The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus, Book 1

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service #1-3

by Eiji Otsuka, Housui Yamazaki (Illustrator)

Five spiritualist students at a Buddhist college in Japan realize the job market is tough these days . . . among the living, that is! But the dead need jobs done too, so the five form the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, carrying out the last wishes of their cadaverous clients, so their souls can move on. But the Kurosagi gang are magnets for weirdness—not just corpses—and every case gets them involved in disturbing personal obsessions, bizarre modern Tokyo fads, and strange rituals of old Japan! Collects The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volumes 1–3.

Genres: Manga, Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Adult

664 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

大塚英志

Social anthropologist and novelist. Graduated from college with degree in anthropology, women's folklore, human sacrifice and post-war manga. In addition to his work with manga he is a critic, essayist, and author of several successful non-fiction books on Japanese popular and “otaku” sub-cultures. One of his first animation script works was Maho no Rouge Lipstick, an adult lolicon OVA. Otsuka was the editor for the bishojo lolicon manga series Petit Apple Pie.

In the 80s, Otsuka was editor-in-chief of Manga Burikko, a leading women's manga magazine where he pioneered research on the “otaku” sub-culture in modern Japan. In 1988 he published "Manga no Koro" (The Structure of Comics), a serious study of Japanese comics and their social significance. Also as critic, Otsuka Eiji, summarized the case of the Japanese red army's 1972 murders as a conflict between the masculine and the feminine principles as they were both embodied by women and against women (Otsuka,1994).

Reviews

[Michael Jandrok · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not really sure how I first came upon “The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.” I like horror manga in general, and it’s entirely possible this showed up as an Amazon recommendation somewhere along the line. Whatever the case, it piqued my interest, even though I didn’t make an investment in the series right away. Not long ago, I managed to find out that the series had been issued in omnibus editions, and that made it much easier and more economical for me to begin collecting and reading the books. It was absolutely worth the wait, as this has quickly become one of my all-time favorite manga.

First things first. This is not a series for children. It’s most definitely for adults. Besides the obvious relationship to death implied by the title, the content also has a lot of nudity and gory violence packed between the pages. It’s most definitely a horror manga, though it does manage to sprinkle in quite a bit of humor as a break from the constant focus on death.

The plot is pretty simple. Five recent graduates of a Buddhist college find that there isn’t much of an employment market for monks. Fortunately, there IS an opportunity to provide service to a VERY neglected segment of the marketplace, and the students find themselves teaming up to become a unique company delivering a unique commodity to a unique set of clients. Their main mission is to fulfill the last wishes of the recently departed, hopefully in exchange for a fee of some kind, though that is not always possible considering the state of the main customer base. With a mixture of mystery, adventure, and ties to the underworld of crime, it’s much like a Japanese version of Scooby-Doo with an R-rating and real supernatural situations instead of a bunch of baddies hiding behind masks. Oh, and Scooby has been replaced by a vulgar, expletive-spewing hand puppet that may or may not be inhabited by a channeled space alien.

Your new favorite characters are:

Kuro Karatsu: The shaven-headed student monk whose power to communicate with the dead provides the group with its key to doing business. Kuro need only touch a dead body to communicate with the spirit left behind. His ability can also lead to temporary reanimation of corpses under certain circumstances, though this allows him no control of the bodies nor does it seem to last for very long. Kuro appears to be accompanied by a mysterious spirit that protects him and may be the source of his power, though he seems to be unaware of his (her?) presence. Kuro sometimes refers to himself as an itako, though he is neither blind nor a female.

Ao Sasaki: The graduate student who draws Kuro and the other characters in and serves as the de facto manager of the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. She is a slim and attractive woman who is a part-time hacker and computer expert. She moderates a web-page called “Corpse-Chat” and has an extensive network of contacts within the “dead-centric” underground. She often uses her expertise to research details about the group’s clients and entanglements. Her no-nonsense tone keeps everyone else in line.

Makoto Numata: The big guy with a sensitive heart of gold who has the power to “dowse” not for water, but for dead bodies. He finds ‘em, Karatsu talks to ‘em. He repeatedly serves as a comic foil with Kuro, as the two are often to be found together due to the complementary nature of their supernatural abilities.

Yuji Yata: The smallish, nerdy introvert who wears a hand-puppet that may or may not house the spirit of an alien from outer space. Said alien also happens to have a serious potty mouth and a talent for insulting sarcasm. Is Yuji REALLY channeling an alien intelligence, or is he just schizophrenic? Either way, he is one of the strangest and most compelling characters in modern manga.

Kere Ellis: The presumed space alien intellect that Yuji channels through the form of a hand puppet. Kere is a vulgar but sharply smart character that may or not be what he seems. As the series goes on, Kere begins to display a wider range of depth as well as a broader set of skills, such as possible psychic powers. He is an adept comic foil, but can also save the day in a pinch.

Keiko Makino: The cheerful U.S.-trained embalmer who is often called to put her skills to work for the group. Embalming is rare in Japan, where real estate is at a premium and most people opt for the more traditional option of cremation. Nonetheless, she is able to ply her trade in service to the story as well as taking on some side-jobs where her skills are necessary.

Omnibus Edition 1 contains the first 3 volumes of the series. Like traditional manga, it reads right to left. The stories are written by Eiji Otsuka. The artwork is done by Housui Yorifuji. The series is edited and translated into English by Carl Gustav Horn.

Volume 1 consists of four different tales:

“Less Than Happy” - The students get together for the first time in this introductory chapter. The group find a body in Aokigahara forest. Aokigahara Forest is a very real place in Japan which is a popular spot for suicides. There is a disturbing thread of incest and necrophilia in this story that lets you know right up front that this is not a manga for the weak of heart or stomach.

“Lonely People” - Now a company officially in business to provide services to the dead, our heroes find a corpse stashed in a house altar that has been tossed into a dump. The departed would like to be taken to a particular “dendera” field for her final rest, but the team has trouble locating exactly WHICH field the body is speaking of. Things wrap in a touching manner.

“Magician of Lost Love” - A play on “Sweeney Todd,” as a serial killer stylist goes on a body slicing rampage with a very sharp blade. Menace, madness, and fashionable hairstyles for all.

“September Rain” - The Service encounters real peril as they try to solve a mystery that comes to them courtesy of a corpse found in a sewer drain. Turns out it’s an insurance scam with a twist. Getting good rates has never been so dangerous. Kuro’s guardian spirit Yaichi plays a large role in this adventure.

Volume 2 consists of 7 chapters that follow one story line. This is a particularly creepy and well-constructed tale of revenge and forgiveness. This volume gives us a lot of Ao Sasaki’s backstory. Well-paced, tense, and full of surprises.

Volume 3 has 4 chapters that cover three separate story lines.

“Crossing the River” and “Applause” - These two sections form the basis for a singular drama that revolves around illegal immigrants, organ harvesting, and the unquenchable need to go home. Even when that home is a war-torn wasteland. Depicted as taking place during the invasion of Iraq during the second Gulf War in 2003, it was interesting to see a bit of Japanese perspective on the American-led conflict.

“X + Y = Love” - The Delivery Service gets caught up in a dangerous game with deadly consequences. Keep an eye out for suspicious markings around your town. They may be more than just spray paint tags……..

“Waltz” - A musical melody acts as a soundtrack for suicide. The gang must solve the mystery of the music before they themselves fall victim to the sinister tune.

Overall, I have to say that I am constantly entertained and intrigued by “The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.” It’s a lot less overtly over-the-top than a number of other horror manga. It doesn’t go out of its way to be sensational or gory just for the sake of shock value. There is plenty of violence and graphic death and even a healthy dose of fanservice, but it all seems like it’s in the service of the story itself. There is nothing fancy about the illustrations, but the art is perfectly serviceable and manages to be an effective complement to the writing.

One interesting feature that might take a bit of getting used to for casual fans is the fact that all of the sound effects have been rendered in Japanese and then translated in an appendix at the end of each volume. That can be a bit disconcerting at times, but the translations are often expanded into what turn out to be effective footnotes that provide a lot of depth and information to the action. The reader can gain a ton of interesting knowledge of Japanese culture and insight into the making of the manga itself. This is a valuable asset in my opinion.

Great job, highly recommended. I can’t wait to dig deeper into this manga.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprised of the first three manga volumes. Very unusual and jarring. A group of Buddhist students trying to find work come up with a plan to use their unique gifts (telepathy, divining, embalming etc.) to find out where corpses lie dead and, by 'communicating' with them, find out who their killer was and what their last dying wishes may be to help them rest peacefully. Graphic and poignant. Not for kiddies.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

GUYS THIS MANGA IS SO MUCH FUN!! I saw this in a bookstore while I was in Japan last year and was immediately interested because of the title. The concept is so unique and cool- students with unique gifts (eg. being able to communicate with the dead) help the dead to achieve their final wish. This usually means transporting the body to a final resting place so that the soul can finally move on.

This manga as described as a horror and whilst there are definitely some tense and creepy moments I don't quite know if 'horror' is the right descriptor. It's an interesting mix of things- the characters are young, odd and have really fun banter together. In an odd way, I was reminded of the Scooby Doo gang. There were similarities between this manga and that show- the gang pile into a van, solve a mystery and move on. A lot of thought has gone into each volume of the series. The different bodies that the crew must deliver have super interesting stories behind them (this is where some of the creepiness sometimes comes in). There are times when the crew finds the body of someone who has been murdered and stuff like that.

Honestly I just think it's all very clever and the humour/ lighthearted banter with the characters balances the whole thing very nicely. I'm keen as a bean to continue this manga! I think I'm really going to enjoy it. The art is pretty simple but I like it. There were some creepy moments where the art NAILED IT! Definitely recommend!

[Leo Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!

There remains a real phobia of gore, dark themes, anything explicit in publishing these days. It's so strange, because within the context of a piece of fiction, different values are assigned to different properties, right? Like, a kiss can mean anything or nothing. So a corpse can be disgusting, commonplace, funny, happy... anything! To blanket-ban gore is to say that gore is always gory, which is to fundamentally misunderstand what fiction does*.

So I'm glad this exists. The art is occasionally disgusting, and I got this feeling of resonance after the first episode that the writer himself had been exposed to some absurd death in his own life. I think because there's a total lack of fear in the storytelling or a blunt acceptance of death, or a curiosity and compassion demonstrated towards corpses**.

The first volume was the best, and was like four or five twenty-minute episodes of a detective-style anime, where a team of metaphysical misfits fulfil the burial rites of unfulfilled corpses. The later volumes take on longer story arcs with weaker effect, in my opinion. But this book is fun, and sweet, and cool, and occasionally grotesque: a bit like Pokemon with corpses, is the best way I can explain it.

And isn't that, like, life?

*Though to be fair, I think publishers are probably as dismayed that they need rules like "no golden showers", which I saw on a recent list of submission guidelines! What's probably happening is not that the publisher thinks golden showers have no place in fiction but that they are receiving submissions with poorly handled and inexplicable scenes of people peeing on one another. Really the list of no-gos are things that crop up most frequently without reason or themes that require mastery of the form in order to discuss and explore well, things that are the easiest to fail at. It's just a shame that, um, certain violent things that happen in the world are banned from submissions, themes and plots that people generally balk at. Controversies can spread instantaneously these days, I suppose, and the wrong book could ruin a publisher, unnecessarily. But where there remains controversy, in 2017(?! Seriously why the fuck is anyone shocked by anything anymore) is where the most stories are required.

**I just read a quote recently that writers really only have a full set of life experience once they're in their thirties, which is a nice rule of thumb, but that's all. I think if people younger have enough LIFE thrown their way, they're golden, so long as they don't write about personal experience in a way that assumes a lack of similar hardship in the reader or a pandering self-victimisation that requires the reader to like the writing just because something bad happened to its writer. I think it's handling that balance that young writers are bad at, and the life experience they lack is not LIFE throwing its crap at them but a lack of conversations with other people to learn, 'Oh, they have it better, but that person has it worse, and that person has it as bad as me but differently so, oh wait, this happens to everyone? So if people aren't supposed to feel sorry for me, and I'm not unique, now how am I supposed to write about this?' There are as many answers to that question as writers, but writers can have prestigious careers and praise and all of that without ever asking themselves these questions, and that's a shame, and how do I know this writer has gone through the above process? I can just feel it in the way it resonates. And if even a relatively fun and seemingly light-hearted series of detective genre fiction can improve by applying this rule, anything can.
And so out of that point, I'd say the number one way for writers to massively improve is to start conversations around them, get a sense of how unique and yet unspecial they are, then sit down and use their words to come up against this conundrum. Just don't come to your keyboard with an unearned or over-inflated sense of originality.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such a great time reading through these stories. Dark and funny, overall really entertaining.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was weird and I liked it

[Armando · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like an inverse of the white stork that delivers babies, the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is the black bird that delivers corpses to their final resting place.

The cast of characters are all students from a Buddhist University and each have their own unique abilities. Some of them supernatural, like being able to speak to the dead or using a dowsing ability to find dead corpses, or some of them are more grounded in reality, like being hacking abilities or embalming skills. Like the Mystery Gang, the Kurosagi Delivery Service uses these combined abilities to solve the mysteries of their dead clients. Helping these lost souls find their peace by solving their unsolved murders, saying one last goodbye, or often, uncovering corruption or some system of evil practices.

While I think the premise is super interesting, and the cast of characters are unique, it took me awhile to really care for them. There is very little expressed or revealed about who these characters are or where they come from. It took until the second Volume in this Omnibus to really dive into one of the character's backstories and her history, which was the best part, but the rest of the volume, while it explores some cool themes and stories, doesn't really hit as hard.

The meat of the stories seem to be more upon the actual clients of the Kurosagi Service, with many themes of violence, survival, abuse, and so on being the real heart of the stories. Uncovering the stories of these dead souls not only feels very human, but also takes a larger look at life. What does it mean to be alive, and what should we do with the little time we have, are all themes and topics of discussion at the heart of each story.

Overall though, as much as I enjoyed these clients, it wasn't enough to really get me fully hooked. That might have to do with the fact that the main cast is such an interesting premise of characters, that it was disappointing to not go more into their backstories. The main character in specific, seems to have a lot going on with his ability to speak to the dead, and even has a connection to the god of death, but even after three volumes, almost nothing about that is revealed or spoken of. So well these episodic like adventures are entertaining, I didn't get as hooked as I could've been.

[Leah Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Points off for translation inconsistencies, but I love the stories themselves.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the September edition of The Comics Alternative Manga podcast, Derek and Shea call The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service sort of "a cross between supernatural horror and Scooby-Doo," which is actually quite accurate. The book contains both gore and nudity, but is primarily a dark comedy/detective story involving characters seeking to communicate with the dead in order to take their bodies to the resting place of their choosing. The series obviously has a lot to say about Japanese culture (which I'm quite ignorant of), but even without a familiarity of the culture, the omnibus is a fun ride (provided you're ok with all the things mentioned above).

[Kimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminded me of that boom Goth, but the characters were less morbid and had morals. I really liked it.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy to have come across this manga, it was such a good read. Five students are all studying at a Buddhist university. Still, each character has a unique personality and abilities which makes it enjoyable to read how they interact with each other as they form their service to finish what the dead desire who can't move on.

Each chapter reads like a TV show which is refreshing because each chapter has its plot and sometimes ends with you questioning what happened afterward. In each chapter, there are themes of gore, murder, and nudity in each job they take up we see how they handle each scenario and their personalities it also adds that dark humor element to the story but in a good way.

[Shylo · Rating 5 out of 5]

For adult fans of horror who aren't put off by a little gore (at least no more gore than something like Tokyo Goul or SNK). Interesting social commentary with a dash of humor, I would recommend this manga. I do warn, however, that the translation isn't the best so you have to assume a little bit of the dialogue. Not a big enough problem to drop a star, but something to be aware of if you want to pick up this omnibus.

[Danté E. Corrales · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. I was hoping for some more, but at least it entertained me. I don't think I'll pick up the other omnibuses. But if you are looking for a story of a group of wacky characters doing wacky paranormal murder investigations that are episodic, then this is for you. It's not terrible, pretty fun, but it just didn't keep my attention as much as I hoped, hence why I binge-read this to be finished.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is generally pretty good and there are a few laughs to be had, but it took a while for the writing to pick up. The first few stories were notable only for their gratuitous sexual and violent imagery, but gradually there came to be more mystery and intrigue in the plots of each episode. I can't say I'd recommend it unless you're already interested in horror/manga.

[Chetana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

It has been a while since I read this manga but it is as good as I remembered it. It has an episodic feel to it with some mystery as to the main characters and their powers. I am only sad that the whole series is not translated/scanslated yet and seems to be on hiatus.

If you are looking for a quirky mystery manga with great mysteries and a bit of gore this is the manga for you.

[James Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Catnaitab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verrrry creepy at times, mainly because the design is so beautiful and detailed. Will make you want to finish it in a day.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! And I loved every second of it. The drawings, the characters, the storylines and the humor. What a fantastic series, can't wait to continue with it.

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember reading it and finding it extremely fascinating. Definitely not a light read though! Gore abounds.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Lou Fillari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm much more interested in this the second time around. Let's answer our burning questions next time in Vol 2!

[Choonghwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

a book of Thanatos

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morbidly delightful.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars on Looking Glass Reads.

One of my favorite manga genres is quickly becoming the horror genre. I had my eye on The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus Volume 1 by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki for some time now. This omnibus edition collects volumes 1 to 4 of the manga together in one place, is a monstrous 640 pages long, and is perfect for binge reading. Which is exactly what I did.

This manga features five students and ex students studying to become monks. However, the job market isn’t what it should be and none of them exactly fit in well with the regular 9 to 5. But that’s just with the living. The dead have lingering desires, wishes they want fulfilled, and even in death they’re willing to pay. This follows Kuro Karatsu and four others as they fulfill the last wishes of the deceased clients.

The story starts a bit episodic. Each chapter in volume one tells its own story, a format the manga largely follows throughout the omnibus. We follow Kuro Karatsu as he volunteers with a group helping to find bodies in a forest famous for suicides. Things intensify quickly. Each character has their own skill, whether on the mystical or scientific side. Our main character is able to speak with the dead. Another uses traditional diving to find bodies instead of the traditional water. The oddest ability, and one that is odd even to the other characters, is a character who, supposedly, is able to channel an alien spirit to a hand puppet he carries around with him. This is, by far, the oddest most ‘only in anime’ thing about the series thus far. I can see some people finding this strange, maybe too strange, but I found it fit with the theme and characterization well, especially since some of the other characters seemed to find this odd as well, even if they had special abilities of their own.

However, magical powers aren’t all we see here. More scientific abilities are shown as well – one character is an embalmer, another is impeccably skilled at research. While none of the jobs would occur if Karatsu couldn��t speak with the dead or Makoto Numata couldn’t using divining to find bodies, much important information would be lost if Keiko Makino wasn’t a trained embalmer. Each character has their own talent, and they work very well together as a group. Science and magical and spiritual abilities come together wonderfully in this manga, and was an aspect I liked.

As can be expected, this manga can get quite dark and pretty graphic. Remember, it comes wrapped in plastic for bookstore shelves for a reason. Graphic murder scenes, dead bodies, and more are shown throughout the manga. The manga definitely has a frightening, creepy tone, and the art reflects this.

I really enjoyed the art in this manga. The character designs were great; each character is very distinct and memorable. This isn’t a manga where characters have a sameness to them at all. The panels flowed very well, naturally dragging the eye along. There were some wonderful, extremely detailed one and two page spreads scattered throughout the omnibus as well. Now, I do have to complain here. The two page spreads, while beautiful, are were a little difficult to see. The way this particular omnibus was created would have meant breaking the spine in order to see everything where the two pages meet. This is a common problem for a lot of omnibus editions, and this one is no exception. If you’re a collector of manga and this is a deal breaker I’d definitely recommend buying the individual volumes instead of the omnibus editions.

What starts out in a rather episodic manner does change going into the second and third volumes. Story arcs become a little longer. Character’s backgrounds are explored and are more relevant to the plot. There is still an episodic feel here, but it doesn’t lack the sort of forward momentum that other series I’ve read have fallen into.

I would definitely recommend reading The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki. This was a truly great read. It was atmospheric with some very creepy sequences. If you like the horror genre this is a series you’ll want to pick up. Though I must admit that if you want the full effect of the two page spreads purchasing this series in single volumes, while more expensive in the long run, would be the better option.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is comprised of five people with special skills. Kuro talks to spirits when he touches corpses. Numata uses a pendulum to dowse for the location of corpses. Makino is one of the few people in Japan that embalms the dead. Yata has a hand puppet that insists he's an alien completely independent of him. Lastly, Ao has a mercenary nature. She makes sure they are paid and figures out unique ways to make money with their talents. Together, they fulfill the wishes of the dead and make a meager living off of it.

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is an odd manga series and their adventures helping the dead and the living. The most unique thing about this is how it's a horror series that has reverence and respect for the dead. Many of the gut punch moments are emotional in nature, not because of gore or extreme situations. Corpses walk occasionally and it seems to be only if a spirit has an overwhelming need to accomplish something. The author wanted to make the walking dead scary again and does so while maintaining the emotional aspects of the situations. I also very much enjoyed how Buddhism is their main training and faith rather than any Christian religion.

Each story brings something unique that I haven't seen before. The first story is the most extreme with a pedophile, necrophile father and two suicide pact teens. The other stories are less offputting. One of the most emotional ones is when the group finds an elderly woman dead in an abandoned alter. It turns out she put herself there, sacrificing herself so she wouldn't drain the resources her family has. It was tragic and uplifting at the same time, especially with the ending. Other stories I enjoyed involved an elaborate assisted suicide insurance scam (that almost claims the lives of some of the Delivery Service), a melody that influences people into killing themselves with a mundane source, and a funeral home that offers to resurrect murderers for families to kill in revenge. Each story has an element of mystery and an attempt to fulfill the dead's wishes.

Some characters are developed well like Kuro, the main character of the piece, Ao, and Yata. At first, I thought the hand puppet thing was super obnoxious and just there to be weird, but over time, the hand puppets personality is shown to the be completely different from Yata's and actually helpful sometimes. I know the series isn't over yet, but Numata and Makino are useful without much development at all. My only other criticism is the constant inclusion of women either nude or half dressed for no reason at all. When it's just a part of the story, I don't mind. However, when it's completely unnecessary like Ao answering the phone topless or questionable wardrobe choices for only female characters or posters on walls or magazines in the background, it gets annoying and frustrating that this manga is clearly aimed at men by the artist. At least add some sort of detail that makes sense if the artist really wants it there.

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is a lot of fun despite its flaws. There is a section at the back of each one that translates the sound effects and defines some terms or situations that are culturally unfamiliar to American audiences. The sound effect part is a bit unnecessary and I can find it out by context, but the other definitions and explanations are enlightening. There are 4 omnibuses out right now, each of them containing 3 full length manga. It's a bit unwieldy to read with a 600+ page book, but the unique stories are worth it. I look forward to more character development for all and more Delivery Service adventures.

[osoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тот неловкий момент, когда выучился на буддийского монаха, а после выпуска профессия оказалась ни разу не востребована. Но пятерка главных героев не унывает и решает основать агентство по доставке усопших. Только вот загвоздка – узнавать адрес доставки приходится у самих усопших, часто имеющих последнее неисполненное желание, удерживающее их в этом мире. Ты ж монах, вот и разбирайся. Обязанности разделились честно: кто-то практикует биолокацию с маятником, кто-то бальзамирует жертв, кто-то занимается хакерством, а кто-то просто говорит с душами умерших. Или имеет прямую связь с космосом через перчаточную куклу, поселившуюся на левой руке. IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A MONK.

Еще до прочтения я углядела то ли в тегах, то ли в отзывах, что Куросаги – это черный юмор не для слабонервных. Про слабонервных – точно, но юмор тут надо еще постараться разглядеть (кроме откровенно потребительского отношения сотрудников агентства к своим «клиентам» и мимолетного стеба над гангста-экс-копом). По большей части истории – трагичные, жестокие, страшные, что даже святого заставят потерять веру в человечество. Все без прикрас: мигрантов сбывают на черном рынке органов, убийства превращаются в квест, прыгают под поезда суицидально настроенные господа, а дьявольски изобретательные люди зарабатывают на горе родственников. Тема не самая радужная, все-таки клиенты у ребят редко погибают по собственному почину, и уж точно без света в конце тоннеля. Мои ощущения застыли где-то между неуютностью и детективным интересом (некоторые «дела» до самого конца держат в напряжении, особенно арка с семьей Сасаки). Если и есть там юмор, то самый черный-пречерный из всех возможных.

Пожалуй, за три тома мне встретилась только одна «лайтовая» история, заставившая расчувствоваться. В остальном было жутко. Не последнюю роль в этом сыграл овер-реалистичный и детальный рисунок, не оставляющий места воображению. Весь предыдущий опыт кажется ничтожным, потому что в том же Паразите blood&gore нужны были для нагнетания хоррора, а в Куросаги это элемент повседневности, лишнее напоминание о неприглядности смерти (и жизни, впрочем, тоже). Когда у данного представления нет конкретной цели, становится не по себе.

Совсем не уверена, что буду читать дальше, несмотря на достойные сюжетные арки и отличный ensemble cast. Сейчас мне срочно нужна доза радужных пони :с

hisashiburi

[Lou (Lou and Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this book in Foyles, I was really intrigued that I immediately added it to my want-to-read pile and all of my wishlists. I ended up getting a book voucher for my birthday from my grandmother, so I bought this book and I am quite happy about that choice. This book is not like how I expected it to be but I do really like it. I can see it working well as an anime, and I can see why it is being developed into an American movie (although I think it would be better as an Japanese live action tv series). The way the story is written, it works really well as episodes. It's resembles the tv show Medium a bit.

It didn't take me long for me to get into the story, and then I was hooked. I was really intrigued on the individual stories and how the group solves them. I think the system works well because there is little overall plot, so you really get into the mysteries of the small plots of the volumes.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters, their superpowers, and the most extreme parts of the characters personalities. But I do think that they could be more developed as I ended up forgetting that one person was a part of the group.

After I finished this volume, I went to see how much the second omnibus is and I may be broke in the future trying to buy it because I did enjoy this series enough to invest in it. I do think that the series is a bit too gore filled for me but I push through it because I want to see what happens.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick introduction to a group of kids who are going to a monk college that have some weird abilities. One is a dowser that finds dead bodies; one can channel an alien through a puppet; one is an expert in embalming; one is a computer guru that leads the team; and the last is a dude can speak to the dead...and a little bit more.

Volume 1
It's dark, it morbid, it's creepy. It's like someone decided to twist a horror movie with a detective story. A bit on the gory side, but I like it. Over all it's a patchwork of stories that this motley crew find themselves in. But the big draw for me is that creepy figure you see hanging behind Karatsu.

Volume 2
This volume has more of a story with an arc stretching over the whole volume. We meet new characters with abilities similar to our main characters. Meanwhile, underneath it all, is a murder mystery that's about 20 years old.

Volume 3
This one's got three main stories in it. One is an international case that has its roots in black market organ deals. Dark, dark stuff. The second is a very deadly game of tag with lots of tagging going on. The third is a messy business set with a musical number.

This omnibus contains volumes 1 - 3.

[Alexa Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on a group of people investigating deaths of complete strangers.
This very gifted bunch of people locates corpses and 'asks' them what are their final wishes.
The cases they lay to rest have interesting concepts and a lot of it feels very rooted in the Japanese culture, which is why I felt a little disengaged with the story and had trouble focusing. Otherwise, it would have been a solid 5 stars.
I am a big fan of the mysterious, horrific and creepy and there were all presented here but it all had a somewhat 'cutesy' twist that can only be described as the popular manga style of today. since I don't read many manga books it was an interesting experience for me, but grew tiresome over time.
I enjoyed this omnibus and it provided some entertainment and discussion topics, but I will refrain from purchasing the rest of the series. I think it will all go in the same fashion and I don't think I need any more of this kind of story. One book was more than enough.

[Koori no hi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was odd and a little grotesque, and the art style wasn't really my thing (which took a little getting used to but reading new graphic media in new genres usually does.) I have been gravitating to the uncanny, psychological comics in my readings online lately and this series began very well. The people in the story are realistic, if strange, but that in itself is worth taking note of. The weirdness of the characters is something many people can relate to - even if these guys are strange in different ways. It was good without crossing the line from uncanny/paranormal fiction to horror.
A friend of mine already had a copy of this when I bought it and was worried that I would be spending my money only to not like the story. No need to worry friend, it was money well spent, and I will be looking into the second omnibus hereafter.