The Embalmer Vol. 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Shinjyurou Mamiya is an enbalmer. That fact alone is enough to make this title controversial in Japan, and Miysukazu Mihara uses that to her advantage in the story. His job makes him an outcast as it is considered an unclean process, yet there are those that still need his skills — he is the miracle worker, returning the diseased and mangled corpses to a state of beauty. Often times, the cases he gets are the results of real tragedies, and other times it's a little bit of narcissism. Azuki is the closest thing he has to a real friend, and she doesn't put up with any of his crap. In working with the dead, he has come to his own understanding of what it really means to be alive ... which means a different girl (or two) after each embalming session. As the story progresses we see there may be something real to that, especially when the love of his love/hate relationship with Azuki gets pointed out.I fell in love with Mihara's work on her goth loli series Doll, and her beautiful art works very well with this usual story. Every aspect is beautiful, from the long slender fingers, to the ample eyelashes — every panel, evey shot and detail is well thought-out and placed so that you could almost follow the story without words. While not a horror story, The Embalmer is a darker story that may disturb some readers; every story leads up to and revolves around a death which gives insight to the living characters as well as the dead. Also, US readers will have to understand the cultural beliefs about the dead in Japan in order to fully appreciate this manga for the daring work of art that it is. You should be able to pick up on much of that just from reading, but not everyone will. The Embalmer is definitely one for the gothic readers, but those who appreciate beaty, drama, and unusal stories should also give it a try. I am fascinated by it and will definitely be back for volume two. Written: October 2, 2006
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