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Petshop of Horrors (Bunko) #1

Petshop of Horrors 1

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Quick Plot Summary: A Japanese horror manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series focuses on the eccentric Count D, proprietor of a mysterious pet shop located in the heart of Chinatown, and the numerous patrons who visit his shop.

Details: Count D is the mysterious caretaker of an exotic pet shop in Chinatown. Each pet purchased from the shop comes with a contract with three major points. These points differ for each animal sold, and breaking this contract usually results in dire (and sometimes disturbing) consequences for the buyer, for which the pet shop claims no liability.

Individual chapters of Pet Shop of Horrors are often based on these consequences, and are each written as a stand-alone story, usually introducing one or more new characters in each chapter. With the exception of the main characters and their families, it is rare for a character to carry over to a later chapter, providing the series with a very episodic nature.

The detective Leon Orcot is used to tie the chapters together into an ongoing plot, usually in the form of a subplot within each chapter. Initially he suspects Count D of malicious criminal activity and using the pet shop as a front for drug trafficking. As the series progresses, he learns more about the pet shop and Count D himself, entering into a strange friendship of sorts with the Count as he works to uncover the truth.

280 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2002

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About the author

Matsuri Akino

207 books160 followers
Matsuri Akino (秋乃 茉莉 Akino Matsuri), is a Japanese manga artist from Mitaka, Tokyo, now a resident of Yokohama. Her work is a mix of the fantasy, mystery, and horror genres. Her self portrait is usually a kappa, sometimes with braids or an odango hairstyle.

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5 stars
208 (47%)
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150 (34%)
3 stars
61 (13%)
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14 (3%)
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6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Mizuki.
3,377 reviews1,403 followers
April 6, 2025
I brought the Pet Shop of Horrors e-books and I have been binge-reading them for a week.

The first book of the series serves in a short stories collection format. We are introduced to Count D, an ageless and mysterious Asian young man running a pet shop in China Town, D can give his customers any pets and wild animals they want...with a price and a signed contract to love and look after their pet forever.

This first volume introduces us to D's many exquisite 'pets', from mermaids, white rabbits, to the mythical dragons, we also meet the hot headed cop who vowed to arrest Count D for his supposed human trafficking crime, dramas ensured.

Overall it's a highly entertaining volume, if you like stories with a Gothic and mystery touch and a sense of humour, please read!
Profile Image for Irene ➰.
972 reviews88 followers
June 18, 2024
4.5/5

Primo volume che decisamente merita l'hype e l'attesa.
Un mondo molto particolare che mischia vari generi.
Ogni capitolo poi è a sè e ci racconta la storia di una di queste creature e del suo compagno e/o proprietario.

Sicuramente da continuare perchè suscita sin da subito molta curiosità.

Profile Image for Opal Edgar.
Author 3 books10 followers
March 26, 2021
Very intriguing short stories that are sure to amount to something much bigger. I will be continuing those dark moral fables.
Profile Image for Belle Bookworm.
194 reviews11 followers
November 15, 2025
These are actually pretty good in my opinion, I like the horrorish stories and the reference to Gremlins 😭
Profile Image for deborah.reads.
224 reviews16 followers
October 24, 2024
Il primo volume di Petshop of Horrors è sicuramente introduttivo a questo mondo ma molto simpatico nella sua ambiguità. Il Conte D è un protagonista versatile, prende molto seriamente il suo lavoro e le sue creature, quanto mangiare torte accompagnate con il tè. Ho adorato particolarmente il suo rapporto con il Detective diviso tra i loro battibecchi infantili e la collaborazione sui crimini irrisolti.
Sono sicura che proseguirò con i volumi, per sfortuna del mio portafoglio.

Seguimi su Instagram: deborah.reads 🖤
Profile Image for Mandy.
396 reviews19 followers
May 7, 2022
Finally got my hands on it! Couldn’t find any copies in stores so online came in clutch. Thrilled with the mysterious story so far. It was published in 1996 so I love that in the back the author talks about not having a picture book for reference. Google wasn’t a thing yet! Wonderfully drawn and looking forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Jody Mena.
449 reviews8 followers
Read
June 1, 2015
Chillingly fantastical! Each story is like a fable with a moral at the end, only with more more blood and gore splattered everywhere. Count D seems so mysterious, yet he's also so comical; though that comical side in itself is a bit chilling, because he takes the mutilation and death of the pet owners so lightly that its a little hair-raising. The pets themselves are so strange, yet enchanting in their own way. The poor Strelitzia was my favorite, he looked like an angel; it was less horrifying than it was simply gory, and I guess the moral of this story was that the owner killed the bird by projecting her desires onto it. The story with the basilisk was so tragic, it was almost a Romeo and Juliet type story, and there was something actually kind of bittersweet about it. The story of the rabbit was the most horrifying to me - it was an amazingly appropriate metaphor about how a mother can kill her child by loving it too much. I was very glad the story ended on an positive note with the blind girl and the doberman; I thought it was interesting how his ears were still cut in half even when he was in human form. The part that made me laugh the most was the very first page, in which the man was leaving the store and the instructions were 'keep it out of the light, don't let it come into contact with water, and don't feed it after midnight'... Gremlins!! Ha ha, awesome! This is a really interesting manga so far, I wonder if Robin is going to cause real trouble for Count D. I look forward to finding out in the next books!
Profile Image for Clark.
299 reviews8 followers
November 3, 2014
Fabulously written! I am truly captivated by Count D. I want to be Count D! I just wish there was more romance between him and Leon. Since there was already this vibe going on between them, a love-hate relationship, why not take it to the next level and be a couple?

My favorite story wad when this spoiled heiress bought this exotic bird that belts us this beautiful yet sad songs. She felt a special affinity with this bird so she pushes D to get a female partner so he could mate. She was instructed not to feed or visit the pair for 7 days but she couldn't help herself and when she got to the greenhouse where she keeps the birds, she saw the pregnant female eating the horribly mutilated body of the male!

I was sad that the series had to end though. I really enjoyed reading this manga. I wish I could D's clothes and have all those fantastic animals with me all the time. The ending was a bit sketchy, that's my only issue. Leon looked and sounded really hot. Oh, I really wished he and D shared at least one kiss!!!
Profile Image for Alitzel Altamirano.
74 reviews17 followers
January 1, 2024
Leído en junio.
Encontré este manga en un iceberg de youtube y desde la sinopsis me atrapó.
La historia se desarrolla en Chinatown, donde se encuentra una tienda de mascotas, pero no una cualquiera. Su dueño, el Conde D, es capaz de saber qué animal es el que necesitas de acuerdo a tu situación: un perro, una serpiente, una sirena.
El manga es muy entretenido y desde este primer tomo te engancha.
Profile Image for Ephelia.
206 reviews6 followers
August 21, 2024
Era da tanto che non leggevo un manga così affascinante e sopra le righe.
La storia è molto interessante ma viene svelata solo con piccoli indizi nei vari capitoli autoconclusivi, cosa che apprezzo molto.
I disegni sono stupendi e risentono delle influenze di vari stili e artisti sia asiatici che europei e anche le citazioni a film e libri sono degne di nota.
Il protagonista, il Conte D, sembrerebbe un tipo affascinante e misterioso, invece è decisamente fuori di testa e golosissimo di dolci, un momento prima è il losco proprietario di origine cinese (anzi, nipote del proprietario ma per me è una gran balla) del negozio di animali più famoso di tutta Chinatown a New York e il momento dopo esulta come un bambino per una nuova torta da assaggiare, è piacevole e anche divertente da leggere e allo stesso tempo ha una buona dose di orrore, dato che ogni capitolo è abbastanza cruento ma anche languido, melanconico.
Il manga è del 2007 ma io ci vedo molto lo stile di fine anni '90 e primi 2000 delle CLAMP e di Fuyumi Sōryō (la mangaka che ha creato Mars) e un tocco di Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon).
Gli uomini sono tutti belli e dalle spalle larghe ma con visi delicati e femminili, le donne sono stupende e aggraziate e le bambine sembrano tutte bambole di porcellana, è uno stile che amo (e infatti adoro le CLAMP e Sailor Moon e per quanto le storie della Sōryō non le ami e innegabile che il suo tratto è stupendo).
Decisamente uno dei migliori manga di quest'anno, ho già il secondo volume e non vedo l'ora che esca il terzo.
★★★★★
497 reviews8 followers
November 17, 2025
En Petshop of horrors seguimos la historia de un vendedor de una tienda de mascotas llamado Conde D, una figura un tanto peculiar que está cuidando la tienda de mascotas de su abuelo. Esta tienda de mascotas parece ser bastante normal, pero han pasado varios asesinatos derivados de la venta de mascotas, así que un policía se pone a investigar a este Conde para ver si su tienda es tan común como dice serlo.

Es una historia interesante. Es el volumen uno, como volumen introductorio te vende. Pero sé de la mano de una amiga que se leyó el resto de volúmenes que son más que nada historias inconexas sin mucha trama unificada, lo cual no es algo que me llame mucho la atención como para seguirlo leyendo.

Las mascotas son peculiares, eso sí, para quienes vayan a leerlo sepan que suelen tener formas humanoides o semejar humanos.

Los personajes del Conde y el policía son los que más aparecen en escena, por lo tanto los que más carismáticos nos parecen o los que mejor nos caen. Concretamente creo que, si bien el personaje del Conde D es en el que más se hace foco en general, el personaje del policía es el que más me termina atrapando cada vez que sale en escena.

Respecto a las tramas puntuales del volumen, creo que el que más me llamó la atención fue el del pájaro.

En conclusión, probablemente no siga con esta saga. Pero al menos el primer volumen ( y lo que leí del segundo) fue entretenido
Profile Image for Vanessa.
662 reviews4 followers
June 27, 2024
« Senta, detective… pretendere che ogni cosa sulla terra funzioni secondo la nostra logica sottolinea ancora una volta l'arroganza e la presunzione senza fine degli esseri umani.»

Nella China Town di New York, un efebico giovane di origini cinesi gestisce un negozio di animali sui generis. La dubbia provenienza della sua merce, e gli strani incidenti che si avvicendano in concomitanza con la vendita dei suoi animali, attira l'attenzione di un detective spigliato e impulsivo, deciso a saperne di più. Chi sono, o cosa sono, il Conte D e suo nipote? E perché gli animali acquistati vengono visti sotto forma umana dai loro proprietari?
Primo volume veramente bello. Ogni capitolo racconta una storia a sé ed è slegato dai successivi. Nonostante la struttura episodica, l'opera possiede diversi elementi cardine ricorrenti che contribuiscono a creare familiarità e continuità. Gli elementi horror sono presenti ma non cadono nel macabro, anzi, lo stile di fine anni '90 dell'autrice dona al manga una sfumatura poetica e al contempo inquietante.
Se vi piacciono le storie misteriose dalle tinte horror, quest'opera dal taglio maturo ed eccentrico saprà prendervi grazie alla sua spiccata personalità.
Profile Image for Sheila Moreno Moreno.
Author 20 books63 followers
Read
February 22, 2024
A ver cómo puntúo yo este manga.
Como historia 5 💫. Han pasado 20 años desde que descubrí Petshop of Horrors y sigue siendo tan buena como la recordaba. Esa mezcla de fantasía, terror y sensualidad. Con un dibujo maravilloso en una obra que me parece imprescindible y que considero que debería de leerse obligatoriamente.
Como edición... Uf. Este tomo de 1000 páginas (que se dice pronto) es difícil de manejar, es económico (con los precios que hay ahora, claro), pero la calidad no es muy buena. Sin embargo, el problema más aparatoso es el de la corrección, me faltan tildes por todos lados, así como le sobran términos como «en verdad» que son muy actuales, pero no encajan con la obra. Mucha gente cree que ha sido traducido con IA, yo creo que falta un corrector. Algo que me anima a no comprar otras obras a la editorial si no cambian de política de trabajo.
En fin. Como no creo que el manga vuelva a publicarse en España, yo le daría una oportunidad, historias cortas, con su toque de terror y suspense y un dibujo precioso. Un clásico que por fin tengo en mis manos y puedo releer cuando quiera.
Profile Image for Soobie has fog in her brain.
7,193 reviews134 followers
July 20, 2024
Volevo comprarlo in inglese perché m'ispirava, ma i volumi di seconda mano erano costosissimi e ci avevo rinunciato. Poi la Star l'ha annunciato. E allora eccomi qua.

Non era quello che mi aspettavo, a dire il vero. E non so se mi sia piaciuto davvero, per quanto sia intenzionata a continuare la serie. Perché sembra che tutte le storie finiscano a causa di chi non è capace di seguire tre semplici regole.

Mi ricorda un po' Franken Fran: lei povera cercava di aiutare tutti ma tutto andava a rotoli. Qua, sembra lo stesso.

Disegni che sentono un po' il peso degli anni, ma ci son nata con gli autori anni Novanta. Non so quanto possano piacere alle nuove generazioni.

Però continuo, non so perché.
Profile Image for Assh.
118 reviews2 followers
September 10, 2021
A pretty big ding for the setting (LA's Chinatown? Let's not fucking unpack that, because I don't have all day to talk about how fucked up that is). The rest of the story? Done in a typical 90's flowery shojo style, but actually enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of Vampire Princess Miyu and Vampire Princess Yui. I love that the animals appear to be human to their owners at first and that some of the stories don't have the worst endings. But the rest? Like a Mogwai, if you can't stick to the plan, don't fucking buy it.

Profile Image for Ambigi .
3 reviews
February 6, 2024
Ughhh, the manga is so goood! So relieved to know I can rate this book/series on GoodReads. Count D is such a fascinating man, his shop and the whole premise is so interesting, fun, nonetheless shocking. The symbolism and the analogies here as well as bringing people their desires to light? Wonderful! I greatly recommend this series, as well the animation with only a few episodes but it was my introduction. After finishing the show I had immediately, and I do mean immediately sought after the manga.
Profile Image for alexa.
198 reviews2 followers
April 6, 2025
Muuuuy interesante. Me gusta mucho todo lo histórico que hay; como juega con la historia de París y lo mezcla con un lado más fantástico e incluso tétrico. Pensé que iba a ser algo mas de horror-terror pero resultó ser bastante planeado e incluso mete cosas como las trasfusiones de sangre y demás, onda temas novedosos para la época en la que esta ambientado el manga.
Profile Image for Wednesday.
184 reviews2 followers
June 25, 2018
I liked it. Wish it was a bit more horrific but the art style and story is lovely
Profile Image for Murooj.
102 reviews
October 23, 2021
I’m sure that Leon is right about Cont D, he might have a huge secret behind him.
Profile Image for Jo.
12 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2024
its been well over a decade since the last time i’ve read this… and the hitler jumpscare is crazy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for ERIN!!!.
219 reviews
February 20, 2025
Interesting start!
My favorite story of this volume is Dreizehn.
I like Count D!
Profile Image for Kristen (belles_bookshelves).
3,146 reviews19 followers
December 25, 2022
(review for entire series)

"In this world there are many things that are beyond your comprehension and imagination. There are still many unexplained mysteries. The human habit of trying to understand the world with a limited knowledge of it… is beyond foolish."

One of the first manga that I read when I was young so I decided to reread it The best thing about it is seeing the interpretations of animals with human forms. I loved trying to figure out what animal it was supposed to be and I loved the excerpts at the back of the manga with the tidbits of background information about whatever creature it was.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

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