Bibliomania

Title: Bibliomania
Author: Macchiro, Oobaru
First Published: March 29, 2023
Publisher: MANGETSU
Pages: 336
Genre: Horror
Format: Web
Source: Web
Rating:

Synopsis:

Alice had woken up in Room 431 of a mysterious manor.

"You must not leave this room," warned the Serpent, but she paid it no heed and her body began to rot...

Will she be able to escape the cursed manor?

Review

Bibliomania was an unexpected treat of fantastical cosmic horror! It is a dark fairy tale about a girl named Alice who wakes up in a cursed castle where all of her wishes will come true as long as she stays in her room. The story follows Alice as she journeys through each of the rooms in the castle in an attempt to escape, seeking to return to civilization.

The castle is vast and wonderous, with each room containing a person insolated in their own absurd fantasy. The plot does a wonderful job of exploring escapism and the harm that it does to the human psyche, a theme that has become increasingly relevant in today’s society. The plot kept me on my toes wondering what would be behind the next door, I wasn’t sure how this manga could possibly end and the pay off was incredible and wholly unexpected.

The art in this manga is gorgeous and adds to the dreamy feel of the story. There were so many panels that gave me pause to stop and admire the beautiful line work. Bibliomania is an underrated gem of a manga that deserves more recognition. Tragically there doesn’t appear to be an official English release for this book, though it does appear to still be getting published in other languages, so there is still hope that I can one day add this beautiful manga to my shelves.