(Episode Five: Careful what you feed that rabbit!)

I first read about Pet Shop of Horrors (Tokyopop) on a web page devoted to horror manga for girls, but in a recent email discussion I also had it recommended to me as an example of how "different" manga graphic novels can be from mainstream American fare. Intrigued, I picked up a copy of the first volume at Borders: from the cover I wouldn't have immediately grasped that it's a horror comic. Looks like more something from the Non-Threatening Boys Romance Library. I've got a lot to learn about shoujo manga. . .

The very title of Matsuri Akino's series contains a certain tonal discontinuity: "pet shop" connotes an aura of simple charm and companionship, while "horrors" brings up images of the Cryptkeeper. Once I delve into the first volume, it becomes clear that this seeming conflict is part of the show; the teen girl series (recommended, the cover rating tells me, for ages 13 and up) is as much concerned with themes of love and relationships as it is the well-placed panel of gore. It's a blend few American publishers would even consider when it comes to Comics for Girls, even if many American teens are as familiar with Stephen King as they are S.E. Hinton or Gossip Girl.

Pet Shop of Horrors revolves around a mysterious shop in Chinatown (who knew that Chinatown was just as exotic in Japan as it is in the U.S.?), run by a strange figure named Count D, who frequently is accompanied by a comical looking rabbit that has horns and bat wings. Count D's Pet Shop specializes in ultra-exotic pets that each have their own special needs and requirements; failure to meet these requirements, we're told, can lead to dire results. Volume One contains four chapter/stories ("Dream," "Despair," "Daughter" and "Dreizehn"), each devoted to a different pet and owner. As a back story, we also meet a surly police detective named Orcot, who's investigating the unusual amount of violent deaths that appear to be associated with the pet shop.

To her credit writer/artist Akino openly acknowledges the series' first influence on page one. As we enter the shoppe, we see a customer leaving with a pet taxi in hand; the proprietor is reminding the new pet owner of the rules they must follow: "Don't take it into the light. . .Don't expose it to water. . .And no feeding it after midnight." Hey, we realize, that guy just purchased a mogwai! Later in the first chapter, the Count receives what appears to be a frantic phone call from the new pet owner: "Those things you sold me have bitten my grandchild's finger off." D's response is to remind the freaked-out owner that he bears no responsibility for what's happened since the man signed a contract to follow the rules. Pet ownership can clearly be a heavy responsibility.