Hungry for You: Endo Yasuko Stalks the Night

Read this if you are looking for: A vampire-ish gag manga with a dreary setting. Recommendation: Pass “Hungry For You – Endo Yasuko Stalks the Night” follows impoverished high school student Shizue and the mysterious titular Yasuko, who may be a vampire, a serial killer, or just a really weird girl. With the recent disappearances of three girls and Yasuko being the primary suspect, much of the plot revolves around discovering Yasuko’s true nature. In volume one, though, plot often takes a back seat to comedy, and this manga is indeed at its strongest during the more slice-of-life gag manga chapters. With Shizue agreeing to be Yasuko’s“emergency rations,” the two main characters aren’t particularly compelling, but they're quickly joined by Texan vampire hunter Ashley and her jealous employer Akira, who immediately become reliable sources for a good joke. As the story goes on, the comedy and drama unfortunately begin to undermine each other, as the mysteries surrounding Yasuko aren’t given serious weight, and the gloomy tone puts a limit on light-hearted fun. When all is finally revealed, there isn’t much of an impact, and the plot-heavy second volume sputters along all the way to the end. Yuri fans won’t find too much in this series until the second half, and romance is not really a factor until the very end.