Reviews

Old school horror manga that follows the monster of the week formula by a seasoned mangaka. It is pretty weak in terms of plot like so many other japanese horror stories, whatever the medium, but rahter puts its emphasis on spectacle. Bad things just happen to people. It is very fatalistic without granting much agency to its characters or providing a moral message. The author does however include an explanation of the supernatural forces at play at the end of every chapter, killing potential mystery but also washing away potential criticism of illogicality.

School is a battleground. Ghosts haunt schools because that's where people meet and channel their emotions. Girls grasp for air and clutch their hands in front of their faces while staring wide eyed at the hellish forces at play which are based on urban legends which lets the manga set roots in reality. The art style is fittingly gloomy and old school and more generic as opposed to the more cartoonish works of Hideshi Hino. One of his favorite tropes, body horror, is pervasive throughout a variety of the short stories. Beautiful doe eyed protagonists and deformed demons inhabit this bleak world.

Horror fills out a rather small niche in manga so there is a limited set of options to choose from and Hideshi Hino is one of the more prolific mangaka who inhabits this tiny space. If you are interested in his work and want a break from his standard style or you just appreciate japanese ghost stories you should give "100 Schoiol Ghost Stories" a shot otherwise this entry offers little to you.