Hitsuji no Uta
Lament of the Lamb

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I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this manga. I'm actually not that fond of horror or depressing series, but I picked it up because in a recc it mentioned vampires.

I'm not quite sure how to review this, to be honest. There's just something about the story that draws you in and doesn't let you go until the end. I think the story is fabulous; it keeps a nice steady pace throughout the volumes, never speeding up to the point where you find yourself at a loss as to what's going on, or lagging too much and causing disinterest.

The art is beautiful. Not ... your typical shoujo or shounen styles; more like something out of an older horror book. It's absolutely lovely. Chizuna looks almost like a painted doll in some of the frames; like something that doesn't quite belong where she is.

The character development is also quite good for a seven volume manga. Granted, they start out as pretty interesting characters, but as you read further you end up pulling back even more layers and discovering how complex they really are.

As for enjoyment value, I was completely enthralled for the entire series. It was positively delightful, keeping you interested and wondering about what was going to happen next. I'll probably re-read the story several times within the next few months or so.

Overall, the story was a delightful ride. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I am probably going to go and purchase the books now, since I would enjoy having a hard copy of this. If you are a fan of psychological conditions and bittersweet endings, I would totally recommend it to you.





Some extra side notes:

When I mentioned vampires, it's not in the literal sense. The two main characters, Kazuna and Chizuna, have a type of disease that makes them crave blood to the point where they can become violent. Hence the label 'vampire'. So if you're looking for something that actually does have 'I-have-a-legion-of-bats, can't-go-out-in-the-day, let-me-suck-your-blood' vampires, this probably isn't for you.

There is some light incest in this manga. The only thing that physically happens is some kissing, but if that thing seriously squicks you out, then maybe you should avoid this. If it helps, you might also want to know that while they are related to eachother, they haven't been in contact since they were really young, so they are basically strangers.

If you have finished the 46th chapter, and you like the way that the story ended there, then DO NOT READ THE 47TH CHAPTER. I honestly wish I hadn't read the 47th chapter, because now it has me slightly miffed at the series. There's an author's note in the back of the Tokyopop versions that explains why the 47th chapter is like it is, but I honestly think that you should just stop with the 46th. It has a good ending.

Quite honestly, I was surprised by how much this manga drew me in. I find that it's usually only the very good, but little-known manga that have this kind of pull on people. Anything that I write probably won't do Hitsuji no Uta justice, but I'll try anyways.

The characters are extremly dynamic, and in a good way. Throughout the story, they change, mature, move forward, backwards, and forward once more. There is also nothing that is completely certain in this manga; it seems to lack the usual stereotypes and absolute courses of action that most manga are riddled with (not that ... they're bad, but something completely without them is somewhat refreshing). I'm not really that much of a fan of happily ever after, but this mixes tragedy and the happy ending together in a way that is satisfying for fans of both types.

I just picked it on a whim because I had read Toume Kei's Kurogane twice through, but the art wowed me all the same. It keeps the same darkness, but adds an extra sophistication by using cleaner lines.

Everything about this manga just overwhelms me; I really have trouble describing it. It's like one of those great finds at the bottom of the junk pile. When you're sick of reading mainstream like Naruto or Bleach, and have a taste for darker, more sophisticated manga, this won't dissapoint.

Hitsuji no Uta provides a pretty good psychological drama about a cursed family and their struggles with a few key interpersonal relationships. Most of the main cast can be melodramatic (the painter being the most egregious) but the sister carries well enough by being the most interesting and complex character out of the bunch. The art isn't bad either, it suits the tone of the story very well and doesn't intrude on the experience.

The main issue is that the entirety of this manga becomes meaningless because the author decided to reset everything with the final chapter. Think of something akin to watching a movie ... and at the post credit scene the main character wakes up and realizes everything was a dream all along. All of the character development, growth, and emotions that were built up over the series were just thrown out the window.

If the final chapter didn't exist, I would say this manga is about a 6, with some interesting (albeit over the top) characters and developments. However, with the last chapter making everything that led up to it redundant, I would've rather never read this manga in the first place.

If you are wondering about whether to pick it up or not, I'll say only three words, "JUST READ IT".
Yes it is that good. This story is something to be experienced. Don't be mislead by horror or other tags. Just go with it. It'll give you all kinds of feels you can imagine and then just will leave you heartbroken. And just after that it'll give you a consolation to ease the pain.
Although I wanted it to be a small review but unfortunately Mal won't let me, so I'll give more teases about the Manga.
The story is well paced and is brilliantly distributed among ... the volumes. It doest feels rushed or slow paced. Characters are well devolped and are not half assed.
The story moves with intent and with a clear direction and concludes with a decent conclusion.
So you, yes you, who's reading this review. Do us all a favour by stop wasting your time and start reading it XD

Everybody already mentioned this in the other reviews but there's something in this story that keeps you reading it, even if it came across as slow you will find yourself entertained.

The Tragedy genre is all over the story, but in a subtle way, going through the panels feels like swimming in a light but cloudy water, the story is pretty consistent with a good pace, although the lowkey Shakespearesque way to develop the story can be frustrating for some people I consider it bearable considering the concept of a romantic-vampiresque-tragedy theme.

The art is decent as well, what I like the ... most was the use of visual elements like Chizuna's beauty, as a subtheme of the story, and the depiction of the relationship between Chizuna and Kazuna with textless panels, it feels like they are in a place where no one can reach and nobody can label, as their relationship.

The story's characters' strong points lay in Chizuna and Kazuna, and the way they cope with their condition is well depicted and what stuck with me the most.

The quote "We are lambs with wolves' fangs and wolves' hunger..." left the end with a bittersweet taste, even with the last chapter trying to reconcile the misfortuned nature of the story.

I actually enjoy bittersweet stories and this one is no exception, I liked the pace, wasn't too fast or too slow it was just right, the length is good as well, and the art could be better but considering the year it's ok, I really like Chizuna's character design tho. And regarding the narrative, I'm not much of a fan of the way the story it's told as well so a 7 it's fair for me.

The manga may not have a great script / art, but it certainly fulfills its sad manga role.

This is because the work does not address the theme "vampires", but how sad it is to have to deal with a loved one experiencing an incurable disease, the feeling of helplessness and sadness in the face of an immutable situation.

Death here is approached in a natural way and you know what happens from the middle of the manga. It's a great manga to read quickly and make you reflect on issues of life or existentialism, but nothing in depth, like Neon Genesis, etc.

Manga is certainly a good ... thing if you like this kind of sad story with a nilist simplified, but it is approached in a superficial and ordinary way.

My geral score for this one is 7, because I certainly love reading a sad story.

Peace out <3