Another, part 1

I had some time to kill at Books-A-Million, and I stumbled on this manga.  I’d seen it before, and I was fascinated by the art on the cover, so I finally decided to read it.  I didn’t know what to expect, but wow xD  Keep reading below to go along with me!

(image from: https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&sxsrf=ALeKk03bGoy7gWVAU9m0cfnvNYdRumkMzw%3A1583892426349&source=hp&ei=ykdoXrfnEpjJtQbirbuoBA&q=manga+another&oq=manga+another&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l3j0i22i30l7.832.2261..2402…1.0..0.104.1164.11j2……0….1..gws-wiz…….0i131j35i39j0i10.xubi1xfcDdY&ved=0ahUKEwi39LqLq5HoAhWYZM0KHeLWDkUQ4dUDCAc&uact=5)

I read this offline in the store, so it is the official translation, but I do not own the series.  I read the omnibus -I’m not sure if it comes any other way-, but I did not write down the summary on the back.  If I ever have the time to get that, I will update this section with that information.

Warning: This manga does show graphic gore.  If you’re not comfortable with seeing gore, then this is not the manga for you.

(so, I wrote a summary to explain this manga to a friend, so I’m just going to copy that summary here)

I did start reading a manga at Books-A-Million that was weird. I’m pretty sure it’s a horror genre, but the art’s really pretty. I really like the art, and I’m only guessing that it’s horror. I got about halfway through the story. I like it now -though I was starting to get a little freaked out since things are getting progressively creepier. Idk if I’ll still like it by the end xD

It’s a bit explicit with its violence? It seems to be a physchological, suspense, thriller thing? There’s a lot of mystery and dropped hints, but nothing’s explained. Things just keep happening, and with each event, I can’t help but wonder if I’m crazy or if it’s really real and happening

It’s set in the final year of middle school. Our main character is a boy from Tokyo who’s currently staying with his grandparents in a smaller town. He has health problems, so he misses the beginning of the school year. While in the hospital, he befriends a nurse, meets his new class reps who visit him, and sees another student the day he’s discharged from the hospital -normal so far

This smaller town holds onto traditions and superstitions -which his aunt tells him about. Like, if you’re on the roof at school and you hear a crow, you have to walk back inside with your left foot first. Another one is that whatever the class decides becomes a fact that you just have to go with. There’s also an old story from 26 years ago about a student from class C who died, but no one will talk about it; everyon’s really hushed about it -slightly more weird but still mostly normal

The story’s about a girl named Misaki who died, but her classmates loved her so much, they pretended that she lived. In the graduation picture, you can even see her ghost. Somehow, telling this story triggers tragedy, so no one wants to say it for fear of “starting something”. But there’s a girl in the main character’s class who is named Misaki, and everyone acts like she doesn’t exist -now it gets weird

She was the classmate from the hospital. She went to pay respects to her cousin who had died that day, also named Misaki. She tells him the story from 26 years ago and says that’s only the beginning of the story. But she won’t tell him the rest and warns him to be careful. He tries asking around, asking family, classmates, even the nurse, but no one knows

A month after Misaki’s cousin dies, a classmate gets a call about a family emergency and runs out of class. She falls and dies. Now everyone’s saying the 26 year old curse is obviously triggered -it’s too late to stop it-, so now, someone related to their class will die every month until the school year ends

The nurse tries to help the main character learn the full story -she doesn’t know anything because she went to a different school growing up. But there’s an accident, and she dies, too. Her brother was in the class. The new class rep says this is all the main character’s fault, but he still doesn’t know what’s going on or even what’s real

And that’s as far as I’ve gotten. I’m curious where it’ll go next, but I hope it’s nothing too traumatizing xD

when the first classmate died, her death was super graphic; I think I actually jumped when I saw it, and I had to look away. Gore is not my thing, so if you’re like me, you may want to be careful reading this manga; I still can’t get that scene out of my head >.>

To keep reading with me, please click here.