Box of Light, Vol. 2

光の箱 [Hikari no Hako] #2

by Seiko Erisawa

The Final Purchase of Your Life.

A convenience store lingers at the boundary between life and death. Its faint glow in the darkness draws in unsuspecting souls, pushing them closer to the final purchase they’ll ever make. Yet for the quirky employees who work there, it’s a job much like any other, if undeniably more strange. Now, the time has come for the past of the store’s enigmatic and supernaturally gifted manager to be revealed…

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Horror, Paranormal, Fiction, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Michelle Easton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has me hooked. I love all of the characters, especially Darkness Cat, but learning more about all of them is amazing. But the cliffhanger they left me on has me reeling. Can’t wait to get volume 3.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. This is an odd little series, at times melancholy and at others just strange, but my interest never flags while reading it.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series feels normal? I still find the art on the more amateur side which is still distracting.

The darkness cat continues to be my favorite character.

I think the story and characters are fine? No one is exceptional, but everyone has their appeal.

The speculative aspect continues to be the best/most alluring part.

I would read a third volume for sure. But I dont see the series drastically improving for me.

[Max Lee]

Aha! A plot! Huzzah!

[b · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect a long-form arc to begin developing here. Much of the same charm and unique short stories about death (and brushes with it), and also one about heartbreak (and people who maybe chase it a little bit too aha), but I’m really excited to see where this all goes next.

[Vail Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

More stories of people who find themselves at horrifying ends, and more backstory for the employees of the convenience store.
That last story brings up a terrifying prospect with the underworld police, and how these ragtag literal lost souls are going to start fighting back...somehow.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the weirdest story ever... And I like it. Totally original.

[Trish Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sure wish there were more volumes

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if this book is still finding its way, because the last chapter looks to be introducing a very different kind of story. The first three chapters are like the first book, stories about people who visit the convenience store between life and death and the people who work there. The story about the Manager was especially well-written and emotionally effective. But the last chapter is the start of what looks to be a much more action oriented storyline, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I like the eerie slice of life feel of the rest of the book to this point. Maybe this new story is a deviation, maybe it's the start of a new direction. I won't know until the next volume.

[Insomniac Library (Drew) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - 49 /100 - Paperback
TWs:Discussions of death, near death experiences, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, mental health, implied abuse
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Box of Light Vol.2 sees us return to the convience store on the edge of life and death, here the staff meet new customers who arrive to potentially make the last purchase of their life.
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I will attempt I was not in love with the first volume as much as I thought I was going to be, I adore liminal spaces ideas in media so this sounded right up my street. The first volume was by no means a let down but it was a shakey to start to a really cool idea / world.
Volume 2 fixes all the problems I had with the first, it's paced so much better, I feel the dialogue and story-telling are massively improved upon and I found myself really attached to each new customer we met and there place in the story.
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Once again Tahini and darkness cat stole the show, I need this to have an anime adaption because it would be so good. It's such a creepy yet charming concept and the world building and characters really add to the charm. The employees have such a found family vibe, they're all there for different reasons and don't really have much in common but clearly have each others backs, especially when one of them own is taken.
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Such a cool and weird manga, I am so happy I started this and cannot wait for the series to continue.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Box of Light by Seiko Erisawa is about a convivence store on the boundary between life and death. We continue to follow Kokura as the main character, but we also get to follow two new characters, Motoha and Akari. We also continue to follow Tahini and the store Manager.
In this volume we get to learn a little more about the manager and how she got that position. We also learn that darkness cat can travel between the store and the real world.
This volume starts off right where the 1st one left off, same episode like chapters, giving a cozy read vibe to it. Then it starts to get interesting, we meet new characters (some human and some not so much), darkness cat goes missing, and a kidnapping! I am so excited to read the next volume of this manga!
Total 4out of 5 stars.

[Books, Tea & Opera. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ca y est, on obtient enfin un peu plus de contexte concernant les personnages, leur histoire, mais aussi le fonctionnement de l'Autre Monde. J'apprécie aussi le fait qu'il y ait plus d'action que dans le précédent volume. Comme d'habitude, les personnages secondaires et "temporaires", si je puis dire, sont attachants et chaque chapitre les concernant est comme une petite pause ou aventure secondaire au sein de la "grande histoire". Bref, tous les éléments positifs du premier tome sont au rendez-vous, en plus de nouveaux éléments qui ajoutent tensions, contexte, action ainsi qu'un fil conducteur bien défini. Juste top!

[Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the developments in the world building! This volume went in an unexpected direction in the last chapter, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it? I like how character focused it's been so far and it seems like it might change to be more plot based, which isn't bad but just very different from what it's been so far. The rest of the volume was great!

I'm also mildly disappointed that we didn't get to see anything about the bookstore across the street after that was teased at the very end of volume 1. I hope it comes up again at some point.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

My initial rating was 4 stars (really liked), but the longer I sit on it the more I like it and might even end up purchasing the series. It's just so cozy and playful while also being kinda dark. I liked the stand-alone chapters with random characters visiting the convenience store, and I also enjoyed how an actual storyline is starting to develop here. Can't wait till volume 3 finally drops!
And again, the darkness cat is super cute 😻

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this second volume. Where the first volume mostly explains the convenience store and introduces a few characters, this volume focuses on more individual stories of characters who come into the store. You also learn more about the manager and how she came to be the manager. I do with the whole "locker" thing was explained a little more, but I guess that's for volume 3.

[Nadina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was bizarre and yet intriguing. It would have received 4 stars, but it seems like there are no more volumes coming out and this volume ended on a terrible and abrupt cliff-hanger that was very disappointing, at least in terms of there not being another volume. Not sure how much I would recommend it based on the ending.

[Midna127 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly not as top-tier as the first volume but damn does it still deliver on the premise and continued world building. The characters (and their designs) continue to shine, and even Darkness Cat gets his own dedicated chapter! The cliffhanger is also really intriguing and makes me excited to read the next (and presumably final, sadly) volume.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this volume even more than volume 1. We still get a few individual stories but we also get more of Manager's background and the background of the convenience store. There's a continuing subplot that leaves us on a cliffhanger for the next volume and I'm so excited for it.

[Kiyumi13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

2ème tome qui permet de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement du Konbini entre deux mondes et le passé de la gérante. Ça devient de plus en plus intéressant. C'est triste mais la manière de conceptualiser l'au-delà, l'entre deux mondes, la vie, la mort et le destin de chacun est intriguante.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get heartbreaking backstories in this volume. They also explain how it works living in one realm, moving into the next realm to complete their shifts. And poor Darkness Cat, I've never seen him so shaken. Glad he was ok and got back to the convenience store.

[Digi Demii · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is still just okay, however towards the end it started to get better and set up an interesting plot

[Hope Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one just as much as the first one.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did not like this as much as the first volume. It read so much more disjointed and hard to follow.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues to be Fine.

[nik drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immaculate vibes.
I would die for Darkness Cat.

[Whitney Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with how this series handles my biggest fear, death, in a cozy way that makes it feel less scary.