Hauntress

Title: Hauntress
Author: Minetaro Mochizuki
First Published: July 2, 1993
Publisher: Vertical Comics
Pages: 214
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Rating:


Synopsis:

Hiroshi Mori is an ordinary college student leading an unremarkable life, until one day the doorbell rings…

This 1993 horror classic from Minetaro Mochizuki (Dragon Head) plays on urban legends to exploit our fear of the seemingly mundane world around us, and is credited with introducing the concept of stalking to Japan. Finally appearing in English for the first time, Hauntress remains just as terrifying as it was when it first showed up on our doorstep over 30 years ago.

Buy the Book: Amazon

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Review

A young college student hears a commotion next door late at night. Curious, he peeks outside and finds a tall, strange woman standing outside his neighbor’s door, incessantly knocking and ringing the doorbell. Straight from the first few pages, Hauntress presents a situation that sent chills up my spine, as the main character finds himself the new focus of this late night visitor.

Hauntress had me questioning what was going on, if the woman, Sachiko, was a real person or a supernatural entity. Sachiko was reminiscent of Kuchisake-onna, an onryō, in almost every aspect, and the callbacks to the famous urban legend were cool to see. There were many points where the manga was genuinely intense and creepy.

I’m glad to see this classic in print in English and getting the appreciation that it deserves. Fans of manga featuring Japanese urban legends like Ibitsu will gobble this one up.

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