Jan 2, 2026
Wasted potential of what could've been an underrated title in the realm of horror manga.
Sayuri is a supernatural horror manga written and illustrated by the author of High Score Girl, Rensuke Oshikiri. The premise is simple: a boy named Norio and his family move into their first house that's later revealed to be plagued by darkness.
What Sayuri excels at is atmosphere. It opts for a creepy ambience, approaching its setting with a slow-moving pace and a degree of apprehension that undercuts every instance of supposed tranquillity. Its story lacks comedic moments and weirdness that's incongruent with its tone, persisting its feeling of dread that only
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escalates further as Norio and his family continue to be plagued by grief and misery.
At least, that's what it does for the first volume.
You see, once you get to the second volume, the creepy ambience that was present in the first dissipates entirely. Without getting into spoilers, the story shifts tone and becomes anticlimactic. For a story that initially started out as a slow burn horror that focused on evoking a sinister atmosphere, I find that incredibly jarring.
The characters are basic, which should be expected from a story that only lasts 15 chapters. The characters that did get development are Norio and two others, but to explain the last two would be diving into spoiler territory.
The art is nothing to write home about, but it's well-suited for the horror genre. Oshikiri makes a strong use of shadows to reveal only a slice of what's scary, leaving the rest to your imagination. A technique that I thought worked well to the story's advantage.
Sayuri isn't a bad manga, just one that wasn't properly utilized to its full potential. Regardless of my qualms, I still recommend it for the atmosphere alone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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