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となりの百怪見聞録 [Tonari no Hyakkai Kenbunroku] #1
となりの百怪見聞録 1 [Tonari no Hyakkai Kenbunroku 1]
怪異に好まれる男・片桐甚八と、“オバケ先生”と呼ばれる好事家・原田織座。“あちら側”に縁ある男ふたりの、不思議と恐怖と好奇心の見聞録、はじまり、はじまり。
232 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 12, 2026
I’d been looking forward to this one for a while, seeing as it has a lovely art style, is queer, and features an age-gap situation with full grown adults. That said, the storytelling itself left a lot to be desired. The dialogue was both repetitive and incredibly difficult to follow, to the point that I reread the first chapter three times, thinking I must’ve missed some key piece of information, but nope—said information just wasn’t there. The haunting cases themselves also don’t seem to offer any sort of resolution or closure. They just happen, and then the characters move onto the next thing, leaving me to wonder why any of it should matter to me if it doesn’t matter to them.
If you’re cool with a vibes-only manga, then this might be for you. But if you’re looking for a functional story, or even just dialogue that flows in any kind of natural way, I’d pass on this one.
If you’re cool with a vibes-only manga, then this might be for you. But if you’re looking for a functional story, or even just dialogue that flows in any kind of natural way, I’d pass on this one.
November 27, 2025
An exciting kick off to the series!
This feels thematically similar to Hell is dark and has no flowers. The main character is queer and admits to being smitten with the older man, but it's not on the surface a BL. At its core, this is a supernatural mystery, discovering the demons and spirits that live in some of the liminal spaces ... with some attraction in the undercurrent.
I hope to see their dynamic grow as the series continues, because I think it's unique and fun to see characters that are older than the normal in Queer/BL spaces right now.
This feels thematically similar to Hell is dark and has no flowers. The main character is queer and admits to being smitten with the older man, but it's not on the surface a BL. At its core, this is a supernatural mystery, discovering the demons and spirits that live in some of the liminal spaces ... with some attraction in the undercurrent.
I hope to see their dynamic grow as the series continues, because I think it's unique and fun to see characters that are older than the normal in Queer/BL spaces right now.
February 27, 2025
ดีไซน์ภูตผีหลอนดี แต่คุณปู่ดูหลอนกว่าอีก แกยิ้มทีทำเสียวสันหลังวาบมาก ส่วนเนื้อเรื่องกำลังปูทาง ยังไม่ค่อยมีอะไรมาก เปิดมาตอนแรกทำเอางงนิดหน่อย
June 17, 2026
Jinpachi’s real demons are gay thoughts—and he is FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE. Old man yaoi is really on a whole other level.
Anyway.
This is very cool. I really enjoyed this first volume. In it, we’re introduced to Katagiri Jinpachi and Harada Oriza, also known as “Ghost Sensei”. Jinpachi is attracting ghosts and demons left and right. He’s like a lightning rod or a flame, irresistible to moths. Each chapter is told from his perspective as he slowly realizes what supernatural situation he’s fallen into. It makes for a very trippy reading experience. As a reader, you’re constantly moving back and forth between reality and ghostly realms. I really liked that.
Then, there’s Ghost Sensei here who definitely knows more than he’s said and who has found himself bound to Jinpachi due to their shared connection to the other world. In equal parts, Ghost Sensei tries to advise Jinpachi as well as toy with him. So far, I’d describe his character as ambivalent. Jinpachi is clearly besotted with Ghost Sensei though. I’m sure it’ll all work out.
Anyway, anyway.
I think this is an interesting, distinct new series for the genre. I appreciate stories that feature queer characters but have a plot that doesn’t necessarily revolve around that. Queer characters aside, there’s a really cool, eerie plot here that I think fans of horror and supernatural mysteries would really like, too~
Anyway.
This is very cool. I really enjoyed this first volume. In it, we’re introduced to Katagiri Jinpachi and Harada Oriza, also known as “Ghost Sensei”. Jinpachi is attracting ghosts and demons left and right. He’s like a lightning rod or a flame, irresistible to moths. Each chapter is told from his perspective as he slowly realizes what supernatural situation he’s fallen into. It makes for a very trippy reading experience. As a reader, you’re constantly moving back and forth between reality and ghostly realms. I really liked that.
Then, there’s Ghost Sensei here who definitely knows more than he’s said and who has found himself bound to Jinpachi due to their shared connection to the other world. In equal parts, Ghost Sensei tries to advise Jinpachi as well as toy with him. So far, I’d describe his character as ambivalent. Jinpachi is clearly besotted with Ghost Sensei though. I’m sure it’ll all work out.
Anyway, anyway.
I think this is an interesting, distinct new series for the genre. I appreciate stories that feature queer characters but have a plot that doesn’t necessarily revolve around that. Queer characters aside, there’s a really cool, eerie plot here that I think fans of horror and supernatural mysteries would really like, too~
December 5, 2025
A really intriguing story that wasn't quite what I'd expected.
I have a fondness for "case files" type narratives, with characters who form odd partnerships while solving mysteries, supernatural or otherwise. I picked this one up because it sounded interesting enough to try. Honestly, I couldn't get into it too much on my first attempt - over Thanksgiving, so with my mind a little distracted - and figured it might be a "cancel the rest of my preorders for this series" situation. But once I sat down with it again, I got drawn into it.
The main issue for me is that the storytelling itself is a little bit messy. There are four "cases" in this volume, but none of them have any real structure or resolution. It's more just Interesting Supernatural-Type Things That Happen In Passing. Which I guess aligns more with the mangaka's inspiration: their grandmother's scary bedtime stories, which terrified them as a child.
What caught me by surprise was that I typically consider this genre (when it has two male main characters) more BL-adjacent...there's usually a fair amount of Attractive Men Noticing They're Attractive and Bonding, but it doesn't tend to go beyond nice little hints. Initially, I thought there wasn't even going to be any of that in this series: there's Jinpachi, a cover designer who accidentally becomes a supernatural magnet, and an older painter who's famous for his interest in ghosts and other supernatural things. They meet in a cafe where Jinpachi's wife works, and Ghost Sensei Oriza helps him cross dimensions to retrieve a lost wallet.
Oh, he's married, I thought, mildly disappointed but willing to give the mystery-solving element a try. And then it took a seriously surprising turn.
I've got to be honest, I still don't fully understand the setup. Here are the parts I did gather.
Jinpachi already knew who Oriza was, carried a clipping of him in his wallet (probably why it was so precious to him...?), and had told his "wife" that he was gay, interested in someone else, and couldn't go out with her. Like him, she'd somehow stumbled into this liminal space and into a conversation with a soul-dealer who traded pieces of souls for wishes. Jinpachi had just wanted his dropped wallet back...Asahi (believing herself to simply be in a normal dream) had traded away a part of her soul for a Jinpachi's heart.
So that life he was in wasn't actually his at all, and he had to yank himself free of it by taking his wallet back and rejecting the spirit's efforts to take any of his soul away. Instead, he made an unintentional deal: he gave up the "normal" part of being a human who was unaware of the supernatural around them. Now he's stuck encountering the eerie and weird everywhere he goes, with supernatural beings forming particularly strong attachments to him.
What this leads to is something he hadn't expected at all: a partnership with Oriza, whom he very explicitly is shown to be in (unrequited) love with. This was a delightful twist, although a painful one for him, because Oriza seems to simply be using him so far. I assume they'll develop more of a true partnership over the course of the series, as they get to know each other better.
The part I didn't really get, that wasn't shown very well, was how Jinpachi had already been interested in Oriza, and if they'd met previously. I think the clipping in the wallet was more of a symbolic thing: the part that was so dreadfully important to Jinpachi, that he absolutely had to recover along with his lost wallet, was his full sense of self, including his sexuality. But Oriza was also the person he'd already formed an interest in, and that part I'm a little wobbly on.
Plus, the next "case" was him going to an author's house to talk through the cover art for the author's art collection, and while the name itself was kept secret due to the author's quirks, Jinpachi had come prepared with some ideas about showcasing a specific piece of art on the cover. So if he'd been that interested in Oriza, wouldn't he have recognized his art...?
Things like that seemed a little too hand-wavey for the important character-establishing bits.
Still, this was pretty fun, and I'm hoping the stories develop a little more depth from here. Right now Jinpachi's just kind of trying to find his footing, and stumbling into a series of weird situations because he's head over heels for this old man who likes having so much access to such a fascinating supernatural magnet.
I have a fondness for "case files" type narratives, with characters who form odd partnerships while solving mysteries, supernatural or otherwise. I picked this one up because it sounded interesting enough to try. Honestly, I couldn't get into it too much on my first attempt - over Thanksgiving, so with my mind a little distracted - and figured it might be a "cancel the rest of my preorders for this series" situation. But once I sat down with it again, I got drawn into it.
The main issue for me is that the storytelling itself is a little bit messy. There are four "cases" in this volume, but none of them have any real structure or resolution. It's more just Interesting Supernatural-Type Things That Happen In Passing. Which I guess aligns more with the mangaka's inspiration: their grandmother's scary bedtime stories, which terrified them as a child.
What caught me by surprise was that I typically consider this genre (when it has two male main characters) more BL-adjacent...there's usually a fair amount of Attractive Men Noticing They're Attractive and Bonding, but it doesn't tend to go beyond nice little hints. Initially, I thought there wasn't even going to be any of that in this series: there's Jinpachi, a cover designer who accidentally becomes a supernatural magnet, and an older painter who's famous for his interest in ghosts and other supernatural things. They meet in a cafe where Jinpachi's wife works, and Ghost Sensei Oriza helps him cross dimensions to retrieve a lost wallet.
Oh, he's married, I thought, mildly disappointed but willing to give the mystery-solving element a try. And then it took a seriously surprising turn.
I've got to be honest, I still don't fully understand the setup. Here are the parts I did gather.
Jinpachi already knew who Oriza was, carried a clipping of him in his wallet (probably why it was so precious to him...?), and had told his "wife" that he was gay, interested in someone else, and couldn't go out with her. Like him, she'd somehow stumbled into this liminal space and into a conversation with a soul-dealer who traded pieces of souls for wishes. Jinpachi had just wanted his dropped wallet back...Asahi (believing herself to simply be in a normal dream) had traded away a part of her soul for a Jinpachi's heart.
So that life he was in wasn't actually his at all, and he had to yank himself free of it by taking his wallet back and rejecting the spirit's efforts to take any of his soul away. Instead, he made an unintentional deal: he gave up the "normal" part of being a human who was unaware of the supernatural around them. Now he's stuck encountering the eerie and weird everywhere he goes, with supernatural beings forming particularly strong attachments to him.
What this leads to is something he hadn't expected at all: a partnership with Oriza, whom he very explicitly is shown to be in (unrequited) love with. This was a delightful twist, although a painful one for him, because Oriza seems to simply be using him so far. I assume they'll develop more of a true partnership over the course of the series, as they get to know each other better.
The part I didn't really get, that wasn't shown very well, was how Jinpachi had already been interested in Oriza, and if they'd met previously. I think the clipping in the wallet was more of a symbolic thing: the part that was so dreadfully important to Jinpachi, that he absolutely had to recover along with his lost wallet, was his full sense of self, including his sexuality. But Oriza was also the person he'd already formed an interest in, and that part I'm a little wobbly on.
Plus, the next "case" was him going to an author's house to talk through the cover art for the author's art collection, and while the name itself was kept secret due to the author's quirks, Jinpachi had come prepared with some ideas about showcasing a specific piece of art on the cover. So if he'd been that interested in Oriza, wouldn't he have recognized his art...?
Things like that seemed a little too hand-wavey for the important character-establishing bits.
Still, this was pretty fun, and I'm hoping the stories develop a little more depth from here. Right now Jinpachi's just kind of trying to find his footing, and stumbling into a series of weird situations because he's head over heels for this old man who likes having so much access to such a fascinating supernatural magnet.
January 17, 2026
I wanna rate this higher because I did really enjoy it, and the concept of a supernatural/ horror old man/ age gap bl romance appeals to basically every one of my sensibilities. But ultimately I have quite a few issues with this volume at least. Primarily, some of the paneling is hard to follow and the storytelling tends to read a bit choppy and poorly communicated, for me at least. Gorgeous artwork and paneling though, in spite of my critique. I also don’t really see any chemistry between the two leads yet, and no offense to him but Jinpachi has no real reason to have fallen for this mysterious ‘ghost sensei’ other than just being attracted to him and his veil of mystery I suppose. I was also insanely confused about their meeting, and didn’t even realize Jinpachi had fallen for him until he states it a bit later on. My confusion was made worse by the photo of Harada in Jinpachi’s wallet, which… continuity-wise made no sense at all since they hadn’t met yet when he’d lost his wallet? Also why would that even be there? Maybe that’s a future plot point they’ll touch on but it was just a bit confusing.
Overall, amazing premise with a beautiful message and some gorgeous artwork. Jinpachi is also very attractively drawn, and I love that he point blank states that he’s gay decently early on. My autistic king, with his simple pleasures, rigid routines, and hatred of change. Looking forward to the next volume!
Overall, amazing premise with a beautiful message and some gorgeous artwork. Jinpachi is also very attractively drawn, and I love that he point blank states that he’s gay decently early on. My autistic king, with his simple pleasures, rigid routines, and hatred of change. Looking forward to the next volume!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2026
I really like spooky and supernatural manga. If you like it too definitely check this one out.
Jinpachi stumbles into a ghost market and looses his wallet there (that made me think of “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo!) and the story takes off from there. Jinpachi is new to the supernatural world and he meets Harada aka Ghost Sensei. There’s a connection between Jinpachi and Ghost Sensei and they work together adding things to GS’s collection.
I’m hoping to see more of Jinpachi’s feelings and learn more about the mysterious Ghost Sensei. I liked the ghost stories themselves. Well constructed and lots to pick apart with culture and folklore.
The artwork for the book was fabulous. I love the drawing style and the design of the book. I like that the inside covers are part of the story, not just binding for the book. I also liked that Jinpachi is a book designer. Of course a book design character is in a stylish book.
Looking forward to the next volumes!
Jinpachi stumbles into a ghost market and looses his wallet there (that made me think of “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo!) and the story takes off from there. Jinpachi is new to the supernatural world and he meets Harada aka Ghost Sensei. There’s a connection between Jinpachi and Ghost Sensei and they work together adding things to GS’s collection.
I’m hoping to see more of Jinpachi’s feelings and learn more about the mysterious Ghost Sensei. I liked the ghost stories themselves. Well constructed and lots to pick apart with culture and folklore.
The artwork for the book was fabulous. I love the drawing style and the design of the book. I like that the inside covers are part of the story, not just binding for the book. I also liked that Jinpachi is a book designer. Of course a book design character is in a stylish book.
Looking forward to the next volumes!
June 14, 2026
volume 1 of tales of the hundred monsters next door feels kind of all over the place at times. likely, due to the nature of the plot - all these mysterious, and in comprehensible things happening to our main character jinpachi - I was more or less lost for the vast majority of this manga.
it was still very enjoyable, and I still was able to understand what was happening. but I do think the writing, or rather the presentation of the plot, is the weakest part of the story. (though this does also add an air of mystery that sets the mood really well.)
on the other hand, the art is freaking incredible. the monsters and ghosts and other worldly creatures, even the places and characters all look really good.
it was still very enjoyable, and I still was able to understand what was happening. but I do think the writing, or rather the presentation of the plot, is the weakest part of the story. (though this does also add an air of mystery that sets the mood really well.)
on the other hand, the art is freaking incredible. the monsters and ghosts and other worldly creatures, even the places and characters all look really good.
December 4, 2025
This was actually a really fun read, and I'm really glad to have picked it up on whim. While the character is openly gay and the narrative even announces who it is he likes, the romance isn't inherently the plot to this. It's all the spooky happening around them.
But it's really fun and silly, and all the ghosts and spirits appearing around them are quite intriguing. I think if you like series like "The Summer Hikaru Died", where the queer character's romance isn't inherently the central plot but still woven in, then I'd recommend this to you. Or if you want something spooky with a queer adult protagonist and no smut, then I'd also recommend this.
But it's really fun and silly, and all the ghosts and spirits appearing around them are quite intriguing. I think if you like series like "The Summer Hikaru Died", where the queer character's romance isn't inherently the central plot but still woven in, then I'd recommend this to you. Or if you want something spooky with a queer adult protagonist and no smut, then I'd also recommend this.
July 2, 2026
This is really cute! Kinda just throws you right into things and you're left to figure it out as you go; which is not necessarily a bad thing, but may take you a little to find your footing. It's been a while since I've read a paranormal urban setting (I think xxxHolic?), but I was already digging the night market spookiness.
MC is a bit clueless but charming enough, and I love his lil crush on the silver fox writer, lol. Love that their fates are now intertwined and they'll potentially be working together. Yay~
MC is a bit clueless but charming enough, and I love his lil crush on the silver fox writer, lol. Love that their fates are now intertwined and they'll potentially be working together. Yay~
March 20, 2026
It's very much like a case-files type story telling, the only through line being our main character, Katagiri Jinpachi, and his romantic interest: an older man named Harada Oriza, who seems more interested in Katagiri-San's circumstances (i.e the supernatural) than him.
A fun little exploration of mythology and myths in a way that is beautifully illustrated. I may be biased as I'm a sucker for mythologies and ghost stories in general.
A fun little exploration of mythology and myths in a way that is beautifully illustrated. I may be biased as I'm a sucker for mythologies and ghost stories in general.
June 27, 2024
ພາບງາມ!!! ງາມເປັນບ້າ ງາມຕາແຕກອີກເລື່ອງ ເປີດໜ້າໃດກະເປັນງານສິລະປະ?!?
ການດຳເນີນເລື່ອງກໍໜ້າສົນໃຈ ມີການຜະສົມເລື່ອງລຶກລັບເຂົ້າໃນສັງຄົມຊີວິດປັດຈຸບັນ ເຊັຕຕິ້ງໂລກເຮັດໄດ້ໜ້າຕິດຕາມວ່າໂຕເອກຂອງເຮົາຈະໄດ້ເຈິກັບສິ່ງໃດອີກໃນຕອນຕໍ່ໄປ
ການດຳເນີນເລື່ອງກໍໜ້າສົນໃຈ ມີການຜະສົມເລື່ອງລຶກລັບເຂົ້າໃນສັງຄົມຊີວິດປັດຈຸບັນ ເຊັຕຕິ້ງໂລກເຮັດໄດ້ໜ້າຕິດຕາມວ່າໂຕເອກຂອງເຮົາຈະໄດ້ເຈິກັບສິ່ງໃດອີກໃນຕອນຕໍ່ໄປ
August 10, 2025
Wonderful writing and beautiful art.
It makes me feel trapped, which is very funny.
The stories, the overlapping dialogue, and the drawings that show you more than they tell you, a wonderful combination.
It makes me feel trapped, which is very funny.
The stories, the overlapping dialogue, and the drawings that show you more than they tell you, a wonderful combination.
August 23, 2026
I enjoyed this; it's interesting, byt I'm not sure I'd want to keep reading more. I expected more of a romantic connection between the leads, but it seems more like one of them is just using the other for his own amusement.
March 26, 2024
I really need this manga to continue
October 29, 2024
Scary and a bit confusing.
December 2, 2025
Love when my ghost stories come with a side of BL
December 14, 2025
Very intriguing to see where this is going and I really love the drawing style. The stories are really spooky! Also I'm getting a kick on the love interest being old old.
January 26, 2026
Really enjoy the monster of the week feel this story has, I’m super compelled in these characters and their lives, so excited to see what’s next!!
February 18, 2026
Don't really care for the minor 'romance' but I'm all here for the mystery and folklore!
April 29, 2026
Nice art, story is interesting as are the characters.
June 18, 2026
This manga has some of the most mindbendingly beautiful art I've ever seen. And I love that our lead is hopelessly infatuated with an elderly man. I can't wait to read more of it
July 24, 2026
Spooky stories that are perfect for summerween! Also, the art is not too shabby, either!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews