The plots of mangas — or Japanese comics — are often set in fantastical realms, different universes, or distant time periods, offering readers an escape from their daily lives.
However, a manga about life in Singapore has struck a chord with netizens, and it’s garnering popularity online.
Single x 35 follows a 35-year-old Singaporean office worker named Shun Li as he navigates the harsh realities of everyday life on our little red dot.
The first chapter shows Shun Li struggling with the feeling of falling behind at work and trying to secure a highly sought-after apartment along “Jalan Road, Bukit Hill” — scenarios many working adults in Singapore know all too well.
Ironically, the main character’s name means to “go smoothly” or “go without a hitch” in Chinese, unlike his experience so far.
The first chapter also sets up Shun Li’s high-achieving female colleague, Diana, as his rival — hinting that she will play a larger role in the manga’s plot.
The artist’s Reddit post on April 25 has garnered over 3,600 upvotes and over 200 comments to date, with many netizens praising the plot and saying that they’re looking forward to subsequent chapters.
One comment read: “I’m hooked now. You’ve captured the dilemma of single workers in their 30s well (housing and job progression etc), but more importantly, it touches on wider themes of Singapore’s society. These works are important, keep at it.”
“This is great. It’s rare to have a local manga series that looks and feels like it’s from Japan. Your panelling and pacing are also well-done. This is pretty much a professional piece,” another netizen wrote.
AsiaOne spoke with Singapore-based artist Nezumiro about the inspiration behind the comic.
It started as a project that they personally wished to read, they told us.
“I wanted to tell a story that feels true to the modern working adult experience, something people my age can see themselves in,” said Nezumiro, who works a corporate job during the day.
When asked about the public’s response to Single X 35’s first chapter, Nezumiro said it is nice seeing people resonate with it.
“With all the cynicism around art these days, especially with the rise of AI-generated content, I am glad it can be a space where people connect over shared human experiences.”
A Manga about Singapore – [SINGLE X 35]
by u/nezumiro_ in singapore
Illustration ‘too Japanese’ for some
Some netizens, despite applauding the manga’s plot, said the illustration did not represent Singapore well. They pointed out that Shun Li’s apartment layout and design “felt very Japanese”.
They also noticed bottles with Japanese labels in the scenes, and the office workers were clad in business attire, which is not typical for Singapore.
But not all readers felt the artist’s style was a bad thing.
Some instead focused on the more “Singaporean” elements shown in the manga, such as a “Stand Up Stacy” decal behind Shun Li while he was riding the MRT train and the HDB blocks shown in the chapter.
A few even said that Nezumiro’s art style is similar to that of the popular Chainsaw Man series, suggesting it might be why some felt the illustration was “too Japanese”.
In fact, the inspiration behind Single x 35’s art style includes Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, Spy x Family, and Frieren, the artist told AsiaOne.
When asked what the future holds for the manga, Nezumiro said: “I would love to keep exploring the world of Single x 35 and hopefully share it with more people.”
The manga can be found at https://singlex35manga.com/.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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