Recently, to much excitement, the cover for the ninth novel of Otherside Picnic was revealed. What I noticed was how it was a neat reminder of the importance of food and drink in this series.

And food is certainly a theme in Otherside Picnic manga, Volume 9.

We have already witnessed the importance of food and drink as a way for Toriko and Sorawo as a way to recover from the trauma of the Otherside. In the conclusion to ‘The Little Birds in the Box’ Toriko and Sorawo are joined by Kozakura for a meal. A meal that leads to a conversation where Kozakura struggles to understand the hold that the Otherside has over Toriko and Sorawo despite their best efforts to explain it.

And then, with Yamanoke Presence, we have the main event! In volume 3 of the novel series, we finally had the picnic that the title promised us, and now we have it in the manga series.

It is a fun moment, with just a dash of weirdness. But in Yamanoke Presence we are reminded of what I find to be one of the compelling strengths of Otherside Picnic; its ability to shift from a cozy slice of life moment to encounters with horrors that will haunt your dreams with a dash of ‘what the heck is going on?’ conversations. For example, one of my favourite moments is watching an absolutely clueless Sorawo trying to understand Toriko’s family solution.

In this volume we also witness moments of Sorawo and Toriko’s vulnerability, particularly in the aftermath of The Little Birds in the Box. I was struck by the sight of Sorawo without her glasses, lying in a hospital bed hand in hand with Toriko. For me this moment was a reminder that Sorawo and Toriko are young women who may be strong enough to face the terrors of the Otherside, yet at the same time are struggling to connect with themselves and one another.

One of the many things I appreciate about Otherside Picnic is how Iori Miyazawa uses dialogue to make observations about larger issues. For example, Toriko’s response to Sorawo’s description of the Yamanoke critter possessing women and Toriko responds with a compelling question, “why do so many of these things go after women?” One aspect of the artwork I found very compelling is how successfully conveys Sorawo’s struggles with the Yamanoke as it possesses her. We definitely get the sense of the Otherside seeping into Sorawo’s consciousness.

Remembering that the entities of the Otherside take forms shaped by folklore and urban legends created by people, creating stories where women are all too often the victims.

We also have the first chapter of Sannuki and the Karate Kid, and A Daytime Guest which gives us Kozakura’s perspective on ‘Karate Kid’.

I confess that I enjoy watching Sorawo in full panic mode as she tries to figure out how Akari Seto found out about Kozakura’s place, and then more panic as she faces being dragged into someone else’s problem. The mention of Satsuki Uruma doesn’t help the situation, especially as her baleful presence has been noticed by Sorawo throughout the volume. Sorawo wonders what does Satsuki want, and how much of a threat is she to this unfamiliar sense, for Sorawo, of being happy? Through conversations and reflection we gain more insights into Sorawo and Toriko that reveal their unique path towards being in relationship with one another as they learn more about themselves.

Another great volume in this series.

Ratings:

Story – 9|
Artwork – 9
Character – 8|
Service – 6
Yuri – 8

The mutual nature of their relationship is growing as Sorawo muses on how much she enjoys sharing the Otherside with Toriko. But for a brief moment I do have to give a 0 rating with Sorawo’s complete befuddlement over Toriko’s parents!

Overall – 9