Похоронна кондитерська «Чистилище». Том 1

장례식 케이크 전문점 연옥당 #1

by Sanho, Санхо

“Чистилище” — єдина в світі кондитерська, де виготовляють торти для тих, хто перетнув кордон життя та смерті.
Сюди приходять, аби передати свій останній дарунок — сповнений туги та любові — тим, кого вже немає поруч.

Похоронна кондитерська “Чистилище” — місце теплих історій тих, хто пішов, і тих, хто залишився.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Manga, Comics, Manhwa, Fiction, Grief

224 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2021

About the author

Name in Native Language: 산호

Reviews

[Olena Brazhnyk]

Це дуже красиво, але надто щемко

[reading_or_this.]

What a beautiful way to make me cry!

[alina]

This manhwa is just WOW. It is one of my favourite graphic novels now.

The idea is very fascinating, I don't think I've ever read or seen anything like it. Both stories were exciting and interesting, and I liked them for different reasons. First of all, they are unusual. Secondly, they seem so personal and real that everyone can relate to them or start reflecting on some raised topics about human relationships and our poor human life in general. They are also tragic, but not overwhelming, but rather encouraging, hopeful, and heartwarming. I liked the usage of symbolism and thoughts about purgotary and after life in general.

I also liked the description of making desserts.
And generally, the drawings are really beautiful and very pleasing to the eye. I wish there were more and more stories, to be honest, I'm ready to read 50 of them.

Can’t wait for part II to be translated, so I can read it too!!! And hopefully, there are gonna be other parts as well.

[Andreea]

After the passing of my grandma, I’ve felt closer to death, so this was a very welcome read. It was heartwarming and filled me with hope that there is something after death that is better than suffering. Can’t wait for volume 2.

[Пенелопа Ґарсія]

неймовірної краси і людяності історія.

нелегко описувати сюжет, бо тут нічого, насправді, не відбувається, але кожна сторінка — сповнена любові і цінності, і огортає тебе теплом. тут є вампіри і привиди, балакучі круки, люди і садівник зі світу мертвих, і, так, звісно, торти та тістечка, які випікають для тих, хто пішов. реальний світ тут живе і межує з містичним і фентезійним, і хоч в історії й нема екшену чи напруги, вона повністю захоплює до останньої сторінки. і божество тут — не зле, байдуже чи будь-яке ще недолуге уявлення людей про богів, — працює для того, щоб жодна душа не йшла дорогою чистилища голодною і сповненою туги.

p. s. мальовка ніжно-щемлива і чарівна, виконана переважно в чорно-червоних кольорах, її хочеться розглядати і розглядати.

[Larakaa]

This was wonderful. Tales of living, dying, mourning and coping...and baking!

[Sena Nur Işık]

5/5

Kurgu fikri, işleyiş, olaylar, karakterler, çizimler hepsi ama hepsi harikaydı! Çizgi roman okurken gözlerimin dolmasına inanamadım. Basit gibi gözüken cümlelerin ardında öyle anlamlar vardı ki… bayıldım. Bugüne kadar okuduğum çizgi romanlar arasında en sevdiklerimden biri oldu. Bu yüzden tam puan aldı.

[Norman Cook]

2026 Eisner Award winner - Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia

This Korean comic (manhwa) is a terrifically poignant and heartfelt look at the last days of two interesting, albeit unusual, terminally ill women. The conceit of the book is that special cakes are prepared for the deceased to help them get through purgatory on their way to their afterlives. In order to do this, the baker consults with the closest friend or relative to ensure the cakes truly represent the deceased. Most of the two stories are thus flashbacks showing who they are and why they are loved. The stories are naturally sad, but also full of love and inspiration. The artwork is fresh and clean black-and-white drawings with spot coloring for emphasis.

[Lee]

hello??? i was not expecting to get punched in the gut with this, but it was the best surprise.

after death, you'll roam purgatory for 49 days, and for this journey, loved ones will have food made that will help keep them going. margot bakes cakes for this journey, tending to them with such care that will translate even in purgatory.

maybe i should have realized this could pack a punch, but i really thought it would be cute, and it did have some cute moments! but the stories also broke me before mending it together with some hope.

i also adored the pops of color in the art to make certain things stand out a little more! it was such a brilliant choice that highlighted how important things were.

[Amber Scaife]

A YA graphic novel about a pastry shop that bakes funeral cakes for the dead (and those mourning them) to help the deceased navigate their way through purgatory before being reborn. The cakes are made by gathering memories from surviving friends and family and infusing the cake with them.

This is the first volume in a new series and includes two stories, both of them equally sweet and interesting and lovely. And the artwork is excellent.

[Taylor]

I realistically read this all this morning, haha. What a stunning graphic novel. It's told in 2 separate "short stories" covering the lives of the deceased loved ones. The limited colors really make important details flourish, and the art is divine.

[E. C.]

Amazing artwork

[Emily]

The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is tender. This is a manhwa you don’t want to miss out on.

[Stephanie]

I wanted more bakery

[Yona]

3.5 - I wish I'd known going in that this isn't one story but a collection of vignettes connected by a frame story. The individual stories were fine but not mind-blowing, driven mostly by vibes: casually magical, sentimental, and held up by world-building that wobbles if you look at it too closely. In a few places, the translation was too literal, making it stilted and unnatural in English.

The art is good, for the most part. I enjoyed how the palette is mostly black and white with red spot color, but the artist's faces could use work. Every character has the same facial features and makes the same types of expressions. No character's features are drawn consistently from frame to frame. It's not the most egregious I've seen--the art is of professional quality overall, unlike some Webtoons--but still lacks something that makes the best graphic novels and manga stand out. It's sort of ... flat? I wish the characters were differentiated by more than just their hair and a few decorative details (like fangs or third eyes).

Overall, this is a perfectly pleasant graphic novel, but I don't expect to keep reading. I just wanted it to go deeper or surprise me, but the stories were tropey and the world-building was surface-level only.

You'll like this if you're feeling a little melancholy-spooky and yet cozy-whimsical. Must be here for the vibes and the vibes alone.

[Sara]

Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.

At first, the premise seems convoluted and a fairly in depth — the prologue to set up the soul’s journey is nearly a full chapter without clear explanation as to why we are receiving so much exposition. But the payoff is worth it for those who stick around. Not only is the art beautiful throughout, the stories are touching and skillfully crafted. There are fantastical creatures and magical moments seamlessly woven into every day life, but the fantasy sits in compliment to stories that have much deeper, human connections. The mangaka expresses and explores grief on many levels and touches upon some intimate human fears and emotions, such as belonging, loss, and family.

Dark Horse rates this for ages 14+. Because of the themes of death and grief and the heaviness of the subject matter, this would be best suited for high school audiences or more mature readers, especially adults or readers who have experienced the passing of a loved one.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12, Adult

This review was made possible with a digital reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Sharmaine]

*Thank you to Dark Horse Manhwa & Edelweiss for the digital ARC of Purgatory Funeral Cakes Volume 1*

I was immediately drawn to this graphic novel because of the cover art. It is of a character in the book holding a cake that says "rest in peace" with incense on top. It's such a unnerving image because death isn't something celebrated in the western world. It is an abstract concept that is inevitable, yet feared despite its inevitability, so seeing that imagery gave me pause because it made me think "is death something to celebrate."

The story started with a prologue about the history of purgatory funeral cakes and how they are necessary in helping the deceased journey through purgatory into the next life. The "main" character, Margot, is introduced immediately after. She is the owner of a funeral cake bakery and although her role in this story is quite important, she is more of a bystander or background character who guides customers to collect their memories of the deceased in order to make the perfect cake to help them make it through the afterlife.

This volume was split into two short stories. The first story is about Sun Lee, a writer who reads to hospitalized children, who meets a young girl with three eyes who has gone blind, named Irae. It is Sun Lee's writing that stirs Irae's heart and makes her believe in living. The second story is about Mona Lee and her vampire mother, Misa Lee, and how there has always been a disconnect in their relationship due to the fact that Misa cannot step into the sunlight. This inability to walk in the daytime led to challenges in raising Mona, so distance was something that became the norm in their mother-daughter relationship.

Purgatory Funeral Cakes reminds me of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. It has similar elements of healing fiction (Iyashikei) as it is a book that helps one navigate through the pain of death by having the characters take a moment to memorialize their loved ones through the stories of the lives they lived. I think the graphic novel format really gives life to the stories being told. Most of the images are in black and white, however, reds and pinks are used in a way that draws the eye to certain images and panels. For example the strawberries in the first story are brought up more than once and are colored red, while the evening primroses in the second story are colored pink. The use of color really brings life to certain panels and in some ways makes the heartbreaking moments feel even more devastating and the soft, tender moments much more endearing.

I am truly looking forward to the next volume of this series. I think it is such a great book to read especially when you are someone who is experiencing grief.

[Thomas Blaine]

The beginning of this story explains what happens to the soul after it dies. It must traverse a kind of purgatory plain on its way to a new life, and in doing so it sheds its prior memories. To sustain it on the journey, it eats a funeral cake carefully created to represent their life. As far as I can tell, this is partly traditional Korean beliefs and made up for this story.

After this info, we follow a kind of supernatural baker (perhaps one the avatar of one of the gods helping the dead) who bakes these funeral cakes. The process involves learning about the deceased, which is an excuse for the person ordering the cake to discuss their lost loved one.

This volume features stories about two fantastical women. The first is about a girl with a third eye which let her see visions of the future. She is abused by her father who tries to take financial advantage of her gift, but the abuse eventually drives her blind. Much later, as a young adult stuck in a medical facility, she strikes a friendship with a volunteer reader, and they make many happy memories together, helping her live longer than expected. It is this story which is related to the baker.

The second story is from the daughter of a single parent mother, who also happens to be a vampire, albeit something very different from the western standard. The main thing is a deadly vulnerability to the sun. This means that the mother cannot participate in much of her daughter's life at school and during the day, but they get to interact after sunset and before sunrise. There is love, but also a distance between these two lives, given they only share a few hours each day. There are many parallels between the this fantastic mother-daughter relationship and more mundane issues of age gaps, single working parents being pulled away by work from their kids, and then declining health.

Overall, with all their strangeness, these were lovely stories of love and grief. There is a second volume which I will try to read as well.

[Kelly Furniss]

I picked this book because this series by cartoonist Sanho claimed the Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia prize at the 38th Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards & so it was highly discussed in the Asian bookclub on Facebook and I fancied including some manga/manhwa/ graphic novels in to my book challenge.
This manhwa is an emotional look at the last days on earth of two unusual but interesting ladies lives. The two ladies have now had funeral cakes commissioned for them.
Funeral cakes are the final gift from the living to their departed loved ones and the only comfort on their journey to rebirth.
The baker consults with friends or relatives to ensure the cakes truly represent their loved one it could be the food they favoured, the hobby they liked, the nature they enjoyed, the pet they had. The more the baker knows, the more the cake can be infused with their unique personalities & here we see who these two ladies were & why they were special to the customers.
The art is mainly black and white but the inclusion of the odd few colours ( especially in the recipe parts) really made important details stand out, such as the inclusion of colourful fruit & flowers.
This is a very heartwarming story of life, loss, love, grief and coping.
Because the love and care put into each cake brings comfort to both the living and dead.
Such a unique story which offers a lot of reflection.
A compulsive read I consumed in one go!.

[Cassandra]

I didn't know what this story was about and I wasn't sure it was gonna be for me at the beginning but it was a beautiful story. The story is setup so well and it is interesting but the bulk of this about telling tales of the loved ones and remembering what they mean to you. It is not heavy handed as there are not regrets just explanations how people's bonds with each other brought joy and meaning to their lives. I loved that these stories were not typical parent/child or best friends relationships. There was a uniqueness to each story and they were told without judgement to the living and the dead. I think this is reminder that bonds with people last forever, so don't wish you had done something make sure you can well you are both able to share those small priceless moments.

I liked the art as well, the use of color to add the pops to make an impact was nice. I think some may view these as sad but I think both these stories are so heartwarming.

[Grace]

Honestly, this graphic novel is worth reading for Miro, our ghostly sidekick, alone: a true icon.

Here, we follow Margo and Miro, proprietors of a bakery which specialises in making personalised cakes for departed souls, to help nourish them on their journey across purgatory into the afterlife. We meet two of their clients, and the bulk of the book is following their stories, as they talk about the recently-departed loved one that they are ordering the cake for. As you might expect from the title, this graphic novel is set in the realm of magical realism, with ghosts, vampires, and giant talking ravens all featuring as key characters,

The art is primarily in black and white, with red for accents, which really adds to the spooky (but not scary!) atmosphere. However, I will say that, perhaps unsurprisingly, this book can be quite heavy with grief at times, so just be aware of that going in.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the (Japanese-language) eARC!

[Christy Roberts]

This first time reading a manhwa that checked out from the library.

This is definitely sad with Margot baking special cakes for loved ones of her customers that have past on so trigger warnings for reference to death. Margot has a ghost assistant Miro.

We got first story about Sun Lee and a girl named Irea who's blind. She had just slept and didn't do anything until Sun started reading her mystery novels she wrote herself. It was so dang wonderful even though was sad. The story about Irea's life is told.

Then we got story about a mom and daughter were the mom was a vampire but not like ones in modern media. This one I'd wanted more happiness from even though we already know she gone. It was just sad how didn't see much of each other.

Loved the artwork. The pages that had color it popped. If library will get the other one I'll read it but idk it will.

[Firat Fidan]

Ölüm ve yas üzerine kurulu olmasına rağmen beklediğimden çok daha sıcak ve şaşırtıc bir romandı. Kitap iki ayrı hikaye üzerinden ilerliyor ve her hikaye kayıp, sevgi ve hatırlanmak üzerine farklı bir şey söylüyor. Ölenler için özel cenaze pastaları hazırlayan bir fırın ve bu pastaların insanların son yolculuğuna eşlik etmesi konsepti ilginç ve sıra dışı bir bakış açısı katmış kitaba. Ölümün kendisinden çok geride kalanların anılarına ve ilişkilerine odaklanması güzel. Pastalar burada insanların sevdikleriyle yaşadıkları anıları, pişmanlıkları ve sevgilerini somutlaştıran bir araç gibi kullanılmış. Ölümü korkutucu ya da karanlık bir son yerine, sevgiyle hatırlanmanın devam ettiği bir geçiş olarak anlatması kitabı bence en özel kılan özelliği.

[irem]

i can’t believe i cried because a vampire mother couldn’t spend time with her daughter. i really related my own life to the vampire mother and her daughter. since my mom and i live in different cities, even though i’m very attached to her, we don’t get to spend much time together. i’ve genuinely never seen an approach to death like this before, and it’s a very interesting perspective. that’s why it was really cute and original.

[Kiera]

i loved this volume so, so much. the artwork is simply stunning and each individual character stands out. the two stories shared are full of so much love and care and are perfectly bittersweet. i will absolutely be following this series and looking out for any continuing volumes!! thank you edelweiss:)

[Zephorah Dove]

Thanks to Dark Horse for the DRC.
The concept and artwork are a solid 10/10. I really enjoyed the idea that everyone was able to get a cake and some individuals were able to customize the cake for their loved ones. Please let this be turned into a series!
I have so many more questions about purgatory and where the idea of funeral cakes came from.

[Adriana Eckart]

Cozy fantasy book where a mystical being owns a funeral cake bakery and works alongside a ghost and they make cakes for the deceased to eat while passing thru purgatory to be reincarnated on the other side after their journey. This book had two people's stories inside that both tied to the bakery and I enjoyed the storyline and the art style.

[Eden Gills Konnovitch]

This is my first time reading a graphic novel and I have to admit I’m so impressed. The artistry of this book was gorgeous and felt nostalgic somehow.

But honestly, death and baking cakes with a ghost sidekick? I mean… was this book written specifically for me?!? The concept of this book was so interesting and beautiful and I will absolutely be getting my hands on the second one.

[Molly]

I thought this was really lovely, but when a book is called "heartwarming" and it makes me cry, I object to that characterization. The story of the girl losing her mother was too much for my little heart- much less knowing that to get to the next life she will have to lose all of her memories. No cries today, please.

[Carri Nowak]

I loved this book! What a beautiful way to honor the dead and for the grieving. I appreciate the crow and cakes. The stories were meaningful and gentle honoring the deceased. There were several places in the book that I connected with that brought a chuckle. I think it would be enjoyed by my middle school readers.