Zashiki Onna

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This is one of my favorite mangas.
A really creepy story, I'm pretty sure there's something more on this work because you can't stop reading it.
The stalker lady is one of the creepiest characters ever, it's all about the appearence and the personality, some details on her makes this manga scary as hell.

right well, this is horror done right.

zashiki onna isn't horror in the sense of gore/torture/etc. but there's something so horribly disconcerting about it, that you can't look away.

the plot's not overly complicated, as should be expected of only 11 chapters, and the artwork's straightforward (though not bad) too. nothing's particularly impressive about the majority of the character cast too. it's a simple manga, and that's what makes it terrifying.

the way the stalker woman is drawn isn't horrific - she's not got blood dripping out of her eyes, or a smile cut across her lips - but honestly i'm expecting that face to be popping ... up in my nightmares. it's so normal, yet just not quite right.

honestly, i think the normality of zashiki onna is what makes it so terrifying to read. this isn't a far fetched story; we can separate ourselves from a torture scene but not a woman walking down the street. and that horribly ambiguous last chapter means that, to the reader, it really doesn't feel that the manga's finished.

she could be outside, right now, asking for a guy called yamamoto.

and she'll be outside for a very long time.

Story:
Man, what a ride. The horror creep (the increase in terror) to Zashiki Onna was a thrill. By the time I got to the end, I was quite literally spooked! I even shuttered at one panel, completely floored by the oncoming horror. I figure not everyone will agree with me on this (and with the mean score being what it is, I can say that with the utmost confidence) but there's an incredible amount of intelligence to the pacing within this single volume. It has levels, so to speak. Each one adding another layer of intensity to the seriousness and helplessness our protagonist is suffering. ... It never seems as though they're beyond hope, which is how horror should always be, but it definitely pushes the bizarre factor when it comes to how far things can go before it's too late.

Although I won't get into detail, the story for this manga is everything I was hoping for in Ibitsu. The two are VERY similar, ridiculously so, but this one carries itself much better, whilst dropping the 'creepy loli' aesthetic and dumb grade school cast that I have come to hate as a trope in anime/manga. The characters in this are all in college (save for one high school girlfriend) and it's nice to see the characters do things that makes sense. I won't get into a ton of detail cause I'd likely find myself comparing to much to Ibitsu but, for instance, our characters end up visiting the police station like sane people, although they do visit it while intoxicated, so you can imagine how that turns out in a horror narrative.

So, what else makes Zashiki Onna any good? Well, for one thing, it carries itself as a mystery manga before it's a horror manga. Most horror are exactly that, a mystery, It means there's something to learn, but most of all we're just finding ourselves more and more steps backwards. Is that bad? Not really, considering the genre is primarily horror over mystery, but a lot of the horror comes out of the fact that you CAN'T learn anything. Mystery is about progress, horror is about failure.


Art:
I love the realistic designs of the characters, settings, everything. It feels fresh to read something that doesn't try to look cutesy or cartoony. I enjoy when artwork pushes for emulating realism. If not realism, then emulating a respectable style that amplifies the artwork.

As expected, I find myself comparing to Ibitsu again, one of the great things about this manga is the respect it has for it's characters. One thing I abhorred about Ibitsu is how it put female characters in compromising positions. In that, I mean the 'camera' for certain panels were placed behind a teenager a her skirt was lifted. It was pretty stupid considering the girl was pushed over by the horror of the narrative and then you get this random butt shot. I joked, saying how this does nothing for the reader since they're supposed to be scared and now they're treating with something childish and stupid.

At one point, I was worried that Zashiki Onna was going down the same path. I was gonna be real bummed, but thankfully it fit comfortably in the story when something comprimising took place. Of course, as horror goes, it wasn't exactly a good thing that took place, but there was respect for the female body in regards to what happened, and I can't keep out the men either. There's plenty of respect for male proportions too.

And, speaking of proportions, they're all pretty spot on. The bodies look great and motions feel fresh and realistic. I would love to see a full colored version of this manga. I'm sure it would look fantastic.


Character:
Probably the weakest category. I don't really know anything about anyone in the manga, but I do know enough to build a narrative in which I care about the characters. At least, in so far as to sympathise with the horror taking place. I mentioned before that I shuttered at one panel. I wouldn't have been scared if I didn't want to see the protagonist survive, so that should be evidence enough that it succeeds in so far as it needs to.


Enjoyment:
Thuroughly enjoyed this manga. Probably the best horror manga I've read today (3 so far!). I'm excited to read some more spooky stories but I'm totally fine if this one remains the best find for today.


((If you liked this review, check out my other reviews by going to my profile and clicking the 'reviews' tab. I review virtually all anime and manga I find!))

Story- Story itself is pretty cliche. Those things run down in urban legends.

Art - This is actually one of a handful of horror mangas which I actually felt a bit uneasy. I think it has something to do with the artist's style, which deviates from the regular pointed chin, big eyed characters.

Character -The lady who stalks the main character is scary, and I believe the story itself is scarier that Ibitsu, partially because of how the story is drawn and for one of the characters in the story to actually be able to touch "zashiki onna", which made the lady become this sort ... of touchable being for a chapter or two, instead of the usual "mysterious, unstoppable being/spirit".

Enjoyment - The only thing I have to argue with is that the manga ends pretty abruptly. There's no full explanation for what has happened, which I imagine isn't really such a big deal in a genre such as horror. But still, when a story is being told, it would feel better if some sort of solid conclusion is pulled through.

I still re-read the manga from time to time; I like it because the artwork matches with the story. It's short and very strange, but there are a couple of strings that are left untied in the plot. But it's an interesting manga, overall.