Horror manga review: xxxHolic

Made by the mangaka circle of fangirl pain, Clamp, xxxHolic is a series that is built around the idea of people’s wishes and what wishes can do for a person. Not entierly a horror series, but there is a lot of really nice horror moments in both the manga and the anime.

We follow the story of Watanuki Kimihiro (written as 1st of april), a youth that has lost all of his family, and have to deal with being able to seeing spirits, with also having habit of attracting them. One day he comes across a shop that grants wishes, and the owner, Yuko, promises to give him his wish to not be bothered by ghosts anymore, as long as he works it off as her part time worker.

Together they experience many adventures, as we get to see anything from japanese yokai, to normal ghosts and peoples bad habits manifesting into deadly curses. With the help of Yuko he gains many friends, and creates never ending bonds, all the while she leads him down to his destiny, as there is a mystery in his past that only she, and someone that is closest to him in all worlds knows.

While this series works mostly fine on its own, it is also a crossover with Clamp’s manga Tsubasa RESERVoir Chronicle, that is linked to the start of xxxholic, and also the end. There are lots of small crossovers with other clamp series as well, but can well be enjoyed on its own.

So if you want a fun, scary and heartbreaking read for halloween, xxxHolic is a nice place to start for those that can’t take too scary stories. But still, you will be getting stuff like this:

or fun nods to japanese folklore like this:

All in all, if you check out the anime, or the manga, you will have a lot of fun ^-^

Horror Anime Review: Another (2012)

In 1972, Yomiyama North Middle School’s class 3-3 student Misaki, died unexpected in the middle of the school year. Misaki’s class mates and teachers, not wanting to deal with the loss, pretend Misaki never died and even go together to pretend Misaki is still there until the school year is over and they have all graduated. The rumours even

Now, many years later, a boy named Kōichi Sakakibara ends up in the same class, and as he starts late in the year, he is confused to find a girl named Misaki Mei, that no one in class seems to see or react to. As he makes contact with her, no student in their class is safe, neither is their families, as the curse from 1972 still haunts the students of class 3-3, where the dead were once invited.

As Ringu, this is also a story based on a novel, this one by the author Yukito Ayatsuji, who is married to the author of the Shiki books, Fuyumi Ono. It has also been made into a manga series and in 2012 a live action movie. So far I have only had a relationship to the anime and I really enjoyed the atmosphere it built up. In the first few episodes, not much happens, but like the Shiki anime, it starts building. It gives you just enough to make you want to continue, because you want to know what is happening, and as the action starts, you need to continue, because you need to know how it is all going to end.

As the twists here are quite good, I will not give the story away, and I think everyone should check this short 12 episode series out if they like anime and good horror. I will also say that it does get gory, so it isn’t just the normal ghost scares that never leaves you with any blood. In the end you will sit and just wait for the next horrible death, and wonder, much like in Final Destination, which instrument is going to do the people in in the end.

So, go to a streaming site, lean back, and enjoy this series now that the nights are getting colder, but as you get longer into the series, you should start wondering, if you are really sure you know who is dead or not around you.

Art changes in D.Gray-Man

I mentioned in an earlier post that the drawing style of D.Gray-Man changes a lot in the later volumes of the manga, and I thought I should make a post to show some of the changes better. I will focus on the ones that I noticed best as I read the manga ^-^.

Allen Walker

In the start Allen did look a lot meeker, and also quite adorable. In the manga Zone, that was seen as the pitch manga for D.Gray-man, the lead character Robin were the original concept for Allen. But the story behind them were quite different, since Robin was a akuma, made by the soul of a young boy’s sister. So the original Allen were acctually a girl XD. Robin had longer hair, and the curse was a seal to hold the akuman inside at bay, and his/her arm were given from Cross, who gave his own arm to Robin. The only other characters in the short story were Linalee, the millenium earl and Marian Cross.

 

But I still love Allen most XD I am happy that they went with the name D.Gray-man for the series and not Robin. And I feel like his past with Mana is a wonderful story for him, and I doubt he would ever have been allowed into the Black Order if they found out he were one of the Akuma that had been modified by Cross. They had a hard time warming up to Chomnosuke after all.

Then, when he lost his arm he did suddenly look a little buffer, but I have a feeling that can be because he suddenly walked around only in a tank top and you saw just how well trained the brat was.

He combed his hair into place, and it also seems like he cut it, and he suddenly looks a lot older. He also looks older in the new uniform as the old one was a long coat and he looked really small and adorable in it. The new one is a jacket and pants. And I love the Crowned Clown! (Yeah XD I am a sucker for capes and masks XD)

And this page is wrong translated I think, another scanlation had it down as: ‘That is the Pierrot that you failed to turn into a Akuma’ I think that sounded more right XD

 

 

 

 

And then we have the awsome zombie arc where Allen gets long hair XD I love that arc, and it has the darkest ending ever! Poor Bak that has to save everyone, It is stupid that we didn’t get to see anything of his trials XD.

But after that the drawing style really changed. Most of it is seen on Allen, and I wonder if it is the Noah inside him that is the reason for him getting curlier hair in the new chapters, or if it just the change of art?

 

Howard Link

Well, with such a heavy image upload of Allen I will make Link short XD. I wonder if he might not have been supposed to stay as a character but then was left there anyway and the artist decided that it was a better idea to make him a bishie too? In the start he just sort of seems like a younger version of the Secretary, but his character grows after the story continues, and I love him! I remember I were so pissed when the manga went on hold the last time, since it was in the middle of a situation where it really didn’t seem like he would survive. And now he is in a new situation where it might seem like he won’t survive!

I can explain it so that at least Doctor Who fans can understand: He is D.gray-man’s version of Rory… just that he is not cute and cuddly XD

Link is known as two spots, but what I noticed first was more the bowl cut on his head XD It looks horrible! XD

But then time went by, and I guess he decided to let his hair grow out a little, and he went the same way as Allen and got a split down the middle XD

There has also been some pictures from he were a kid, and he looked adorable.

It looks like Link’s new life time job is to stalk Allen to the day he dies, and I don’t know if he really have a problem with it in the end, he even starts trying to make sure that Allen eats right ^.^. They share room, they brush their teeth together, and it has come to the point where Link were the first one Allen talked about Mana too because he felt more like Link were a part of the room’s furniture XD.

And we also have the most amusing scene ever when Link gets possessed by a kid and his entire character’s honor is broken down XD It ends with Allen stabbing him, I think it was getting too ugly for him XD. Then Allen gets possessed and Link just stands there and complains about him being a sissy for crying over just a hit to the head :P.

There is a few other changes too in the same way as Allen, like Kanda, who sort of looked like a doll in the start, and then became manlier as time went by. And also that the Earl has put on weight, but I guess that Tyki already gave a answer to that one XD.

(Isn’t it cute XD?)

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)

Ciel Phantomhive is a twelve year old Count, who took on the family business at a young age after his parents died.But the life of a Count is not easy, something he is quite prepared for.

His staff is made up of a old caretaker that does nothing but drink tea, a chief with no ability to make dinner, a gartner that destroys instead of taking care of the garden and a maid that pour the drink at the table instead the cups.

But at the top of his staff, is Sebastian, a handsome butler with many skills. This mysterious man does anything his lord orders, after all, he is one hell of a butler.

The first episode starts off with what looks like a normal day at the household, the butler Sebastian does his best with making the day easy for his young Lord, while the others mess up.

And on top of all the chaos, the guest that they greet with a perfect welcome has plans of his own, planning to ask for money for his factory, that he has already sold, and then run off with the money.

But in the Phantomhive household, there is darker secret that the Count and his butler shares, as Sebastian set out to take revenge on anyone who angers his Lord, prepared to take any means necessary.

After all, he is a demon of a butler.

At first I thought this would be one of those serious series whit no laughs at all, but after the intro credits was over, I started understanding that there was some elements of humor present. This anime is based on the manga with the same name, but the anime also added a few fillers to fill out the episode, something that wasn’t really a problem as the first chapter of the manga really didn’t have a conclusion.

I have seen six episodes until now, and I think it is a good anime. Let us hope that it gets better ^.^