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光の箱 [Hikari no Hako] #1
La boîte lumineuse
Une supérette émet une étrange lueur dans la nuit : elle est située entre le monde des vivants et celui des morts… Quelle surprise du destin attend les clients qui y pénètrent ? La Boîte lumineuse est un recueil d’histoires courtes qui se déroulent dans les replis mystérieux de notre quotidien.
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2020
15 people are currently reading
778 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 28, 2023
I actually read the Kindle edition.
Entry in the "mundane-yet-not emporium that acts as a boundary between life and death", or life and the afterlife as may be. (The excellent recent Korean TV series Hotel Del Luna is another.) Also an updated version of the Strange Little Shop that might not be there next time you look.
BoL starts out slowly, and is just beginning to develop by the end of Vol. 1. Customers in this supernatural convenience store each have their own stories, as do the employees. A mystery of the mode, "What is going on here, and who are these people anyway?"
Since the story has barely cleared the runway by the end of Vol. 1, I'm pleased to see a Vol. 2 is in the works for next year, and will be interested to see what it delivers on the tacit narrative promises so far.
Ta, L.
Later: Read Vol. 2. Enjoyed it. The chapters I liked best were the gentler slice-of-life/death ones. There's a hint at the end that Vol. 3 may take a turn to the more action-y, which could be a shame. We'll see.
L.
Entry in the "mundane-yet-not emporium that acts as a boundary between life and death", or life and the afterlife as may be. (The excellent recent Korean TV series Hotel Del Luna is another.) Also an updated version of the Strange Little Shop that might not be there next time you look.
BoL starts out slowly, and is just beginning to develop by the end of Vol. 1. Customers in this supernatural convenience store each have their own stories, as do the employees. A mystery of the mode, "What is going on here, and who are these people anyway?"
Since the story has barely cleared the runway by the end of Vol. 1, I'm pleased to see a Vol. 2 is in the works for next year, and will be interested to see what it delivers on the tacit narrative promises so far.
Ta, L.
Later: Read Vol. 2. Enjoyed it. The chapters I liked best were the gentler slice-of-life/death ones. There's a hint at the end that Vol. 3 may take a turn to the more action-y, which could be a shame. We'll see.
L.
January 21, 2023
This was good, but quite different from what I expected. I must have been looking at the wrong blurb or something because I thought it was about architecture!
It reminded me a lot of this show I saw as a kid, Nightmare Cafe.
It reminded me a lot of this show I saw as a kid, Nightmare Cafe.
July 14, 2022
I love stories that focus on liminal spaces and the mood that’s on show on the cover was really what stuck out to me. There’s a particularly unique feeling around going to a corner shop late at night so I was really intrigued as to how the mangaka would capture this feeling and incorporate a sense of horror into it. Honestly, a corner shop that people visit who are on the precipice of life and death is an incredible hook and one I was excited to experience.
What this series actually shows is one hell of a busy shop, in some chapters swarming with customers. 2 employees, a manager, a mysterious character called Kafka that appears for one chapter to cause absolute havoc, a dark entity which also causes havoc and stays on as a cat to cause even more chaos and then the addition of 2 new employees at the end of the volume is far from the lonely feeling the cover communicates. The fact that the employees can also leave the store and return to the ‘real world’ really takes from that feeling of isolation I thought we’d get in a creepy sounding and looking series like this. This feeling is compounded when it’s revealed in the final chapter that there’s also a [i]limbo book shop[/i] directly across the street from the convenience store which also receives just as many visitors. I wouldn’t say this is a spoiler, this was absolutely done for a punchline, but I really feel like I’ve been lead on by the cover and blurb and didn’t get the story which was advertised.
The interior art was another disappointment. It just doesn’t reflect the mood that’s on the cover and is a little too amateurish to get any kind of feeling across. I had hopes it would be similar to the work in Land of the Lustrous Haruko Ichikawa but this really wasn’t the case and I was incredibly surprised to see this wasn’t the mangaka’s debut work. Art is hugely subjective I know but this really didn’t work for me.
The series also skews more comedy than I ever thought it would which was a major surprise given some of the subject matter that was briefly touched on. It also felt like we followed the employees of the shop more than the customers who visit and seen as the workers were the vehicles for the comedy itself, it, again, didn’t really work for me personally.
Overall, one that wasn’t for me sadly but maybe my hopes were too high. Maybe I was hoping for something like Convenience Store Woman meets Death Parade or Phantom Tales of the Night or something totally surreal like An Invitation from a Crab but this wasn’t it. I’ll stick with it though and see what happens but I’m praying it’ll be short.
I was also under the impression that this was a stand alone volume. It is not. There is more. 😐
•••
TLDR: Liminal space, moody cover and blurb about people in limbo reveals a hectic comedy manga that’s may as well be set in a shop in the middle of Tokyo with amateurish art that doesn’t match the cover or suit the mood.
What this series actually shows is one hell of a busy shop, in some chapters swarming with customers. 2 employees, a manager, a mysterious character called Kafka that appears for one chapter to cause absolute havoc, a dark entity which also causes havoc and stays on as a cat to cause even more chaos and then the addition of 2 new employees at the end of the volume is far from the lonely feeling the cover communicates. The fact that the employees can also leave the store and return to the ‘real world’ really takes from that feeling of isolation I thought we’d get in a creepy sounding and looking series like this. This feeling is compounded when it’s revealed in the final chapter that there’s also a [i]limbo book shop[/i] directly across the street from the convenience store which also receives just as many visitors. I wouldn’t say this is a spoiler, this was absolutely done for a punchline, but I really feel like I’ve been lead on by the cover and blurb and didn’t get the story which was advertised.
The interior art was another disappointment. It just doesn’t reflect the mood that’s on the cover and is a little too amateurish to get any kind of feeling across. I had hopes it would be similar to the work in Land of the Lustrous Haruko Ichikawa but this really wasn’t the case and I was incredibly surprised to see this wasn’t the mangaka’s debut work. Art is hugely subjective I know but this really didn’t work for me.
The series also skews more comedy than I ever thought it would which was a major surprise given some of the subject matter that was briefly touched on. It also felt like we followed the employees of the shop more than the customers who visit and seen as the workers were the vehicles for the comedy itself, it, again, didn’t really work for me personally.
Overall, one that wasn’t for me sadly but maybe my hopes were too high. Maybe I was hoping for something like Convenience Store Woman meets Death Parade or Phantom Tales of the Night or something totally surreal like An Invitation from a Crab but this wasn’t it. I’ll stick with it though and see what happens but I’m praying it’ll be short.
I was also under the impression that this was a stand alone volume. It is not. There is more. 😐
•••
TLDR: Liminal space, moody cover and blurb about people in limbo reveals a hectic comedy manga that’s may as well be set in a shop in the middle of Tokyo with amateurish art that doesn’t match the cover or suit the mood.
September 28, 2022
This book was incredibly charming and offbeat. I loved the characters and there was something incredibly cozy about their convenience store on the divide of life and death. While there were many lighthearted and fun moments, it touched on some deeper topics as well and handled them with grace and respect.
June 22, 2023
Gloriously unique and strange. Read the first volume in the store and when told by my friends it was time to leave, bought this one and volume 2.
I like the characters, the storyline and the bookstore at the end?!? GIMME MORE!!
4, strange but really grabbed me and I want more, stars.
I like the characters, the storyline and the bookstore at the end?!? GIMME MORE!!
4, strange but really grabbed me and I want more, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2022
What a unique a fun concept! I will definitely be picking up volume 2 when it comes out!
June 27, 2024
It's probably just a me problem, but I could not follow this book. Is the translation off? I don't know.
I mean did I get the basic concept, that this little convenience store serves people who are on the edge of life and death? Yes. Do I understand what darkness is or what the darkness cat is? No. Do I understand who all these random people are that show up? Not really. The panels don't always flow and the chapters are all little separate stories so there is not really one continuous narrative. You'll finish one chapter and then you're just dropped into the middle of another story when you start the next chapter.
I guess it's a cozy dark slice of life Manga. Really not my cup of tea.
I mean did I get the basic concept, that this little convenience store serves people who are on the edge of life and death? Yes. Do I understand what darkness is or what the darkness cat is? No. Do I understand who all these random people are that show up? Not really. The panels don't always flow and the chapters are all little separate stories so there is not really one continuous narrative. You'll finish one chapter and then you're just dropped into the middle of another story when you start the next chapter.
I guess it's a cozy dark slice of life Manga. Really not my cup of tea.
July 31, 2022
A strange and wonderful manga! Fun premise with a story that has levity even when broaching more serious themes. Should appeal to the indie comics crowd! And the spot gloss on the front and back cover is beautifully placed.
April 1, 2023
This story is a bit absurd, a little confusing, and sometimes anxiety inducing, and I love it.
July 9, 2025
The vibe reminds me of the games Kentucky Route Zero and Coffee Talk as it examines the small stuff that makes your day to day life, and what really matters when it comes to the final moments of life.
July 20, 2023
Supernatural slice-of-life stories set in a liminal convenience store. A tad flat though. I want to pet darkness cat!
July 21, 2022
I'm not sure if this was just poorly translated, but this book about "a convenience store at the crossroads between life and death" is the most boring book I can remember reading. Not a single interesting thing happens in 188 pages. Basically, someone who is a one-dimensional character, whose entire personality can be encapsulated by the chapter title: Workaholic, Indecisive, etc. walks into the store. They behave as their adjective dictates. A monster appears. Not a frightening monster. Not a creature that took an ounce of creativity to invent, just a generic blobby monster (eventually it becomes cat-shaped) who distracts the person. Then the story ends. Do they learn anything from the experience? Does it change their life in some way? Who knows. It's time to move on to the next dull story.
I recommend this to No One. If you've read it and enjoyed it, I'm very happy for you, but please don't recommend any books to me.
I recommend this to No One. If you've read it and enjoyed it, I'm very happy for you, but please don't recommend any books to me.
August 16, 2022
I was expecting it to be weirder and darker, but it was a fun read! It's kind of like a convenience store that exists in Nightvale. The cover art is phenomenal and the story is very slice of life with supernatural elements. Worth the read and I'll look for volume 2!
August 14, 2022
2.5 rounded up for a good concept and a couple of well done stories. Oddly enough, the weird-worldbuilding gets in the way.
August 21, 2022
A really interesting premise with a nice art style!
December 12, 2024
Let's be honest, the best depiction of a funny little joint you go to when you're straddling the line between life & death is still Death Parade, even if the system is still a load of junk & especially worse for the workers there.
But a little convenience store not unlike a Japanese 7-Eleven ain't too bad either.
Lots of little stories that either have people realize they wanna live more or are at peace moving on, with some surprisingly good stuff for the part-time workers at this little conbeni.
Also, there's a cycloptic kitty cat made of living darkness that eats pests (more feral darkness entities). What's not to like?
But a little convenience store not unlike a Japanese 7-Eleven ain't too bad either.
Lots of little stories that either have people realize they wanna live more or are at peace moving on, with some surprisingly good stuff for the part-time workers at this little conbeni.
Also, there's a cycloptic kitty cat made of living darkness that eats pests (more feral darkness entities). What's not to like?
March 27, 2023
I picked it up because it sounded weird. I got exactly that. The “liminal spaces” feel of the plot with a dark undertone, unique absurdity and light comic relief kept me reading. I had a backrooms type dream about a store like this. The supernatural/NDE/afterlife underpinnings really shrouds the story in mystery —such that it will keep you guessing about what’s actually going on. That “wtf did I just read” sensation is taken to a whole other level with this one. Loved it!
August 22, 2023
4.5/5 stars
The only reason this doesnt have 5 stars is because the art is pretty barebones. Like, it almost a step below the How to Draw Manga art books from the 00s.
Outside of that, I LOVED this. It's about a guy who works at a convenience store, after choosing whether or not he wants to die or work.
It's a great horror manga that was fun to read, and to see everyone's stories aa we meet lots of people who visit.
There is a second volume I want to check out.
There is also a darkness kitty!
The only reason this doesnt have 5 stars is because the art is pretty barebones. Like, it almost a step below the How to Draw Manga art books from the 00s.
Outside of that, I LOVED this. It's about a guy who works at a convenience store, after choosing whether or not he wants to die or work.
It's a great horror manga that was fun to read, and to see everyone's stories aa we meet lots of people who visit.
There is a second volume I want to check out.
There is also a darkness kitty!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2023
Oddly charming little tale of a convenience store that exists between life and death, with some lovely characters and insights. Includes an adorable darkness kitty, a sinister manager, some loitering and creepy monsters and a lesson to never trust automation. Slightly unexpected, but rather enjoyed it!
July 8, 2023
This was so much better than I thought it would be. I love that each story is like a stand-alone that also effects the overall universe and overarching story, I like things like that. Darkness cat is also adorable.
January 1, 2023
*3.5 stars*
April 13, 2023
(4 of 5 stars) Baby's first Manga. It's me I'm baby. I liked it. Odd story, but I will read the second one.
April 19, 2023
This is such an interesting take on life and death, but I absolutely love it. The characters are interesting, and Darkness Cat is adorable. I love everything about this.
October 4, 2023
Fun!!!!!!!!
March 24, 2024
Charming, creepy, and surprisingly heart warming.
May 17, 2025
A convenience store on the boundary between life and death gets lots of interesting customers. What a cute and fascinating story!
November 8, 2025
Très sympa 👍
July 29, 2022
4.75/5
This was an interesting manga! I loved the concept of being a place in between life and death. I also thought it was cool how ppl got hired there. I can’t wait to read more if there will be more.
This was an interesting manga! I loved the concept of being a place in between life and death. I also thought it was cool how ppl got hired there. I can’t wait to read more if there will be more.
November 6, 2022
Fun concept but the people who apply for jobs at a convenience store in limbo instead of just passing on obviously never worked retail before.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews