Kasane

A manga adaptation of rakugo storyteller Sanyutei Encho’s ghost story opus Shinkei Kasane-ga-fuchi. A young man becomes the obsession and then curse of an older woman.

We’ve discussed this on a recent episode.

I so glad I found this series. Not only is the Kasane-ga-fuchi the story basis for Daruma Matsuura‘s Kasane but this manga adaptation is done by Gou Tanabe who drew H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and Other Stories! There are so many connections to series we’ve covered here on Manga Machinations!

This manga was really interesting to read. Kasane was an early work in Gou Tanabe‘s career and looks very different from the hyper realistic illustration style he uses for his H.P. Lovecraft adaptations. The designs match Japanese art from the Edo period and look much more manga-like. It was interesting to see how Sanyutei Encho expanded on the original Kasane-ga-fuchi ghost story to create a full drama involving a scorned woman. Tanabe does a great job emphasizing the woman’s decent into jealousy and depicting the growth on her face that represents it. It’s a wonderfully subtle horror series.

~dakazu