OUTSIDERS VOL. 1 / Script and Art by KANOU AKIRA / Published by TITAN MANGA

Ema Asano is far from a typical high school student. While most girls her age are thinking about their grades or dating, Ema is living the life of a vigilante, patrolling her neighborhood for crime. It is her dream to follow in the footsteps of her parents; both police officers who died in the line of duty.

Despite being the younger sister, it is Ema who is fiercely protective of her guardian, Yuko. This leads her into the bad part of town, tracking her sister on her phone when she is late coming home. This further leads her to discover Tamaki Utsumiya – a 300 year old vampire and salary man who works with Yuko. However, she’s stopped from calling the police by Taiga Wakaki – another co-worker of her sister and, it turns out, the last of a line of werewolves.

Thus does Ema learn of the secret war that has been waged for thousands of years between monsters humanity now thinks of as myths. What’s more, she learns that Tamaki and Taiga have no desire to fight one another and have partnered together to protect their new home town. This leads to an unusual team, as the three work together to stop those monsters that cannot control themselves.

Outsiders Vol. 1 is a welcome spin on the classic young adult supernatural thriller. The author’s notes at the end reveal that Akira Kanou was inspired by Twilight. However, this is an entirely different story, with little in the way of romance. While Ema finds herself intrigued by the mysteries posed by Tamaki and Taiga, there’s no suggestion of any mutual attraction to the 16 year old girl. Indeed, there is more teasing of a homoerotic relationship between the two monsters than there is any hint of a love triangle ala Bella Swan.

Kanou also crafts a more complex mythology, offering logical reasons for why vampires and werewolves are able to keep themselves hidden from mankind. This helps to differentiate the story from similar works, like the World of Darkness and Underworld franchises. It helps matters that Ema is a more proactive heroine than most, despite often getting in over her head and needing to be rescued.

The artwork is suitably dark, as fits the story, with a light, sketchy aesthetic used to distinguish the characters’ thoughts and flashbacks. Coupled with the distinctive worldbuilding, this makes Outsiders Vol. 1 a truly original work of horror. It may not appeal to those who aren’t fans of the genre, but this seems likely to win over teens who enjoy a walk on the dark side of the glass, as well as those waiting for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot.

Outsiders Vol. 1 releases on June 17, 2025.