Another

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!

Another

(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.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

Review time!

Plot: 1 star. This is actually hard to pinpoint, but I think the plot of the story revolves around the story from 26 years ago. First, we have to learn the full story, and then the characters need to figure out how to stop it early. Finding out the story was the first important mystery, but once you learn the story and its curse, the priority shifts into ending the curse as quickly as possible. You can’t have one half without the other. It’s an evolving plot, really, and it does get concluded at the end. I have to give this a full star.

Art: 1 star. The art is what drew me in, and it never disappointed. The umbrella scene was traumatizing, but the positive(?) spin for that is that the art is incredibly detailed. The use of shading and linework definitely evokes emotions.

Story Progression: 1 star. This manga does a very good job of capturing your attention early on. By the end of chapter 1, there’s already an inkling of mystery. The first few pages are a bit slow, but that only lasts while the main character meets his class presidents. The pacing does a good job of stretching out the anxiety and confusion of the story which prompts you to keep reading. It also helped me get more invested in the story itself. Things pick up right at the end, as they should. I was never able to predict what would happen next, so it kept my attention the entire time. I definitely have to give this one star.

Genre: 1/2 star. A “Japanese mystery horror” is very fitting. This is definitely a mystery. The horror genre works, but it’s more psychological with gore -which I suppose would be horror. I never got scared while reading this, but Japanese horror generally messes with your head more than anything. The mystery factor cranked that to 11 for me. I kept trying to put the pieces together when I wasn’t even seeing the whole puzzle. I was getting as paranoid as the main character; it was impressive xD Horror is not my forte (as the main page states, I generally don’t read horror), so I’m not sure if this is horror or if it should be classified as psychological. Some sites would add “mature” to cover the gore factor, but that’s splitting hairs.
I’ve tried doing some research (which is not my strong suit) -which means that I googled some terms, and here’s what I found about genres: Another, horror definitions

The Japanese horror definition is useless xP I was disgusted and startled by the umbrella scene, so horror here fits to some extent. Psychological thriller does not, or at least, the Western idea of it does not suit this manga. Honestly, psychological horror is the best fit, but that would remove the mystery genre. Since I’m so on the fence about this and Google has failed me, I’m going to give genre half a star. I don’t know Japanese horror well enough to know if this manga fits.

Enjoyment: 1/2 star. I’m not sure how to feel about this manga. It’s not the usual sort that I read, but I definitely chose to read it, and I never reached a point of giving up on the story. I was fascinated by the mystery aspects, but I was also disturbed by the gore. I wouldn’t call this reading “fun”, but it was absolutely an experience. It’s a complicated feeling.

If you’d like to see my full review, then please click here.

Another, part 2

part 1

I am going to be doing shorthand as I read. These descriptions are really more of a reminder to myself about what all I have been able to read so far. Sorry if this bothers anyone! I will do a full description on the final review page of each series I read.

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

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t write down a summary of the 2nd half of this manga after I read it >.<; so we’ll just have to go from my bad memory. I know how it ends, so this recounting won’t be very thorough

main character keeps talking to Misaki even though he’s not supposed to, but since everyone ignores her, he’s starting to think she might actually be a ghost. because of his disobedience, his classmates start to ignore him, too -but he doesn’t know why. 1 day, they see him and the next they don’t. now that he’s shunned, too, Misaki talks to him more freely, and it helps the main guy keep his sanity (don’t ignore people; being overlooked and ignored is very taxing on the psyche when you’re in middle school -and high school and any other time in your life).

they hang out in the library more, and the librarian talks to them even though their own teachers won’t. turns out, the librarian used to teach class C, but he couldn’t handle the deaths and eventually he became the librarian instead. the deaths don’t happen every year; there has to be a trigger, and sometimes there are “off years” where no one dies. but if the trigger happens, then someone dies every month for the rest of the school year. even teachers can be hit by it -if they teach class C.

the main character’s mom died during one of these death years, but she had already graduated. her sister (main guy’s aunt) had been in the class at the time, but her memories are hazy. the students’ memories (and teachers’) are always hazy about it. apparently the curse can change people’s memories.

we find out from Misaki and the librarian that since the original death 26 years ago, there’s always a wrong number of people in the class during death years; there’s an extra student. and one year, the deaths stopped partway through the year, but no one can remember why.

during this year, class C’s teacher dies. he goes crazy from the stress, kills his mother, and then kills himself in front of his students. it’s a traumatizing experience, and after that, they stop ignoring Misaki and main guy; it’s too late to try and stop the deaths, so their rule of ignoring them no longer matters. they’d hoped that by ignoring 1 student -and then the new guy- they could appease the curse, but that clearly isn’t working. so now the assistant teacher is in charge, and she’s terrified.

the 1 year the deaths stopped early, the class had gone on a school trip, so the assistant teacher sets that up. she just wants to stop this curse; she doesn’t want to die. but that trip in the past resulted in 3 deaths before finally stopping, and no one knows what else might’ve triggered the stop. so everyone’s freaked out.

somehow, Misaki and main guy learn from a former student what stopped the deaths that year. he left a recording at the school that main guy and co have to find and listen to. over the years, his memory has faded, so the recording is the only way to know. during the trip, the group listens to it, and the new class rep girl overhears. to stop the curse early, you must kill the extra student because they’re actually already dead. kill the ghost and the other deaths stop. but even the ghost doesn’t realize they’re a ghost, no one can tell who it is.

now the group’s terrified; they don’t tell anyone else because they don’t want to start a panic/murder fest. unfortunately, 1 friend thinks their other friend must be the ghost, so he tries to kill him that night. class rep girl also goes after Misaki because surely she’s the ghost. main guy wonders if he’s really the ghost. a fire also starts somehow, so now everyone in the hotel’s in danger.

all the students are wrong; friend B isn’t the ghost, Misaki’s not the ghost, and main guy’s not the ghost. Misaki has a doll’s eye in her right(maybe?) eye, and it’s blue (this was brought up early in the manga; I just didn’t include it last time because I wasn’t sure why it was important). with it, she can see who’s actually alive or dead. she’s known who the ghost is (which is very convenient), and now she knows she has to kill the ghost; she hasn’t wanted to take a life, but it’s the only way (which is understandable; she’s in freaking middle school; no one should have to do this!)

main guy saves Misaki; friend B survived his attack -barely-, and the fire gets put out by the rain. Misaki tells main guy about her ability, clears him of his own panic, and reluctantly tells him who the ghost really is. it’s their assistant teacher, aka: his aunt who looks like his mother, who’s treated him like a son (it’s only revealed now that she’s the assistant teacher). his mother died because aunt was a student in class C; main guy visited once as a child -to attend aunt’s funeral-; grandparents never acknowledged her all year and kept mourning someone other than main guy’s mom; no other class has an assistant teacher. the signs were there, just very subtle

main guy doesn’t let Misaki kill his aunt; he does it himself, and the curse is lifted. none of the other students remember his aunt, even the student who had a crush on her; only Misaki and main guy remember since they were the closest to the situation/were the ones who caused her death. in time, they’ll probably forget, too.

and weirdly enough, I don’t remember what happens after that? that might’ve been the end >.<;; but the mystery(?) has been solved, and the plot is done, so maybe that’s where the manga actually ended! I’ll check on that, too, when/if I eventually get the back cover info.

wasn’t this manga a wild ride? @.@

to read my full review of this manga, please click here.

Another, part 1

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

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

(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.