This volume covers a little under half of the second light novel's island arc. I'm not sure if that means the end of the story will get more compressed, but so far it's a pretty faithful adaptation. I continue to really love the art style of the manga, and the way it really does capture the spirit and tone of the original story.
There's a lot of creepiness in this one, starting with the knife-wielding girl who attacks Seiji, and continuing to the eerie island of living dolls. Shiroshi definitely feels a lot more expressive in the manga, which I enjoy seeing...Seiji's wrapped up in enough self-hatred to not recognize how much Shiroshi cares about him, or to read past the coolness on the surface.
Seiji is such a dear in the manga, especially. I love his cute fish-patterned shirt. He's so earnest and surprisingly kind, considering his circumstances, and he really does try his hardest as Shiroshi's assistant...a role that's threatened by both the knife injury to his supernatural eye, and the appearance of Shiroshi's younger brother, who wants to challenge him to take his position by Shiroshi's side.
We don't make a huge amount of progress on the mystery itself in this volume...it's mostly just setting up the scene and the characters, with all the action waiting to be packed into the next one. But I enjoy seeing all the character designs; Todo is a fantastic artist who truly seems like a fan of the work who's taking ownership of the adaptation. It makes both versions very enjoyable to read.
Volume veramente bello. Con l'arrivo inaspettato di Aka, un nuovo personaggio legato a livello famigliare con Shiroshi, inizia un nuovo arco narrativo, la saga dell'Oni, che omaggia l'Italia, il Lago Maggiore e la sua Isola Bella, traendone ispirazione per un'investigazione che ha tutti i presupposti per essere avvincente.
Dopo aver ricevuto una lettera misteriosa, Seiji e Shiroshi giungono su un'isoletta del Giappone in cui si trova il tristemente famoso Hotel Isola Bella, teatro di una tragedia e custode del molto chiacchierato "specchio premonitore di morte", che pare non riflettere le anime di coloro che sono in procinto di morire...