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青野くんに触りたいから死にたい [Aono-kun ni Sawaritai kara Shinitai] #1
I Want To Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die, Vol. 1
I would die if it would allow me to touch you. That is my love. The first chapter passed 300,000 views on Afternoon’s official site, "Moae"! The much-talked-about "Aono-kun" is finally getting a collected release! The airheaded girl Yuri-chan and her boyfriend Aono-kun had a perfectly normal relationship until one day Aono-kun suddenly "passed away"… They will never be bound together, and they cannot even touch. Check out their haphazard and almost too sincere love story.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 25, 2017
If I were rating this on story alone, I'd give it four stars. It's a solid creeper about a girl whose boyfriend returns from the dead but might have something wrong with him. Unfortunately the art is bland -- the story needs Junji Ito style art, but it looks closer to My Neighbor Seki. More annoyingly, the scan job sucks, and the screentones all have a grid pattern running over them. The art style has very little in the way of atmospherics, but the artifacting ruins even that.
February 16, 2022
[Is it just me or am I having to issue a lot of suicide content warnings lately?]
After their first meeting, Yuri is dying to date Aono, but he decides to get there first. Now that won’t stop a good love story and for Aono it turns out that the spirit is quite willing. Possibly a little too willing, as it turns out, as even ghosts can have a dark side…
Phew, that’s a thing. Let’s tackle the art first. If I was a meaner person I would use my pithy Aono-kun is Drawn So Badly I Could Die line here, but it’s not that bad, just not very good. Easily one of the least visually impressive books I’ve read in a while.
That said, when it handles the horror elements it gets quite involved. I mean, death seems to have left Aono with a hell of a skin condition and more than Yuri’s feelings are eating her alive at times and those moments are good and nasty.
Yeah, this is a strange blend of horror and romance, although interestingly the horror is focused around especially sexual aspects of the un-relationship. When Aoba is possessing Yuri’s body there is a definite visual posing that’s quite blatant, to say nothing of Yuri’s period subsequently expelling him. Horror and sex do often go hand-in-hand, so these moments make a touch more sense.
Poor Yuri is crazy about Aona and his death very early on in the story really knocks her for a loop. She might be a touch too devoted, but she’s a young, shy kid in love so that doesn’t seem especially out of character, although the lengths she goes to for some contact would definitely shock the utility company. She’s a little extreme, though grief plus inexperience easily explains that.
The romance is okay, I wish we’d had more time focusing on the two weeks, though clearly Yuri does too, so it’s effective at conveying her longing even as it doesn’t generate the connection to make me miss regular Aona though. The developing what the heck with Aona’s friend is interesting too, that’s a notion that could definitely have legs.
No, the horror is where the action is, especially in this early stage where there are so many questions left unanswered. Aona keeps shifting to a particularly shady version of himself at times that he has no recollection of, plus the people he (or he) possesses lose their memory of the time they were being possessed, which is mined for comedy but has definite sinister connotations.
There’s almost certainly more than one thing going on here, with odd happenings and some literal random bloodshed. It’s basically just enough bait on the hook to keep me interested, along with the second major female character introduced towards the end, who I think is totally awesome.
2.5 stars - I’ll read the second volume and all, but make no mistake - this is not an especially great book. It’s an incredible mixed bag that, somewhat appropriately, I wouldn’t currently recommend to anybody but the morbidly curious on the basis of this volume.
After their first meeting, Yuri is dying to date Aono, but he decides to get there first. Now that won’t stop a good love story and for Aono it turns out that the spirit is quite willing. Possibly a little too willing, as it turns out, as even ghosts can have a dark side…
Phew, that’s a thing. Let’s tackle the art first. If I was a meaner person I would use my pithy Aono-kun is Drawn So Badly I Could Die line here, but it’s not that bad, just not very good. Easily one of the least visually impressive books I’ve read in a while.
That said, when it handles the horror elements it gets quite involved. I mean, death seems to have left Aono with a hell of a skin condition and more than Yuri’s feelings are eating her alive at times and those moments are good and nasty.
Yeah, this is a strange blend of horror and romance, although interestingly the horror is focused around especially sexual aspects of the un-relationship. When Aoba is possessing Yuri’s body there is a definite visual posing that’s quite blatant, to say nothing of Yuri’s period subsequently expelling him. Horror and sex do often go hand-in-hand, so these moments make a touch more sense.
Poor Yuri is crazy about Aona and his death very early on in the story really knocks her for a loop. She might be a touch too devoted, but she’s a young, shy kid in love so that doesn’t seem especially out of character, although the lengths she goes to for some contact would definitely shock the utility company. She’s a little extreme, though grief plus inexperience easily explains that.
The romance is okay, I wish we’d had more time focusing on the two weeks, though clearly Yuri does too, so it’s effective at conveying her longing even as it doesn’t generate the connection to make me miss regular Aona though. The developing what the heck with Aona’s friend is interesting too, that’s a notion that could definitely have legs.
No, the horror is where the action is, especially in this early stage where there are so many questions left unanswered. Aona keeps shifting to a particularly shady version of himself at times that he has no recollection of, plus the people he (or he) possesses lose their memory of the time they were being possessed, which is mined for comedy but has definite sinister connotations.
There’s almost certainly more than one thing going on here, with odd happenings and some literal random bloodshed. It’s basically just enough bait on the hook to keep me interested, along with the second major female character introduced towards the end, who I think is totally awesome.
2.5 stars - I’ll read the second volume and all, but make no mistake - this is not an especially great book. It’s an incredible mixed bag that, somewhat appropriately, I wouldn’t currently recommend to anybody but the morbidly curious on the basis of this volume.
June 3, 2022
Absolutely cannot wait to read vol 2 ! Interesting romantic horror story manga. Cute characters but some of the illustrations were kinda creepy. Keeps you intrigued. Wish they had the physical copies instead of kindle in English ☹️
October 11, 2022
i wasn't originally going to write a review for this series because i personally already know this is one of the biggest masterpieces in horror storytelling i've ever experienced, but i think i have to write this out solely because of how shocked i was at the amount of shallow reviews that take down stars for an art style they don’t particularly enjoy over the actual story. first of all, comments like that make it so difficult to believe any of you actually appreciate art at all lol. umi shiina's visual storytelling - regardless of style choice - uses skilled choices from composition in panels to facial expressions to even typesetting. the simplistic "art style" everyone loves to hate accentuates the innocence of the characters going through such horrific experiences. it's what gets the shock out of you in chapter one. it's jarring. it makes the horror on paper feel just a touch more surreal, to accentuate how wrong it all is. because it IS wrong. and even without any of that, the art is good. i’d usually brush off different strokes for different folks and all that, but every disparaging comment i’ve seen has been so unfounded. there are so many pages over the course of the manga that leave my heart pounding from how impactful it is BECAUSE of the build up of “simple” panels. i’m not even an artist and i can tell the art direction’s on another level based on the atmospheric building alone. (the way none of you would survive reading mob psycho 100 makes me literally depressed lmao)
that isn't even brushing on the story itself, though, which seems to get lost in all the fuss about art for some weird reason. i guess to start from the beginning though for content warnings: there is suicide ideation and domestic abuse in a family setting, and plenty of other horror-esque tribulations that you'd expect from plain horror. but every choice was made so deliberately, and the inter-personal relationships were challenged and so in-depth. it's the kind of story that's lean and satisfying because nothing is wasted. at the start, yuri, the main character, makes choices that are so unaligned with a normal high school girl's reason, which even without moving past the first few chapters you can extrapolate that it's because this girl is not well. it doesn't take much to know that somebody who would do anything to the point of death for a boy they've known for only two weeks doesn't have much going on for her besides neglect and abuse, and the way that unravels in the narrative breaks your heart enough to actually understand why she makes the decisions she does. you root for her. you want her to be happy. but you know she isn't well, and characters know it too. there's a sense of awareness down later volumes that comes as a surprise to me, because the reasoning we establish in real life - children shouldn't suffer, adults should care for children always - these aren't really things present in much manga narratives as much as we see the result of them going sideways. but in aono, as a reader you're always aware at all times that these kids don't deserve to go through any of this. i was pleasantly surprised at the development and growth yuri and the others go because of how aware they were made. all of what i just mentioned in the latter of this paragraph though i understand is a personal preference, but it's still something hugely impressive to me on a narrative standpoint.
there's obviously a lot more going on with the plot itself, which is also very mysterious but always eventful, and the characters that show up chapter by chapter always have such depth to them. this is the kind of storyline people would fill plot speculation forums about. but at the core, it's just about children who crave love so badly because they've been removed from it for so long. the horror is just an extra limb to showcase it.
that isn't even brushing on the story itself, though, which seems to get lost in all the fuss about art for some weird reason. i guess to start from the beginning though for content warnings: there is suicide ideation and domestic abuse in a family setting, and plenty of other horror-esque tribulations that you'd expect from plain horror. but every choice was made so deliberately, and the inter-personal relationships were challenged and so in-depth. it's the kind of story that's lean and satisfying because nothing is wasted. at the start, yuri, the main character, makes choices that are so unaligned with a normal high school girl's reason, which even without moving past the first few chapters you can extrapolate that it's because this girl is not well. it doesn't take much to know that somebody who would do anything to the point of death for a boy they've known for only two weeks doesn't have much going on for her besides neglect and abuse, and the way that unravels in the narrative breaks your heart enough to actually understand why she makes the decisions she does. you root for her. you want her to be happy. but you know she isn't well, and characters know it too. there's a sense of awareness down later volumes that comes as a surprise to me, because the reasoning we establish in real life - children shouldn't suffer, adults should care for children always - these aren't really things present in much manga narratives as much as we see the result of them going sideways. but in aono, as a reader you're always aware at all times that these kids don't deserve to go through any of this. i was pleasantly surprised at the development and growth yuri and the others go because of how aware they were made. all of what i just mentioned in the latter of this paragraph though i understand is a personal preference, but it's still something hugely impressive to me on a narrative standpoint.
there's obviously a lot more going on with the plot itself, which is also very mysterious but always eventful, and the characters that show up chapter by chapter always have such depth to them. this is the kind of storyline people would fill plot speculation forums about. but at the core, it's just about children who crave love so badly because they've been removed from it for so long. the horror is just an extra limb to showcase it.
March 21, 2025
This manga is truly disturbing, disorienting, creepy, unsettling, and morbid. I LOVE IT! 😍
May 31, 2018
I'm a sucker for people being in love with ghosts. This story is a lot less sweet/sad and a lot more creepy pasta which I was surprised by. The story feels unpredictable and has me curious even though it isn't my usual cup of tea.
December 29, 2021
I picked up this manga simply because it was on Kindle Unlimited and looked to be a cute, paranormal type shojo HOWEVER I WAS VERY MISTAKEN.
This is a horror manga??? In this story two weeks after our main character (forgot her name) starts dating her classmate Aono-kun, he dies in a traffic accident and shortly after she starts seeing his ghost. She's excited to be able to see him of course HOWEVER sometimes he gets a dark look in his eyes and possesses her??? Says creepy shit??
This somehow toes the line of being a creepy, unexpected horror manga and cute shojo but with weirdness to it. In the first chapter I was like "wow I hate this seems dramatic" and now at the end I'm like "but wait.... is this a demon boy hmmm intrigued". she is totally bonkers like "YEAH PLZ POSSESS ME USE MY BODY ALL YOU WANT LOVE THAT" I think it'd be interesting if we discover that maybe he is not a demon at all but this creepy part of him is actually part of his personality because she really didn't know him at all prior to his death let's be real. She asked him out on a whim.
Maybe I'll continue reading it just because it's on Kindle Unlimited but I can't say it's good per say just odd enough to be compelling.
Also wanted to add that I'm not a fan of the art style in this. I feel this kind of story would benefit from a style more so in the realm of Shuzo Oshimi.
CW: Suicidal Ideation, Attempt at Self-Harm (c*tting)
This is a horror manga??? In this story two weeks after our main character (forgot her name) starts dating her classmate Aono-kun, he dies in a traffic accident and shortly after she starts seeing his ghost. She's excited to be able to see him of course HOWEVER sometimes he gets a dark look in his eyes and possesses her??? Says creepy shit??
This somehow toes the line of being a creepy, unexpected horror manga and cute shojo but with weirdness to it. In the first chapter I was like "wow I hate this seems dramatic" and now at the end I'm like "but wait.... is this a demon boy hmmm intrigued". she is totally bonkers like "YEAH PLZ POSSESS ME USE MY BODY ALL YOU WANT LOVE THAT" I think it'd be interesting if we discover that maybe he is not a demon at all but this creepy part of him is actually part of his personality because she really didn't know him at all prior to his death let's be real. She asked him out on a whim.
Maybe I'll continue reading it just because it's on Kindle Unlimited but I can't say it's good per say just odd enough to be compelling.
Also wanted to add that I'm not a fan of the art style in this. I feel this kind of story would benefit from a style more so in the realm of Shuzo Oshimi.
CW: Suicidal Ideation, Attempt at Self-Harm (c*tting)
August 6, 2023
What the actual... this was just way too weird (even weirder than I had already thought from the title and blurb) and I don't trust dead-boyfriend-kun one bit. He has some seriously messed up moments and I don't like how attached he is to Yuri. Holy nope. Plus the obsession of her to him was also just way nope and creepy as heck, she would even commit suicide (yes she almost tried) for him now he is dead. I am not continuing this one.
January 22, 2022
Wow, that was... something. If I didn't need to read it for work, I'm not sure I'd keep going.
June 18, 2024
This was horrifying but also addicting. Now I am sadly invested. Thanks Kaitlynne 😭
April 29, 2026
It starts good and gets even better. My fav plot line is the people-pleaser stops pleasing people.
March 11, 2023
-Represents the whole series thus far-
*Series content warnings at the end*
One of my favorite reads of 2023! I decided to try this after watching a recommendation by Colleen’s Manga Recs and I’m so glad I did. Aono-kun’s story is a slow burn, but there was enough mystery and intrigue presented in the first two volumes that I was hooked once the first major arc began. It’s a fantastic blend of romance, horror, comedy, character drama, and mystery. The characters have actual personalities and progression- even Yuri, who probably fails the Bechdel test, but considering the series is basically all about their relationship, her and Aono are compelling anyway.
I’m actually shocked by the reviews on here, but perhaps folks who read it were looking for a more straightforward supernatural romance. There’s a lot of pining between Yuri and Aono, which makes sense, but unlike other romance series I’ve read, there’s actually catharsis between them throughout that really pays off. I initially stayed for the romance and got hooked by the overall story. There’s such a coherent throughline that I was shocked that it started in 2016. Compared to many popular titles, with Chainsaw Man coming to mind if you’re up to date on it, it’s clear where the plot is going but not how it will get there. And since the characters are so well established, when really scary shit starts to happen, anxiety ensues.
Not necessarily a critique, but a heads up regarding some of the later content in the story. There are a few sexual situations (like actually, not just “oh no, we tripped and fell on each other”) more than a typical story like this would show (but not overly explicit, if that makes sense). The characters are 15-17, but they’re still minors. In comparison to other series, to me these situations are handled carefully and with respect to the characters. It should be acknowledged that Aono-kun is published in a Seinen magazine, which is aimed at adult men, so an argument could be made that this series is still a product of the male gaze. Again though, I wasn’t too bothered by these moments, and the characters aren’t fetishized or exploited through fan service compared to other series. I totally understand why someone would drop this series because of this though.
Content warnings: Discussions of death, suicide, depictions of attempted suicide, body horror, depictions of parental abuse, sexual content between minors
*Series content warnings at the end*
One of my favorite reads of 2023! I decided to try this after watching a recommendation by Colleen’s Manga Recs and I’m so glad I did. Aono-kun’s story is a slow burn, but there was enough mystery and intrigue presented in the first two volumes that I was hooked once the first major arc began. It’s a fantastic blend of romance, horror, comedy, character drama, and mystery. The characters have actual personalities and progression- even Yuri, who probably fails the Bechdel test, but considering the series is basically all about their relationship, her and Aono are compelling anyway.
I’m actually shocked by the reviews on here, but perhaps folks who read it were looking for a more straightforward supernatural romance. There’s a lot of pining between Yuri and Aono, which makes sense, but unlike other romance series I’ve read, there’s actually catharsis between them throughout that really pays off. I initially stayed for the romance and got hooked by the overall story. There’s such a coherent throughline that I was shocked that it started in 2016. Compared to many popular titles, with Chainsaw Man coming to mind if you’re up to date on it, it’s clear where the plot is going but not how it will get there. And since the characters are so well established, when really scary shit starts to happen, anxiety ensues.
Not necessarily a critique, but a heads up regarding some of the later content in the story. There are a few sexual situations (like actually, not just “oh no, we tripped and fell on each other”) more than a typical story like this would show (but not overly explicit, if that makes sense). The characters are 15-17, but they’re still minors. In comparison to other series, to me these situations are handled carefully and with respect to the characters. It should be acknowledged that Aono-kun is published in a Seinen magazine, which is aimed at adult men, so an argument could be made that this series is still a product of the male gaze. Again though, I wasn’t too bothered by these moments, and the characters aren’t fetishized or exploited through fan service compared to other series. I totally understand why someone would drop this series because of this though.
Content warnings: Discussions of death, suicide, depictions of attempted suicide, body horror, depictions of parental abuse, sexual content between minors
December 16, 2017
Kind of a pedestrian love story. Two bland characters that get together, tragedy strikes, and then they stay together.
Shoujo / Josei influenced tropes in terms of the romance (some man taking advantage of his power to seduce the weak lead, though she approves of it). This verges between "awww, isn't that cute" and "unintentionally creepy interactions?". It feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be yet.
The art, particularly the character art, is just bad, especially for our male protagonist. The writing is ok, but again, the premise is just nothing that'll knock your socks off so far.
Shoujo / Josei influenced tropes in terms of the romance (some man taking advantage of his power to seduce the weak lead, though she approves of it). This verges between "awww, isn't that cute" and "unintentionally creepy interactions?". It feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be yet.
The art, particularly the character art, is just bad, especially for our male protagonist. The writing is ok, but again, the premise is just nothing that'll knock your socks off so far.
January 2, 2020
Volumes 1-3 review:
Good start to a ghostly love/horror story. There's a good mix of romance drama, comedy and horror moments. The story establishes its premise quickly and then iterates on it as Kariya and Aono explore their capabilities and come to realise the danger they're exposing themselves to, while simultaneously building the mystery of what is going on and why. It's interesting, and it's foreboding, but it's hard to get into the spirit of it when the extent of the danger is unknown. I have the impression that whatever dark Aono wants must be worse than death, since Kariya was already prepared to kill herself at the beginning of the story, but it's very unclear. The third volume introduces further elements outside of the Kariya/Aono dyad, but their development isn't far enough along to say what their significance is. I fear the combination of love-drama and horror-mystery could prove to be very unwieldy in the future.
Kariya is an excellent choice of protagonist for this story, since the plot hinges on her mentality - she needs to be submissive and self-loathing enough that there's a real danger she will surrender herself to Aono's dark side, while also being obsessive enough that she will resist Aono's attempts to push her away for her own sake. Aono is weaker. He mostly just seems like a regular guy who recognizes that Kariya would be better off without him, but can't bring himself to pull away completely. His family life has been teased, but we hardly see anything about his background. Whether dark Aono is a hidden part of his personality or a separate entity isn't clear. The other characters serve as advice givers or to produce obstacles between Kariya and Aono and have yet to deeply affect the basic story.
The art is basic and unadorned most of the time. Everyone has similar builds and heads, the environments are, with a few exceptions, normal Japanese streets and building interiors, . Even the horror moments are drawn more understatedly than the closeups of Kariya's lovestruck or embarrassed faces. Some of them are effectively done (mostly when there's bleeding involved), but others, like Aono's ravaged skin after trying to enter Horie's room, need some extra care to achieve a higher creep factor. The better horror moments don't involve the visuals at all, like when dark Aono tempts Kariya from behind a door, or tricks Fujimoto into surrendering his body.
Lingering questions:
Good start to a ghostly love/horror story. There's a good mix of romance drama, comedy and horror moments. The story establishes its premise quickly and then iterates on it as Kariya and Aono explore their capabilities and come to realise the danger they're exposing themselves to, while simultaneously building the mystery of what is going on and why. It's interesting, and it's foreboding, but it's hard to get into the spirit of it when the extent of the danger is unknown. I have the impression that whatever dark Aono wants must be worse than death, since Kariya was already prepared to kill herself at the beginning of the story, but it's very unclear. The third volume introduces further elements outside of the Kariya/Aono dyad, but their development isn't far enough along to say what their significance is. I fear the combination of love-drama and horror-mystery could prove to be very unwieldy in the future.
Kariya is an excellent choice of protagonist for this story, since the plot hinges on her mentality - she needs to be submissive and self-loathing enough that there's a real danger she will surrender herself to Aono's dark side, while also being obsessive enough that she will resist Aono's attempts to push her away for her own sake. Aono is weaker. He mostly just seems like a regular guy who recognizes that Kariya would be better off without him, but can't bring himself to pull away completely. His family life has been teased, but we hardly see anything about his background. Whether dark Aono is a hidden part of his personality or a separate entity isn't clear. The other characters serve as advice givers or to produce obstacles between Kariya and Aono and have yet to deeply affect the basic story.
The art is basic and unadorned most of the time. Everyone has similar builds and heads, the environments are, with a few exceptions, normal Japanese streets and building interiors, . Even the horror moments are drawn more understatedly than the closeups of Kariya's lovestruck or embarrassed faces. Some of them are effectively done (mostly when there's bleeding involved), but others, like Aono's ravaged skin after trying to enter Horie's room, need some extra care to achieve a higher creep factor. The better horror moments don't involve the visuals at all, like when dark Aono tempts Kariya from behind a door, or tricks Fujimoto into surrendering his body.
Lingering questions:
June 14, 2024
'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” --Alfred Tennyson
Before saying anything about this volume I just want to point out that not only does someone die in this book but there is attempted suicide as well which is a very real threat to people who have trouble with depression. If you are sensitive to discussions of death and potential suicide this ghost story may be a bad match for you. Also if you have been considering suicide yourself there is help out there so please don't give up without reaching out first.
https://988lifeline.org/
Every now and then Amazon has a sale on Kodansha titles where the 1st volume of certain series are reduced to 99 cents to get people interested. This title was one such title I acquired to check out at some point. So when I was challenged to read romance graphic novels this month I decided to try this title before I even read what it was about based solely on the title. I didn't expect this to be a horror romance story. Honestly I think I enjoyed the book more because I was surprised by the unexpected element but I am sure most people will not buy books like I do hoping to try out different styles and themes on the cheap. :)
When I first started the book I was a little worried it would end up a stalker story about a girl who was shown the smallest amount of kindness leading to something potentially gruesome as she becomes obsessed. Social anxiety can be a real problem for many people and there are a variety of books that address such issues. However once the the subject of poor shy Yuri being accepted by her crush after being brave enough to confess her feelings the story took a decided turn.
You see, Aona met an untimely end in an accident and dies just to return to is girlfriend as a ghost to prevent her from following him to the afterlife. It could have been a story about the awkwardness of having a ghost boyfriend seeing as the only other horror romance story I have read before (to my remembrance) is Sankarea 1: Undying Love which is more comedy and fanservice than actual horror. However this book does have some real horror elements which are not always easy to pull off in a format like this. At first the art style was rather meh to me but as the story changed I couldn't help but notice the style changed subtly as a normal high school story turned supernatural and real emotions and exhaustion begin to manifest. I ended up really enjoying the book though it has sad moments and find the various elements presented could lead to an interesting series if I decide to look further into it in the future.
Before saying anything about this volume I just want to point out that not only does someone die in this book but there is attempted suicide as well which is a very real threat to people who have trouble with depression. If you are sensitive to discussions of death and potential suicide this ghost story may be a bad match for you. Also if you have been considering suicide yourself there is help out there so please don't give up without reaching out first.
https://988lifeline.org/
Every now and then Amazon has a sale on Kodansha titles where the 1st volume of certain series are reduced to 99 cents to get people interested. This title was one such title I acquired to check out at some point. So when I was challenged to read romance graphic novels this month I decided to try this title before I even read what it was about based solely on the title. I didn't expect this to be a horror romance story. Honestly I think I enjoyed the book more because I was surprised by the unexpected element but I am sure most people will not buy books like I do hoping to try out different styles and themes on the cheap. :)
When I first started the book I was a little worried it would end up a stalker story about a girl who was shown the smallest amount of kindness leading to something potentially gruesome as she becomes obsessed. Social anxiety can be a real problem for many people and there are a variety of books that address such issues. However once the the subject of poor shy Yuri being accepted by her crush after being brave enough to confess her feelings the story took a decided turn.
You see, Aona met an untimely end in an accident and dies just to return to is girlfriend as a ghost to prevent her from following him to the afterlife. It could have been a story about the awkwardness of having a ghost boyfriend seeing as the only other horror romance story I have read before (to my remembrance) is Sankarea 1: Undying Love which is more comedy and fanservice than actual horror. However this book does have some real horror elements which are not always easy to pull off in a format like this. At first the art style was rather meh to me but as the story changed I couldn't help but notice the style changed subtly as a normal high school story turned supernatural and real emotions and exhaustion begin to manifest. I ended up really enjoying the book though it has sad moments and find the various elements presented could lead to an interesting series if I decide to look further into it in the future.
May 31, 2023
3.5☆
This is a bit difficult to review. In its core as a concept and in the execution of the horror elements, "Aono-kun" is incredibly gripping and intriguing. It manages to achieve a great level of creepiness; there is a certain focus on sexuality in the supernatural elements that further creates a feeling of discomfort when reading. Shiina is incredibly successful in that.
However, it seems like the art somewhat lets the story down. There are certain panels that make the simplistic character design appear deliberate - but sometimes it makes the story appear a little too naïve which hampers the full impact of the truly gripping horror elements.
In comparison, the cuter (for the lack of a better word) aspect of the character design serves well the underline the creepiness of the story and the relationship between Aono-kun and Yuri-chan. I am not fully aware of Umi Shiina's skill as a draftsperson but I do feel the story needs just that little bit more of it to make it excellent.
Regardless, the first volume is a bit of a ride; quite fast-paced but it serves well to set up the story and some of its core rules and hook the reader in. I hope the author finds their grip on it proper to allow the story to truly flourish.
This is a bit difficult to review. In its core as a concept and in the execution of the horror elements, "Aono-kun" is incredibly gripping and intriguing. It manages to achieve a great level of creepiness; there is a certain focus on sexuality in the supernatural elements that further creates a feeling of discomfort when reading. Shiina is incredibly successful in that.
However, it seems like the art somewhat lets the story down. There are certain panels that make the simplistic character design appear deliberate - but sometimes it makes the story appear a little too naïve which hampers the full impact of the truly gripping horror elements.
In comparison, the cuter (for the lack of a better word) aspect of the character design serves well the underline the creepiness of the story and the relationship between Aono-kun and Yuri-chan. I am not fully aware of Umi Shiina's skill as a draftsperson but I do feel the story needs just that little bit more of it to make it excellent.
Regardless, the first volume is a bit of a ride; quite fast-paced but it serves well to set up the story and some of its core rules and hook the reader in. I hope the author finds their grip on it proper to allow the story to truly flourish.
July 26, 2018
Okay, I can't tell if this story is just not for me or if it really isn't that great. The art style is overly simplistic, the characters only have about two or three expressions they can show, and I am still not sure what the tone of this series is supposed to be. Dark? Romantic? I legitimately cannot tell and cannot be bothered to continue reading to find out. At least this is one less series that I have to spend money on, and that's about the only positive I can think of.
June 1, 2026
This is a weird little manga. Started it because of people saying how scary it was. I love the look at codependency. I can’t imagine being this down bad after 2 weeks. And I would kind of been creeped out with that speech of Aono saying he could be a bad person and that nice people are the worst. Like uhhhh. And now he’s just possessing her and other people Willy nilly and doesn’t remember. Shit is gonna hit the fan. I like the body horror elements.
June 15, 2020
Hands down the weirdest and creepiest manga I’ve ever read. I didn’t expect the dark and creepy atmosphere of the manga because of the cover which could be one from a shojo.
The art style is really different from what I’ve seen in other manga; the character’s design is really simplistic and won’t be liked by everyone. It did take me some time to get used to it.
The art style is really different from what I’ve seen in other manga; the character’s design is really simplistic and won’t be liked by everyone. It did take me some time to get used to it.
August 20, 2025
Hmm. I'm confused on how I feel about this.
It's a bit reminiscent of Shuzo Oshimi's works to me in the way he explores relationships and ties in those creepy aspects to the story. The body horror is meant to be uncomfortable to the reader, but it might be a bit too much for me. I'm intrigued so I will keep reading and see how the next few volumes pan out.
It's a bit reminiscent of Shuzo Oshimi's works to me in the way he explores relationships and ties in those creepy aspects to the story. The body horror is meant to be uncomfortable to the reader, but it might be a bit too much for me. I'm intrigued so I will keep reading and see how the next few volumes pan out.
August 7, 2019
This was a bit odd, and I didn't like it that much. It veered more towards scary and creepy (i.e. horror) than I was expecting. I wasn't the hugest man of the main characters, either. Neither of them made me care about them. I won't continue the series. 3 stars.
August 26, 2019
For a romance book with a fluffy cover... This was so weird and dark. I can't stop reading it!
Did Not Finish
September 18, 2020I can't remember what was wrong with this but I'm pretty sure I put it down very quickly, and I am categorically the wrong reader for it.
February 26, 2022
The artwork is so bad god
January 23, 2023
boludo......
May 3, 2023
HOLY COW!!!!!
I cannot believe this. I read the whole thing in one sitting. Suspenseful ride, funny, cute, horrifying. Totally unexpected 10/10.
I cannot believe this. I read the whole thing in one sitting. Suspenseful ride, funny, cute, horrifying. Totally unexpected 10/10.
March 18, 2024
what the hell did I just read
I thought it was beautifully well told. And I love the at work and the plot is so interesting can’t wait for volume 2 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I thought it was beautifully well told. And I love the at work and the plot is so interesting can’t wait for volume 2 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
April 4, 2024
Red flags galore, nuts.
May 10, 2024
Really interesting start! One of the more loving yet sinister ghost x living person romance stories I've read yet, really excited to see just how far this story drags me to hell.
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