LOGIN
REGISTER
RSS
HOME
Angels, demons, sacrifice, and a frantic search for redemption - will Seisu solve the mystery of his past and save his friend, or be damned to hell instead
Creative Talent
Writer/Artist: Kosen
What They Say
The gateway to hell is opened in this tale of demon bloodlust and angelic redemption...Alone and disfigured from a tragic car accident in his childhood, Seisu is plagued by haunting visions and hellish nightmares. But when a stay at a remote monastery brings the mysterious young man Yabrail into his life, Seisu discovers not only what's behind his fragile state of mind, and also that heaven and hell aren't as distant as he once believed...
The Review
Left scarred both mentally and physically by a childhood accident that left both of his parents dead, Seisu hasn't had an easy life. His obvious differences and waking nightmares leave him an outcast who frequently has to fight to gain a measure of peace. The only stable influence in his life is his older sister, Alys. He's strangely drawn to white birds, so his sister takes him to a weekend retreat at a bird sanctuary. They stay in an old monastery, but it's less relaxing than Seisu might have hoped. While nobody there seems to think anything of his scars, but a series of terrifying nightmares and hallucinations leave him on edge and uneasy. And when a mysterious white-haired stranger warns him about his sister, things get even stranger.
When his sister's scream wakes him in the middle of the night, Seisu is frantic to find and save her. He blames Yabrail, the white-haired stranger, but he ends up accepting his help for reasons he doesn't fully understand. They finally find Alys deep in the basement, surrounded by the hotel staff...and seemingly tortured and dead.
Seisu snaps, and this is where the mysteries that have been hinted at finally come to the fore. What follows is a somewhat complicated story of death, redemption, and the conflict between heaven and hell. It isn't perfect - some portions aren't as clear as they could be, character's motives and actions aren't always as believable as they could be, and the writing could stand to be tightened up a bit. Still, the art is gorgeous - Kosen has a distinctive style that's clearly been polished over the course of years, and the story was interesting enough that I'm going to be checking out the next volume. If you like suspenseful horror, or have a weakness for stories with angelic or demonic characters, you're likely to find quite a bit here to love. There are flaws, but they're forgivable ones.
