You know what I like? A good, spooky manga. There's something gently terrifying about a well done Japanese ghost story, and today's comic is such a story. Apparently Rumiko Takahashi is best known for InuYasha, which I've heard of, but never read, but she's also known for her short story manga work. In the early 90s, Viz published two of her stories under the Rumic World title, though it appears to have not lasted very long. I read part of her longer creepy story Mermaid Saga a little while ago, and mentioned that it reminded me very much of MuShiShi, in that the ghosts and strangeness of the stories are accepted as being simply phenomena that happen, and that there are people whose job it is to handle such things. Even the more comedic Ghosttalker's Daydream graphic novels have this feel (though mixed in with a healthy dose of bondage and domination). It's an attitude toward the supernatural that we really only see in Western culture in our religions. Only there do we accept the spiritual as simply a fact of life. Ghosts and spirits, though, not so much.
I will be looking out for more of Ms. Takahashi's scary little stories. They really are excellent. And if you're interested, here's a link to the first part of an OVA that was made of this story.
To be continued.
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