Goth

by Kenji Oiwa (Illustrator), Otsuichi (Original Author)

A notebook that leads to murder - a refrigerator filled with hands... a pit of dead dogs... an accidental suicide... a boy buried alive - and where two teenagers linked by an obsession with murder and torture explore the recesses of humanity's dark side.

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

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

大岩ケンヂ Kenji Oiwa is a Japanese manga artist. Some of his major works include Goth, Welcome to the N.H.K., a one-shot, Tsukumo Happy Soul published in Shōnen Ace, Kadokawa Shoten's manga magazine, and the manga serialization of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

Reviews

[Paul Ataua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boku and Morino are highschoolers brought together by their shared obsession with death. The book is made up short stories in which they relish considering acts of violence and murder. ‘Goth’ with its exploration of the unthinkable and unacceptable, sets about destroying the symbolic fabric that holds our world together, but in doing that, it probably ensures that world’s survival. The stories are extreme in themselves, or at least contain extreme ideas. Be warned! Sometimes I am drawn there, but I am not asking for you to follow me. A fascinating and yet disturbing read!

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a dull affair. No, it's worse than that, actually. I can't help but wonder what in the world the author was thinking when he outlined (IF he outlined) this novel because it's so monotonous and linear. Things simply occur, and you accept them for various reasons.

The author genuinely believes that you may create a major character who is unrestricted in what he can do and when he can do it. Before I even begin the character portion, I need to talk about the characters because the entire narrative is just
mundane.

What I want to say here is hard for me to articulate. Such is the emptiness of this work.

[Coos Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pesar de que por momentos todo se tornaba confuso, me pareció una historia destacable. Quisiera leer la novela, a ver si el autor se explaya más en ciertas oportunidades que en el manga se me mezclaron.

[Newon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review- Goth:
By Newon Dennis

This is a warning: those who are extremely interesting in the cruel and mystifying world of horror and gore must read ahead, for they will find a review for a book so amazingly horrifying you will want to reread it over and over again. “Goth,” is actually a book of short stories following the lives of its narrator known as Boku or “I” in the masculine terms of Japanese, and his strange acquaintance Yoru Morino. Both in high school and both are literally and gruesomely obsessed with death. Throughout the story you watch as Boku and Morino travel around with their “good luck” of picking up important evidence of many unsolved murders, as they try to find the culprits of all the murders they find “interesting.” The female lead, Morino is constantly taken as a hostage leaving Boku to go and “see how she dies.” But luckily, it always ends with Boku saving Morino in the end.

The theme for the book is very dark, including, suicide, murder, gore, and guilt. And the characters’ design gives the theme and dark visual catch of all that is described in the story, and there isn‘t too much happening on one page, that could distract or confused you from the story. There is also a good amount of horror and gore drawn very well, to give you a good chill up the spine. Although it would be best for children under 16 to stay away from this book or thought that don’t have the stomach for such things. Due to the quick scenes of nudity and graphic scenes as the students go on their investigations of murders.

To me the most captivating accessory to the story was definitely the characters development and outlook on their situations. Boku and Morino always head first into anything they believe is interesting. Plus watching the developing relationship between the two main characters defiantly leaves you with a mind rattling thought of them.

Boku: an interesting main character, mainly for his strange away of showing his feelings to Morino. His obsession with death is truly strange and but alluring at the same time. Even though his name isn’t revealed till the end the reader can obviously be drawn into a love-hate kind of relationship with Boku. Mainly for the fact his wants to watch how Morino dies and has claimed many times that he would like to “do the honors” himself(It is said in the first short story of the book that he would actually like to cut off and keep her hands). And yet, he’s never far behind when it comes to rescuing Morino from her captors. Boku’s past is never revealed in the book, not even his name is known until the final story of the book. When he goes to save Morino once again from a murderer who actually has an obsession with her in general.

Yoru Morino: One of my favorite characters in the story her unknown past always draws you into finding out why she so obsessed with death and where she received the blaring scar on her wrist(although it can mostly be implied by the reader at she tried to commit suicide). Her personality though can be quite confusing at some points, where at times she is completely cold and mysterious but during a certain story of the book her personality opens up strangely when she wears on the clothes that were found by the body of a girl who’s murder interested her and Boku. Of course that only got her into another dangerous situation where she was once again rescued by Boku. Morino’s past is also unknown to the reader until the last story.

I recommend that anyone who has the best capability to read and digest the manga world’s most mind boggling horror story. It will leave you wondering why there isn’t a second book out yet. And keep you updating and updating for the hopefully next released book.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goth concerns a pair of two disturbed outcasts named Boku and Morino who are both obsessed with death. The two disturbed teens are brought together through unusual means, circumstances befitting their twisted personalities. Before Morino is even aware of his existence, Boku has already had his sights set on her for quite some time. She was a lonely girl with cuts on her wrist and a past shrouded in darkness. He became infatuated with her hands that were covered in scars and as pale as a corpse. He could tell from a single glance that Morino was just as twisted as he was, and he becomes her dark guardian that preys on monsters like himself.

The first monster that Boku targets is a perverted man obsessed with collecting the severed hands of his victims. He discovers the killer’s notebook and finds records of his past crimes and who he plans to be his next victims. Boku is delighted by his morbid findings in the journal. Dolls, babies, children, men, women, animals, if they have hands the killer chops them off and brings them home.

It turns out that Morino’s lovely hands are the killer’s next target, and Boku exposes him before he’s able to kill her. Boku comes to Morino’s rescue just before the killer ends her life, and the two demented souls meet face-to-face for the first time. Boku is no noble knight in shining armor, however, he protects Morino from killers in hopes that he’ll one day have the chance to carve up her beautiful body and chop off her hands for himself. When Morino takes a liking to him despite being fully aware of what he wants to do to her, they realize that they were destined for each other. They’re both obsessed with death, one dreams of killing and one dreams of being killed. They follow death wherever it leads them, purposely throwing themselves in life-threatening situations and paying visits to the crime scenes of brutal murders to bask in the arousing atmosphere of decay.

Morino is a walking magnet for sickos and killers of every breed, including the main character himself. She uses her charm to lure in twisted souls and Boku punishes them by forcing them to confront their sins and perversions. Each story involves the morbid pair investigating crime scenes, provoking and exposing predators like themselves and taking pleasure in the sea of death that surrounds them everywhere they go.

There’s not much of a cohesive narrative, it’s much more about the morbid atmosphere and the exploration of disturbing acts such as staged suicide, harvesting body parts, the aroma ot rotting bodies, burying people alive and seeing how people react when they know they’re about to die. You’re essentially viewing the world through the eyes of soulless psychopaths that see no value in living things.

The only story I truly felt invested in was the last one which reveals the secrets of Morino’s identity and her dark childhood relationship with her twin sister. All in all, reading Goth is like walking into a gloomy forest and stumbling upon the butchered carcass that a serial killer left behind. There’s not much of a story to it, but it’s disturbing, gruesome and hard to look away from. Everyone is curious about death in one way or another, it’s an unavoidable part of life after all. We just have to make sure that our obsessions with morbid things don’t consume us to the point of losing our own humanity.

***

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[Cassandra (Thebookishcrypt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is my first manga read/review OF ALL TIME, I decided to make a special rating system for every one from here on out. My ratings for them will be the middle ground between the art style and the story line. I will be reviewing paranormal/horror manga exclusively until further notice and I'm super excited about it! I've been meaning to start reading manga for EVER and I'm glad that I finally had the opportunity to start now!
Cover: 4/5
Art style: 5/5
Story line: 3.5/5
This manga was recommended to me by an amazing lovely gal over on Instagram! As soon as I heard the title, I was in 1,000%. This manga is about two high school students, a boy and a girl, that are extremely fascinated by murder; Borderline inspired by it. One day, they find a notebook that belongs to an infamous murderer and the story takes off from there. They always find themselves in the middle of some twisted crime scenes.
I loved the darkness that oozed from every word. As someone who watches Investigation Discovery almost religiously, it's no surprise that I was super intrigued by the different crimes in this book.
I'm giving this 3.7 stars since I loved the genre and premise, but I found myself confused by the timeline. I felt like some key parts/explanations were missing in order for me to grasp the story better. I'm sure that I should've read the actually novel before the manga but no harm done. I am trying to get my hands on the novel next week!
Also, this was adapted as a film and I will most definitely be watching it ASAP!
I don't recommend this to readers under 18.
3.75/5 stars!

[Armand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A budding serial killer has found his first prey - a pretty classmate, of all people. She is a wristcutter who sports the same dark disposition as him. His deep attraction is no surprise - she has the dubious gift of attracting all manner of sickos into targeting her. And it's up to our resourceful lead to stop all the other hyenas from snatching this dainty morsel before he's even taken a bite.

This is an episodic manga that explores different killers with rather interesting M.O.'s. and what happens when they cross Itsuki and Yoru's paths. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the cynical endings. If he didn't have to save Yoru there'd have been no reason for Itsuki to apprehend these monsters. Yup he doesn't want to rid the world of them, not in the slightest. On the contrary, he even wants to see them "in action" so to speak.

The two-part finale is especially delicious. Yes you can see the ending a mile away and it seems rather contradictory to the spirit of the book. However, our protagonists have this knack of growing on the reader that one simply doesn't mind it.

Ogawa's art is exceptional, with character designs that fit their personalities to a T. I especially like the dramatic header art fronting the chapters.

Only one thing frustrated me, and it's that, with one exception, nothing was ever done about these psychos. I kept hoping that they'd eventually be brought to justice but oh well. Life has a way of making you pay for your sins anyways.

I'll be checking out the author's other books, beginning with the novel this manga is based on. In any case, I'm rating this 8/10 or 4 stars out of 5.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goth is ine of the worst mangas I've ever read.

I could say it had an interesting concept if only I knew what it was.

There's no exposition, no structure, no format, no real story or plot.

And I figured out the 'twist' at the end.

Not worthy to be called a manga.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the creepiest crime/horror novels of all time. The author was surprised at the way it was received in Japan, where it has won at least one major literary award as a mystery.
The central character is a teen whose only clear career path is to grow up to be a serial killer. I know of no other way to describe him.
One of the key elements in the stories [it's a novel made up of six interwoven stories] is confusion of identity, but even so it came as a shock when I realized that the reader doesn't learn the name of the central character until near the end of the book.
The central character is a strange, disconnected youth whose only enjoyment comes from considering death in all of its forms, especially violent death. Otsuichi's skill in telling the story from that character's own viewpoint is disturbingly brilliant in most scenes.
I had a little trouble with a couple of the plot twists, which kept me from giving the book a fifth star. Like in a lot of crime fiction, the police seem to be not only incompetent, but non-existent, and that bothered me a bit. Still, I highly recommend it IF you aren't squeamish. The gore in the first section is pretty gruesome.

[spalanai ⛤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

torturing and killing people ain't goth, it's psychopath behaviour ._.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goth: Um caderno de apontamentos encontrado por dois estudantes com tendências sombrias revela-se um relato dos métodos usados por um serial killer com propensão para esquartejar os corpos das vítimas em padrões de estética peculiar.

Wrist-cut: A cidade está a ser assolada por uma vaga de atrocidades, com um psicopata a decepar mãos de pessoas e animais. O protagonista do livro, que apenas conhecemos como "Boku" (eu em japonês) apercebe-se que o tranquilo professor de ciências do seu liceu é o decepador em série e rouba~lhe os troféus, tentando levá-lo a decepar as mãos da amiga, Morino.

Dog: O desaparecimento misterioso de animais de estimação está ligado ao drama de uma jovem menina, que treina o seu pacífico e fiel labrador para que este assassine o padrasto violento. Para que o cão aprenda a degolar um homem, tem de se treinar lutando contra muitos aterrorizados cães raptados.

Memory/Twins: Neste conto, Otsuichi mergulha mais a fundo nos mistérios de quem realmente é a adolescente Morino, com uma história sobre o suicídio de uma irmã gémea que, na óptica distorcida que dá a tónica a estes contos, foi afinal assassinada pela irmã que tomou o seu lugar.

Grave: Um polícia guarda no jardim um tétrico segredo. Gosta de enterrar vivas vítimas que escolhe a dedo. Na sua segunda tentativa, o cruzar-se com Boku e Morino ditará um final aos seus impulsos, mas esta dupla de adolescentes não é especialmente justiceira e ainda lhe planta uma terceira vítima no jardim.

Voice: Um conto complexo, onde a irmã de uma rapariga violentamente assassinada é atraída pelo assassino com gravações da voz, captadas durante o acto. Conto interessante, porque pensamos sempre que o inominado protagonista destas histórias é o assassino, até ao volte-face final onde se revela que afinal é um amigo de longa data da rapariga, para além de morbidamente curioso com assassínios em série.

Morino's Souvenir Photo: Um fotógrafo em busca da perfeita veracidade da expressão humana regressa, nove anos depois, ao local onde pela primeira vez conseguiu através de um assassínio captar o retrato perfeito. Cruza-se com Morino, que o enfeitiça, mas cruza-se também com o inominado protagonista, caçador de histórias relacionadas com mortes violentas.

[Trudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit weird for me, but I found it compulsive reading anyway. The content is a little brutal at times, falls on this side of disturbing, and plays mind games to boot. The six interconnected stories are essentially mysteries; there is a puzzle to solve for each one and the explanations can be fun. But that's not quite my thing.

What did intrigue me were the two main characters, and the parade of killers they cross paths with. Upon reading the author's afterword, I'm convinced now that these stories are not meant to be taken as "an exploration of humanity's dark side". The killers we meet are inhuman and for the most part, lack human motivation. They have a desire and compulsion to kill that is inexplicable -- and this is what separates them from the rest of us. At one point the narrator explains to the reader:

It was clear enough that some humans killed other people or wanted to kill people, for no reason at all. I didn't know if they became that way as they grew up, or if they were simply born that way. The problem was, these people hid their true nature and lived ordinary lives. They were hidden in the world, appearing no different from ordinary humans. But one day they would have no choice but to kill. They would have to leave their acceptable lives and go hunting.

This is a chilling observation that may carry a fair amount of truth in it. Sociopathic killers who walk among us bereft of any moral compass or empathy may not be broken humans, but an entirely different species; in fact, not human at all. They've just learned to walk and talk like us. Thinking about that scared the crap out of me and why the world Otsuichi creates is one in which I was eager to escape from, and one I'm not eager to return to.

[Marz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick read I enjoyed the dark imagery and unusual dark plot line.

[Mangrii · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seis historias cortas interconectadas que involucran a los dos personajes principales y nos llevan de viaje a los rincones más recónditos de la depravación humana. Perturbador, bastante deslavazado y con falta de profundidad, pero disfrutable en su sordidez.

[Craig DiLouie · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOTH by Otsuichi is an interesting book about a strange pair of friends attending a Japanese high school. Morino is a beautiful girl who wears black and never smiles or mingles with society. Her friend, the narrator of the book (who goes unnamed), mingles easily with people and seems to be perfectly normal.

They’re both faking.

And they’re both obsessed with serial killers.

Luckily for them, their town seems to be a magnet for them. They stumble on one strange case after another, but they’re not interested in solving murders or stopping them. They just want to understand the killers.

The writing is very good. Tight and straightforward, propelling the story at a fast pace. The characters themselves are interesting if a bit flat and sometimes too cool; we spend a lot of time with the narrator, though Morino is the more interesting character. I wish she had more screen time. The serial killers are just as interesting if not more, their crimes and methods obscene.

The narrative sometimes jumps around between different people speaking in first person, and overall it’s episodic. That’s because GOTH, while presented as a novel, isn’t. It’s a collection of short stories centered on the same two main characters. You’ll enjoy it a lot more knowing that going into it. It explains why the duo keep bumping into one serial killer after another and solving the crimes so handily. The author also explains this in the afterword (which should have been the foreword) by stating the serial killers are Japanese mythical evil spirits but don’t know it, drawn to this particular place and, for some reason, to Morino. The narrator himself may be one as well.

Overall, GOTH isn’t your normal horror fare. It’s a good horror read, about two fans of freaks who keep engaging with them, learning about them.

[Despair Speaking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otsuichi shows the real deal with this story. I never really understood what Goth meant. How can I especially with the way people easily brand others nowadays? The stereotype Goth was those who wear dark-colored clothes, are fond of the occult, and have a dark perspective in life. But the Goths in this manga were different.

Open your mind to the darkness found in others... the darkness that can lurking nearby you...

[Astri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most visually disturbing books I've read. Anyone who is interested in the macabre, horror and noir is likely to enjoy this.

I think I'll go back and read the novel it was based upon and see how the manga compares.

[Makenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unsure of this book when i first started reading it, but man it sure was twisted in the last chapter! I was definitely surprised at all the little twists & turns ther were. I tend to lean more towards this genre & honestly i loved the graphics! I would read this book again & again.

[Álvaro Arbonés]

No es verdad que una imagen valga más que mil palabras. Depende de qué imagen. De qué palabras. Existen imágenes equívocas, imágenes malintencionadas e, incluso, imágenes falsas. En ese caso, cualquier palabra sincera, por imprecisa que sea, resulta más efectiva. Pero incluso así, la problemática no reside en cuál de ambos procesos es más válido para transmitir lo real. Ambos lo son. El problema reside en qué medio es más efectivo transmitir un determinado mensaje: si el de las imágenes o el de las palabras.

Cuando las palabras deben convertirse en imágenes, ocurre Goth . Porque el dibujo y la composición de Kenji Oiwa intenta hacernos vivir la misma experiencia que las palabras de Otsuichi en la novela que adapta.

Cambiando el orden de los capítulos, dejando fuera dos de ellos, fusionando otros dos e inventando un nuevo final, todos los cambios se pueden resumir en dos categorías: o bien cambios narrativos para encapsular y mejorar lo que podría ser una excesiva repetición y fragmentaridad del original, o bien cambios obligados por la naturaleza eminentemente lingüística del grueso de giros de la novela.

Eso produce problemas. Todos los cambios de la primera categoría, siendo completamente justificables, hacen que la historia pierda impacto. Al centrar todo excesivamente sobre Morino, haciendo que sea la víctima definitiva, es imposible empatizar con un personaje protagonista que, aquí, se convierte en un absoluto depredador. Ya no queda, por extensión, la narrativa irónica del original. Tampoco sus sutiles pinceladas. Esa idea de cómo detrás de cada discurso de superioridad se ocultaba un ego frágil y temeroso incapaz de comprender su propia existencia. Pero aquí no. Porque aquí, según van pasando las páginas, sólo se va concretando lo evidente: lo mórbido de unas situaciones que sólo ahondan en lo oscuro y malsano de la mentalidad del personaje protagonista.

Pero esos no son los únicos cambios. Y es que cuando es necesario jugar al despiste con el dibujo, Goth acaba distrayéndose a sí mismos.

Aun quitando los capítulos basados enteramente en trucos lingüísticos o ambigüedades que se disolverían automáticamente si hubiera imágenes, dado que en Goth el narrador no tiene nombre, y su ausencia de nombre tiene tanto razones narrativas como estéticas —es Nadie, pues puede ser cualquiera, pero en ese ser nadie, puede ser todos los que tomen el micrófono del narrador—, algo que se pierde desde el momento que, en imágenes, ya es alguien. Tiene un rostro. Tiene algo distintivo que no puede ocultar.

Y eso lastra la narración.

El manga, como el libro, juega con la ambigüedad de la identidad de un personaje. Puede ser el narrador, puede ser otra persona. Eso, que Otsuichi controla a la perfección en la novela, se va de las manos en el manga. El problema es que, sin estar mal resuelto, se hace obvio que ocurre algo raro: de repente, la elección de planos cambia. Todos los primeros planos, abundantes hasta el momento, se convierten en planos generales donde, convenientemente, la cara del personaje desaparece. Nunca llegamos a verlo. Y de tan obvio que es que va a ocurrir algo, nuestras expectativas se desinflan cuando descubrimos que, efectivamente, había truco.

Ese es el problema de Goth, el manga. Que es una versión diluida de Goth, la novela. No porque la adaptación sea mala o no haga justicia al original, sino porque es incapaz de ser tan sutil y delicada como aquella.

Porque se conforma, en suma, con ser un buen thriller.

[Gabbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The manga edition of "Goth" by Otsuichi and illustrated by Kenji Oiwa is definitely going to be on my recommendations list for all fans of horror (manga or otherwise)! I finished reading it in about thirty minutes because I loved it so much. The art was simple yet detailed, and I really like the heavy contrast used throughout with the majority of the shading being pure black and white. The minimal gray tones just emphasized the contrast and made it even more visually appealing. I also really enjoyed the interesting story lines, since this is a short-story collection in a way. I haven't read the novel version yet, but I see that it has different chapters than the manga. I think it was a good choice to make the manga different from the novel since the plot revolves around short mysteries. If they were exactly the same, I feel like that would discourage a lot of the general public from reading the novel too. I also see on wiki that the manga is less gruesome but it's still decently gore-y. I don't think it was gratuitous or to a "distasteful" amount, if that makes sense.

I thought it was really fascinating to see a story revolving around two...relatively...non violent sociopaths. A large portion of the population is made up of sociopaths, but when they're represented in the media they're almost always violent criminals. I've read multiple resources about sociopathy though, and most of them are nonviolent - they're usually just assholes at most. But I think making the main characters that trait was an easy way to explain why the duo were so interested in crimes - I feel like that would be easier to portray nowadays since True Crime is such a common socially-accepted interest. Similarly, it was interesting to see how the two characters were focused on the criminals' motives rather than focusing on the crime itself. They definitely were interested in both, but the focus on wanting to know who the killers were and why they did it stands out a lot compared to modern True Crime consumption. Usually you'll see podcasts where people don't really care about the victims or the killer's motives - they just want to know all the gore, guts, and repulsive details. I wonder if Otsuichi would have written the manga/novel the same way if he wrote it now instead of back in 2003.

Despite how much I loved "Goth," I ultimately took a star off because I didn't really like the repeat storyline of Yoru getting in trouble and then getting saved by the narrator (N*). Otsuichi did mention in his author's note at the end of the book that he thinks that his use of the trope was expected and boring, and he calls himself stupid for writing it like that. I do like the plots of each story a lot but I think they could have benefitted from having a different dynamic between Yoru and N. I get why Otsuichi kept the same dynamic though, because I don't see N being caught up in a trap as easily as Yoru but I also don't think Yoru or N would care enough about another person to bother saving someone who was in trouble. They probably wouldn't even notice if a classmate went missing. I do like that N wasn't saving Yoru through paranormal or supernatural means though. N was just smart, observant, and manipulative.

Date Read: 09/29/23

[Andrea]

I am having a hard time rating this manga. I read it because it was recommended to me after reading Uzumaki. I do not want to give it a general rating at all because I do not advocate the approach the main characters have towards murders but here are my ratings broken down into two categories based on manga's that I have read:

Unique overall plot: 5 out of 5. The two main characters are two teens who are obsessed with "finding" psychopath murderers and each murderer has a unique way of killing their victims.

Character's personalities and them as individuals overall: 0 out of 5. The author calls the protagonists idiots and their approach to murderers is stupid. They are asking to get killed. The female character is always the damsel in distress *yawn* and the male character saves her every time. They do not study murderers they just glorify them and follow them around. Once they catch them *spoiler alert* they let them get away! Someone get these kids a shrink, please!

I think what bothered me the most was at the end of novel Otsuichi says, he "did not write this manga for entertainment." Then why did you turn your novel into a manga, which is one of the most entertaining forms of literature out there! I seriously doubt this book was written for public awareness.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. It's different but it left me with an uncomfortable feeling for those teens and if it was not made to entertain then what was the author's goal?

[Pedro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goth es una novela traducida al Manga por Kendi Oiwa, el arte también corre a cargo de él. Nos habla acerca de Yoru Morino una estudiante y su compañero, sin nombre y su extraño interés por los asesinatos más horribles ocurridos cerca de donde ellos viven.

Goth es bastante, bastante común en cuanto a historia se refiere, el mismo autor dice al final del libro que es la repetitiva historia de el héroe salva a la princesa pero con asesinos seriales, la cual no la hace mala per se, pero estamos hablando de la misma historia como dos veces y al final del volumen hay una más original, las formas de matar de los asesinos son más interesantes pero tristemente su psicología y desarrollo como personajes se queda un poco corta.

El arte redime el volumen bastante, Oiwa tiene mucho talento para dibujar escenas gore y de alguna manera hacerlas atractivas, me gustó también mucho como juega con las sombras y el entramado de los paneles a pesar de ser la clásica estructura de un manga juega mucho con ella.

En conclusión Goth es interesante y puedo decir que la disfruté a pesar de sus obvias fallas, sin embargo necesita una historia más original o más experimental, aunque entiendo que el fin del volumen es el morboso mundo de los asesinos seriales estoy seguro que se puede explorar un poco más allá.

[Addison · Rating 2 out of 5]

“There are two kinds of humans: those who kill and those who are killed.”

This novel did not live up to the hype. Other reviews described the prose as "bonechilling" and "horrifying"; however, all of the atrocities shown in the book seem pretty tame in spirit. While the act of burying someone alive or cutting off people's hands seems pretty creepy, they are presented in a way that makes them seem almost juvenile and uninspired. They lack malice. The characters are needlessly adolescent (to the point of being cringeworthy) and the author quickly runs out of ways to make the main character seem like a sociopath (oh, look at his eyes, oh check out how unfeeling he is, oh look he's obsessed with murder). This novel, rather than reflecting the dark and macabre, seems to illustrate the current definition of Goth: obsessed with the color black, immature, and without life goals. That being said, I am not a gatekeeper for good horror literature. Maybe I just don't "understand".

3/10

[Shafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember finding this oneshot in a lonely, humid summer night, and loving it immensely.

Reading this years after, it's easier to see things in retrospect. The stories are interesting, but don't really go anywhere. The plots themselves have hints of mystery/suspense, but not really. They are solved by coincidence, in almost all cases. The introspection on human psyche, etc. are present only on a surface level, and very basic. The two main characters are mildly fascinating, but doesn't develop much besides their relationship with each other.

Oiwa's art is delightfully dark and fanciful, with necessary amount of guro, and reminds me of CLAMP's work a bit. However, sometimes it loses the ability to be sufficiently serious as the story's tone requires it to be (I still like it).

All in all, a 3/5 at best, probably.

[Lysiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading GOTH after a friend gave it to me in highschool and "I might like this since I love Death Note". So when I fell on it again 10 years later I felt the need to read it again and see if I still loved this story. And boy do I love it! It's probably one of the first manga I ever read to be so dark, gore and having the potential to make you feel like you're turning insane. It will be a pleasure for all the Mirai Nikki, Death Note, Doubt and all other psychologically twisted manga! But this one is truly different and is one of those artworks that have an effect on you that you can't explain, leave you with a dreadful feeling you can't chase...

[Shashoto Sharif · Rating 4 out of 5]

মাংগাফক্স ঘাটতে ঘাটতে প্রথমে এই মাংগাটা দেখেছিলাম,তখন খেয়াল হল,আরে এই নামে না বাতিঘর থেকে একটা অনুবাদ বের হয়েছে।ঘটনাচক্রে দেখা গেল,দু'টোই সেম বই থেকে করা এবং আমি কোন একসময় বাতিঘরের বইটি কিনে বসে আছি।একটু ভিন্নধর্মী কিছু পড়লেই নরমালি আমি মুগ্ধ হয়ে যাই,এক্ষেত্রেও তার ব্যাতিক্রম হল না অবশ্যই,সাইকোপ্যাথ প্রোটাগোনিস্ট আর তার সঙ্গিনীর কাজকর্ম আমাকে বেশ ভাল্ভাবে আকর্ষণ করল,যার ফলে বই পড়ার পরেও আমি গেলাম মাংগাটাও পড়তে।
অৎসুইশির বই এ কথাবার্তা দিয়ে খুব চমৎকারভাবে টুইস্ট লুকানো থাকে,যেগুলো মাংগাতে দেখানো একটু কঠিনই বটে,তবে এখানে কোন চেষ্টার ত্রুটি রাখা হয়েছে বলে মনে হয় না।একটু ডার্ক আর্ট আর প্রেজেন্টেশন মিলে খুবই উপভোগ্য মাংগা।

[Anna Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so the horror elements were GREAT and I really loved that part of this, despite it being out of my comfort zone. I will say, though, that this cannot be given higher than 2 stars because the plotlines were so incredibly hard to follow. I know that I was reading it in the correct order and that I had a full version of the text, and yet I was confused for a good portion of the story. Sometimes I got characters confused in scenes because there was no real clarification of who was who (minus the main female lead) and in other moments I was confused by the overall plot. Was it one big storyline? Was it just told in vignettes? I don't understand it. So it gets 2 stars.

[Katerine Gail Pangilinan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best suspense mystery light novels that I read. Truly amazing. I applaud Otsuichi for making it seem like "A game between the author and the reader". The twists, up until the end, kept me at the edge of my seat as I was reading it.

[Lydia Peever · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best fiction stories i have read in a long time.

[নূর · Rating 5 out of 5]

ওরিয়েন্টাল আর ওয়েস্টা��্ন হরর লেখকদের পার্থক্য এই মাধ্যমে বুঝেছি। সারা জীবনের জন্য ভক্ত হয়ে গেছি।