Yuureitou

Both daring in how it pushes for social issues and clumsy in how it marries them with the thrills of horror and mystery, Yuureitou is pulp through and through. If one has even the slightest place for spooky mysteries, then this series is an essential, and wildly enjoyable trip. A brash explosion created and populated by self-proclaimed pulp obsessives, the manga takes place in the golden age of Japanese mystery literature and positions this mass creation of the unknown as simply a reflection of an unknowable world. There are ghosts and ghouls (or are there?) and murderers abound, and everyone has a secret, a trickwhich allows the reader to be in a constant state of unease. Nobody is free from suspicion. But the secrets they all hold are also what connects everyone, what traps them all in this world of unending horror. And those secrets are that the characters of Yuureitou aren't who they say they are. They are not a man, or a woman, or straight, or sexually active, or a horrible ghost monster. The manga explicitly tackles gender politics with a zeal, the cast populated by confused LGBTQ+ individuals. Throughout the main mystery of the series, characters try to 'solve' their gender identities and their perception of other non-binary people. But, as with their attempts to discover the secrets of the mysterious clock tower, they only ever seem to find more layers, more confusion. They traverse literal mazes while hunted by deranged killers, paralleling their scared wandering through gender and the threat that what they were is dead, and what they are can not survive. The blending of mystery and horror with gender dysphoria is interesting and gutsy. Unfortunately, while Yuureitou tries and succeeds in many aspects to discuss gender politics and promote a more open and progressive society, it falls face first just as much. The characters are deplorable in their society; they are degenerates. And while on one hand the attempt to mirror this with a world full of crime makes sense--society accepts neither and views both as beyond saving which in turn makes the characters question their own goodness--by positioning almost the entire cast as both non-binary or queer AND criminal, the manga trips over its own message, equating LGBTQ+ people to killers and monsters. This is clearly unintentional, as Yuureitou desperately pushes for acceptance and understanding in the confusing struggles of its characters, but is an awkward reality of the manga all the same. Furthermore, through much of the manga when the transgender male character is sexualized as female, it is specifically through the prism of other characters who often are struggling with their own identity. This is great and creates nicely complex moments. The characters can't simply turn off their own sexual desires or the mores forced onto them since birth like a switch. However, the title pages almost always ignore the character's identity and insist on falling back on tired, sexy poses. This is bad. When outside of the narrative, the manga leers and creeps and ignores its own message, becoming another piece of the oppressive society weighing down on the cast. As a final note, the manga for whatever reason steps back from some amazing paneling as it progresses. The first volume in particular is filled with astounding sequences which quickly focus in on the smallest of character reactions or brief flashes of memories which create some of the honest to god best horror scenes in any manga ever. There are pages in Yuureitou that should be used in schools to teach visual storytelling. By the end, Yuureitou largely neglects this style and whether this is a thematic choice (their secrets aren't hidden anymore) or a practical one, it is a bit of a shame. Yuureitou is like a storm. Loud and violent and inevitably messy, striking down trees and turning the ground to mud. Storms have potential to be good or bad--they can destroy and hurt, but they can also provide water that is desperately needed. Of course like most everything, they're never really just one or the other, and neither is Yuureitou; a good-hearted, hurtful, hopeful, gross, storm of a manga.

"This tower is full of criminals, murderers, and sexual deviants. As an ordinary person, you're the weirdest among us all." I’ve just finished re-reading Yuureitou, and its entertainment value for me still remains at a 10. Everything, from the art and insane characters to the way the story is told amazes me. Yuureitou is not just a mystery revolving a clock tower; it’s also a story on gender identity and how sexual deviants (transgender, homo) belonged in ‘50s Japan. There’s the main overarching story: the clocktower mystery. Then, there are multiple arcs that consist of intriguing adventuresthe main characters go through. These mini adventures are quite unique in the sense that they’re not something you’d expect from a manga. They fit so well with the setting that you can tell the author has done his research thoroughly. There’s always an awareness of time and history with each adventure. While Yuureitou showcases many dark issues that characterize this society, it strays away from the typical overuse of violence. We get to see the mindset of the criminals, and their background + motives don't fail to entertain. After the main mystery is resolved, the rest of the manga dedicates itself to flesh out its main characters and resolve their loose ends. It’s a sharp 90 degree turn in the mood, as the topic of sexual deviation overtakes the story. It gets a little whacky and wild, but these last chapters don’t disappoint, since they accomplish the job of closing in what has been built up throughout the manga. Before I re-read Yuureitou (after one year), I was able to vividly remember two characters because of their uniqueness: Tetsuo and Marube. Here’s what I think of them + others: -Our MC, Tetsuo, is the star of the show. He’s the guy that’s interesting right from the get go. Tetsuo’s cunning, intelligent, and charming. Just like the overarching plot, many mysteries surround him. He appears flawless at first glance, but as the story transpires, you see his weaknesses and insecurities clearly. -Marube is one of the baddie characters. He’s perverted and downright mad, but the way the author presents him and his story makes it hard to hate him. While difficult to empathize with the crazy side of him, Dokurou is still an intelligent character whose reasonings behind his actions make sense. -The other MC Amano is the typical wussy that ultimately changes for the good. The readers see how he, a “normal” person, perceives social deviants and his acceptance of them. Most of the story is seen through Amano. -Mystery killer ‘Shibanmushi’ is the main antagonist of the clocktower mystery. Nothing about him intrigued me much, but we do get to see his character developed with his frequent encounters with Tetsuo. Even though Shibanmushi is the antagonist of the overarching story, imo Marube’s perverse character overwhelms his presence. The art: There’s no cringey over exaggeration of facial expressions that plague a lot of anime and manga, so that’s an A+ from me. Putting that aside, the first thing you’ll notice when you begin Yuureitou is that the backgrounds and semi-realistic art style are fantastic. The author really knows his anatomy; this fact is particularly important as the story often showcases some grotesque display of corpses, humans in the wake of death, and after failed plastic surgery I suggest you to give this a try if you’re looking for a more serious mystery to dwell upon, or if you’re curious to see how a manga approaches the transgender topic.

This is a spoiler-free review! The story started off strong until it went off the rails near the end which was unfortunate. It lost focus of the compelling mystery of the clock tower and focused on a different conflict that I personally could care less for. The manga would have been more enjoyable had it been cut short. It was then hard to take the story seriously when one of the main characters would have porn drawn of him in the middle of inhumane events happening. Someone gets raped, or murdered, and the next chapter the cover will just feature porn. Like, what? Something badjust happened I'm not in the mood to look at anime boobs, especially when they belong to a trans man who experiences gender dysphoria from them. The characters are fine, and I actually enjoyed the character arcs that all of them went through! I especially enjoyed the MC development. He's absolutely unbearable in the beginning, but eventually he has his moments where he shows growth. The strongest point of this manga though is the art. It is absolutely gorgeous! It reminds me of Ilya Kuvshinov's artwork, as both find a good balance of anime and realism. I read this over the course of two days and it managed to keep me entertained, so I recommend it if you're very bored.