Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96450 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-01
• Released on: 2009-05-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781427815378
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

A tale of two houses and the last dance of a the snake woman
The fourth volume in Matsuri Akino's "Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo," continues to deliver that particular bishonen/supernatural fantasy for which Matsuri is known. If you are picking up volume four, then you are probably already familiar with the series and know what to expect.

Volume four continues the play between the mysterious Pet Shop owner Count D and the head of the Chinese mafia in Kabuki cho, Woo Fei. I am hoping a few of the sub-plots come to a head soon, because Woo's disbelief is getting hard to believe. He has been presented with water dragons and kappas right before his very eyes, but he still thinks Count D is running some sort of prostitution/human trafficking business.

There are five customers in volume four, and so you get five short stories. A Romeo/Juliet situation, with the children of two rival gangs falling in love with each other, and seeking refuge at Count D's mysterious Pet Shop. At first, the connection between these children and the animal's that make up D's world seems tenuous, but by the end all becomes clear. Next, a more heart-tugging story has a male calico cat being the only thing keeping an estranged husband and wife together, along with the ghost of a small child that haunts their apartment. Can Count D help the family? Then, unlike Woo Fei's misdirected suspicions, a tale of true human trafficking comes to a head when a poor Chinese girl who has been taken advantage of by her pimps and brokers is caught and deported. What will become of the girl's beloved chipmunk? This is followed by a wonderful tale of an aging snake woman and a fox shrine, as well as a beautiful actress and an iguana.

There was a lot more "horror" pumped into volume four, which I like to see in a series that has "horror" in the title. There are some elements of Japanese mythology here, but nothing really overwhelming. Probably the story at the Fox Shrine is the only one that might be mildly confusing. I really enjoy how Matsuri puts a few animal notes in the back of the book, talking about the real animals featured in each story. I had no idea male calico cats were that rare!

Very Japanese
The original Pet Shop of Horrors series is a certified classic, with interesting characters and a continuing plotline involving a hot-tempered American Cop trying to book a mysteriously pet shop owner. It has humor, beautiful art by Matsuri Akino, and is pretty accessible to Americans not familiar with the manga format.

Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo is the sequel series to the original, with the new setting being a Chinese district in Japan instead of San Francisco. The change of scenery is consistent between the two series, but makes this Tokyo set much more difficult to enjoy.

For starters, loveable cop Orcot and his kid brother are gone. The chemistry between Leon and Count D was palpable, something that is sorely missed. The new foil for Count D is the owner of the building in the Chinese district, an underground businessman from a mob family. He has similar goals to Orcot, but a much more dangerous and crafty personality.

The problem is that besides Count D, there aren't any real characters to like. Count D is usually in full mystery/threat mode here, so without Orcot he is unable to show his more lighthearted and humorous traits.

Then there's the culture shock. This book is VERY Japanese. For someone who is not from Japan, doesn't study it, and knows nothing of its culture, the stories are very confusing. Many of them contain Japanese folklore and customs, which makes decisions made by the guest stars confusing and disjointed during a read.

That's not to say it isn't enjoyable. Any romp with Count D through the human experience is bound to be fun, enlightening, and sometimes a little scary. Orcot made a brief appearance earlier in book 2, searching Germany for Count D. Hopefully we'll see him catch up to D in Chinatown and try to cope with Japanese rules and etiquette.

Ultimately, I would recommend the original series to any American wishing to get a start on any manga books. These are a little more challenging and confusing to get into, but it's worth the trouble for another encounter with Count D.