The Embalmer, Volume 1

The Embalmer #1

by Mitsukazu Mihara, 三原ミツカズ

A drama series from the creator of Doll centered around an embalmer in Japan. As with all Mitsukazu Mihara manga, The Embalmer features some creative episodic stories, this time around with a life and death theme.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Josei, Comics Manga

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

三原 ミツカズ (MIHARA Mitsukazu) is credited with helping shape the GothLoli look through her work in the "Gothic & Lolita Bible"

In 1994, she won the first "Feel Young New Face Manga Awards" Judges’ Special Prize with her short work, "The Children Who Don’t Need Rubbers."

She resides in Osaka, Japan.

Sometimes credited as MIHARA Tsukazu.
[via Mangaupdates]

Reviews

[Bio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole book has a gloomy atmosphere around it and for an obvious reason - it deals with deaths - deaths of loved one, father, best friend. The story revolves around Shinjyurou Mamiya, a young embalmer in Japan. Embalming is the art and science of restoring the look of the corpse and delaying the putrefaction and decomposition or at least hiding the signs of the same.

There are 5 stories in the first volume. Like Dan Brown's novels all the stories except the last one have the same pattern - a person living a happy life, then one day he/she dies and their body is sent to Shinjyurou for embalming. The author hurried through the stories too fast - without giving enough time in character development - to such extent that after reading 2-3 stories each character feels like slaughterhouse animals who are being raised just for slaying in the end, as if they are living in order to die.


The story however did a good job in washing away some of the stigmas around embalming in eastern cultures. I had the opportunity to come across the process of embalming during our anatomy dissection classes. Although the main (or only) purpose there was postponing the decomposition, which is quite different from the goal described focused in this book, the underlying methodology is very similar.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended to me and I'm very glad they did because I enjoyed reading this so much. After reading the first volume, I immediately got the next 3 and read them cover to cover.

The story revolves around Shinjyurou Mamiya, a half-Japanese half-American embalmer. (who, at first, doesn't speak a word of English, but went to an American college anyway) Traditionally, the dead are cremated in Japan and to say that what he does for a living it frowned upon is probably the understatement of the year.

Due to his profession, he craves the feeling of warm flesh against his own skin, so after work he often spends his free time bedding random girls who do nothing but provide him some comfort.

Shin has a very non-romantic relationship with Azuki, the girl he secretly loves. He keeps her at a distance because he doesn't want to use her. Azuki doesn't realize this and feels like she's getting rejected time and again.

As the story goes on, we find out more about Shin's backstory, and why he became an embalmer. The books provide an interesting take on death, and what it means to be alive.

[shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread this recently and while the art style has really not aged well — I personally really like the way she draws hands and feet though — it’s a good story and the Embalmer (can’t spell his name on command) is an intriguing character

[Nicole Bunge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Mitsukazu Mihara's art style, and the mature way she handles her characters. Her series "Doll" and her work on the Gothic Lolita Bible (art) just entranced me. (Kinda a toss up if I like her or Kaori Yuki best.)
And so, her take on a young Embalmer, working in Japan - where the practice is not as known (or respected) as in America - seemed kinda an interesting subject meditation.

So we have Shinjyurou Mamiya, who is obviously an 'outsider.' (The dude messes with dead people- who everyone knows you should just CREMATE as is tradition.) And he lives/works in a renovated church. Also, because he's uber-hot, he's also a player. But we have the typical 'misunderstood romance' angle with his landlord's daughter (Azuki Natsui)who comes in and cleans and cooks for him. (While yelling at him and chastising his womanizing - it IS still manga, after all.)

But the stories are about the clients, and how death affects people. How Mamiya attempts to bring closure and peace to those who are grieving by giving them a chance to say goodbye face to face with their loved ones. It's complicated and thoughtful.

I give it 3 stars instead of four because I'm mildly confused by the generic quality of the art (for Mihara.) (It seems to get better in the next book.)

[Bygun · Rating 4 out of 5]

damn, moja pierwsza manga w życiu....takie początki dużo o mnie mówią czy cos

[Suzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Manga about a hot bishonen embalmer. He has one girl friend who he probably loves, but won't get physically involved with, even though he sleeps around with about 60% of the ladies in the volume. The Embalmer is able to connect with the family and friends of the dead and to help people with their last wishes. Explores love, loss, lust, beauty, and the Japanese cultural creep-out over embalming.

Similar in sructure to Mihara's Doll (each chapter is a story), not concerned with gothic and lolita fashion. Much less angst/disturbing content so far than Doll. OT rating. It's got sexual themes, but only one sex scene and a couple of moments on the verge of PG-13. The one full on sex scene is Mayu Shinjo-esque levels of sexy (public/naughty, but not pornographic.)

Would like to read on to see if it gets more emotionally intense as it goes on (like Doll) or remains at the same level. Hoping for the best. Expecting? Not so much. Of the five or so stories, I was only totally into the one about the dad and his kid.

[es. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Embalmer is not your average manga; it doesn't have fox people or speshful-magic or super powerful ninjas hopping around. It takes place in modern day Japan, and is the story of Shinjyurou, one of Japan's few male embalmers. Unlike the Western world, embalming is not really an accepted profession in Japan. The manga deals with hard issues that deal with death, especially with the first issue. It teaches us that death is the end of life, but we have to grow and learn and get tough, but learn how to love as well. And maybe its not the end. But we have to grieve, learn to cry and give into sadness, and only then will we be able to move on and accept the world again, and let go of your loved ones. Its doable, I'm sure.

[Inn Auni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shinjyurou rented a place that belongs to Azuki's family. As an embalmer, he wasn't exactly accepted in Japan, a country that usually cremated the departed. But, Shin believe that every departee and their family deserved a beautiful moment even though it meant the last time. The romance between Shin and Azuki was subtle. No reason was given why Shin kept placing Azuki at arms length. Probably because of his job. The art style was okay. But, the plot was great.

[Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Peacemaker and both of Jason DeAngelis's mangas, this one is my favourite. I forgot how well written and translated this series was (a good translation means EVERYTHING). The story is awesome and controversial. And, Jesus, every time I read the story about the father with TB, I cry. Very well done, especially for a first issue. Grabbed me easily and I'm very interested in the characters.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, dramatic look at the profession. Sometimes I think it is a littel heavy-handed on the meaningfulness of the embalming profession, but I can overlook that. All 4 volumes that I've read (it seems there won't be any more, unfortunately) are decent in their stories and art.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely choked up at a few parts. I remembered most of the stories so I was prepared for the sad studf but even so it got to me.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly reccomend this series, it shows the reasons for embalming and why people do it. Its very beautiful and inspiring.

[Monika Kilijańska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mamy od czynienia z mangą, w której główna fabuła będzie przeplatała się z pojedynczymi skończonymi wątkami pobocznymi niczym w powieści szkatułkowej. W Balsamiście są to cztery historie ludzi, którzy za niedługo trafią na stół Shinjurō. W pierwszym tomie nie tylko poznajemy Shinjurō, jego sposób życia czy odrobinę lgnącą do niego administratorkę budynku, w którym mieszka, Azuki, ale także ludzi, z którymi przyszło mu pracować. Są to w tym przypadku: baletnica, przyjaciółka Azuki, stary zegarmistrz, zakochany w sobie młody narcyz i chorujący na gruźlicę przepracowany ojciec. Każdy ma swoją historię życia, śmierci oraz powód, by zostać nie skremowanym, jak zwykle nakazuje japoński zwyczaj, a zabalsamowanym.

Choć epizodyczność historii może przeszkadzać, to pozwala na jedno: na pokazanie różnych obliczy śmierci, różnego podejścia do spraw doczesnych i traktowania bliskich po ich śmierci. Pokazuje, że w każdym zakątku świata po śmierci mówi się o zmarłym dobrze, ale odpowiednio przygotowane zwłoki mogą pomóc poradzić sobie z żałobą. Bo dziecko może przytulić się po raz ostatni do ojca, narzeczony swoją wybrankę. Dość przygnębiający temat, z którym jednak stykamy się naprawdę częściej niż chcemy.

Więcej na https://www.monime.pl/balsamista-tom-1/

[Iqra M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW/CW: depiction of accident/drowning, death, strong language, mature themes, mild nudity, crude humour

There are a lot of farewells in this manga since it revolves around an embalmer, so be wary of that. Overall, a heartwarming start. The numerous encounters with various characters are wonderful. Death can be scary yet beautiful. The hospital scene where the father tries his best to cheer up his son from inside the hospital wrecked me. I didn’t expect to cry.

I find embalming videos both unsettling and fascinating. I recently watched one of them on "Our Grandfather Story’s” Youtube. There was one from Refinery29 a few years ago as well. I also remember enjoying The Casketeers in 2018, which introduced me to the world of funeral services.

We love a good educational manga. I’m so glad to have found this gem. The art is rather dated and I'm still undecided about the characters. I respect the MC but he can be unpredictable at times. Hoping to learn more about him as the story progresses. The plot is interesting enough for me to continue so I’ll see you soon, volume 2.

[Alice bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought! it seems quite a narrow plot for a drama but after the first volume I'm completely sold, it's a very bittersweet series of a man whose life weaves in and out of others people's tragedies and seeing how death and funerals affect them and how people cope in such a morbid profession. Art was very beautiful too feels quite 2000s fashion core which I like. It's just a very human way it portrays death and chapter 4 made me bawl my eyes out cause of how heartbreaking it was.

[Nao ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, interesting concept mc is kinda ick tho but im finding out why rn in the current volume 😭

[Wren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly? A lot more heartwarming than I thought. It’s actually kinda sweet how careful the embalmer is with his work.

[DD · Rating 3 out of 5]

{ 3.5 }

[Michał Nazimek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bardzo ciekawa książka o balsamacji i wielu tematach powiązanych z nią . Polecam książkę tym , co interesują się tematem umierania,ale też tych co jeszcze się tym nie interesują.

[vinc · Rating 1 out of 5]

2.5

[Nina (Death, Books, and Tea) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shinjyurou Mamiya is an embalmer, and therefore an outcast in society. This is a story about him and the people he embalms. It takes one person, who at some point dies somehow, and gets embalmed, and turns it into a little story, and also gives us a little more insight into his personality, history and so on. Its also a story of Azuki, the girl who’s his landlady, and the very slight romance between them.
The first story takes Azuki’s ballerina friend Shiori, who dies in a car accident just before she plays the lead Sleeping Beauty. She then gets embalmed and given a beautiful funeral. Erm, this is quite hard to describe because of the depth this goes into. The other chapters are very very similar.
The story is beautiful. It doesn’t go too deeply into the gory side of death, more into the what its like to be alive and how good that is. There’s a lot of irony in the chapter titles, which are only revealed at the end of said chapter, so you read them and think how well it fits with the book.
Shinjyurou comes off as being arrogant and annoying at first, but we soon see other sides of his personality, and understand the reason for his coldness. Azuki is your typical quiet romantic girl, but she can also stand up for herself when she needs to, and attempts to get through to Shinjyurou, with varying success depending on the day. Both are likeable characters, and their dialogue and actions suit their personalities.
The art in this is ok. It’s not as flowy as I like it, but it works for this story. It’s not shaded in grades, more large block colours, but it goes well with the whole them of black and white, life and death sort of thing.

Overall: Strength 4 tea to a book that explores death and life in unique way.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

2010 bookcrossing review:

This one was pretty good out of the manga I've read so far. I might read some more of the series if I ever get my hands on anymore of the books. It's standard in someways of a lot of manga, with the two main characters meant to be together, but because of an age difference and some other issue, they can't be together so there's lots of blushing; that standard gaping manga mouth of horror and so on. Then there's the usual stylised drawings with the odd provocative poses, although this story is a lot less kinky than some of the books.

It's about an embalmer, which isn't a common profession in Japan, so he's a bit of an outcast. He's also a bit of a fashionable, dramatic-looking party boy, who sleeps around a lot because after a day at work with the dead, he really needs to get laid with the living. There's a girl whose family own the flat he's renting, and I suppose they're really in love, but they can't be together - certainly not in book one I suppose.

In here there's a few of his cases, and an introduction to the characters. And every now and then in here there's a comment about embalming practices and attitudes towards it, as if the writer/arist is trying to get messages/concerns across to people.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't go for slices of life, but The Embalmer actually does a nice job at dealing with the very difficult theme of everyday death. Shinjyurou is a likable character and I couldn't help but sympathize with him as he strives to affect his world in very small but meaningful ways. I was particularly absorbed by the way he tries to reach people through his job. The "sex addiction" subplot was unexpected and intriguing to say the least. I liked most of the side characters well enough, especially Renji, the funeral coordinator. And of course, I shall therefore pair Renji and Shinjyurou to death because that totally makes sense in my head.

I'm giving this manga extra points for originality and for not going overboard or distasteful even if it had plenty of chances. My sole complaint is that, sometimes, it read more like a commercial for embalming than anything else, to the point I had to wonder whether the Japanese embalmers' association was sponsoring it or something. But I guess the author was just very excited about her subject and wanted to show off her research. That said, I would also have preferred the narrative to be less episodic, but I didn't find the manga any less enjoyable because of that.

I'm certainly moving on to volume 2.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this was an anime, I might watch it. And if these graphic novels were just at my library so I wouldn't have to order them in, then I'd maybe continue reading them. But I just didn't enjoy this enough to continue the series.
I didn't like how the main male character (the embalmer) is so feminine-looking, all long hair and skinny, dainty body. And the stories, the characters and incidents that connect to the embalmer, are sorta shallow - I thought they coulda been more emotional or evocative.

[Noran Miss Pumkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

not well written nor did i care for the drawing style. It was a bargain bin manga book from the con this year, and the title caught my eye. for the price. The story skips--does not flow--the type font is hard to read for a third of the book, and the plot skips like a badly scratched vinyl LP from the 60's! Hey you want to try it--email me and i will ship it your way. It need to be drawn more harsh and dark--with the title.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's manga that's well drawn (not your typical japanese-style) and though it's all short stories there's a bit of plot that runs through it. 4 volumes so far and it's been keeping my interest and, having the attention span of a gnat when it comes to manga, that's saying something.

[Fasya · Rating 5 out of 5]

well drawn and nice plot..this manhwa tells the story of embalmer and dark side of the embalmer's life.i also learn a bit about what is embalmer all about and the community perspective over this work.overall,i had enjoyed immensely reading this manhwa.

[Morel Dei · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandmother happens to own a funeral shop, so there's an understandable reason that the concept, which may be boring and not likable to some, piqued my interest. I'm really looking forward to where things will go from here. :)

[Moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

recenze později, možná i zítra. x))

[Denisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another rating: 8/10