Tetsunagi Oni

TAKAHASHI Yousuke is one of those (mostly horror) mangaka with an instantly recognizable visual style that is often let down by subpar writing. Translated works of his can be hard to come by and --while enjoyable-- do not rank among my favorites. This happens to be one exception. This is a collection of short stories, which apparently has been reissued as part of many larger compilations, but the core of which consists of 12 chapters. I would file all of them under "supernatural horror" save for the final one which is more psychological/drama-oriented. Despite the consistency in genre, one of "Tetsunagi Oni"'s main strengths is actuallyvariety. Instead of the usual "ironic" horror short-stories (where characters get their just deserts after some transgression, Creepshow-style) Takahashi goes from tragic ghost stories to surreal comedy without too much tonal whiplash. The overall visual/writing-style is consistent and idiosyncratic enough to make the work cohesive, and the sequencing of the stories --deliberate or not-- feels natural. Without getting into spoilers: the tone shifts from dramatic to increasingly surreal --to the point of absurdity-- eventually introducing more violent and gory content before circling back to a more down-to-earth finale. Alongside the serviceable twists and turns, Takahashi also effectively uses each story's main character to dictate the tone. A great source of entertainment while reading this collection, was not knowing in advance how reliable the central character's narration would be, or having their motivations being more or less innocent. This makes each silly or serious outcome less obvious, while thankfully avoiding ending the stories on a tone-deaf or confusing note for the sake of surprise. Overall it feels like "Tetsunagi Oni" takes full advantage of its nature as a "random" collection of horror vignettes: showcasing all the writing styles the author is capable of handling, without letting them overstay their welcome. However, the effective sequencing, that lets both the comedy and horror contrast off each other without friction, puts it above many similar works I have read. It is also fairly tame as far as "mature content" is concerned (some gore and nudity but nothing outrageous, especially for manga) which further increases its accessibility. A good point of entry into Takahashi's endearingly unique visual world.