Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 4 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) was one of the skin-crawlingest creepy manga I have ever read. If you like youkai and supernatural creature-type creepies, you’re gonna love this volume. ^_^

In previous volumes, we met Hinako, a girl who should have drowned in a family car accident when she was young, and the mermaid who plans on eating her when she’s mature, Shiori. Shiori has taken on the role of protector to Hinako. Even though she’s been clear that she’s just protecting her meal, she’s building some kind of relationship to Hinako, despite herself. Hinako’s only other friend, Miko, likewise protects her, for her own reasons, as we learned in previous voumes. In the meantime, Hinako wanders a world filled with spirits and supernatural creatures who really want to eat her.

Volume 4 begins as rain pours down, drenching everything. Shiori takes Hinako to the ocean and shows her the multitudes of those who died in the water. Her family may be among them, Shiori posits. Shiori sees Hinako’s skin and understands why the girl cannot show anyone her body -it’s damaged beyond recognition as human. As I mentioned in my review of Volume 3, “I think the story does a good job of balancing Hinako’s past trauma, with the seriously-it-is-also-trauma of her current life, without making anything overly preachy or mopey or handwaving it away.”

The basketball team is going on their summer retreat and Miko asks Hinako and Shiori to help out. Hinako’s looking forward to time helping the team and just hanging out with other girls…but there is something unnatural, clearly waiting for Hinako in the dark.

I don’t want to spoil this at all…but yowza was this good. It was the kind of tension building where you can just *hear* the soundtrack from the first page right through. The hissing of the rain, the hum of the violins, the stark shock of the reveal…the powerful brass of Shiori finally revealing her true form to save Hinako. This volume was a whole package. 

This is one of the best horror manga I’ve ever read. It’s very much into the slow crawl of fear, instead of jump-scare stuff, and full of questions I have no idea if they’ll ever be answered. Where we’re going is wholly unknown to me, but I don’t care. On atmosphere alone, I’ll keep reading this. Watching Shiori slaughter creatures is pretty darn cathartic, too. Naekawa Sai’s art is solid, without being super slick, and leaves things unseen in an effective way.

This is a great read on a rainy night, when you want to feel just creeped enough out that the noises outside worry you. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 Excellently creepy and ominous
Characters – 8 We’re walking through a world of hungry spirits
Service – Blood. Violence. Monsters. Secrets. More Monsters.
Yuri – Shiori’s interest in Hinako is feeling less like protecting one’s food this time. Miko’s love is honest, to an extent.

Overall – 8

I sincerely hope Yen Press picks this up for translation. It fits their profile and it’s really good. ^_^