You know, it sounds kinda cool to have a bunch of youkai fighting over you for your delicious blood but, as Hinako has found out, it’s not, really. Worse, it turns out that Hinako’s blood may not actually be as delicious as she thought. So…why are the youkai fighting to get to her?

Hinako thought she had gotten used to the idea of being eaten by Shiori – one day. But, in Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 5 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) when Ayame, revealed to be a futakuchi onna, returns after having been defeated by Shiori….she tells Hinako a different story. And, when Hinako asks her best friend, the kitsune Miko, if her blood will help her heal, gets the confusing confirmation that it’s not her blood that any youkai wants. Hinako’s blood is kinda gross, actually.

Shiori is avoiding Hinako, who wants to understand the truth…about her family’s death, about her own survival, about Shiori. Can she handle the truth? Shiori, the mermaid, tells her. It’s her own blood that everyone is after and Hinako was given some of it, after the accident that killed her family. Now Hinako has to decide all over again how and why she will continue to live.

I know I keep saying this, but I really love this story. It’s creepy and gross in a shivery ghost-story kind of way. The blood is for ambience, it’s not the point of any scene. I don’t much care about Hinako, per se, or Miko, or Shiori, but I do want to know where this story is going and why all these youkai seem to be drawing lines around Hinako. Which youkai will attack next and what will happen? Each chapter feels very portentous,  although it isn’t if you examine it too closely. Gimme more Yuri creepy youkai please. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 We’re setting up for something here, it’ll all ominous whole notes
Characters – 8
Service – Did I mention creepy youkai?
Yuri – ? If Shiori doesn’t want to eat Hinako…why is she here?

Overall – 8

This series remains one of my top “license this title, please” titles. Fingers crossed for 2023.