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裏世界ピクニック [Urasekai picnic] Manga #1
Otherside Picnic 01
In this sci-fi/fantasy survival thriller, the dangerous and deadly realm of the Otherside--where urban legends, cryptids, and folkloric legends roam--calls to two women, both in search of something. As they set out to sate their curiosity and explore this other world, will the most earth-shattering thing they discover on the Otherside be their feelings for each other?
While on the trail of alleged paranormal activity, amateur urban explorer, depressed college student, and all-around loner Sorawo discovers a door to a curious destination--the Otherside. There, she has a near-miss with a creature both repulsive and mesmerizing...but before she can fall prey to the strange beast, the beautiful Toriko comes to her rescue! What horrors await the pair as they continue to explore this parallel world and its bizarre and dangerous denizens?!
While on the trail of alleged paranormal activity, amateur urban explorer, depressed college student, and all-around loner Sorawo discovers a door to a curious destination--the Otherside. There, she has a near-miss with a creature both repulsive and mesmerizing...but before she can fall prey to the strange beast, the beautiful Toriko comes to her rescue! What horrors await the pair as they continue to explore this parallel world and its bizarre and dangerous denizens?!
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2018
19 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 10, 2023
this is so underrated? It’s genuinely creepy; I loved this brand of internet-y, SCP-y, creepypasta-y horror! Right now there seems to be more focus on the individual character development than yuri, which is a good thing. I’m excited to see how the relationship between the girls develops. Hopefully Sorawo stops being so insecure and mopey soon, but it’s not too annoying yet and I’m sure she’ll grow as a person.
Anyway this feels like it was made for me personally and I’m super excited to keep reading it!
Anyway this feels like it was made for me personally and I’m super excited to keep reading it!
July 18, 2022
Oh my gosh! I had NO idea how creepy this manga was going to be from the summary on the back. I’m so glad I requested it from the library and didn’t buy it at Barnes and Noble because it is for sure beyond my creep level comfort zone.
Two girls find each other on the Otherside. The Otherside appears to be another world or dimension connected to our own through gaps in the membrane of our reality. Doors that don’t go where you think they should, elevators that will take you there if you push the right sequence of floors, etc. Toriko is looking for her lost friend who appears to have vanished at some point in one of her frequent visits to the Otherside. Sorarow finds comfort in the other land thinking it is her own paradise. But the Otherside is filled with creeps both human and not, monsters, and so many ways to lose your sense of self and mind.
I want to know what is going to happen, but I fear the second volume since this one freaked me out on a scale from 1 to the Ring Girl maybe falling on a 7? Anyway, if someone wants to read volume two and brace me for the creep spots I’m all in!
Two girls find each other on the Otherside. The Otherside appears to be another world or dimension connected to our own through gaps in the membrane of our reality. Doors that don’t go where you think they should, elevators that will take you there if you push the right sequence of floors, etc. Toriko is looking for her lost friend who appears to have vanished at some point in one of her frequent visits to the Otherside. Sorarow finds comfort in the other land thinking it is her own paradise. But the Otherside is filled with creeps both human and not, monsters, and so many ways to lose your sense of self and mind.
I want to know what is going to happen, but I fear the second volume since this one freaked me out on a scale from 1 to the Ring Girl maybe falling on a 7? Anyway, if someone wants to read volume two and brace me for the creep spots I’m all in!
June 13, 2022
If you, like me, were getting frustrated by the shortage of fantasy adventure manga with a female (rather than male/male) main pairing, and the levels of fetishization in those you DID find with a Sapphic vibe…this story is the antidote!
Sorawo is a nerdy college student interested in urban legends who finds a doorway to another world. As she starts to explore, she is startled by a strange wobbly white monster that seems to affect her mind and rescued by another human girl – a really pretty girl! The other girl’s name is Toriko (she seems really pleased when Sorawo agrees to call her that, without honorifics) and they start to explore this place Sorawo has termed “the other side”. (“…if it’s with this weird woman, I have begun to think it wouldn’t be so bad to play and enjoy ourselves together”)
The first chapter presents events in a slightly confusing order (“Wait, why is the MC lying a puddle all of a sudden?”), but after backing up and re-reading the first few pages I figured it out! Their next trip is a bit more ominous, as they narrowly avoid a ghostly woman and a reptilian monster on their elevator ride to the other side, and then find a man with fungal hyphae growing out of his head who seems to have stuck his own fingers in his eyes. This alternation of cute and horrifying is a pattern in this series, which I think serves to make the horror elements scarier.
Full review for volumes 1-7: https://ajungleoftales.blogspot.com/2...
Sorawo is a nerdy college student interested in urban legends who finds a doorway to another world. As she starts to explore, she is startled by a strange wobbly white monster that seems to affect her mind and rescued by another human girl – a really pretty girl! The other girl’s name is Toriko (she seems really pleased when Sorawo agrees to call her that, without honorifics) and they start to explore this place Sorawo has termed “the other side”. (“…if it’s with this weird woman, I have begun to think it wouldn’t be so bad to play and enjoy ourselves together”)
The first chapter presents events in a slightly confusing order (“Wait, why is the MC lying a puddle all of a sudden?”), but after backing up and re-reading the first few pages I figured it out! Their next trip is a bit more ominous, as they narrowly avoid a ghostly woman and a reptilian monster on their elevator ride to the other side, and then find a man with fungal hyphae growing out of his head who seems to have stuck his own fingers in his eyes. This alternation of cute and horrifying is a pattern in this series, which I think serves to make the horror elements scarier.
Full review for volumes 1-7: https://ajungleoftales.blogspot.com/2...
September 20, 2021
Sorawo is a solo explorer of abandoned places who winds up taking a journey to a bizarre world she dubs the Otherside. When she gets in over her head, she is rescued by the beautiful Toriko, a fellow explorer, and, despite Sawaro’s best efforts, the two begin to bond…
Well, this certainly isn’t my first go round with these two and I have to say that I’m pretty okay with this adaptation of the light novels. It’s not perfect, which I will get to, but it’s definitely a step above the anime, which tended to play off a lot of the inherent creepiness of the Otherside as broad humour instead (or it simply wasn’t good at conveying things).
No such quarrel here - the art in this book is absolutely at its best when it’s depicting the unreal reality of the new world our two leads find themselves in and it presents the creatures in particular really well. There is danger here and no mistake. It’s a very solid interpretation of the original story.
The character design is okay, not great. I think Sorawo looks as mousy as she ever does and the art really nails both that aspect of her and her solitary nature perfectly. The Toriko design does not work for me nearly as well, I think it’s the hair, and the whole thing feels slightly off in a way I can’t necessarily pinpoint but definitely bugged me the entire way through.
This first volume follows the light novels quite faithfully, though I have to admit I was a little annoyed when it cut out just at the climax of a story (that one is on me - it makes perfect sense to end on that cliffhanger, except I know what’s coming and am waiting for it).
If I had one complaint, well, let’s just say this will come as a shock if you’ve read many of my reviews - there’s too much yuri. I didn’t go back and check, but it feels like Sorawo is way more obviously jealous and into Toriko than was ever the case in the first LN.
Now, in that review, I said there wasn’t enough yuri, but that turned out to be the novels playing the long game and Sorawo had a lot to unpack before she could ever entertain any thoughts of romance (and still hasn’t as of the last volume released in English). Having her stirring as early as she does in the manga doesn’t ring true to me at all.
Still, the good stuff here is really good: the unfeeling unfriendliness of the Otherside, the strange creatures that inhabit it, the ways it must be accessed, and the poor souls who end up brushing up against it (some more deeply than others, as we see).
4 stars - caveats aside, this is a good version of this story, definitely a cut above the anime, that’s easy to recommend but not to the extent that I think you should seek it out over the source material instead.
Well, this certainly isn’t my first go round with these two and I have to say that I’m pretty okay with this adaptation of the light novels. It’s not perfect, which I will get to, but it’s definitely a step above the anime, which tended to play off a lot of the inherent creepiness of the Otherside as broad humour instead (or it simply wasn’t good at conveying things).
No such quarrel here - the art in this book is absolutely at its best when it’s depicting the unreal reality of the new world our two leads find themselves in and it presents the creatures in particular really well. There is danger here and no mistake. It’s a very solid interpretation of the original story.
The character design is okay, not great. I think Sorawo looks as mousy as she ever does and the art really nails both that aspect of her and her solitary nature perfectly. The Toriko design does not work for me nearly as well, I think it’s the hair, and the whole thing feels slightly off in a way I can’t necessarily pinpoint but definitely bugged me the entire way through.
This first volume follows the light novels quite faithfully, though I have to admit I was a little annoyed when it cut out just at the climax of a story (that one is on me - it makes perfect sense to end on that cliffhanger, except I know what’s coming and am waiting for it).
If I had one complaint, well, let’s just say this will come as a shock if you’ve read many of my reviews - there’s too much yuri. I didn’t go back and check, but it feels like Sorawo is way more obviously jealous and into Toriko than was ever the case in the first LN.
Now, in that review, I said there wasn’t enough yuri, but that turned out to be the novels playing the long game and Sorawo had a lot to unpack before she could ever entertain any thoughts of romance (and still hasn’t as of the last volume released in English). Having her stirring as early as she does in the manga doesn’t ring true to me at all.
Still, the good stuff here is really good: the unfeeling unfriendliness of the Otherside, the strange creatures that inhabit it, the ways it must be accessed, and the poor souls who end up brushing up against it (some more deeply than others, as we see).
4 stars - caveats aside, this is a good version of this story, definitely a cut above the anime, that’s easy to recommend but not to the extent that I think you should seek it out over the source material instead.
October 10, 2024
I've been on a bit of a manga kick lately, and I have to say I really enjoyed this one.
What it's about: Otherside Picnic Manga is a faithful adaptation of the light novels by the same name. At 3 volumes per book, it trails behind the original in terms of pace, so if you're impatient for some yuri action, just be warned that it will take a while.
The story: follows university student Sorawo Kamikosh as she discovers a portal to another world while exploring an abandoned building. Drawn to the idea of having a whole world to herself, she decides to keep her discovery secret - with near disastrous consequences.
What I thought: Iori Miyazawa's Otherside Picnic is urban fantasy/horror at its finest, featuring an eerie blend of the supernatural and the mundane. Eita Mizuno's art, while not character-focused, effectively captures the vibe of the story. Picture a mix of sweeping vistas, claustrophobic panelling and unsettling typography to capture sound and movement.
My only gripe here, is that Mizuno's art is less detailed than Shirakaba's work in the original light novels. TBF though, that's less complaint and more reason to go read the originals.
The sapphic content is a slow burn, with some suggested jealousy on Sorawo's part. As a result, the yuri tag feels almost incidental to this volume.
For those who have read both, there is some bonus Miyazawa content towards the end of the book that adds Kozakura's perspective.
TL;DR: a strong start to what promises to be an interesting series.
What it's about: Otherside Picnic Manga is a faithful adaptation of the light novels by the same name. At 3 volumes per book, it trails behind the original in terms of pace, so if you're impatient for some yuri action, just be warned that it will take a while.
The story: follows university student Sorawo Kamikosh as she discovers a portal to another world while exploring an abandoned building. Drawn to the idea of having a whole world to herself, she decides to keep her discovery secret - with near disastrous consequences.
What I thought: Iori Miyazawa's Otherside Picnic is urban fantasy/horror at its finest, featuring an eerie blend of the supernatural and the mundane. Eita Mizuno's art, while not character-focused, effectively captures the vibe of the story. Picture a mix of sweeping vistas, claustrophobic panelling and unsettling typography to capture sound and movement.
My only gripe here, is that Mizuno's art is less detailed than Shirakaba's work in the original light novels. TBF though, that's less complaint and more reason to go read the originals.
The sapphic content is a slow burn, with some suggested jealousy on Sorawo's part. As a result, the yuri tag feels almost incidental to this volume.
For those who have read both, there is some bonus Miyazawa content towards the end of the book that adds Kozakura's perspective.
TL;DR: a strong start to what promises to be an interesting series.
July 22, 2023
A type of portal fantasy where you can just walk through a doorway and enter another world.
Not a huge fan of Sawaro, the introvert who hates people. She's not forthcoming, and spends a lot of timd in her thoughts. But I like Toriko quite a bit, the mode extroverted character who isnt afraid of anything.
The story is definitely much darker than I had thought, which I prefer. More horror where everyone's life is in danger.
I started this because it's supposed to be a yuri, I guess time will tell! The female leads dont seem very compatible...
Excited to keep reading the series!
Not a huge fan of Sawaro, the introvert who hates people. She's not forthcoming, and spends a lot of timd in her thoughts. But I like Toriko quite a bit, the mode extroverted character who isnt afraid of anything.
The story is definitely much darker than I had thought, which I prefer. More horror where everyone's life is in danger.
I started this because it's supposed to be a yuri, I guess time will tell! The female leads dont seem very compatible...
Excited to keep reading the series!
June 2, 2024
La trama tiene el halo atrapante de un videojuego, de querer saber que hay más allá. Tiene momentos y criaturas bastante turbias, pero es que yo también me adentraría en este lugar para saber qué está pasando. ¿Qué es? ¿Cómo se ha formado?
Los personajes son algo estereotipados, pero me ha gustado bastante las interacciones entre ellos, lo distintos que parecen.
En cuanto pueda empiezo el siguiente.
Los personajes son algo estereotipados, pero me ha gustado bastante las interacciones entre ellos, lo distintos que parecen.
En cuanto pueda empiezo el siguiente.
May 29, 2023
Really neat storyline of another dimension full of monsters and mysteries. I almost wish more happened, but I get that this volume just set up the start of the story. I’m intrigued though and the art is beautiful and creepy as hell.
July 7, 2025
4.5
Sapphic sci-fi is my newest obsession and this did not disappoint! I'm shocked at how underhyped this is. It was eerie and grabbed attention from the very beginning. Can't wait to read more volumes!
Sapphic sci-fi is my newest obsession and this did not disappoint! I'm shocked at how underhyped this is. It was eerie and grabbed attention from the very beginning. Can't wait to read more volumes!
August 31, 2021
This feels somehow more effective than the anime version.
April 3, 2022
at first it was a little confusing but later on i liked it
February 6, 2024
Casting call for a side piece to hunt lovecraftian horrors and incomprehensibly mind-altering threats
July 20, 2024
A book that asks “what if one of the great works of Russian sci-fi literature, but about Japanese lesbians?” And the answer is yeah, thats some good eatin.
June 9, 2024
The manga is even better than the light novels (not least because the art is fantastic) and certainly better than the anime. It's a shame we have to wait so long for the next volume...
March 14, 2021
Amazing series even though is a Yuri I really like is not just focus in that aspect (this is coming for a person that mostly reads manga thanks to the Yuri genre) because this series has a lot of good and interesting points such as the mix of horror/thriller to it combining Japanese urban legends which is something really cool, with this having a pretty interesting dinamic between the main characters being all really different from each other. The art is also great clear but when it comes the time to introduce a new legend from the Otherside be ready because it is solid executed.
I will suggest this manga to someone that is looking more for inside and has interested on things that are "paranormal" and Urban Legends with the addition of gore, friendship, conflict and a very nice dinamic between tge main characters. But if you are looking for an story that goes straight up to having the main purpose romance you will obviously will not find it here.
Still I encourage everyone to give it a try!
I will suggest this manga to someone that is looking more for inside and has interested on things that are "paranormal" and Urban Legends with the addition of gore, friendship, conflict and a very nice dinamic between tge main characters. But if you are looking for an story that goes straight up to having the main purpose romance you will obviously will not find it here.
Still I encourage everyone to give it a try!
February 14, 2022
I find this while researching yuri manga, the premise sound interested so I thought it would give the manga and light novels a try.
Sorawo is a college student who find a different world one day. With no friends, she finds the other world to be a safe haven. There she runs into a wiggly being who paralyzes her where she can not move. Unexpected a another girl named Toriko helps and knows more about what she calls 'The Otherside". The two start to bond and hunt the wiggly being but things can an almost bad turn before Toriko is able to save Sorawo from learning more about the wiggly being. Though something changes in Toriko hand and Sorawo eyes turns blue, but they arent sure why.
The two reenter the world again, to find Toriko friends, and Sorawo feels alittle betrayed hearing how important the friend is. The meet another person who is looking for his wife.
The ending and most of this is alittle confusing. I am hoping that when I read the light novel but some things will be more clear.
Sorawo is a college student who find a different world one day. With no friends, she finds the other world to be a safe haven. There she runs into a wiggly being who paralyzes her where she can not move. Unexpected a another girl named Toriko helps and knows more about what she calls 'The Otherside". The two start to bond and hunt the wiggly being but things can an almost bad turn before Toriko is able to save Sorawo from learning more about the wiggly being. Though something changes in Toriko hand and Sorawo eyes turns blue, but they arent sure why.
The two reenter the world again, to find Toriko friends, and Sorawo feels alittle betrayed hearing how important the friend is. The meet another person who is looking for his wife.
The ending and most of this is alittle confusing. I am hoping that when I read the light novel but some things will be more clear.
May 9, 2023
Really enjoyed volume 1 of this! Two college age girls travel to a mysterious supernatural “Otherside” to look for a missing friend and find rare items to sell to an interested party. They find some paranormal/supernatural beings in the Otherside that appear to be inspired by Japanese urban legends and myths.
It seems to have a couple nods to “Roadside Picnic” (AKA Stalker), even beyond the name of the manga. In volume 1 I noticed the similarities of people being paid to find strange otherworldly items and bring them back, and the strategy of tossing small items out ahead to check for invisible environmental dangers. I was excited to see those shared ideas and the unique way it’s being used in this series.
It seems to have a couple nods to “Roadside Picnic” (AKA Stalker), even beyond the name of the manga. In volume 1 I noticed the similarities of people being paid to find strange otherworldly items and bring them back, and the strategy of tossing small items out ahead to check for invisible environmental dangers. I was excited to see those shared ideas and the unique way it’s being used in this series.
April 17, 2024
Kept me wanting more with the ending. I love a saphic horror. I love the Japanese folk tales. I love watching Sorawo info dump about folk lore you can tell she loves it. I love Sorawo, I'm also part of anti social gang. I relate to her antisocial attitude and can't wait for her and Toriko to get together. Her jealousy is adorable. I also love how the wriggler gave her heterochromatic eyes it looks beautiful.
November 28, 2021
'Otherside Picnic' is the manga version of the story of two girls exploring a realm full of horrors that's just adjacent to our world, finding someone they can rely on, and dealing with a lot of supernatural weirdness. I really enjoyed the anime, and I'm having a lot of fun re-experiencing the story this way too.
June 26, 2023
a decently spooky start that intrigues me enough to want to read more. the main character is an archetype that tends to rub me the wrong way (anytime the person she likes/is friends with shows any kind of interest in any other person the MC gets jealous, acts bratty, then spirals into a self-pity and self-flagellating spiral) so i hope she grows more or is written in a different direction
February 14, 2024
Un Yuri fuera de lo que estamos acostumbrados con una trama espectacular que nos dará mucho juego.
No os miento si os digo que no pude soltarlo y que me hypeó tanto que literalmente, quizá es una de las series de las que más pendientes estaré este año.
No os miento si os digo que no pude soltarlo y que me hypeó tanto que literalmente, quizá es una de las series de las que más pendientes estaré este año.
May 10, 2025
Roadside Picnic with creepypasta/SCP creatures and sapphic leads.
I like creative lore and creatures, but the lead felt overly dramatic, and I was told it turns into a romance later, so I default to "why should I bother continuing reading?"
I like creative lore and creatures, but the lead felt overly dramatic, and I was told it turns into a romance later, so I default to "why should I bother continuing reading?"
March 26, 2021
I would recommend the original novel over this adaption, but this is still good! The spooky stuff looks spooky and cool.
January 3, 2022
Beautiful art, an unusual story, a bit to heart yuri, misterious. But I could do without the guns.. it's the thing that bothers me the most.
January 3, 2022
a whole bunch of cryptids/urban legends/folklore - and lesbians!!! what more could u ask for
February 1, 2022
I enjoyed this so much more than expected. I picked it up because I was looking for a yuri with strong worldbuilding and I found it. The "otherside" is fascinating to me, filled with the creatures of urban legends and horror stories. The art for these scenes is deliciously creepy. The connection between our leads is a tentative friendship right now, but I'm eager to see where it goes.
March 1, 2022
This manga's horror is chilling to the core. It's the scariest manga/book that I've ever read
April 30, 2022
A promising start to the series. The "Otherside" is full of body horror, otherworldly beings, and its own logic we can only hope not to understand.
October 15, 2022
what the fuuuuuck
February 9, 2023
Mai comprato un volume due così velocemente. Bellissimo!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews