Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo, Volume 1

I can't wait to read this book! 💖🖤💚💛

Even though I not finish the 1st series, but when I see this book published, I go and buy it right away. For a person has very limited to gender of book, this is the 1st manga that I enjoy to read and re-read after that without any bored. Each story teaches a different lesson of life and mixes with humor and action. This manga has contained everything that a person like me need. Like other says, try this manga and you will love it at the first sign, and never feel bored to re-read it again and again.

For those who have no clue, this is the sequel to PET SHOP OF HORRORS -- a ten volume anthology horror series often described as a cross between THE TWILIGHT ZONE and GREMLINS. It was Matsuri Akino's first manga out of her now eleven written, and it is still her most popular. The original PET SHOP is my favorite manga series, and I strongly recommend reading it before this sequel. However, the new series seems designed so that a new reader can follow quite well, with the relevant back-story being revealed gradually in the manner of clues to a mystery. One can even read the three Tokyo stories ("Domestic", "Double-Booking", and "Dust") without entirely spoiling the first series, if one then wants to try it. Warning: This does not apply to the side story set in Berlin ("Door"), a previously unpublished story written shortly after the conclusion of the original PET SHOP and never published. It assumes knowledge of the first series and is spoilery. So what is it actually about? Our protagonist "Count D" once ran a pet shop in LA Chinatown which claimed to sell "love and dreams". Of course, the first series was not called PET SHOP OF LOVE AND DREAMS for good reason, and the Pet Shop soon drew the attention of a suspicious LAPD detective, and eventually the FBI. To make a long story short, D eventually departed LA abruptly and under dramatic circumstances. Now -- several years later -- this same Count D has just opened a new pet shop in "Neo-Chinatown", a Chinese-themed mall in the Tokyo red light district of Shinjuku. As in the first series, each individual story tells us of one of D's customers and his/her new pet. Meanwhile, D acquires a new ongoing nemesis/foil in building manager Woo-Fei Rau, the son and heir of the owner, a Shanghai business tycoon. The elegant Woo-Fei is the polar opposite of the Count's last antagonist, and in fact seems to have a lot in common with Count D himself . . . such as being wicked. Not that this helps them get along. Compared to the first series, there are many differences, including more polished artwork. The look is less Gothic and more urban. The tales seem (so far) less gory and more sad. The most striking difference is that in the early volumes of the first series, the individual stories were the stars, the ongoing story developed gradually, and Akino didn't even make up her mind what city it was set in till late in the series. Here in PSOH:TOKYO the Shinjuku setting is being carefully established from the start, and while the individual stories are okay, the real fun is in the ongoing story arc, which starts being developed from the first page.

I truely am estatic that Matsuri-sama is continuing the Petshop of Horrors series, though I wish that he would stop having D running away from Leon.

I was more than thrilled when I saw this jem sitting on my local bookstore shelf. The Petshop of Horrors series is one of the best manga series out there...and the sequel Petshop of Horrors-Tokyo doesn't disapoint. If you liked the first series this is a no-brainer. BUY IT. If you have no idea what this is, BUY IT. BUY THIS MANGA. That said, I will talk about the actual book. Unfortunately...Leon and D aren't in this one. :( Ok well D is but it's not the same D it's...well if you read the first series you know what I'm talking about. I don't wanna spoil it for anyone else. Chapter 1. Domestic- Dark story about a pet who lives off of nightmares. Chapter 2. Double Booking- Wallflowers are transformed after buying hideous pets from D. Chapter 3. Dust-We start to see a Leon/D type relationship here developing with D and the shop landlord. ^_^ The story is really about how dogs choose their true owners. Chapter 4. Door-Door to the past! ^-^ For those in doubt about buying this, Matsuri Akino's artwork is gorgeous has always and the stories are darkly delicious. Buy this manga. ~Lena