Portus

by Jun Abe

Asami Kawakami is a 17 year old highschool girl and is a member of her school's art club, which is run by her friend and adviser, Keigo Sawa. For some time, her best friend Chiharu hasn't been answering her cell phone and has also stopped coming to school. One day Chiharu shows up at the art club and says that the reason she was gone was because of a video game, and that she has also seen many horrific things. That day she goes home and, under the mysterious influence of the game, commits suicide. Asami goes to Chiharu's room after her death and finds the video game, "Portus," and takes it home in the hope of finding out what it is about this game that made her friend commit suicide.

Genres: Manga, Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Seinen, Mystery

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only describe this book as 'dharma - horror' and warn readers that it is very graphic. The idea of a video game that causes players to commit suicide is a truly original concept (reminded me of The Ring) that is both chilling and topical. A very strange book that will suck you in and chew you up! Not for the faint of heart!

[TAP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story about a haunted video game—nothing special or deep. Enjoyable artwork and a good dose of gore.

Reread.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

" No estamos a la altura de la intensa tristeza de este chico..."

Una joven estudiante cambia drásticamente y se suicida, pero, al parecer, todo es por un juego llamado Portus. Es así como su amiga empieza a averiguar algo más.

Un manga paranormal que se lee muy rápido, tiene muchas más imágenes que lectura.
El inicio me ha entretenido, pero, el desarrollo y desenlace se me hicieron cortos, sentí que le faltó más detalle. Tiene su dosis de sangre, y brutalidad, como también un enfoque psicológico que, diría, es lo que más salva de la historia.
El arte me ha gustado, el trazo, la expresividad, y los detalles en cada escena.
La edición de Milky way, como siempre, me ha gustado, pero encontré muy extraño que estuviera censurada una escena, y es sólo una, el resto no lo está.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are parts of this tale that are creepy as hell, especially in the first half when we're introduced to the video game, Portus. The young boy's ominous face is enough to disturb. But then the narrative loses its tightness in the last half. Still, an interesting story and one I'm glad to know, now.

[Ernesto Juárez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta es una muy agradable sorpresa, es el tercer título de la editorial Milky Way que he podido leer y han sido hasta ahora sinónimo de calidad. Ahora tocamos una historia que toma bases en la clásica leyenda del videojuego maldito que ocasiona muertes.

El aire retro que tiene la historia, tanto en dibujos, y la consola que es en la que corre dicho juego, un famicom, ubicada y publicada en 2006 pero los dibujos que parecen de manga clásico, entre 80's y 90's, con una clara fijación del autor por la ropa interior femenina, que da ciertos toques de humor que no está de más y ayuda a aligerar esas cargas de tensión.

Una dibujo muy detallado, que fluye muy bien con la trama, cada personaje se distingue, tiene su personalidad propia, un poco estereotípica pero sin ser pesada o del todo predecible. Por su parte la trama empieza siendo sencilla, como de creepy pasta pero pronto empieza a tener un giro muy interesante, empezamos a ser testigos del viaje de la protagonista entre varias realidades, el origen de la maldición del videojuego y un final muy interesante con una última ilustración que recuerda a una cinta de horror.

En general es un título sumamente redondo, su calificación es debido a que es una historia un poco corta, es un solo tomo y eso juega en su contra, me deja con el deseo de más, de haber extendido quizá un poco esto pero así lo hizo el autor y aunque para mi es un 4.5 estrellas, entenderé si para otro llega a ser un 5 estrellas y lo puede ser fácilmente.

Muy recomendable el manga y si lo llegan a ver no duden en leerlo, es breve pero sumamente disfrutable, con una gran calidad y una historia con suficientes giros como para mantenerte pegado y deseando ver el desenlace.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Portus is essentially one of those "cursed video game" creepypastas but in a manga format. At least, it starts like that. But explaining the story would be no good. Suffice to say it was quite enjoyable, with good pacing, and better than what I initially expected.
Art-wise, the scenarios are detailed and eerie, with a cinematic quality to them. The... let's call them ghost photography parts of the illustrations... are disturbing but in a nostalgic way for horror enthusiasts. They're the kinda found footage editions you see online for SCP objects but because this is all in an almost realistic manga style, they sell the idea that "this is not supposed to be there" so much better. Character's disturbed expressions also hit very well.
It's one of those books you forget why you got it and then one day devour in less than an hour.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had high expectations for this one and was let down. Cool concept, poor execution. It reads like those slew of "ring" and "grudge" j-horror films which came out a while back. It has its good moments, mostly in the buildup chapters, but the climax and resolution suck.

[Alma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Empieza genial, podría haber seguido por el rollo psicológico o de suspense pero se va un pelín al gore y grotesco perdiendo así un poco "la magia" de la historia.

[Mizu · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌸SYNOPSIS
The joys of video games; they take you to a new world filled with weird and wonderful things but apparently to an urban legend, some games are not always filled with good things, like Portus, it’s a game you will die for.
Chiharu could tell you all about it, but she isn’t among the living anymore and Asami wants to know why. So, she finds the game and with the help of her two teachers, they investigate the mystery that surrounds this game and the results may be more than just losing your life

🌸OPINION
Have you ever want to be sucked into a game? Well, this is one game you don’t want to be a part of, because it could be the very last thing you will ever experience, and this is what Portus is, a game that could end you. Do you think a game could change you? Portus can.
I like how it came in shrink wrapped to remind me that it’s not exactly appropriate for those under the age of 18. It gives me quite a nostalgia hit from back when I use to buy a lot of mangas as a teen and a majority was wrapped up due to the violence or gore or sex themes it contained.
The theme of this manga revolves around the concept of a cursed video game, which is quite a popular theme in creepy pasta. I am so glad I found the manga thanks to a good friends’ recommendation and I don’t regret buying this since I enjoy the urban legend side of stories, it is honestly one of the best themes of mangas because it can end in any way. I enjoy the idea of seeing bad endings in mangas cause it’s not often that it happens, and this is one reason why this manga earns a lot of high raves and recommendations from me. How it ended amused me to no end cause it finished but did it really?
I do enjoy the cursed kokeshi doll concept, it’s historical meaning and how it works into this story. I feel like it adds depth to it and helps me understand the Japanese culture just a bit more than before.
The artwork is something I am not use to but it’s not bad enough to turn me away but some of the facial expressions are bizarre but fascinating, I kind of enjoy it. I like how the art helps emphasis the scary and bizarre nature of the manga and how it sticks in the readers mind long after they close the manga.
The characters irk me a bit, but they certainly grew on me but not by much. I can understand the pain and suffering but that is about it. I feel sorry for the characters and what had happened. Though, I sometimes wanted to punch a character cause of how it is but at the same time, I found the characters fascinating.

🌸PRO
A horror based about a video game that can end your life if you take the wrong step.

🌸CON
The art is a hit miss, it’s nice but sometimes it throws one off.
Some themes unsettle me a lot and others who don’t enjoy sexual based attacks on others.

🌸FINAL SAY
Besides some unsavoury themes, I happen to enjoy the rest of it. It’s a great read and it feels like it’s on par with Junji Ito’s works with how creepy it is and remains vivid in my mind. I hope to see more works by Jun Abe, I think this is an amazing piece of work by him. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to read it again.

[Joseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es mi primera lectura del autor y me ha dejado un poco confuso en el sentido de no sé qué opinar con debida certeza.
Me ha gustado pero la siento demasiado cliché, con personajes planos, posee una trama que si has visto una que otra peli de fantasmas o algún Slasher, es bastante predecible. También la premisa, "Videojuego maldito", quizás esté inspirado en "Polybius" o el creepypasta de "Tails Doll", así que tampoco tiene mucho mérito.
Eso no quita en absoluto que tenga sus pequeños momentos de esplendor, por ejemplo los momentos en el que el "villano" interactúa con el ambiente ya sean montañas, el pueblo, el sol etc. Logra engancharte visualmente por un rato y de alguna u otra forma se te hace memorable.

Conclusión:
Es una historia que te fulminas en una hora aproximadamente, la historia va tan rápido que notas que hay huecos por muchos lados, pero es corta y entretenida, más no indispensable.
Así que si lo ves en alguna oferta u optas por el Scan, pues ¿Por qué no?

[Coke Fernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dibujo malrollero e irregular. La historia al principio me resultaba prometedora, pero la historia de la maldición del kokeshi no me convence del todo, es como que no pega mucho con lo del videojuego.
El tomo se devora, es frenético.

[Sue Moro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this manga. The concept of an evil video game driving people to commit suicide sounded intriguing and creepy in a Ring sort of way. The art work is really good and suits the dark story line, but ultimately the plot got too confusing with a multitude of ghosts with their own motivations, and a small boy that resembles the child from Ju-On. The ending was also very confusing and left me wondering if there is supposed to be a sequel. Ultimately a big let down.

[H. Givens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of scary-ish, but there was too much going on for it to really work. Demonic videogame? Evil ghost? More evil ghosts? Demonic cursed clothespins? What?

[Comics Alternative · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://comicsalternative.com/manga-re...

[OrangeBurrito · Rating 3 out of 5]

subpar

[Kristian Dobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels a little rushed in parts, but it’s inventiveness and creepiness makes up for it.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

It pains me to say this (mainly because I really wanted to like the book), but this isn’t a very good horror story. The book itself is very short for what it tried to achieve, and felt extremely under-developed. If the plot was more fleshed out I could possibly forgive the story’s extremely weak character development, but as it stands the plot is exceptionally fast paced and confusing. The story tries to make the reader empathize with the soul bound to the game, but falls exceptionally flat as a result of the fast-paced narrative. A majority of the “horror” is just shock value, such as a girl cutting her throat or a kid biting his nails off, but the story does not actually have any “scariness” to it. As a whole, you get the idea of what Jun Abe was going for - but the execution is painfully underwhelming. Something about the art style is off-putting, which likely would have worked in Abe’s favor if the story had any actual horror elements to it that did more for the reader than leaving a bad taste in their mouth. I understand that I was fairly critical of the story despite giving it two stars, but it is far from being the most boring horror manga I have read to date. In the end, it’s nothing more than a basic creepypasta (with somehow even less character development than a one page story). The story feels like if the entire Ring trilogy was compressed into a single 200 page manga. A lot can be done for horror in a short length, such as Fuan no Tane or a single volume of Blood on the Tracks, but despite the length of this novel, every element fell flat. When you consider that the Polybius creepypasta was made likely before this, all of the “originality” this story holds is thrown out of the window - almost everybody compares it to the Ring. In general: it’s a fun story, but should not be taken seriously by any means (at least in my opinion - I see how people can enjoy the story, as it feels reminiscent of a creepypasta).

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cursed video game will potentially always make for an interesting concept and Portus had all of the right ingredients to have made it amazing, including great art and a grim background story. Unfortunately, to me, some of its potential got lost due to a lack of delving deeper into the underlying story (which I can't go into details about without spoiling, and so I won't).
It felt like the ending was rushed.

[Joshua Jonah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think part of my appeal to this comes from the fact that this reads like a Creepy Pasta, and ever since I was a kid I’ve been fond of them, this reminds me of the better of them. With that does come cliches and things that we’ve seen before, but if you can suspend your imagination long enough this is a fun, short and easy read with some really graphic gore ( be warned ).

[Babs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard horror fare. Ticks all the boxes.
Cursed kokeshi, a violent history and school girls. Some pretty good nasty visuals in this. Not much characterisation but this is just a one volume thing.

[connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found over on my blog!

Jun Abe’s Portus employs a very common horror trope: a scary video game that was never made available to play is circling and people are taking their own lives because of it. However, the cursed objects in question were very original and are rooted in Japanese folklore, in the form of a tsukumogami. The manga weaves a very personal, and violent, backstory.

I do feel like the narrative confuses itself in the middle, specifically when it begins explaining the horror. Everything is revealed too quickly and too early on in the story for my tastes, and I feel with more time, the mangaka could have spread it out a lot more.

There’s a two page jump between chapters where it seemed like the art style for a character changed so much I couldn’t even recognise them. He went from being normal to having the face and personality of the gamer man in the Warcraft episode of South Park, which sounds very specific, but I stand by it. It just threw me off, but I quickly got back into the story.

At some points it seems that there is a sexualisation of women and young girls, putting them in scenes of distress where they fall victim to assaults and rape. It’s unfortunately very common in the horror manga I’ve read so far. However, it is ultimately the compassion and friendship of two teenage girls that transcends life and death that helps them overcome and stop evil from taking more lives, and I really love that. I really was drawn to the main character, but I can’t pinpoint exactly why. There were moments where she was in distress and had to be saved, but more often than not it was other women who saved her, and I really liked that part of the narrative.

Portus also has some great artwork. There’s this three dimensional box head that I really enjoyed the design of, and the gore is really well drawn. Earlier on in the story there’s a panel I really love, but won’t spoil here. If you’ve read it, it’s related to what happens to the main girl’s friend. It’s graphic without being unrealistic and gratuitous.

Overall, this is a very solid manga, and it has a satisfying wrap up. I can be quite picky with endings, but this one hit the mark for me. Content warning for suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault and rape, murder, and violence against minors.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I flew through this manga too quickly to absorb everything going on, but I was expecting it to be better than it was. The idea was good. However, the execution was kind of crappy. It felt like the author just crammed way too many plotlines into a single volume. The setup was creepy, but the farther in I got, things stopped being scary and starting being super confusing. This would have been better if it had either been expanded into multiple books or had some of the extra/unnecessary plotlines cut out to focus on only a few instead.

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

An urban legend about a dealy video game could turn out to be true.
The gore is nice, but somehow felt more impactful when I was leafing through than when I was reading it. Story was good; enough depth for a one-shot. Art was a little off sometimes (little consistency of characters' faces and sometimes just not my style).

[Leila_76 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dlaczego każdy nauczycieli ma po 25 lat

[Xian Xian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted here: http://wordsnotesandfiction.blogspot....

Borrowed From Someone

Are you familiar with Japanese horror movies? The Grudge, The Ring, and any old horror manga. Then Portus will be all too familiar for you. It's a basic trope now, thanks to the worldwide popularity of these films. An urban legend, one death, spooky ghosts, and one person who is stupid or vengeful enough to try it. It's all about a girl who's best friend commits suicide and there's a rumor about a video game named Portus, she plays it, and discovers all creepy stuff. There's some mystery solving stuff and tear jerking scenes of losing loved ones, but Portus was basically your typical Japanese horror movie. You know what I'm talking about, the cursed items.

Despite that it was practically a fluffy read, a pulp fiction in manga form, a tropey, dopey, horror, I enjoyed this. It was an absolute treat. I loved the artwork, the quirky, creepy faces that were practically inhuman. Unless you're an anime or any old cartoon, it's not possible for people's smiles to stretch so widely, so, so creepy. Eyes bulging when they fall, stretched out smiles that were just not human. Big teeth. it's okay if the character is a ghost or a demon, but I felt like everyone in this manga was walking on the borders of insanity. Maybe I am misunderstanding something? I'm not saying it's bad for characters to look wacky, I loved the art, but nobody's eyes bulge when they trip and fall on the floor. Well, in this case, slammed onto the floor, but your eyes probably don't bulge out. I'm not sure what statement I am trying to make, but I will just say that the crazed faces were just a bit overused in this, making it odd, when it doesn't need to be.

That's what Portus is, a creepy, urban legend manga, with a few sentences of valuing your life and the others surrounding you, of forgiveness and not dwelling in your own rage, caused by some delirious force that has ended you for no reason, other than irrationality. It has the unforgivable spirits, the innocent victims, and the the questions of humanity's darkness. It's not the most original, but it was fun and enjoyable for me. It's also quite hard to find.

Rating: 4/5

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the Parental Advisory Explicit Content on the cover is not enough to explain this book has mature themes including gory death and rape then the Mature rating given by Viz Media should warn you this book is in no ways meant for kids or rather anyone below the age of 18.

When I got this book I was curious how they would pull off the creepy feeling of movies like Ringu in static paper format. I was not disappointed and I have no doubt the style of drawing this manga was not so easy having realistic characters and managing to not only show various emotions but the occasional change of art style that made the book switch from realistic to surreal. Of course unlike the more main stream Japanese horror movies this book has its have of blood to make you feel more uncomfortable if you are not used to such fantasy violence.

Like a mix of .hack and Ju-on this book tells the urban legend of a video game called Portus where if you make it to a part of the game and you answer incorrectly then you die. Now Asami has taken her friends copy of Portus after she met an untimely end. What will happen to Asami and will the people in her life believe in the curse before it is to late? Why not acquire this horror one shot and experience Japanese horror in book form. Game on.

My favorite part of the book is the very end. Not because I am glad the book is over but because if you are following the story (as rushed as it might seem) it is a little bit of a surprise though in hind sight makes perfect sense.

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is volume-all-you-are-gonna-get, not Vol. 1, and it shows in the plotting. Things that would normally take a manga series like 5 volumes to get to are resolved so relatively quickly it makes the head spin. As a result the horror doesn't build as you might expect and the resolution feels a little pat. I enjoyed the art style a lot - it shifts from well-executed sketch to realistic closeup but works even if it feels uneven at times. And the creepy parts are creepy - the end goes for heavy emotional resonance and as it does so it loses the creepiness and just goes to using pain as a shortcut for atmosphere, and that is to its detriment.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Portus" es un manga gore sobre un videojuego llamado de este nombre y la maldición que se esconde dentro de él.
Hay sangra, suicidios y miedo.

Como todos los mangas se lee en apenas una hora así que si buscáis algo con una historia profunda no es precisamente lo que encontrarías en "Portus".

Aún así la historia está bien para pasar el rato libre en el bus o en algún momento que no sepas aue hacer.

[Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty average read with some gratuitous sexual violence and weird teacher/student relationships. The artwork is great. The story has a lot of potential, but throws a bunch of different ideas at the reader without delving deep enough into any of them to really stand out.

This is a fine read for horror fans, but I doubt that it'll be anyone's favourite.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Underhyped Reads Book #5. This was all sorts of weird and messed up. I'm still not sure what to say about it... It's the first manga in a long time that has creeped me out.