Oddly enough, these volumes use the absurdities (domesticated hair, hell amusement park, hole epidemics, etc.) to build a massive biomechanical vision of Edo Japan. The mangaka's constant, creative use of their premises, combined with appropriate levels of gore and violence, make this is certainly a cut above similar offerings in its genre.

I thought this was absolutely hilarious; it contains somewhat dark, twisted humor that can make one go "WTF?" (and yes, in a good way. Okay, to me, at least). The various scenarios were unpredictable, and may even be outrageous to some. Read this with an open mind, and you may just enjoy this rollercoaster ride.

Note what Brolen says about Vol. 2: "This one is full of bizzare things and horror elements, as well as some funny cultural references and off the wall humor. It’s set in the Edo period just like the first book but it’s not really a sequel. The title is actually Koro Koro Soushi - Ooedo muzan juusanku. The subtitle translates into 13 Cruel Sufferings of Great Edo. It’s basically a collection of mini stories, but there are some tie ins, and characters cross paths. There is a storyline near the end that brings a lot of the characters from the previous chapters together. Themes include cursed prostitutes, killer tailor assasins, an epic battle of patches and holes (You got that right.), and even a great pinnochio spoof. Just like the first one, I have worked on the rest of the it, but not the first chapter."