One Shot Review: Medley Edition Pt.2
Because there are a lot of one shot manga out there which are far shorter than one volume, let alone one chapter, I’ve decided to review a random medley of them. These will include Sasabunechou Konjaku and Tsukumono.
Basics
Genre: Shounen
Original Run: 2007
Number of Pages: 43
Review
Sasabunechou Konjaku is about Mizuchi, a yokai who serves a pair of Inari gods named Shuu and Orin. Due to the lack of people visiting their shrine, they task Mizuchi to go out and collect more yokai followers in to order to grow their powers and offset the deficiency. Will Mizuchi be able to successfully carry out this task?
For a one shot that is supposed to be yokai, it seems the focus was more towards an entirely different, though somewhat related, subject. In a way, it was more just a vehicle to deliver a different kind of story. Not that Sasabunechou Konjaku was bad, but something about it felt off for me that I can’t quite put into words. The best way I can maybe put it is that I just found the overall story wanting. Maybe it would benefit from more chapters, but I doubt that will ever happen.
Basics
Genre: Shounen
Original Run: 2010
Number of Pages: 37
Review
Tsukumono is about Takayuki Inadoumaru, a student who runs the antique store he inherited from his late grandfather. But what makes this antique store unique is the fact that it is filled with tsukumo-kami, which are objects who gain spirits after the course of one hundred years. One tsukumo-kami in particular has been giving him trouble lately by the name of Muramusa, an old sword with a demonic streak. Will Takayuki finally be able to get a grip on this wayward sword? I found Tsukumono to be more up my alley. It felt like a decent, rough-draft preface of what could be a fun, supernatural shounen romp with a buddy-yokai? buddy-cop twist. Alas, I doubt we will see a continuation of this as evidenced by how much time has passed and the fact the mangaka hasn’t released any work since. Here’s to hoping to be to able to find something similar, but in a series format.
Thank you for taking the time to read this review! I hope you will check out Alice in Mangaland for more manga reviews in the future! Arigato gozaimasu! Thank you!
