Itou Junji Kyoufu Manga Collection: Michi no Nai Machi

This volume collects one-shots mostly dealing with supernatural or occult themes. Let's get right into it. Story, 6: I appreciated the variety of stories and their supernatural elements, but there were several plot developments that seemed to come out of nowhere (this wasn't helped by the completely unexpected personality changes; expanded on in 'Characters'). The endings were marginally more satisfying than the previous volume for me. Art, 7: Ito's artwork was solid as always. This volume in particular let him flex his supernatural, rather than biological, creative muscles. Characters, 4: While characters didn't feel as flat as the previous volume, their motivations and goals were extremely unclear. Therewere several plot developments that seemed completely illogical, resulting from the characters drastically changing their personalities during the story's climax. Only "Village of the Siren" had relatively unique and developed characters. Enjoyment, 6: I was thoroughly entertained throughout the volume because of the mostly interesting premises, but the characters really tarnished my experience. Overall, 6: I would recommend this for fans of previous volumes, as I think the stories themselves were actually quite good. My harsh critique of the characters is simply personal preference, so I would urge you to read the volume and form your own opinion if you like supernatural horror. Fans of the occult will likely enjoy this volume. Favorite Chapter: "Village of the Siren"; Least Favorite: "The Supernatural Transfer Student"