Reviews

When it comes to the genre of ero guro, Hell Season is one of its most extreme entries. This anthology collects short stories from some of the genre's most notable mangaka - Shintaro Kago, Uziga Waita and Jun Hayami - alongside more obscure ones; the only glaring omission here is any works of Suehiro Maruo. It also includes a few pages of bonus art by more underground artists. But as an introduction to the genre, it's probably the best; There's a wide variety of content here, but be warned - it's not for the weak of stomach. I mean, just about every taboo you can think of is present and taken to its extreme. This book doesn't waste any time telling you either - it opens on a story about one woman's struggle with constipation, presented in full, nauseating color. There's another story about a girl watching her mother get vivisected alive, one about kids consumed by parasites, another about a girl who inexplicably grows holes all over. Suffice it to say, if you're morbidly curious and you're not going to be eating (or sleeping) for the next few days, it might be worth a read.