Anomal
Story and Art by Nukuharu
Review by Mara Wood
If you’ve never tried manga, give Anomal a shot. Anomal is a collection of short stories from mangaka Nukuharu published by indie manga company Gen Manga. Nukuharu’s short story manga collection focuses on tales incorporating yokai (Japanese folk tale monsters) and their interactions with the human world.
The stories focus on the bizarre and horrific nature of the world Nukuharu imagines. Each story is unique and different, but the collection works as a whole. In the first story, Kaeshi, the yokai Hyaku-Me, offers a pair of his eyes to a blind man in return for an undisclosed boon. Kaeshi is a brief story about sacrifice and friendship with a hint of tragedy. Keiken Sosa is a comedy revolving around a gruesome murder and a detective that gets a little too friendly with his partner. The third story, Ayakashi no Kotodoma, is an odd love story about the power of words. The Jizo’s Mouth is a darker story about a drowned child and a sadden mother. The next two stories, Ayakashi-Nushi, is a comedy about a young woman who wants to gain a closer relationship with the yokai she runs into everyday. The final story, Kaguya, follows the odd meet cute of a space alien woman and young man who thinks best when punched. Things go great for the unlikely couple until the woman’s alien fiancé shows up on Earth.
Nukuharu’s collection of short stories is fast-paced, easy to follow, and great for new manga readers. Any Japanese words included in the stories are explained briefly in the gutters (sound effects are not translated). Nukuharu’s artwork is clean, easy to follow, and expressive. The collection overall is beautiful and a great addition to readers’ collection, whether or not they’ve ever tried reading manga.
Anomal bends genres to create fun, interesting stories. The short story collection is the perfect delivery method for Nukuharu’s tales. The manga is available from Gen Manga through their website, Amazon, and bookstores.
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