Rie's manga portrays the changes of turning 50 and takes Instagram by storm

Mangaka Rie has found a goldmine in the changes that come with age. Her latest comic, posted on Instagram, has more than 21,000 likes and a flood of comments from readers who recognize themselves in every panel: "Is that me?", "Everything is so relatable!", or "The romantic movie part made me laugh."

Rie draws what a woman feels when she hits fifty: eyestrain, eyelids losing firmness, and that moment when any plan demands more energy than you have. The author says she started noticing "a lot of physical and mental changes" and wondered if other women felt the same. Instagram's answer has been a resounding yes.

Laziness as a sign of turning fifty

Among all the changes she portrays, Rie is clear about which one made her truly feel she is no longer thirty or forty: "When I'm about to start doing something, I think: 'what a pain.'" That moment of resistance before moving is, for her, the mark of this new stage.

The comic doesn't stop at physical discomforts. It also talks about how the way of enjoying things changes, including her relationship with romantic movies. Readers don't just relate: they appreciate that someone draws it with humor.

A message for those coming up behind

Rie has advice for readers in their thirties and forties who look ahead with fear: "At fifty there are many hard things, but there are also others that are just as fun. Don't worry and enjoy the present as much as you can."

The author says she is happy with the reaction: "It made me glad that so many people told me 'It's exactly like me!'". Her comic is still available on her Instagram account, where she publishes her stories.

Have you seen yourself in any of those changes? Tell us in the comments.