse discovers that the Ganta and Isaki are using the astronomy tower. While the nurse is aware of their insomnia and sympathizes with their situation, she still has a professional obligation to inform the other staff members and decide what needs to be done. It’s decided by the staff to re-open the Astronomy Club, and that Ganta and Isaki have to be members in order to continue using the astronomy tower. The two students agree, and they are given assignments to do for the Astronomy Club in order to force them to do club activities. I think this aspect makes sense, because the school can’t be seen as giving special privileges to students.

After I finished this volume, I found that I appreciated Ojiro’s depictions of the two main characters and their insomnia. While it seems like the story is being set up for Isaki to be in love with Ganta, it doesn’t seem like the romance angle is going to be necessarily front and center. But then again, since this first volume is spending its time establishing the characters and their story, the emphasis on the potential romance angle could increase in future volumes. We also see references to an upcoming class trip during this volume, and I expect that the class trip will become an important part of the story in an upcoming volume of the series.

As I read this story about these two insomniacs, I couldn’t help but think of Ko from Call of the Night, another manga series featuring an insomniac as a main character. Even though all three of these characters share this trait, their stories and the tone of their respective manga are quite different. While Call of the Night features a supernatural element (vampires), Insomniacs After School is grounded much more in reality.

When it comes to the art, the character designs are very distinct, and the reader can easily tell who is who. Overall, the art style is fairly strong, although I did find occasional panels, especially early on in the volume, where some of the characters look a little “derpy.” However, this didn’t seem to be a consistent problem, so perhaps Ojiro was working at getting the hang of drawing these characters. On the positive side, though, there are some panels in Volume One where the backgrounds look really good.

Overall, I thought the first volume of Insomniacs After School showed a lot of promise. The main characters are engaging and seem to have a good chemistry, and a strong foundation is established for the story. I hope to see future volumes of the series build off of this foundation and continue the story in a satisfying manner.

Readers who enjoy manga featuring high school characters discovering they have something in common and building a friendship will likely appreciate Insomniacs After School.

So low-key I found it easy to wander away from the story and not even notice I hadn't finished it. Two kids who can't sleep hang out and chat. I didn't mind spending a little time with them but I didn't feel the need to do so either. Slow, experiential, and not much to distinguish the characters or premise.

This manga series starter has potential. It's definitely a slice of life, high school activity group like Oran High School Host Club. There is a lot less drama, though, so it can be a little bit slow and snoozey. I think we'll need a few more in the series to see where it's headed and if it's worth adding to our library shelves.

The blurb for this book describes the plot pretty well, so I'll mention other reasons why this book would be a good addition to your collection. 1) The character designs are great. The faces are so expressive. It's not just a case of telling characters apart based on their never-changing outfit or hairstyle/hair color. 2) The effective use of sequential art. Panels with no dialog continue to set the tone for the scene. 3) The cats are well-drawn. The volume also ends on a promising note that makes me want to see what's in store in volume 2.

Insomniacs after School is a simple slow-burn romance about two students who can't sleep at night and decide to nap in their school's abandoned observatory. The story and characters are simple but sweet, and the low stakes premise gives this narrative a very cozy atmosphere. While characters are not given complex backgrounds or tragic lives, they are also not typical manga tropes, which is refreshing to see in a romance. I am invested and would love to read more!

I really enjoyed this story a whole lot. I find the dynamic of 2 kids who struggle with sleeping forming a little club together charming. I love how the teacher comes in and makes it something official for them. I'm so excited to see where this story goes.

This manga was short and sweet for a first issue. It draws you in and I am really interested to see what will happen next. Its a very simple and innocent plot line. Two high schoolers have insomnia and can't sleep. So they decide to spend the nights together star gazing and wandering around town. At school they find the perfect place to nap and get some sleep and with the help of one of the teachers form a new version of the school's astronomy club.

This Manga is adorable! I did not expect the cuteness that came out of this but I was pleasantly surprised. The two main characters were so cute together and I love that they could only sleep cuddled together. The two of them honestly reminded me of myself, and I’m so excited to see how this develops

This is a quaint coming of age story featuring two classmates who discover that they both suffer from insomnia. The story follows a boy and a girl as they learn to find company in each other, and set up an astronomy club at their school. The backdrop of the story is also unique as their high school has the facilities for an astronomy club with an observatory. I also appreciate how the manga depicts the impacts of insomnia on these students daily lives. While the pace of the plot is a bit slow, this is typical for the slice of life genre and allows for a realistic progression in the main characters relationship.

Thank you Netgalley and Viz Media for the ARC! Insomniacs After School is an interesting slice of life tale where two teens, both suffering from insomnia, form a friendship (and school club?!) while looking for a safe place to rest. Ganta Nakami, our male protagonist, is often seen as cranky and standoffish, while Isaki Magari, our female protagonist, is well-liked, but hiding her insomnia. This is a gentle read that follows the two as they bond over their condition and seek out ways to make their found safe haven, the school's old astronomy club room, more habitable. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes (even if it's just on normal school-life adventures).

A steady start to a new Manga series. Set in the small city Nanao, a high schooler tries to sleep in his school's abandoned observatory. He meets a girl who has claimed this secret space and they form a tentative friendship. Likeable characters, solid artwork and a plot that follows the start of a friendship. This series has will be made into an anime and a live action film, so requests might come quickly.
Recommended to libraries with a large Manga collection.

I reviewed this title for Booklist. Please see Booklist for the complete review and full feedback regarding this title.