Available to purchase on Amazon USA
Titan Manga is not resting as more horror themed works are scheduled for release this year. The editorial team are picky and to give new talents their due is appreciated, especially after reading past works, like Shadows of Kyoto, which is self contained. But with Ghostly Darkness of Kanata (幽闇のカナタ), what it sets up is perhaps more to come. What I adore most is how it looks into why some spirits choose to remain on Earth rather than move on.
I also love how they are depicted. I’m sure Noct Koike (writer) and Chika Ishikawa (artist) had to come to an agreement over respecting traditional depictions, like not having visible feet, and considering how spirits appear to others. The artist’s work mirrors what I’ve experienced when investigating the unknown. Some spirits look like projections pulled from dirty celluloid film.
Here, Kanata is a woman who has no fear. She’ll ride the fastest roller coaster and swim in shark infested waters without hesitation. Those are easy to deal with. What isn’t is finding something that can truly terrorize her. She actively seeks out the supernatural, but when she tries to communicate with it, the question becomes whether that’s wise. I won’t say too much about the plot, as even a second and third reread is needed to fully grasp her motivations.
As a result, I rather like the titles from Japan that the editors of Titan Manga choose to adapt. After Shadows of Kyoto (裏京都; review link), this publisher is firmly on my radar. Their catalogue is still small, but there are clearly more works coming that deserve attention.
As for what’s available right now, there’s Welcome to Ghost Mansion (訳アリ心霊マンション), a comedy horror series about ghosts living in an eerie apartment block, balancing frights with humour. Coming soon is Strange Pictures (変な絵), drawn by Kikō Aiba. It blends interactive elements with a horror mystery that invites readers to solve the story themselves. It’s an anthology that’s already built a strong following, and one I’m keen to revisit when the English edition lands.
4 Stars out of 5
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