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_lunaria_'s review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jaid5394's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
hzmt's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.5
A poor and disappointing adaptation of the light novel.
jkenna1990's review
5.0
This is one of the more disturbing manga that I’ve read. If you’re into horror then I would definitely check it out. It is pretty graphic in parts so just keep that in mind.
atrejo's review
I am having a hard time rating this manga. I read it because it was recommended to me after reading Uzumaki. I do not want to give it a general rating at all because I do not advocate the approach the main characters have towards murders but here are my ratings broken down into two categories based on manga's that I have read:
Unique overall plot: 5 out of 5. The two main characters are two teens who are obsessed with "finding" psychopath murderers and each murderer has a unique way of killing their victims.
Character's personalities and them as individuals overall: 0 out of 5. The author calls the protagonists idiots and their approach to murderers is stupid. They are asking to get killed. The female character is always the damsel in distress *yawn* and the male character saves her every time. They do not study murderers they just glorify them and follow them around. Once they catch them *spoiler alert* they let them get away! Someone get these kids a shrink, please!
I think what bothered me the most was at the end of novel Otsuichi says, he "did not write this manga for entertainment." Then why did you turn your novel into a manga, which is one of the most entertaining forms of literature out there! I seriously doubt this book was written for public awareness.
I have mixed feelings about this novel. It's different but it left me with an uncomfortable feeling for those teens and if it was not made to entertain then what was the author's goal?
Unique overall plot: 5 out of 5. The two main characters are two teens who are obsessed with "finding" psychopath murderers and each murderer has a unique way of killing their victims.
Character's personalities and them as individuals overall: 0 out of 5. The author calls the protagonists idiots and their approach to murderers is stupid. They are asking to get killed. The female character is always the damsel in distress *yawn* and the male character saves her every time. They do not study murderers they just glorify them and follow them around. Once they catch them *spoiler alert* they let them get away! Someone get these kids a shrink, please!
I think what bothered me the most was at the end of novel Otsuichi says, he "did not write this manga for entertainment." Then why did you turn your novel into a manga, which is one of the most entertaining forms of literature out there! I seriously doubt this book was written for public awareness.
I have mixed feelings about this novel. It's different but it left me with an uncomfortable feeling for those teens and if it was not made to entertain then what was the author's goal?
trudilibrarian's review
3.0
This one was a bit weird for me, but I found it compulsive reading anyway. The content is a little brutal at times, falls on this side of disturbing, and plays mind games to boot. The six interconnected stories are essentially mysteries; there is a puzzle to solve for each one and the explanations can be fun. But that's not quite my thing.
What did intrigue me were the two main characters, and the parade of killers they cross paths with. Upon reading the author's afterword, I'm convinced now that these stories are not meant to be taken as "an exploration of humanity's dark side". The killers we meet are inhuman and for the most part, lack human motivation. They have a desire and compulsion to kill that is inexplicable -- and this is what separates them from the rest of us. At one point the narrator explains to the reader:
It was clear enough that some humans killed other people or wanted to kill people, for no reason at all. I didn't know if they became that way as they grew up, or if they were simply born that way. The problem was, these people hid their true nature and lived ordinary lives. They were hidden in the world, appearing no different from ordinary humans. But one day they would have no choice but to kill. They would have to leave their acceptable lives and go hunting.
This is a chilling observation that may carry a fair amount of truth in it. Sociopathic killers who walk among us bereft of any moral compass or empathy may not be broken humans, but an entirely different species; in fact, not human at all. They've just learned to walk and talk like us. Thinking about that scared the crap out of me and why the world Otsuichi creates is one in which I was eager to escape from, and one I'm not eager to return to.
What did intrigue me were the two main characters, and the parade of killers they cross paths with. Upon reading the author's afterword, I'm convinced now that these stories are not meant to be taken as "an exploration of humanity's dark side". The killers we meet are inhuman and for the most part, lack human motivation. They have a desire and compulsion to kill that is inexplicable -- and this is what separates them from the rest of us. At one point the narrator explains to the reader:
It was clear enough that some humans killed other people or wanted to kill people, for no reason at all. I didn't know if they became that way as they grew up, or if they were simply born that way. The problem was, these people hid their true nature and lived ordinary lives. They were hidden in the world, appearing no different from ordinary humans. But one day they would have no choice but to kill. They would have to leave their acceptable lives and go hunting.
This is a chilling observation that may carry a fair amount of truth in it. Sociopathic killers who walk among us bereft of any moral compass or empathy may not be broken humans, but an entirely different species; in fact, not human at all. They've just learned to walk and talk like us. Thinking about that scared the crap out of me and why the world Otsuichi creates is one in which I was eager to escape from, and one I'm not eager to return to.
paulataua's review
4.0
Boku and Morino are highschoolers brought together by their shared obsession with death. The book is made up short stories in which they relish considering acts of violence and murder. ‘Goth’ with its exploration of the unthinkable and unacceptable, sets about destroying the symbolic fabric that holds our world together, but in doing that, it probably ensures that world’s survival. The stories are extreme in themselves, or at least contain extreme ideas. Be warned! Sometimes I am drawn there, but I am not asking for you to follow me. A fascinating and yet disturbing read!
crochanqueen13's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5