- Last OnlineToday, 5:56 AM
- JoinedJun 28, 2023
No friend yet.
RSS Feeds
|
![]()
Sep 13, 2026
Mamonogatari is the work of MATSUMOTO Yoko who has an extensive catalog of Horror/Supernatural anthologies under her belt, which shows in this particularly striking manga. While I am not familiar with any of her work outside of Mamonogatari, this feels a good place to start.
Information is hard to come by, but Mamonogatari seems to have originally been released in a Shoujo publication (Kodansha Comics Nakayoshi), and while this demographic is no stranger to fairly dark horror content, some of the stories in this anthology push things pretty far without having to resort to cheap graphic tricks.
The two stand-out stories for me are "Ninjin Daisuki" (chapter
...
1) and "Family" (chapter 3). They both take place in a domestic setting and both end up in traumatizing states. "Ninjin Daisuki" in particular is a fantastic introduction to the manga and put me on edge for the remainder of my first reading. The obscurity of Mamonogatari is actually an asset: since I did not know what to expect and was not particularly shaken by the unassuming -competent but almost generic- Shoujo art-style, I could not predict the sudden left-turn the story eventually took.
Overall, even in its blander moments, the manga benefits from how relatable its scenarios and settings are. It captures that unnerving feeling of an outside horror infiltrating what would otherwise be a typical "slice-of-life" scene. This is something that lesser anthologies fail to do by simply assuming the ready already knows they are reading a horror story, and everything else is window dressing.
"Saishuu Bus" and "Noriawaseta Shinigami" (chapter 2 and 4) are less memorable and more generic, but are still well executed, and do not drag this manga down at all. These simply play off the contrast between the Shoujo protagonist and the horror well.
The final and longest chapter "Soshite Yami wa Yomigaeru" is actually a bit more disappointing. It is as long as the 4 other chapters combined and does not quite pack as much punch. The shorter stories have a sturdier structure and the best of them introduce their concepts early but can still catch you off guard they eventually pay-off. This longer one is constructed in a more cinematic fashion, with a whole cast and backstory but not as much surprises. It is just fine.
If you enjoy Josei or Shoujo horror, or even Sci-fi/Mystery/Surpernatural short stories in general, you can definitely check out Mamonogatari. It very competent technically, and unusually imaginative and impactful in its writing. This one left me wanting to find out more about the author.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
 0
Love it
 0
Funny
 0
Confusing
 0
Well-written
 0
Creative
 0Show all
![]()
May 16, 2026
"Kaiki! Shiniku no Otoko" or "The Living Corpse" arrives near the end of what could be called Hideshi Hino's "classic" run that started in the early 1980s, with "Hell Girl" and "Panorama of Hell" being some of his most popular works. From afar, this particular manga bears all the hallmarks of Hino's writing style and sensibilities, which are unfortunately somewhat limited even at the best of times. Thankfully, "The Living Corpse" does enough to differentiate itself from those other works and offer a novel experience.
As per usual, the story is very simple: a dead man comes back to life in a decomposed state, without his
...
memories, and obviously needs an explanation. While the circumstances are slightly different than "Hell Girl", this falls within the trope of the monstrous outcast coming face-to-face with a society that wants nothing to do with them, of which Hino is very fond. However, this time the author displays an unusual amount of nuance in assembling the cast.
Out of all of Hino's manga I have read, this one feels the most like an homage to early Hollywood horror films from the likes of Universal Pictures (namely Frankenstein, the Wolf Man and The Invisible Man). While his work is visually reminiscent of German expressionism, that old-school feel rarely extended to the actual story. Here, the normal folk, police and scientists, are not only acting rationally, but can also be compassionate towards the main character.
Yosuke Shinkai, our protagonist, does not simply forget his past because it would make the task of depicting him as a mindless monster running around easier: he is a full-blown tragic character which is able to reason and communicate. The story never gets to a point where the main character loses his mind and goes into a rampage, which would be very easy to do while in keeping with the spirit of classic horror movies. Instead, Hino is unusually bittersweet and emotional in his handling of the third act, showing that his authorial voice has more range than his better known work suggests.
Overall, "The Living Corpse" is not a very "scary" or "gross-out" manga. Even the relatively tame "Kuroneko no Me ga Yami ni" (The Black Cat) is more representative of his usual horrific antics. This is what makes this particular manga special for him. It is not very long, wordy or deep, but Hino managed to cook something new from the same ingredients he always uses!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jul 15, 2025
TAKAHASHI Yousuke is one of those (mostly horror) mangaka with an instantly recognizable visual style that is often let down by subpar writing. Translated works of his can be hard to come by and --while enjoyable-- do not rank among my favorites. This happens to be one exception.
This is a collection of short stories, which apparently has been reissued as part of many larger compilations, but the core of which consists of 12 chapters. I would file all of them under "supernatural horror" save for the final one which is more psychological/drama-oriented. Despite the consistency in genre, one of "Tetsunagi Oni"'s main strengths is actually
...
variety.
Instead of the usual "ironic" horror short-stories (where characters get their just deserts after some transgression, Creepshow-style) Takahashi goes from tragic ghost stories to surreal comedy without too much tonal whiplash. The overall visual/writing-style is consistent and idiosyncratic enough to make the work cohesive, and the sequencing of the stories --deliberate or not-- feels natural.
Without getting into spoilers: the tone shifts from dramatic to increasingly surreal --to the point of absurdity-- eventually introducing more violent and gory content before circling back to a more down-to-earth finale. Alongside the serviceable twists and turns, Takahashi also effectively uses each story's main character to dictate the tone.
A great source of entertainment while reading this collection, was not knowing in advance how reliable the central character's narration would be, or having their motivations being more or less innocent. This makes each silly or serious outcome less obvious, while thankfully avoiding ending the stories on a tone-deaf or confusing note for the sake of surprise.
Overall it feels like "Tetsunagi Oni" takes full advantage of its nature as a "random" collection of horror vignettes: showcasing all the writing styles the author is capable of handling, without letting them overstay their welcome. However, the effective sequencing, that lets both the comedy and horror contrast off each other without friction, puts it above many similar works I have read. It is also fairly tame as far as "mature content" is concerned (some gore and nudity but nothing outrageous, especially for manga) which further increases its accessibility. A good point of entry into Takahashi's endearingly unique visual world.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
May 29, 2024
Ningen Itjou (More Than Human/Superhuman) is a collection of very early works by Shintarou Kago that somewhat feature his trademark dark humor, gore, and "adult themes", albeit in an unrefined form. This collection falls on the side of his most accessible output in terms of explicit content --very violent and gross, but on the level of an 1970s exploitation film rather than a fake snuff movie-- yet unfortunately does not have much in the way of scary, funny or interesting ideas.
The collection is built around a couple of multi-chapter stories --3 and 4 chapters long respectively-- and rounded up with other shorts that were written
...
around the same time. The edition I read also includes the one-shot "Nouka Suitai no Kikairon-teki Sekaikan ni Kansuru Ikkousatsu" (An Inquiry Concerning A Mechanistic Worldview of the Pituitary Gland).
"Japanese Fairy Tales" serves as the introduction: it consists of 6 short stories (i.e. four sentences long) each given a gruesome color illustration in an old Japanese art-style. There is little substance to them, but they would make for an effective tone-setter as part of a similarly themed larger work.
The first "long" story is the titular "More Than Human", whose plot is a blend of "Blade Runner" and "Scanners" if Cronenberg had a much more adolescent sense of humor. The reader is dropped in the middle of a story with no beginning or resolution, as the premise is only a framework for Kago to hang "adult" jokes on. Some of the humor lands --either genuinely or in a so-bad-it's-funny way-- but overall there is very little wit to the writing. The main issue is the lack of commitment to delivering a passably engaging story, which is necessary to make 60 pages of dick and boob jokes bearable. Below mediocre, but somewhat endearing as an early work.
The collection really falls apart with the second feature presentation: "Godzilla" --and its sequels. The basic idea looks to be to parody the early Toho Godzilla films by replacing the humans with cockroaches and the Kaijū monsters with (relatively) giant naked women. Not having seen many of these films, I was still able to parse which story beats and clichés the 4 chapters were attempting to pay homage to, yet there were very few actual jokes or subversions of Kaijū tropes. Replacing the monsters with humans is where the creative process seems to have started and ended. What remains are very crude and leering displays of violence and nudity that you become numb to. Every chapter starts promising but ends in an uncomfortable mess. Kago would go back to the Kaijū well much more effectively in "Dementia 21" and "Anamorphosis". Even the underwhelming "Super-Conductive Brains" dealt with similar themes much more effectively by simply sticking to generic science-fiction premises. Very unpleasant read, and probably not in the intended way.
The final two shorts of the original collection are "Strange land" and "Rebellion". While not narratively connected, they both feature a similar art-style and take place in rural (feudal?) Japan. The first one is about a couple of warriors that end up in a village of monsters, and is unremarkable save for the sometimes illegible action panels. The story does not feature any twist the reader might care about, and even the violence is underwhelming for Kago. The second short features a more interesting premise, that revolves around a famine-stricken village revolting against their god, but turns out to be an exercise in poorly drawn gory violence. Granted, it features the most "satisfying" conclusion to a story in the collection.
Although it can be easy to deride --for non-esthetic reasons-- overly violent, exploitative or subversive works, this is not the main issue here. The issue is that lack of technical drawing ability and inane writing are robbing these "controversial" qualities of the work of all their power over the reader. All that is left is a feeling of unease that you get from meaningless nastiness. Outside of some evidently comedic elements, there is an unnerving aimlessness to much of what is presented in those early works. However, seeing how Kago's wit became sharper in the following decades, it is likely that the issues in Ningen Itjou mostly come from inexperience.
The bonus one-shot at the end is a dull and messy take on a dystopian future centered around nativity control by the state. It is similar to some chapters in "Super-Conductive Brains", but has little to no story or point. In the afterword, Kago himself does not seem too impressed with his stories. He essentially admits that they are all very derivative of other artists' works, and he would rework all the salvageable ideas into other stories.
Do him and yourself a favor by skipping this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jan 9, 2024
"Kuroneko no Me ga Yami ni" is -as far as I am aware- Hideshi Hino's most accessible horror work. Many of Hino's manga from this period have childlike qualities, with their large panels, their being written from the perspective of children or storytellers of sorts, and their straightforward stories. However, this particular outing turns down the graphic violence considerably, without losing what makes this artist's works endearingly unique.
Hino's simple tales generally veer towards the eerie or the bizarre rather than the scary, which fits this collection's premise perfectly. "Kuroneko no Me ga Yami ni" presents 4 short stories through the perspective of a cat
...
who is fascinated and puzzled by the humans around him. The stories have no common thread and the cat is never more than an observer -a "horror host"- yet this feels like a cohesive work thanks to the consistent themes of asocial behaviour with a hint of fantasy.
The cat himself is well established in an introductory chapter, which sets the tone for the collection. The human characters are not very deep but work well for the stories being told. Actually, Hino's -sometimes debilitating- lack of character development makes more sense from a cat's perspective. One cannot really explain the plots without spoiling them, but the most unusual premise -for Hino- in this collection is the second one, featuring a quirky horror artist/mangaka. This is one of a few archetypes Hino heavily relies on in his writing but is tweaked just enough to be interesting.
The art is classic Hino throughout, even this early in his career, and is one of the main selling points here. His esthetic and love of outcast characters are reminiscent of Tim Burton's, with less German expressionism influences and a more limited range in the writing. Still, this is a very enjoyable "gateway horror" collection and a short easy read. The only thing missing is the narration of Vincent Price.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jan 5, 2024
"Hannya Haramita" is a collection of short fantasy and science-fiction stories from an unusually well-mannered Shintarou Kago. Among this author's manga I have dared to look into, this is the most accessible besides "Dementia 21". The first story is in the similar avant-garde dark comedy genre as the aforementioned "Dementia 21", the next 4 are (relatively) more down-to-earth and serious, while the final story falls in line with the (usual?) nonsense Kago likes to indulge in.
"Aogeba Sonshi" is a fun and very easy on the eyes take on Kago's knack for turning everyday urban life into an over-the-top farce. The story is set in a
...
very unusual school and quickly gets to the point. The actual plot and characters are simple but are engaging enough to explore the main concept behind the short story effectively.
"Demon Seed: Akuma no Shushi", "Hannya Haramita" and "Doubutsu no Oukoku" are essentially set at various points in the future and offer some light social commentary. It is not clear how seriously some of the points made are to be taken: more likely, the "dystopian" settings are an excuse to have some fun at humanity's expense in strange scenarios. These stories are more graphic than the previous and the following ones, although nothing like this mangaka more extreme work. The writing is reminiscent of Kago's own "Super-Conductive Brains", but far less gross and more engaging.
"Ataraxia" is a story about bullying with a fantasy bend rather than an horror one. It is well told and has a satisfying humorous conclusion, something that the characters themselves comment on. Indeed, those first 5 stories have rather strong plotting overall, since they find Kago sticking to the basics and playing around with the premise and setting rather than the presentation.
"Tonde Me ni Hairu Natsu no Mushi" breaks that winning streak by being far more immature and less visually polished than the rest of the collection. If you cannot handle any form of nudity or grotesque imagery you can skip it, though it is not "extreme" in any sense. The premise is amusing but there is no story per se: it feels like a particularly crude segment in Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life". If the other stories were on this level, I would not be recommending the collection.
There is also a similarly frivolous bonus story that is a spoof on the premise of "Demon Seed: Akuma no Shushi", which is what one might have expected the actual story to be like in the hands of Kago. Overall, I recommend this collection to those who enjoy short, lightweight and darkly humorous vignettes. If you want more of "Dementia 21" this is a decent place to start. Nothing mind-blowing but this was an enjoyable read, especially coming from this author.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jan 3, 2024
For someone who enjoys dark humor and horror, but does not care much for "grotesque nonsense", picking up a Shintarou Kago is like playing Russian roulette. In this analogy, "Super-Conductive Brains" is a blank: you lose but at least you don't suffer any major consequence.
This manga is not an avant-garde comedy -in the vein of "Dementia 21"- a reasonable reader might hope for, nor is it one of this author's more "extreme" works. "Super-Conductive Brains" is a short science-fiction manga for mature audiences, with a loose overarching story connecting various vignettes set in a rather bleak future.
Granted, the manga is not for the faint of
...
heart -with plenty of gore and nudity- but it is all presented in an unceremonious and matter-of-fact way, which will not make it very impactful to horror/dark sci-fi readers. The inclusion of those elements might simply be a way to reinforce the theme of dehumanization and the overall dystopian feel of the setting. Since the visual presentation is rather dull in general, lacking the abstractions and creative compositions often seen in Kago's work, the focus is indeed on the story.
This is where "Super-Conductive Brains" comes especially short. None of the vignettes bring any novel science-fiction concept to the table, and the overarching story suffers from Kago's usual issues with providing a satisfying conclusion to a narrative. The stories all revolve around the biomechanoids' ambiguous nature (human or machine) or some generic "dystopian future" plot without subverting those tropes outside of the tacked-on graphic content.
Overall, the manga is simply not very engaging. The characters are fine and sufficiently developed within the story they appear in and -besides some overly busy panels- said stories are competently told. Still, it will not leave any lasting impression, because of the absence of Kago's (in)famous trademark visuals or comedy, and because it ends up being a collection of generic science-fiction stories.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 11, 2023
"Yuugeki Uchuu Senkan Nadesico" is ostensibly an "adaptation" of "Kidou Senkan Nadesico" to manga, which was published concurrently with said anime. However, beyond the facts of its synopsis, it actually offers a significantly different experience, one that rarely makes it stand on its own. Gone is most of the meta commentary, most of the humor, and most of the story one may be familiar with from the show. So what is the hook?
Interestingly enough, the focus of the manga is on the main characters' -Akito and Yurika- relationship and specifically Akito's character growth. In the anime, these parts mostly seemed played for laughs or to
...
bring the story back on track when necessary, and always felt underdeveloped for lasting dramatic impact. The manga presents them in a much darker and brooding perspective.
The actual story of the manga is relatively the same as the show in the first volume -as much as one might expect from an adaptation- aside from a few new characters and plot points. These new elements come to gain importance in the following volumes and end up taking the story in a different direction albeit with some similar beats. The "new" story is serviceable, but without the meta commentary or jokes it loses a lot of appeal. At times, it looks like "Yuugeki Uchuu Senkan Nadesico" might do for manga what "Kidou Senkan Nadesico" did for anime, but that path was left unexplored. Akito is just a kid that needs to grow up, and manga and anime happen to represent part of that childhood.
The most glaring failings of the manga actually come from its links to the source material. Most of the characters were brought over but a lot of them have very little to do. Some (like Megumi and Jun) become background characters, which is fine, but others should have been dropped altogether. The way Izumi Maki is shoehorned in is particularly egregious: the character only has two lines yet gets chided by the others for making jokes, a fact that would only make sense to viewers of the show.
The other issue is the shift in tone and plot due to the first volume being so close to the anime. This can give the reader a lot of preconceived ideas about what is going on, which leads to confusion later on. The story does not really come into its own until half-way through and the manga sets an identity for itself. However, an exercise for the reader might be to try to frame this adventure into a follow-up to the anime. Certainly an unconventional way to appreciate the writing, but it underlines that the universe described in the manga is compelling enough to be added to the one from the anime.
An other appealing part is the art. It has roots in the anime, but pretty much forgoes the direction the "Kidou Senkan Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness" motion picture took, which a much less "slick and cool" style. Most of the character designs fit well into this esthetic (see the cover art) but there is sadly an homogeneity in some of the way they look that leads to confusion later on. The battle scenes are similarly hard to decipher at times, but some of the blame can be laid on the invasive onomatopoeia of the English-translated edition.
Overall, there is enjoyment to be found here, but this is nowhere near a must-read, and hard to discuss outside its relationship with the show. Paradoxically the more "mature" tone may make this version of the universe less appealing to older readers, since being hard to take seriously was part of the anime's appeal. The manga may give more appreciation (and clarification) of Akito's part when watching the anime, and more weight to his relationship with Yurika. My favorite part early on was the (now obscure) shout-out to 1980's Japanese pop music, and how it was fitted into the "lore". Something that would not be out of place in the anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
|
