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Ghost Diary #3
Ghost Diary, Vol. 3
REAPER ON THE RUN
A vengeful monster is out to get the Sukami family! The Occult Club is on the hunt, but they have to be extra-careful, because making eye contact with the monster is a one-way trip to insanity. Meanwhile, emotional turmoil is stirring up all sorts of trouble. First, a lovestruck Chloe quits working on the Ghost Diary and then she disappears, meaning Kyouichi’s got two missing people to find now. It’s the final volume of the paranormal drama, and the stakes have never been higher–or creepier. Will Kyouichi ever find his sister?
A vengeful monster is out to get the Sukami family! The Occult Club is on the hunt, but they have to be extra-careful, because making eye contact with the monster is a one-way trip to insanity. Meanwhile, emotional turmoil is stirring up all sorts of trouble. First, a lovestruck Chloe quits working on the Ghost Diary and then she disappears, meaning Kyouichi’s got two missing people to find now. It’s the final volume of the paranormal drama, and the stakes have never been higher–or creepier. Will Kyouichi ever find his sister?
180 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 21, 2018
Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
This review is for the entire series and will be copied to the other two volumes reviews... except each will have it's own unique section about that particular volume... You can check out vol. 1 HERE and vol. 2 HERE...
Sukami is the heir to a family of exorcists, and he is very close to his sister, the strongest of them, whom is writing a book about how to defeat these different ghosts, monsters and spirits. The evening after his sister and he defeats the nameless god from an abandoned shrine she goes missing. 6 years later a reaper comes claiming to be his sister's friend! Who is she? And will completing the Ghost Diary really reveal his sister to him?
The art is very typical but suits the story. The backgrounds are well done and the characters stand out from one another. The monsters have creepy designs for the most part and add a ton of atmosphere to the story. My favorite part of the art are the tiny reaction frames and humor frames that the mangaka works into the frame layout. These aren't typical and add a lot to the relationships between the characters. I ABSOLUTELY adore the covers! Color adds a lot of character to the art, they are why I wanted to read the series and I can say I'm happy I did!
The story is quite simple... Sukami wants to find his missing sister. He meets a reaper who says if they finish his sister's ghost diary then he'll be able to find her. He has a friend who loves the occult. He has a girl who likes him a lot and wants him to get over his sister. And they have two other odd friends who make the whole experience fun! Even though the story was simple I DID want to find Hanaichi (his sister) and I wanted to see Mayumi (the girl who likes him) rewarded for her great loyalty. The problem is even though I was motivated the world didn't support the intrigue. Even though there was a monster a chapter it didn't take much to solve them and move on.
There is this strange combination that makes up this world. Supposedly it is supernatural in nature and is made up of ghosts. In the beginning we are introduced to a nameless god. In the story this is called the occult. The monsters though are really urban legends. They don't really make sense but can be creepy even though there is no real chance we'll believe them. I think the art goes a long way in making the monsters less ridiculous but they really are a crapshoot whether you'll enjoy these chapter arcs or not. There is some fan service especially with Hanaichi and Chloe and some references to incest which is icky but a major motivation. It's treated almost like a joke with the reader. It's the occult club and how these characters INTERACTED with the world that was so great!
The plot of volume 3 is quite unexpected and turns everything that happened in the first two volumes on its head! This is the volume that really made me excited that I read this entire small but mighty series! You have to read the first two volumes to get the pay off but boy is is WORTH IT! I feel like this is a prequel to an already existing series even though its not... In fact I would happily move on to the world presented at the end of the volume! Mayumi excites me as a MC and I would happily revisit this Sukami and get to see Kukuri and Onigashima again!
An occult world where exorcists can help monsters that started life as humans back to the afterlife. Overstep your bounds though and you can easily become a monster yourself! Yes, the world is odd and doesn't quite make sense but the characters are great and make it worth the effort to read. The secondary characters even have their own compelling arcs that are fun and fit in the occult. Plus you won't see that end coming at all...!
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
BOTTOM LINE: I would happily move on to another series based on the end of this volume!
Thanks to Diamond Bookshelf and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my opinion.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...
March 24, 2020
I'm just done with this series. I'm actually kind of baffled that I liked this as much as I did when I first read it, but now I'm amazed I even finished it. There was unnecessary sexual violence and graphic violence that overshadowed the supernatural lore, the plot twist was creepy but not in a good way, the romance was boring as fuck, the characters continued to be annoying or obnoxious, and the ending wasn't satisfying. I wouldn't recommend picking up this title even for the supernatural lore, there are PLENTY of better supernatural series out there, give this one a pass.
January 14, 2019
The final volume in this series!
I am a bit sad that is over already, as this had some very good stories. Creepy stories filled with things that go bump in the night. But, I am also happy that it stopped here. Because I also can't see how this one would continue much longer.
So the first chapter and there is some kind of creepy monster around, named the Wiggler. A demon that, when you look it in the eye, will turn you insane. Ohhhh. So it was quite exciting to see how our group of friends was trying to catch it and not turn insane. I was pissed at Mayumi for just not understanding that she has powers and that yes she can exorcise, but without practise things will go bonkers soon. Come on, do you think Hanaichi or Chloe just magically were perfect in their skills? No, that is training. That is learning.
The ending, OH MY GOSH. That is quite the twist, and I am burning to see what secrets the parents are holding away from Kyouchi.
Um, why is detective not a possible goal? I can imagine maybe you should also have some back-up goals, but detective shouldn't be so hard if you really work hard. Then again, given that Saeki has no skill whatsoever I think it may indeed be quite impossible unless he really picks up the pace and gets to actually doing schoolwork.
Oh dear, Chloe has disappeared! I guess it has to do with what she heard that night, I guess she is either on a mission to find out if it is truth, or she is so shocked that she wandered off.
Saeki must be shocked when he saw what Chloe was doing, I was shocked, too. :(
OMG, OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, holy crap. I had some suspicion it would be that, but still I hadn't seen it coming from that corner. That is a shocker. But it explains a whole ton of things.
Holy crap, I wanted to kick Saeki so so hard. What a freaking bastard. Poor Chloe, not only does he do that to her, but she also relives some very bad memories.
Holy poopballs, that ending to the chapter. Wow. That is messed up.
In the next chapter there is even more explanation as Kyouchi meets up with the Nameless God from the first volume. You know, the one he pissed off and thus the god took his sister? I had a suspicion things wouldn't look good for Hanaichi even though she stayed positive and this one we see what has happened to her. Abuse. Tons of abuse. Given the previous chapters not just beatings but also rape. :|
The ending was a bit weird, and while I had expected that they had to hurry along, just one more chapter left after all, I still had hoped for it to be a bit longer.
And now Kyouchi has disappeared, and Mayumi can search for him. Using the Ghost Diary. Yes... I am just not sure how I felt about it all. Plus the fact that apparently Mayumi's powers just stem from Kyouchi. Not sure how I felt about that revelation, here I was delighted to have a pretty strong female character (next to Chloe and Hanaichi) and now it turns out to be that. I did think the two Shikigamis were adorable. We also meet up Saeki who has now fulfilled his life goal. Good for him, still don't like him after the events from the past chapters.
I guess the last parts are now coming to a play. I am impressed that Mayumi keeps on going, there are several scary moments that would make most people turn away, but she loves Kyouchi too much to ever give up.
I loved that there were some more urban legends, and that they were creepy as hell.
The ending was so so sad. It broke my heart that he decided that (I had hoped for something else, but I guess this one fitted better with the story), but I am glad that they were able to meet up, starcrossed lovers these two.
All in all, a great series with pretty good characters, ghost stories/urban legends were good, there were some interesting twists and turns, the art was perfect. But there were also parts that I didn't quite like (for instance the (almost) rape parts, several bits of the gore). Still, I would recommend this manga series to people.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I am a bit sad that is over already, as this had some very good stories. Creepy stories filled with things that go bump in the night. But, I am also happy that it stopped here. Because I also can't see how this one would continue much longer.
So the first chapter and there is some kind of creepy monster around, named the Wiggler. A demon that, when you look it in the eye, will turn you insane. Ohhhh. So it was quite exciting to see how our group of friends was trying to catch it and not turn insane. I was pissed at Mayumi for just not understanding that she has powers and that yes she can exorcise, but without practise things will go bonkers soon. Come on, do you think Hanaichi or Chloe just magically were perfect in their skills? No, that is training. That is learning.
The ending, OH MY GOSH. That is quite the twist, and I am burning to see what secrets the parents are holding away from Kyouchi.
Um, why is detective not a possible goal? I can imagine maybe you should also have some back-up goals, but detective shouldn't be so hard if you really work hard. Then again, given that Saeki has no skill whatsoever I think it may indeed be quite impossible unless he really picks up the pace and gets to actually doing schoolwork.
Oh dear, Chloe has disappeared! I guess it has to do with what she heard that night, I guess she is either on a mission to find out if it is truth, or she is so shocked that she wandered off.
Saeki must be shocked when he saw what Chloe was doing, I was shocked, too. :(
OMG, OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, holy crap. I had some suspicion it would be that, but still I hadn't seen it coming from that corner. That is a shocker. But it explains a whole ton of things.
Holy crap, I wanted to kick Saeki so so hard. What a freaking bastard. Poor Chloe, not only does he do that to her, but she also relives some very bad memories.
Holy poopballs, that ending to the chapter. Wow. That is messed up.
In the next chapter there is even more explanation as Kyouchi meets up with the Nameless God from the first volume. You know, the one he pissed off and thus the god took his sister? I had a suspicion things wouldn't look good for Hanaichi even though she stayed positive and this one we see what has happened to her. Abuse. Tons of abuse. Given the previous chapters not just beatings but also rape. :|
The ending was a bit weird, and while I had expected that they had to hurry along, just one more chapter left after all, I still had hoped for it to be a bit longer.
And now Kyouchi has disappeared, and Mayumi can search for him. Using the Ghost Diary. Yes... I am just not sure how I felt about it all. Plus the fact that apparently Mayumi's powers just stem from Kyouchi. Not sure how I felt about that revelation, here I was delighted to have a pretty strong female character (next to Chloe and Hanaichi) and now it turns out to be that. I did think the two Shikigamis were adorable. We also meet up Saeki who has now fulfilled his life goal. Good for him, still don't like him after the events from the past chapters.
I guess the last parts are now coming to a play. I am impressed that Mayumi keeps on going, there are several scary moments that would make most people turn away, but she loves Kyouchi too much to ever give up.
I loved that there were some more urban legends, and that they were creepy as hell.
The ending was so so sad. It broke my heart that he decided that (I had hoped for something else, but I guess this one fitted better with the story), but I am glad that they were able to meet up, starcrossed lovers these two.
All in all, a great series with pretty good characters, ghost stories/urban legends were good, there were some interesting twists and turns, the art was perfect. But there were also parts that I didn't quite like (for instance the (almost) rape parts, several bits of the gore). Still, I would recommend this manga series to people.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 24, 2019
3.5 stars for some very glaring issues, but overall a decent ending to an enjoyable series.
I shelved all of this series under favorites because the writing style is very compelling, even when some not-so-great choices are made by the story. I enjoyed learning new urban legends and seeing how the interesting characters dealt with them. Interestingly, this final volume is rather bittersweet; no one really gets what they want, but there's still clearly hope for every character. The fact that Tatsumi and Kukuri didn't officially get together was probably the biggest disappointment as far as resolutions go.
Now, onto those glaring issues I was talking about. As it turns out, the hints of incest were actually leading somewhere rather than just being a joke. By this point, though, that didn't bother me as much as it could have; the feelings were clearly one-sided, and also drove a significant part of the plot. The truly uncomfortable aspect of this "relationship" was the apparent age difference.
Worse, nearly becomes a rapist. He chooses not to go through with it and obviously doesn't completely forgive him, but the narrative sure does. The assault scene is very uncomfortable to read, and yet we're still clearly supposed to find him a likable character afterwards.
In the end, I enjoyed this series, but I wouldn't recommend it without serious reservations, as I can see how others would find it uncomfortable or even upsetting. For me, it was a case of the writing and paranormal aspects overshadowing the more eyebrow-raising parts, but I wouldn't tell others to read it if they couldn't feel the same. I think Natsumegu is a promising writer, and I'd be especially willing to check out his future works if he develops into a writer who can tell a story without these kinds of shock-value elements.
(The best part of this volume: !)
I shelved all of this series under favorites because the writing style is very compelling, even when some not-so-great choices are made by the story. I enjoyed learning new urban legends and seeing how the interesting characters dealt with them. Interestingly, this final volume is rather bittersweet; no one really gets what they want, but there's still clearly hope for every character. The fact that Tatsumi and Kukuri didn't officially get together was probably the biggest disappointment as far as resolutions go.
Now, onto those glaring issues I was talking about. As it turns out, the hints of incest were actually leading somewhere rather than just being a joke. By this point, though, that didn't bother me as much as it could have; the feelings were clearly one-sided, and also drove a significant part of the plot. The truly uncomfortable aspect of this "relationship" was the apparent age difference.
Worse, nearly becomes a rapist. He chooses not to go through with it and obviously doesn't completely forgive him, but the narrative sure does. The assault scene is very uncomfortable to read, and yet we're still clearly supposed to find him a likable character afterwards.
In the end, I enjoyed this series, but I wouldn't recommend it without serious reservations, as I can see how others would find it uncomfortable or even upsetting. For me, it was a case of the writing and paranormal aspects overshadowing the more eyebrow-raising parts, but I wouldn't tell others to read it if they couldn't feel the same. I think Natsumegu is a promising writer, and I'd be especially willing to check out his future works if he develops into a writer who can tell a story without these kinds of shock-value elements.
(The best part of this volume: !)
June 18, 2019
*2.75
The final volume of a rather enjoyable short series with a rather skewed way to the ending. There were some plot choices that I didn't see coming and honestly didn't like. You got me on the shock value, but that's about it. As for the big reveal about where Kyouichi's missing sister has been... eeehh, not that big. The foreshadowing throughout the first two volumes gave me enough hints that I already figured it out. Also, not a fan of the incestousness, ick.
What I did like was the Mayumi arc and how she came to the front of the story. I like how it ended becoming bittersweet for her and Kyouichi.
What I didn't like 1) Yuushiro "confessing" his love once more to Chloe in more forceful terms - came out of nowhere and absolutely unnecessary; 2) Kukuri and the "alien" story line that never came back to be resolved - why even bother putting that backstory in volume 2 if it wasn't going anywhere??
Plot choices, man. Plot choices.
The final volume of a rather enjoyable short series with a rather skewed way to the ending. There were some plot choices that I didn't see coming and honestly didn't like. You got me on the shock value, but that's about it. As for the big reveal about where Kyouichi's missing sister has been... eeehh, not that big. The foreshadowing throughout the first two volumes gave me enough hints that I already figured it out. Also, not a fan of the incestousness, ick.
What I did like was the Mayumi arc and how she came to the front of the story. I like how it ended becoming bittersweet for her and Kyouichi.
What I didn't like 1) Yuushiro "confessing" his love once more to Chloe in more forceful terms - came out of nowhere and absolutely unnecessary; 2) Kukuri and the "alien" story line that never came back to be resolved - why even bother putting that backstory in volume 2 if it wasn't going anywhere??
Plot choices, man. Plot choices.
November 8, 2017
good way to end it. I do feel like it was rushed though. the tidbits from the creator is really nice though. seeing as how youre still improving on manga I gota say it wasn't bad. I still love the artwork. I did get annoyed with mayumi after a while. I was surprised to see how creepy saeki became at one part with Chloe. I do wish that kukuri and the gangsters son wouldve gotten together. I really wish this series lasted a lot longer, but overall I am satisfied with this result. I really look forward to your future work Natsumegu-san.
December 23, 2017
horrible and weird ending of good manga
February 6, 2023
I wanted so badly for this series to be good. Its not dont bother
May 1, 2024
Okay forget what I said I've just remembered the unnecessary violence and weird stuff in this series, I still can't really remember the plot
August 9, 2024
After finishing this, I have to say, it's a true hidden gem. The story was wrapped up in a satisfying way, and I loved that there was very little filler.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews