SHADOWS OF KYOTO VOL. 1 / Story and Art by YUMEYA / Translation by MOTOKO TAMAMURO & JONATHAN CLEMENTS / Letters by JESSICA BURTON & CALE WARD / Published by TITAN MANGA

Once the capitol city of Japan, Kyoto has a long history. They say that all cities have their dark secrets – aspects of their history that most wish would be forgotten. But the city, and the dead… they will not forget.

A vapid influencer, hungry for hits. A desperate thief, ready to raid a shrine to pay the rent. A greedy gold-digger, seeking security as a rich man’s wife. A trio of high school girls, who reinforce one another’s worst behaviors. All of them will meet the mysterious woman called Kotone. She claims to be a simple tour guide, showing them the secrets of various shrines and holy sites. What she truly reveals, however, is the darkest parts of their own souls!

Shadows of Kyoto is a spirited horror manga. The pun is very much intended. The stories are rather predictable, adhering to the classic horror anthology formula. We are introduced to a bad person. Kotone comes along to tell them about the history of whatever site they just happen to be at. Then things go all grindhouse as the person dies in a dramatically appropriate fashion. The plot may be trite, but the execution is flawless.

This book is recommend for mature readers and it earns that recommendation. There is a wide range of disturbing imagery, ranged from bodies being bisected to eyeballs being impaled. The most horrific scene, however, involves the gold-digger, who is confronted by the spirits of the babies she abandoned. All of this is vividly illustrated by Yumeya with an uncomfortable degree of detail.

I would recommend Shadows of Kyoto Vol. 1 to those horror fans looking for something in the same vein as Junji Ito. I would not recommend it, however, to anyone with a weak stomach.

Shadows of Kyoto Vol. 1 arrives in stores on January 14, 2025.