Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
*Winner Japan International Manga Award*
*Honorable Mention for 2018 Freeman Book Awards for Children's and Young Adult's Literature on East and Southeast Asia*
*Short-listed for the 2019 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids' Comics*
Part fantasy, part travelogue—this graphic novel transports readers to the intersection of the natural and supernatural worlds.
Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter follows the adventures of two young foreigners as they travel to a remote and mysterious corner of Japan. Along the way, they purchase an old camera that has the unique ability to capture images of Japan's invisible spirit world. Armed with their magical camera, they explore the countryside and meet people who tell them about the forgotten ghosts, ghouls and demons who lie in wait ready to play tricks on them. These Yokai, or supernatural beings, are sometimes kind, sometimes mischievous, and sometimes downright dangerous!
Readers young and old will enjoy following along on this journey of mystery and discovery. The comic book format will appeal to anime and manga fans, while introducing the ancient spirit world that is such an important part of Japanese culture.
With the help of Atelier Sento's gorgeous watercolor and colored pencil artwork, you can't help but feel immersed in this fantasy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When C cile and Olivier find an old camera in a store in Saruwada, Japan, the shopkeeper insists that it will capture any ghost's image. After purchasing the magic device, the kids travel all over Japan in search of yokai, or spirits. The chapters are largely formulaic (the two arrive, learn about a ghost, and take a picture of it), but they are woven together by the supernatural creatures, which reflect a variety of values. Brun and Pichard deploy watercolors in soft hues that often bleed into one another a perfect visual metaphor for a story about the blurry separation between natural and supernatural. The kids' photographs add a powerful visual element at the end of each chapter. Drawn in a realistic style, these "photos," coupled with notes about when and where the image was taken, both incorporate glowing figures signifying the yokai and help to create a haunting experience for readers. Ages 10 18.
