Petshop of Horrors

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Step inside and feel welcome as you enter Count D's were the pet of your dreams await, just be sure to follow the contract carefully, otherwise, you'll face an unpleasant surprise. This describes Petshop of Horrors in a nutshell, it's a simple premise that may not seem for much at first, but never fails to surprise you, as soon as it starts getting repetitive, it may pull something you didn't expect to the point it's starts getting hard to even call this a horror Manga after a while, as stories range from tragic romances to political crime thrillers, and morals delivered in a crude way ... to genuinely learning things about other cultures, all wrapped in a nuanced insight on human nature full of plot twists you'll never see coming.

The characters do a great job growing on you too, Count D has a great air of mystery surrounding him, you never quite know what he is or where he's come from until the final arc., Leon has a great chemistry with him too, they truly feel like friends near the end even if they won't admit it, true Tsundere vibes. Halfway through they introduce Leon's brother, Chris, he's one of the best child characters and the Manga only gets better after his introduction.

The artwork is great too, ir's very detailed and sets the atmosphere perfectly, although I noticed that it tends to reuse the same art for establishing shots a lot, not only trought the same chapter, but throught the entire series, especially in the latter half.

Overall I recommend this series, not every story is great, I admit it can get a little boring sometimes, but I guarantee that each 50 pages will feel like 25 when you read it. Your experience at Count D's shop is one you'll never forget.

A fantastic horror manga with mystery elements, supernatural creatures & a comedic tone?
This ethereal story is not only aesthetically pleasing, it's also filled with heart-wrenching moments, surreal tales & philosophical lessons.

Combining horror, mysticism and wisdom into a stirring tale of love, dreams and hope. Petshop of horrors is a spellbinding & thought-provoking episodic story. The concept itself is intriguing; a peculiar petshop in the uncanny alleys of Chinatown owned by a mystical & unfathomable young man, the aesthetic is captivating ; the graceful beauty of Chinatown, the magical designs of the characters & the compelling gothic atmosphere.

Akino Matsuri's masterpiece delves into the very ... depths of the tormented soul, portraying the anguish of a devastated heart. The story is thematically rich & plentiful. It explores a variety of interesting topics, from loneliness, to grief to obsession. Moreover, it deals with many sensitive issues such as depression & suicide.

Along side the varied and sensitive topics, the story as a whole is heavily influenced by environmental themes. The environmental matter is manifested through animal figures & natural elements. Although the story doesn't emphasis the environmental commentary directly , it's evident & clearly observable in each story.

The art is enchanting, the characters are profound & complex despite the episodic structure of the story. Count D, Selectively, is a rather interesting & mysterious person, and as you thoroughly tackle the everlasting beauty & ambiguity of the petshop of horrors, the vague & enigmatic persona of D slowly and steadily comes to light.

I am deeply saddened by the unpopularity of this manga despite its distinct art, good story & rich themes. In conclusion, it's a very touching and clever story with good horror aspects.

A very 'fun' but confused manga. The title and the early chapters set the premise up clearly: it's essentially a manga about a 'monkey's paw' scenario where the main character Count D offers a different character their heart's desire in the form of a pet, while the protagonist Detective Orcot tries to figure out what's going on.

But that's not really consistent: it seems that the mangaka fell in love with the character of Count D and at some point became reluctant to have him play a villainous/punitive role. Eventually, it's not really monkey's paw scenarios, more of a catalyst to the events of the story, ... typically revealing the traumatic life of the person purchasing the pet and having them either find catharsis or resolution or more rarely punishment for their sins.

I don't think the change is bad, because Count D is likable, and the dynamic between him and the detective is fun and cute - there are a LOT of BL undertones, as you might expect from the art style (but I find this to be on the pleasant side of shoujo art rather than the angular, big handed unpleasant side).

The only 'problem' is viewing the manga as a complete story. The pressure to reveal who/what the heck Count D is means the last volume is a strange departure after the preceding several volumes of innocuous, often quite sweet and beautiful, dramatic supernatural stories. To provide a conclusion, the mangaka reintroduces the conceit of the manga, as if it was consistent: D suddenly expresses his desire to punish humanity's sins in a way that just feels a little jarring based on all the previous events.

Additionally, the relationship with Orcot never seems to go anywhere, despite the side characters constant hints of their being a romance between the two. It would be too much to expect a male/male love in an old series in this genre, but it would have been nice if they'd settled down and become more friendly with each other (although their bickering is still enjoyable).

That being said, I was impressed with how successfully it was concluded - while a change in tone it was well paced, exciting and fun, and I felt a little sad that it was over. The author knows exactly how a morality play should unfold. She isn't overly cruel nor overly lenient - really bad people get their comeuppance, while repentant victims are spared, so you're never left with a bad taste in your mouth.

It's a fun read that is more interest in enjoyable, episodic mysteries and tantalising visuals than setting up rules and being overly consistent, well drawn and easy to sink into.