Kiriko

Posted on by

Kiriko

A manga about a group of former classmates who are anonymously invited to their middle school where they get hunted down by a horrific monster who is the girl they bullied to death.

Decent horror manga. The premise and plot is really generic but Shingo Honda‘s design of Kiriko is great. She has long limbs covered with cigarette burns and a terrifying face and as she kills off the classmates she grows larger and larger. The horrific designs were the highlight of this single volume manga. If you want to enjoy more of Honda’s creepy monsters I recommend checking out his Hakaijuu series as well.

~dakazu

Killer Ape

Posted on by

Killer Ape

A manga that takes place in a peaceful 2199 Japan where a man joins a paramilitary company so he can vlog his experiences reliving historical battles through a virtual reality soldier training program.

The setup for this manga is quite busy but was really enjoyable once it got going. The protagonist slowly starts to change his life view as he interacts with famous historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and William the Conqueror. The transformation from a peace knowing citizen to a seasoned soldier matches the title’s Killer Ape hypothesis that suggests human evolution is tied to war and aggression. As the series progresses it eventually leads to an actual conflict in the present times that the main character must now participate in.

This was an entertaining series that mixed historical settings with science fiction well. It’s a shame that it recently ended but that also means it didn’t overstay it’s welcome either. Solid manga for sure.

~dakazu

267 – Random Readings 1 – The Pits of Hell

Posted on by

267 – Random Readings 1 – The Pits of Hell

Due to technical difficulties we were unable to record the planned Guest Gaiden with Anne Lee this week. So instead Morgana, Darfox, and dakazu do a prolonged Whatcha Been Reading section to talk lots about Chainsaw Man, The Pits of Hell, Yasuko to Kenji, Shiyakusho, and other manga!!!

Continue reading →

Fechippuru ~ Bokura no Junsuina Koi~

Posted on by

Fechippuru ~ Bokura no Junsuina Koi~

A romantic comedy about a man with a hair fetish and a woman with a back fetish who start dating.

This one was pretty decent. There’s lots of jokes around their fetishes that break the usual romance troupes. I appreciated that their relationship is weird but it works for them. As the series progresses we’re introduced to other characters that have their own fetishes and that keeps things funny.

~dakazu

Shinmai Nitta-ism

Posted on by

Shinmai Nitta-ism

A manga about a brand new teacher who helps teachers and students alike with his unorthodox methods but it all may be a ploy to take over the school.

I really enjoyed this series while it ran on Jump+. It’s similar to GTO in a lot of ways but the protagonist here is almost a perfect being, as he’s adapt at everything from drinking veteran teachers under the table to befriending lonely students through video games. Nitta uses quite a bit of underhanded tactics like blackmailing to get his ways but it’s always done with the best interest of others in mind. Also this series is incredibly witty and has great comedic timing.

The artist Hirakei is currently working on another awesome comedy called ‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess that you can read on Manga PLUS!

~dakazu

Yasuko to Kenji

Posted on by

Yasuko to Kenji

A manga about a high school girl and her overprotective ex-delinquent older brother.

It’s been a while since I’ve looked at a shojo manga with all the usual troupes but I should’ve known I’d love anything done by Aruko. This series is just as funny and heartwarming as My Love Story!!. The cat & dog dynamic between the siblings is especially hilarious. Unfortunately it ended after 4 volumes and the story didn’t reach a full conclusion but I hear there was a live-action drama so I might hunt that down instead.

~dakazu

Uzumaki

Posted on by

Uzumaki

A manga about a young woman trying to survive in her small coast town as an obsession with spirals leads everyone into madness.

My absolutely favorite series by Junji Ito. I love how each separate story is connected through the theme of spirals. Ito’s artwork shines as you get to experience his horrific designs in a astonishingly wide variety of forms.

A pinnacle of illustrated horror and a must-read for any manga fan. I’m looking forward to the upcoming anime adaptation.

~dakazu

THE OUTER ZONE

Posted on by

THE OUTER ZONE

A manga about a mysterious woman named Misery who guides you through tales of strange occurrences ranging from the occult to science fiction.

This is essentially Tales from the Crypt or The Twilight Zone turned into a manga. Each chapter is usually a standalone story about someone’s interaction with a cursed object that becomes a morality play. Sometimes the people survive and sometimes they brutally die. I remember reading this as a child and having nightmares from Shin Mitsuhara‘s creepy monster designs. Looking back know it’s really tame by today’s standards.

~dakazu

14 Sai

Posted on by

14 Sai

A manga about a humanoid chicken named Chicken George born inside a futuristic chicken manufacturing plant.

I remember finding this randomly in my brother’s room. It was my first experience with Kazuo Umezu manga and I have to say it positive. I thought the famous ‘Umezu face’ looked pretty stupid and the story wasn’t scary but just really weird. I’ve gone back to the series as an adult and can now appreciate the artwork. I still think the story is more strange than scary though.

~dakazu

266 – One Shot 24 – H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and Other Stories

Posted on by

266 – One Shot 24 – H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and Other Stories

Happy Halloween everyone! This week Seamus continues his quest to catch up on Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Morgana enjoys Jujutsu Kaisen, and dakazu reads a heartwarming epilogue for Jitsuroku: Nakumade Bokorarete Hajimete Koi ni Ochimashita! Then we get spooky with H.P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and Other Stories by Gou Tanabe!!!

Continue reading →