Genre Horror
Age Rating For Older Teens
Price $24.99
A chilling concoction of dark vignettes dripping with the macabre, the grotesque and the absurd.
Hated by humans and demons alike, Cat Eyed Boy dwells in the shadows of the human world. No matter where he goes, terrifying situations involving humans and demons begin to unfurl.
I'm not really a fan of Umezu (although I do have a lot of Umezu manga at home) as I find much of his horror dated. Cat Eyed Boy is a new release and while the art style or storytelling technique isn't significantly superior to any of his previous work, I particularly enjoyed the aesthetics and narrative of Cat Eyed Boy Vol. 1. Both Viz and Umezu embrace a B-movie vibe going into this manga, whether it's the splash page introducing each chapter to the typography. This Umezu manga worked for me mainly because I didn't perceive Cat Eyed Boy as attempting to scare its readers but rather give an enjoyable romp that's one part adventure and one part weirdness.
The art style is quite retro but this also gives Umezu a distinct appearance, especially in contrast to many of the modern manga you'll find in bookstores. Those who've read Umezu's other works will feel at home with this one. Suffice to say, it's more iconic rather than realistic and the monsters aren't too gruesome, at least compared to the likes of Junji Ito.
As for the story, despite being a 500+ page tome, this title sustained my interest as you have a mix of stand-alone stories and long story arcs. The first chapter introduces you to the protagonist, Cat Eyed Boy, who actually isn't the source of horror but rather a witness to terrifying events. As the chapters progress however, readers soon discover the hero's tragic origins and Cat Eyed Boy starts to become more pro-active in his adventures. Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger with a long story arc featuring an ensemble rogue's gallery.
Overall this was an interesting albeit long read. I'm not a big Umezu fan, but I found this series satisfying. Rather than treat this as a horror manga, readers fond of weirdness or have a nostalgia for B-movies will appreciate this series.
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