This could have easily been another set of horror oneshots featuring Rohan from the start, but Araki started working on these shorts before Rohan was a twinkle in his eye. I have to admit that his idea to use Rohan to glue unrelated stories together in latter oneshots made them more cohesive.

Chapter 1. I was surprised to find that this predated the SAW movie by 10 years. But knowing Araki's love of Western media, perhaps he was going for a more macabre take on the Twilight Zone episode "The Jeopardy Room" but the ending was too different.

Chapter 2. A dark modern twist on Puss in Boots. The guy referes to his tiny houseboat as a yacht. Given Araki's love of naming characters after fashion brands, I'm surprised he named the man Masago instead of Gabbanna. I laughed pretty hard when Masago dressed Dolce up as Rohan.

Chapter 3 spun off it's own 2 volume series at one volume per decade. I'm betting money a 3rd volume comes out by 2030.

Chapters 4-7 has the return of Ghost Kira from Diamond is Unbreakable. His hair, face, & taste in clothing have changed dramatically. Apparently animals can not only see & smell ghosts but harm them as well. Kira remembers nothing of his life or his hand fetish. But at least we find out the kind of fate those who turn back in the ghost alley & get dragged away by the hands. It also kind of ties in with the previous chapter where a ghost attacks a cursed person at their peak of happiness, making them feel related. I want to compare his job to a Yu-Yu Hakuso Spirit Detective, since YYH had some influence on DIU. It's also a bit like the Sinigami in Black Butler where the afterlife as an agent or reaper is a punishment from their previous life.

He comes across a ghost mansion hidden in an alley Harry Potter style, also not unlike the ghost neighborhood from DIU, & he does what anyone playing an Elder Scrolls game does when they break into a house & gets distracted by ghost eggs. Who the hell stores eggs in a cupboard? Anyway, the ending left me wanting more. Kira would make a good protagonist for a longer spinoff series.

Interestingly, Morioh in this story looks drastically different than it did in DIU, shedding the scenic Meiji/Taisho period Edwardian architecture for a generic modern Japanese layout.

... Last updated on February 13th, 2019, 6:58pm

I found this manga to be unexpectedly interesting. A clever blend of horror, supernatural and psychological themes made for a most fascinating reading experience. There are only a few, short, stories, but they're all witty and atypical.

The art style is unique and rather interesting, but can be confusing until your eyes become accustomed to it.

Recommend for anyone on the lookout for something non-stereotypical and intriguing.

... Last updated on March 27th, 2017, 3:25am