Hakoniwa Yuugi: bonutzuu’s manga archive

Six years have passed since grade schooler Shokai Manato disappeared during a school trip. One day, Manatos’ sister, Mari, returned to the city where her brother disappeared and reunited with Azuma, their childhood friend. However, Mari’s return triggered a series of horrifying events. Manato, or whatever is left of him, is back and crying for the truth to be revealed…

I went in expecting a Higurashi kind of manga, and that’s pretty much what I got (although it’s nowhere as complex and compelling). Hakoniwa Yuugi is a supernatural revenge tale with some plot twists that made me go ‘huh’.

The characters are pretty straightforward, although you do feel bad for some of the bullies that died. Because this is only two volumes long, their stories were cut short, and I don’t think they even got a chance to repent or anything. Azuma was bland, to say the least. He’s got narrator plot armor from the get-go and many scenes didn’t make sense after you know the truth behind the mystery. Their horror scenes were done well, though, gotta admit.

What is most interesting to me was that there were more psychopaths in the story than I was expecting. I still want to strangle one of them and push that person down a cliff. Ugh.

I was expecting a lot out of the artwork, since the cover art is beautiful. However, most of it is really just clean and simple. The horror elements were drawn well, but I’m not a fan of the style in general.

I read the artist’s other work, Patchwork Girl, and it’s also got a plot twist that I want to forget I ever read. Well… I guess this is the last time I’ll be reading anything that comes from this author.

Overall, if you like mystery and supernatural, this is an okay manga to read, although I’m not recommending it to anyone.