Manga Review: Goth by Otsuichi with art by Kendi Oiwa

“She first caught my eye… when I saw her white wrist… peeking out from the edge of darkness. It was pale as porcelain… and the mark loomed out from it.” 

Yoru Morino’s hands were the first thing Itsuki Kamiyama noticed. From the moment he saw the slash marks on her wrist he wanted those hands for his own. What starts as a dark obsession for Kamiyama eventually leads to a twisted friendship.  

Morino and Kamiyama, the main characters, are the big attractions for Goth. The two are drawn to each other, as much by their shared link of being outsiders as by their pitch black Gothic sensibilities. Murder and torture intrigue them, touching darks parts of their souls that make them able to truly experience life and live.  

Goth is made up of four interconnected stories. Each one explores a different kind of death and the characters fascination with murder and suicide. In Grave Kamiyama tells a killer that he can’t explain it but that Morino “emits some sort of pheromone that seems to attract psychopaths.” And in each story, one way or another, Kamiyama prevents Morino’s death however much he might wish to see it. Time and again he follows her, half hoping that he might be too late. In the end, after discovering the truth about her dark past and once again saving her from a killer he tells her “if you ever want to die again…then… I’ll kill you.”  

I’m not a big horror fan but I really enjoyed Goth. This isn’t Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror, it’s smart and creepy. Otsuichi presents another side of humanity, the darker side, in such a way that it feels, if not normal, at least to an extent natural. Paired with Kendi Oiwa’s artwork Goth makes a huge impact.  

Well written and with fantastic artwork each story draws you in and the conclusion will just send you rushing for the novel. There were a few things about the characters that remained mysteries but that’s okay and I’m hoping that with the novel I’ll get the answers.  

Goth is rated 18+ for excessive gore with moderate sexual violence and language. In October Tokyopop will be releasing the novel that this manga was based on, Goth A Novel of Horror by Otsuichi. I’ll definitely be reading it.  

Article Author: Katie Trattner

Ms. Trattner works for a non-profit agency where she is thankful for any internet time she can squeeze into her day. In her free time she reads one of the thousands of books stacked in her tiny apartment.

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