月的愛人（ルナティックラヴァーズ）

by Suehiro Maruo, 丸尾 末広

A collection of imaginative short stories that reveal the dark side of human beings.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Horror, Japan, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Japanese Literature

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

Suehiro Maruo ( 丸尾 末広) is a Japanese manga author and illustrator.
Maruo graduated from junior high school in March 1972 but dropped out of senior high school. At the age of 15 he moved to Tokyo and began working for a bookbinder. At 17, he made his first manga submission to Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it was considered by the editors to be too graphic for the magazine's format and was subsequently rejected. Maruo temporarily removed himself from manga until November 1980 when he made his official debut as a manga artist in Ribon no Kishi (リボンの騎士) at the age of 24. It was at this stage that the young artist was finally able to pursue his artistic vision without such stringent restrictions over the visual content of his work. Two years later, his first stand-alone anthology, Barairo no Kaibutsu (薔薇色の怪物; Rose Colored Monster) was published.

Maruo was a frequent contributor to the legendary underground manga magazine Garo (ガロ).

Like many manga artists, Maruo sometimes makes cameo appearances in his own stories. When photographed, he seldom appears without his trademark sunglasses.
Though most prominently known for his work as a manga artist, Maruo has also produced illustrations for concert posters, CD Jackets, magazines, novels, and various other media. Some of his characters have been made into figures as well.

Though relatively few of Maruo's manga have been published outside of Japan, his work enjoys a cult following abroad.
His book Shōjo Tsubaki (aka Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show) has been adapted into an animated film (Midori) by Hiroshi Harada with a soundtrack by J.A. Seazer, but it has received very little release.

Reviews

[PacoPacorius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πολλές μικρού μήκους ιστορίες. Οι περισσοτερες ειναι πολυ μικρες και δεν προλαβαίνουν να χτιστούν πολύ. Ο Χοϊτσι ο Κουφός και η Παθητική Υποταγή της Πόλης είναι οι αγαπημένες μου και αυτές θεωρώ ότι είναι αρκετά ολοκληρωμένες. Το αγαπημένο μου μέρος ήταν τα illustrations. Ο Μαρουο ζωγραφίζει με πολύ μεράκι, υπάρχουν πολλές πληθωρικές και ψυχενδελικές εικόνες τις οποίες καθόμουν και κοίταζα για πολλή ώρα. Ως αποτέλεσμα, ακόμα και οι πιο αδύναμες ιστορίες έχουν πολύ ωραία ατμόσφαιρα. Οι χαρακτήρες είναι επίσης πολύ όμορφα ζωγραφισμένοι. Οι περισσότεροι άντρες / αγόρια χαρακτήρες έχουν ένα πολύ έντονο και κριπυ βλέμμα.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Algunes de les històries a priori són interessants, com la del dr. Inugami, que comença explicant per què, quan arribaran al volum corresponent del seu títol, es farà el sacrifici del can, però inexplicablement, o almenys jo no ho he entès, Maruo es queda a mitges, i el gos acaba escapant i no s'entén res... (??). Així, la història acaba essent un esborrany del que serà l'obra posterior Dr. Inugami. De les altres que componen el volum, em quedo amb la de "Hoichi el desorejado", sobre un nen sord obsessionat per la música, i la de "Ciudad sin resistencia", que ocupa gairebé la meitat del volum, i va sobre un Japó post-guerra gairebé apocalíptic en el que una mare i el seu fill lluiten per sobreviure. Coneixen a un nan que els intentarà ajudar donant-los menjar, però acabarà per assassinar el nen esquarterant-lo i donant-lo de menjar a la seva pròpia mare. La policia l'enganxarà i la mare, després d'haver-se anat al llit amb ell, i havent-se assabentat després de la salvatjada, decideix suïcidar-se. Només per aquesta història el volum ja mereix un quatre estrelles. Això SÍ QUE ÉS MARUO EN ESTAT PUR!!!. No puc posar cinc per la resta del volum, però aquesta darrera és supèrbia, no només a nivell estètic, sinó també a nivell de guió, per denunciar com ho fa el Japó més cruel de postguerra i la hipocresia d'una nació que ha abandonat a aquells a qui va prometre un dia una glòria que ha acabat essent la seva perdició més absoluta.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty par for the course for Maruo. I liked 無抵抗都市 and 屋根裏の哲学者, and I thought his version of 耳ナシ芳一 was pretty interesting. It was strange, having just read DDT, which is subtitled 耳ナシ芳一, but has nothing to do with that same story. Much the same, this also includes a story titled 犬神博士 which also has nothing to do with the full tankobon collection of the same name 犬神博士.
Maruo y u make your titles so hard to keep track of?

[Maria Lago · Rating 4 out of 5]

El primer cómic de Maruo que leí, que está lleno de ojos vueltos, babas, caca y otras asquerosidades varias. Muy recomendable para los fans del terror y lo bizarro y para quienes aprecian el arte gráfico en general. Poco recomendable para quienes no se ríen con un pedo.

[Cesare Molin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deserves 5 stars just for Hoichi The Earless and Nonresistance City.

[Crystalline]

When the cicada sings
You will die under the cumulus cloud
When the cicada sings
You will die

When you die
Your aborted fetus'll celebrate a funeral
When you die
I want you to bring to me
Flowers from the beyond

In your pocket, hide those bones
That you don't want anybody to touch

Storm of moans
It shouts
Storm of moans
It cries

And a summer day
Dressed in a suit of flowers
Suddenly - Dies

[미루나 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting for something different. Not really gruesome judgying by its cover. Not great not terrible. Twisted, dark and weird in a Japanese style.

[Ahmed Munna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too gimmicky and sexual with no real depth apparently.

[Aulia Larasati]

Good

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art, but no depth to the stories

[Marsuan · Rating 3 out of 5]

wtf
les effets des bombardements et de la bombe atomique sur l'art japonais sont impressionnants

[Ella Carynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

started out strong with hoichi the earless (probably the best story in here)… but it lost the plot.

don’t know how i feel about ero-guro nansensu, i think i prefer ero-guro with a plot

[Daniel Andreu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empezando por la adaptación de Hoichi el desorejado, Lunatic Lover's es de lo mejor de Maruo, una de sus cumbres de llevar lo oscuro, retorcido y turbio al extremo. Ni una de estas historias tiene desperdicio.

[Lune_blanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

La verdad solo me leí la primera historia, la cual se llama Hôrichi el desorejado, el cual trata de un joven, que debido a la muerte de su padre, esta algo traumatizado y usando a la música como su único escape, se encuentra con fuerzas oscuras, esto, debido a una peculiar experiencia en el mar; una cadena de acontecimientos extraños empiezan a suceder en su vida y el autor va mostrando su proceso de decadencia y su caída a las profundidades de lo mórbido y la locura. Me pareció muy interesante y macabra, el estilo de dibujo de Maruo es cautivador, lo que más me gusta de él, es que se extiende en sus trazos y crea cosas espeluznantes y fantásticas.

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is beautfully strange and the stories have this internal logic. This is Ero-Guro. I find it more Grotesque than Erotic... certainly intersting though.

Lunatic Lover's contains two stories also found in the Ultra-Gash inferno collection.