Manga recs for the spooky season
It’s a shame about Uzumaki, isn’t it?
Anyway, as it’s October and Hallowe’en is only a few days away, I thought it’d be cool to share some of my favourite spooky manga. Not all these series are “jump scare” scary, but they do have dark, fantastical elements that make for a good evening read, accompanied by a chai latte or a Bailey’s hot chocolate, and perhaps some ominous music in the background...
The first is actually a manhwa. Dead Man’s Switch is a classic locked-room zombie affair. Hohyun is a university student living on campus, who wakes after a long nap to find the halls shrouded in darkness and the air punctured by distant screams. After investigating, he finds the university has been overrun by zombies – former classmates and teachers have turned into mindless, flesh-eating monsters with no explanation. After accepting he is not dreaming, Hohyun tries to find an escape, but is accosted by Youngwon – a dark-haired mystery wielding an axe. Youngwon is adept at fighting and seems prepared for the crisis, and curiously, he already knowns Hohyun, even though Hohyun is certain this is the first time they’ve met. The pair form an unlikely team as they try to find survivors and allies around the campus and plan a means of escape to the outside world. Youngwon is motivated by one goal: keep Hohyun alive at all costs. Dead Man’s Switch is also a BL, so the forced proximity allows for some obvious spice. This series is ongoing, and it’s the perfect time to start reading as we’ve reached a critical revelation in the story.
Staying on the BL theme, The Summer Hikaru Died is an eerie, atmospheric horror about two childhood friends that live in a strange, quiet village that is overlooked by a mountain cursed by unknown, malicious entities. Easy-going Hikaru ventures to the mountain and suffers a fatal injury – which he miraculously recovers from. Hikaru’s best friend, Yoshiki, quickly realises that this person who looks like Hikaru and talks like Hikaru and behaves like Hikaru, is not Hikaru at all. Hikaru really did die, but something else is imitating him, and with this unknown entity's arrival, a myriad of strange disturbances plagues the village.
PTSD Radio by Masaaki Nakayama is a thrilling anthology series. Here we have true, frightening jump scares as a series of disjointed one-shots take us through the mundane, yet horrifying lives of various people trying to go about their business and leisure, but are plagued by their own haunted reflections, rogue hair monsters, suicidal apparitions, and more, over the course of six volumes. Be prepared for shockingly disturbing double-page spreads and lots of dark gallows humour. If the only horror manga author you know is Junji Ito, it’s time to give Nakayama a try.
If you’re looking for a horror story with a lot of character, Mieruko-chan is a great option. She’s a stoic and exhausted teenager, trying to live her life, go to school, and hang out with friends, but she can see ghosts – monstrous, horrifying things that are aware of her presence and like to follow her around. Sometimes the encounters are quite funny as she desperately maintains a poker face so as not to rouse their attention. Despite the horror throughout the story, there are some tender moments, like in the first volume, when Mieruko and her best friend are looking for an owner for a stray cat they found. The first man who appears is serene and respectable, but Mieruko can see the terrible dark apparitions surrounding him, and refuses his offer to take the cat, much to her friend’s - and the man’s - confusion. The second man looks like a thug from his outward appearance, but Mieruko persuades her friend to let him take the cat. On the next page we understand why – the man is accompanied by the spirits of two departed cats, who nestle against his neck and shoulders lovingly. I’ve read one volume of this and I really enjoy the story. There is a bittersweet twist at the end of volume one that seems to set the tone for Mieruko-chan: it’s more than horror, and at its core is a very human, sombre story. Bear in mind, there are some panels of oddly placed fanservice here and there.
Dorohedoro incorporates the humanness of Mieruko-chan and the mayhem of PTSD Radio and ramps it up tenfold. I’ve already written a review of the first volume, which contains a synopsis, and I’ve since completed the whole series (full review coming one day!). Dorohedoro is a thrilling, breathtaking journey through the dark and murky world of wizards and magicians. We try to find the mystery of Caiman’s missing head by confronting literal demons and agents of the underworld. We get a glimpse of the strange, impossible landscape of hell itself, and enjoy endless pages of bloody, gory, action-packed fight sequences. Q Hayashida has created a brilliant world with Dorohedoro, and it's enhanced by the two protagonists, Caiman and Nikaido. Their friendship is touching, and although they are both wild, larger-than-life characters, it's their tender care for each other that truly makes the story worthwhile.
This list wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of romance, and you can’t go wrong with Devil’s Line, a criminally underrated dark fantasy by Ryo Hanada. Tsukasa is a university student who lives in a world where devils – vampire-like creatures – are known to exist. Their lives are heavily restricted, but a select few are chosen to join law enforcement to help rid the streets of their rogue and more uncontrollable fellows. One day, a rogue vampire tries to attack Tsukasa, which leads to her being saved by a vampire officer called Anzai. They become quickly intrigued by each other, and Anzai continues to visit Tsukasa every evening – first under the guise of making sure she’s safe, and then for friendship, and eventually they both accept that they are attracted to each other. Whilst suffering from some rough artwork in the early volumes, Devil’s Line is a quiet yet impactful story centering the rights of vampires, a complex government conspiracy of several factions, and the mysteries surrounding vampire origins. Anzai and Tsukasa’s love story is very sweet, and there are some hot moments between them, especially one scene featuring their first time having sex, which incorporates specially made bondage equipment that reacts to safe words, ensuring the safety of the human participant.
Lastly, Lychee Light Club/Litchi Hikari Club is another manga I don’t see many people talk about. Back in the days when I was in school, Lychee Light Club was one of those series people would throw into “scariest/most disturbing” lists to prove they were connoisseurs of the craft and didn’t just stick to mainstream works like Uzumaki and I am A Hero. Now, it’s been all but forgotten. Written by Usamaru Furuya, the manga is based on a stage play of the same name, which is evident from the panelling and positioning of the characters, who are often meaningfully assembled in a way that immerses the reader into the horror of the story. A group of dubious teenage boys form a secret club in the basement of their school. Incel in nature, they have a disdain for girls, but are still obsessed with having a relationship, and try to create their own monster that will help them harm the girls in their school. They end up abducting a female teacher and subject her to torture, and as the story intensifies to its grand, dramatic ending, two club rivals come into conflict with each other, which ruptures the cohesion of the club. Just based on the subject content, this story won’t be for everyone, but I appreciate its commitment to being unapologetically gory and disturbing. You get exactly what it says on the tin with Lychee Light Club – enter at your peril.
Other than the above, there are a few more series I’ve either just started, or plan to read soon over the next couple months, including but not limited to The Last Exorcist – Ender Geister, Higanjima, DRCL Midnight Children, Dragonhead, and Inuyashiki.