Solanin

Meiko Inoue has been living her life as an office lady since she graduated from university. She goes to work everyday to see her annoying coworkers and boss and comes home to see her boyfriend who still doesn't have a proper job. Fed up with this schedule Meiko quits work one day figuring that she and her boyfriend Taneda can get by on her savings for at least a year. Meiko learns that life with unrestrained freedom is incredibly boring and that finding direction in life is hard.

Solanin is a one-volume manga about the life of average twenty-somethings, inspired by the author's experience after leaving university. There isn't much of a plot and the characters aren't Big Damn Heroes or any kind of heroes really, but normal people. For this though Solanin is charming. It feels real.

There is a live-action movie, released in 2010.

This book provides example of:

 * Bittersweet Ending
 * Face Doodling: Meiko to Taneda after he pisses her off. Later they have a very tender moment together, which is only made funnier by his crazy face doodles.
 * Go Out With a Smile:
 * Japanese School Club: The college music club is a post-secondary example
 * Office Lady: Meiko is a (reluctant) one at the beginning of the book
 * The Slacker: Meiko and all her friends display varying degrees of this attitude
 * Slice of Life