Nijigahara Holograph 虹ケ原ホログラフ

Nijigahara Holograph 虹ケ原ホログラフ by ASANO Inio 浅野いにお published by Quick Japan (Ohta Shuppan) & Fantagraphics – definitely worth a read – if you don’t mind the unusual (at least for manga published in English in the US) and not a happy ending.  It’s more philosophy and impressions creating an interesting story.

Butterflies                 symbology                  murder                                          incest            cycle of violence               abusive families                Zhuangzi  莊子                 butterflies                  Mental Illness           coma              circling                                      spiraling            rape                                                seinen               bullying             Plato            monster               tunnel                   urban legend     thrown down a well                                           painting               dreams                 butterflies                  more butterflies                          school                          real meaning of Nijigahara confused and revealed                                  hospital       stars                    blood                                                                 non-linear                        darkness           violence                                  magic box                                                         end of world                                                                                                    glowing butterflies                    moonlight                               rain                   Hana Ichi Monme 花一匁                                                                                                                                            We’re so happy we won, hana ichi monme
We’re so upset we lost, hana ichi monme                                                         suicide                     butterflies                 sunset                 cyclical    kudan (cow with human face)

 

Spiritual Police スピリチュアル ポリス

I just started Spiritual Police スピリチュアル ポリス, which is a spin-0ff of Otodama (Otodama: Voice From the Dead) オトダマ – 音霊 –, which I’ve not read, by NITTA Youka 新田祐克, better known for her classic Embracing Love Haru o Daite Ita 春を抱いていた and published in English in the US by SubLime (VIZ).

This is a detective mystery drama BL that is extremely gruesome, and possibly, at least when it comes to corruption within politics and police right on (but not exactly like this since it’s science fiction).  I have to admit that this is too gruesome for me – I’m talking about ****spoiler alert**** eyes being gouged out of one of the main characters, rape, slavery, blackmail, etc – all to the main couple.  There may be are other very edgy things going on with both the main characters further into the story that will be just too edgy for me, so I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series, even though it would be unusual and very unlikely to have an unhappy ending in BL.

The series does have a solid story, which is a good point for it and not the usual story found in so much BL.  Since it’s a spin-off and Japan isn’t much ahead of the US English version of  Spiritual Police スピリチュアル ポリス(well done VIZ), it would have been best if Otodama (Otodama: Voice From the Dead) オトダマ – 音霊 – had been published in the US in English first and released, since it’s only 3 volumes, giving the time for Spiritual Police スピリチュアル ポリス to have more volumes before starting it.