Sugar Dark: Umerareta Yami to Shoujo

A short, but brilliant manga that combines horror, mystery and romance together in an awesome package. Perhaps the most refreshing thing about this story is that the protagonist is a relatively smart and decisive type of fellow - he doesn't sit back and let events happen around him only to be drawn into them, instead he figures out what it is that he wants to do and then pursues it. After reading so many crappy romance manga with wimpy or sad-sack protagonists, Muo from Sugar Dark is the type of guy that you really want to cheer for. I particularly loved the spooky atmosphere ofthe earlier and middle arcs of this manga and how the mystery around everything unfolds at a steady pace. I never felt like the story despite being short was too rushed, and while I did predict what the ending was going to be, I felt satisfied seeing it play out. If you're looking for a good short read, I highly recommend this manga. You won't be disappointed by it.

After being falsely accused for murder, 16 year old solider "Muoru Reed" was sent to a cemetery and given the role of a "Grave Keeper", where he should dig holes for living. One night, when he is planning to escape while roaming around the cemetery, he meets a mysterious girl named "Maria" but it seems that she's more than meets the eye and the holes he dig aren't exactly for what he thought. Spanning for only 19 chapters (4 volumes), "Sugar Dark" tells a decent dark romance story which you can complete in around an hour or even less. It is easy to read, the pagesare divided into simple panels that are easy to follow but there are also some single pages that make you appreciate the art. The art style, while not that great, it does a good job to maintain the darker tone of the story with some well drawn imagery. The story & characters aren't complicated but there's a surface level of mystery surrounding each of them, which was decent enough to care for but since it's pretty short, the world building is lacking. Most of the story takes place at a cemetery between a boy & girl with a few other characters. It kicks off the story by showing a guy burying a girl and it mostly keeps that tone throughout (except for a few silly moments). The dark/supernatural setting allows for some gruesome imagery & spooky vibes, while the romance is pretty subtle. It follows the same boy meets girl formula with a familiar storyline but is good enough to root for. The side cast is alright, only "Karasu" is noteworthy and the remaining are pretty forgettable (except the big dog). There's a fun little twist at the end of the story which was well foreshadowed but the ending itself feels abrupt and incomplete, leaving a lot to explore. The ending looks like your standard happily-ever-after end but you can also view it as a somewhat bittersweet ending, it's entirely your interpretation. But it left a few questions unanswered about the world, lore & some characters. I personally would've preferred a much darker ending, I don't mean to say I don't like happy endings but given the story's darker setting & character, I would've much appreciated if it had a much darker ending. But for what it is; "Sugar Dark - Umerareta Yami to Shoujo" is a nice & short supernatural romcom. Has some well drawn art & panels, short chapters, with decent characters & a decent romance. If you're bored, can't find anything to read or if you want some romance amidst a dark setting, this is for you. It's not great but good enough to give it a try.