Festival of Shadows: A Japanese Ghost Story

La Fête des ombres #1-2

by Atelier Sentô, Cécile Brun, Oliver Pichard

What happens when the living risk their lives to save the souls of the dead?

Every summer, in an isolated Japanese village, a celebration known as the Festival of Shadows takes place. The villagers are entrusted to assist the troubled souls or "shadows" of those who died tragically, and to help them come to terms with their deaths and find eternal peace.

Naoko, a young girl born in the village, is given a year to save the soul of a mysterious young man. She develops strong feelings for her shadow--a handsome young man, an artist--but he seems haunted by a terrible secret. She has a year to find out what happened to him, to help him come to terms with his past, and if she fails, his soul will be lost forever…

As the year goes by, Naoko finds herself teetering between the worlds of the living and the dead. What is the terrible secret that seems to be haunting her shadow? And could she be risking her own life to help someone who has already lost his?

Naoko puts her own life on the line to save the soul of this man she loves, in an exciting, moving and beautifully drawn story that takes the reader on a journey from the beautiful Japanese countryside to glamorous Tokyo art world.

This is the English edition combining both volumes of the French 'La Fête des Ombres' series.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Romance, Japan, Young Adult, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

L’Atelier Sento, duo formé par Cécile Brun et Olivier Pichard, est né de voyages au Japon, de rencontres, de dessins et de photographies ramenés du pays du Soleil Levant. Ils aiment faire découvrir un Japon inhabituel, composé de villages perdus dans les montagnes, de fêtes populaires et d’esprits oubliés.

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A graphic novel with an intense story that belies belief. Mind-blowing artwork. Left me with many questions at the end.

Story Synopsis:

Naoko lives in an isolated mountain Village in Japan. The residents of the village, mostly senior citizens, are in charge of bringing peace to the shadows--the souls of people who have passed away but have unresolved issues. The villagers get one year to help the souls before they turn monstrous and become stuck in the mortal realm.
Naoko has handled only one shadow so far but that wasn't a successful endeavour. Now a year later, she has been assigned another shadow, the soul of a young man. As the months pass by, Naoko feels close to her shadow and even visits his home in Tokyo to get a better idea of her feelings. But is she doing the right thing, both for herself and for her shadow, by getting personally attached?

We all have heard how reading is about the journey. I am the kind of reader who loves the journey as well as the destination. In this book, I enjoyed the journey, and I know I reached a destination, but I am not sure if that’s the destination I had planned on reaching.

The story is astounding and bewildering at the same time. While most of it is perfectly tame despite the outworldly elements, the final quarter or so goes too surreal. The connections across the characters, both living and shadow, are so complicated to apprehend that I couldn't digest the plot in its entirety.

This is not to take away from the story. It's imaginative and quite well-written. Rather, I think I fell short of the minimum requirement to understand the story. (I'm a very poor reader of surrealism, you see.)

By the end of the book, the plot left me neither satisfied nor disappointed, but with a lingering sense of incompleteness. The story still has much to recommend it by, but it also left me with quite a few questions. Can that be considered a successful book? One that doesn’t leave you even after the last page, one that lingers in your head and heart, and one that makes you long for more details instead of feeling frustrated at not having received a narrative that seals all ends neatly? I am not sure. All I know is that I did enjoy almost the entire book, I did like the ending, but I did also have unanswered queries.

The artwork is where this graphic novel transcends typical standards. It is simply gorgeous to look at. Every character, every emotion, every scene, every object - stunning! I found myself lost in the pages, but in a very good way this time. The watercolour illustrations are simply stunning, with the depiction of the shadows in a borderless pattern creating a haunting effect. The monstrous shadows are eerily impactful. So even if the story daunts you, the sketches should compel you to give this a try.

If anyone here has read the book and wants to discuss the story, please consider me a willing partner!

This book was first published in French by the French creative team of Atelier Sentō in two separate volumes under the title 'La Fête des ombres'. Both volumes have been combined for this English edition, due to be published on April 4th.

Definitely recommended. Think Studio Ghibli with more dreamy artwork, a more metaphysical plot and a slightly confusing second half.

4 stars

My thanks to Tuttle Publishing and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Festival of Shadows”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



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[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story of being lost, finding love and losing it.

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautiful, complex graphic novel. TW: self harm, suicide

[Jemimah Brewster]

Festival of Shadows: A Japanese Ghost Story is a graphic novel by the French creative team Atelier Sentō and translated with the help of Josh Tierney, among others. It tells the story of Naoko, who lives in an isolated mountain village in Japan. She is one of a group of people who each year at the Festival of Shadows are entrusted to help bring peace to the shadows – troubled souls – of people who have passed away traumatically. Each person has one year of living with their shadow to get to know them, learn about their lives, and discover what they need to do before they can pass on. If they cannot help their shadow before the next Festival, it becomes trapped in the living world, while their assistants are given another shadow to try and help.

Naoko is new to this journey, a dreamy girl, trapped between the land of the living and that of the dead. She becomes so entangled in the world of the shadows and the plight of lost souls that she almost loses herself. At the beginning of the story she has only been assigned one shadow before, a little girl, whom she was unable to help in time. When she is given another shadow, a man named Yukito, she does not believe she can help him. But as the year passes she slowly learns more about him, and a startling discovery about his life sees her leave her village for Tokyo, where for several months she lives a completely different life and learns what could have been.

The artwork of this book is breathtaking, with many close-ups of Naoko’s face so that the range of her emotions are fully felt. Each season of the year that passes begins with a full page illustration of something from that season: persimmons for fall, tea for winter, etc. Each season is then broken into short vignettes, smaller parts of the bigger story, that strung together show the full picture of Naoko’s journey with Yukito. The illustrations are rendered in watercolour and coloured pencils, giving them a well-defined but dreamy quality. The shadows are painted in watercolour without lines, blurring their faces into indistinct features, highlighting them among the well-defined characters of the living. In this way they are marked as different, and the abandoned souls are scary black shapes, closer to nightmare shadows.

This graphic novel is a beautiful piece of fiction and art, each aspect impeccably complementing the other to create a rich, vibrant story told as much through the illustrations as the text itself. I would recommend it for middle grade readers and up, and anyone who loves graphic art and richly-wrought folklore.

[Sam Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and fun story, but it kinda fell apart near the end. Still enjoyed reading it though!

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one, especially the art, but I still don't fully understand the story

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art style and bittersweet story.

[rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really think much of the story of the art. Pretty convoluted and unrealistic plot. Not the ghosts, but the girl living in a hotel in Tokyo for days or weeks with no money. At least I have no idea how she did that with seemingly no job and living in her family home that's presumably paid off. Also a lot of drama happened because she refused to dress up information, which is my pet peeve. And her lips...

[Caleb Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story. Full of heartwarming and gut wrenching moments. The art was beautiful and the story had such depth. It actually made me cry. I was not expecting that.

Highly recommended for fans of Japanese folklore and ghost stories. This is part romance, part self-discovery and the visuals remind me a lot of Ghibli.

[Kelly Sedinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous story with wonderful art.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Festival of Shadows is a pleasant read for its detailed art and engaging look at Japanese culture. Naoko is part of a small community that shepherd shadows of the recently deceased to the afterlife. Each summer, a new shadow shows up and the community member must work to identify who they were so that the shadow can make a successful transition.

It's a clever notion! Naoko is new to the role and struggling with the insular culture. Her new shadow, though, is highly intriguing - potentially an artist, potentially a love interest (?!). There's a clever twist midway through the book that see Naoko journey outside her small world to busy Tokyo.

The part that's going to be tough to swallow for some readers is the book's, um, uncommon take on suicide. Trigger warning, I guess? The conclusion in general is bit confusing as the book revs up then peters out.

[Sharlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aye? How did that end again? Gosh. think I might have to get it out from the library again. I don’t quite understand that ending… So she goes to the city to “be with” her ghost, then she realises that he was the father of her first ghost? is that right? oml.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Japan's countryside, one finds abundant persimmon trees, a gaggle of old folks with too many tales to tell, an increasingly derelict shopping arcade, and shadows . . . lots and lots of shadows.

FESTIVAL OF SHADOWS focuses on the lattermost of these curiosities — spirits lost or otherwise bereft of a full, complete, or satisfactory conclusion.

The ease and difficulty of acclimating to a world in which a mysterious and fantastical "other" is made normal often occurs thanks to a catalyst one has very little control over. For Naoko, a resident of the valley of shadows, she was born into it. Her mother was an expert at shepherding wayward spirits to their destination. Her village's elders hold decades of experience guiding the lost and problem solving on the fly. But upon reaching adulthood, Naoko is having a rough go of it. How, exactly, does one go about befriending, nurturing, and serving an errant spirit?

Interestingly, FESTIVAL OF SHADOWS is a coming-of-age story in the most complex sense. Naoko's grasp of what constitutes a fulfilled life and what type of life necessarily requires veneration or reflection earns a steady and curious glare when she's unceremoniously assigned the task of assisting a shadow despite her inexperience. The young woman "failed" to properly escort a shadow last summer, so what makes the elders so confident she'll get it right this time? Naoko's confidence in herself, in her community's cultural traditions, and in the intergenerational influence of filial piety all come to a head as she teaches herself to care for and get to know her shadow. And to some extent, she grows attached. Too attached.

And it's in this connection that Naoko finds new meaning in her relationship to spirits past and present. Some of these relationships are tragic. Some of these relationships are ephemeral. Some of these relationships aren't quite fully materialized and need time to mature. Naoko is a somewhat flippant, dithering young woman. She wants to become a writer. She desires the trappings of a busy, urban life. And yet, the peaceful, almost pastoral deliberation afforded her during those quiet hours helping shadowy creatures learn more about themselves, their pasts, and their tragedies may yet fill her with a sense of triumph no other duty could.

The watercolor and colored pencil stylings at the heart of this book elevate the storytelling with a gentle and professional care. Tender linework, soft and seasonal colors, warm and rounded character designs, excellent lighting, friendly and inimitable gestures — the book's visual comfort pulls from many sources. FESTIVAL OF SHADOWS holds a handful of narrative twists and turns, as Naoko pries apart the truth behind her shadow's reason for lingering on the mortal plane, but the book's aesthetic ensures that with each scene and each chapter, one stumbles into discernment only just enough to keep from being too frightened, from being too certain, or from being too confident in what these wounded hearts are capable of.

[Riska (lovunakim) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel grafis karya Atelier Sentō dan diterjemahkan oleh Josh Tierney.
Terdiri dari 166 pages dapat diselesaikan dalam sekali duduk. Dipenuhi Ilustrasi yg sangat cantik dan indah bikin aku semangat bacanya.

Menceritakan tentang seorang gadis bernama Naoko, yang tinggal disebuah desa yg terletak dipegunungan terpencil di Jepang. Naoko merupakan salah satu dari sekelompok orang yang dipercaya untuk menuntun jiwa yg tersesat dari orang-orang yang telah meninggal dunia yg dipenuhi penyesalan semasa hidupnya.

Naoko merupakan anggota baru dalam tugas ini, dan dia terjebak diantara dunia nyata dan afterlife. Hubungan Naoko terlalu dekat dengan para arwah sehingga dia hampir tidak bisa mengontrol dirinya sendiri karena terikat dengan mereka. Naoko diberi waktu satu tahun untuk memenuhi tugas dan menuntun para arwah di suatu festival di desa mereka, jika arwah tersebut lebih dari setahun tidak bisa menemukan jati diri mereka maka arwah tersebut akan dibakar.

Ilustrasi dalam buku ini cantik banget, setiap musim dalam setahun diawali dengan ilustrasi tentang hal yg terhubung dengan satu musim, misalnya buah kesemek untuk musim gugur, teh untuk musim dingin, sakura saat musim semi, dan es teh jg buah semangka saat musim panas. Ilustrasinya digambar menggunakan teknik cat air dan pensil warna, memberikan kualitas yang jelas dan indah.

Novel grafis ini merupakan karya fiksi dipadukan dengan seni yang indah, setiap aspeknya saling melengkapi dan disatukan menjadi satu cerita yg menarik. Aku sangat merekomendasikan untuk kalian yg suka dengan gambar-gambar cantik dan cerita-cerita mitos khas jepang yg unik. Pas baca ini aku seperti membaca karya ghibli.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Festival of Shadows: A Japanese Ghost Story is a project by the French team, Atelier Sento, or Cécile Brun and Oliver Pickard. It’s beautiful, honoring Japanese culture and traditions and the way yokai (the supernatural, ghosts, monsters) are an accepted part of life for many in Japan.

The Festival of Shadows takes place every summer in a remote Japanese village. Each villager assists troubled souls, or the "shadows" of those who died tragically to come to terms with their deaths and find eternal peace.

Naoko, a young girl born in the village, is given a year to save the soul of a mysterious young man, so that’s the span of this graphic novel in the manner of Studio Ghibli. Naoko becomes attracted to her shadow--a handsome young man, an artist--but he seems troubled by some secret from his past. She has a year to figure out how to help him or he’s lo0st forever. The ordeal she agrees to takes her from the village to the Tokyo art world and the uncovering of the grief and trauma of the young shadow. Complex plot moves near the end--I had to slow down in confusion at a couple places--but ultimately satisfying YA fantasy graphic novel.

New ethereal song in the romantic Studio Ghibli fashion by Cécile Brun you get a link to in the appendix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfG_...

[Genny20 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, i'll be honest, the story itself was very good. i thought the art was cute and the concept fascinating and well told.

HOWEVER, i did NOT like the author's strange choice to present themselves as possibly being Japanese??? From my immediate understanding, the name choice is a mix of two words (atelier being french for artist studio/workshop and sento being Japanese for bath house).
They explain in their author page that they are experienced travelers of Japan and greatly appreciate it's culture. That's great, nothing wrong with that, but trying to pass as a Japanese author (or at the very least offering a Japanese-sounding last name to those who don't know its translation) is just not it. I don't even really get why they would?? Are they trying to sound more credible, in the way some authors who write for different genres change their name to fit the market better? If that was the goal I think they over stepped. I will say, I am not Japanese and cannot speak to the Japanese readers and their thoughts on this but I personally found it icky. I am a woman of color and DO NOT like to see two white people possibly taking space from authors and artists of color to tell stories of their own culture.

story: 4/5
art: 4/5

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Japanese ghost story but also a story about life, memories, interpersonal connection, relationships, plus a celebration of what graphic novels do for readers. This was an excellently melancholy story that I was hesitant about at first and then fell completely head over heels for.

A girl and others whose job it is to work with souls to bring them a semblance of comfort or else they'll be haunting others forever but the main character hasn't had much experience. The new ghost that she's working with has a mysterious and haunted backstory that Naoko gets pulled in to.

The art is stellar, a haunting of emotions on each page. An interaction--

"You really don't remember your name?"
"Sorry"
"I wonder what it's like to forget everything."
"It's peaceful. I'd like to stay like this forever."
"But you know you only have a year. Next summer you... you'll disappear."
"It's okay."
"A year here, that's already a little bit of eternity..."

And,
"Shadows are like sponges. If you're not careful they can soak up personalities that aren't theirs."

[Elna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story that could have been explored a little deeper (what does it meant to help a soul along their path? How do you know that's complete? How do they make money? Why does no one seem to care that Naoko is falling in love with a physical ghost??), with beautiful artwork (there are some absolutely beautiful images of the Japanese countryside, but everything looks so rustic! Which I believe is how some remote villages still live, but I get why younger generations aren't sticking to the old lifestyles...); I particularly love the way the ghosts are depicted as unoutlined watercolors, creating a very impressionistic effect.

Suicide is... interestingly handled here. I appreciate that the ghost was depicted as really struggling underneath his façade, but no one brings up his previous attempt? No one is looking out for him to make sure that he's able to deal with his new life? Was the ghost of his daughter just waiting for her dad to kill himself before she could find peace?

[Amory Blaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely; really sad. I ended the book feeling the weight of the protagonist's loss and confusion. There's a generational cycle of... not failure, exactly, but separation (from self, others, and the world) and disappointment. Everything feels inevitable, even as characters - past and present - express a longing to change things. In the end, the spirits succeed in destroying not only a village, but the lives of those dedicated to guiding them.

The star off (really more like half-star, but such is the tyranny of goodreads' rating system) is because character art blended into each other and made it even more confusing to discern what was happening. The elderly characters were indistinct, a spirit husband looked like a spirit lover, a dead wife (?) looked like a living non-wife (???). I understand that some of that is intentional, but it was unclear to me how much. The uncertainty clouded some of my appreciation for a book I otherwise enjoyed much more than I expected.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every summer, lost souls appear as shadows to the people of Naoko's village and some attach themselves to a villager who has one year to help the shadow find their way. Before she died, Naoko's mother made it clear that she did not want Naoko to be a part of this village tradition but a shadow finds Naoko anyway. The book opens as Naoko loses this first shadow -- a shadow she was not able to help -- only to find a new shadow waiting for her help. As Naoko struggles to make sense of the new shadow's needs, she begins to examine her own needs and desires. I was mesmerized by this book's beautiful drawings and thoughtful details related to Japanese art and culture. The storyline felt rushed when all I wanted was to linger over the art in order to get to know Naoko and her shadows a little more.

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

80%

beautiful art and a mesmerizing story: so mesmerizing, that I was surprised when I reached the end.

It's set in a mystical world, built into a cranny in Japan of our present one, so it wasn't exactly necessary to do extensive world-building, but I do wish the nature of the shadows and the village they were drawn to was a little further explored. I understand youngsters leaving the village to seek a life in the city - that's an age old phenomena that happens everywhere, but does no one in the world know of this place? surely, people wanting to help the shadows would move there and repopulate the town. and if they don't know about it, why not? is it secret? it just seems odd to me that at the end, she's the last person left to help the shadows - it seems like a sacred duty that shouldn't be abandoned.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story that was beautifully illustrated, well told and I really enjoyed it. I loved the darker "lost spirits" and it's sad what happens to them. I love that she compared the spirit of Yukito to Joe Odagiri! (love him!)



The story is beautifully woven together, her first spirit, little hints and clues (the reveal of what the 5 dots mean it was his daughters teeth on the road after the car accident was devastating), the trip to Tokyo. It really is a lovely story.

I am a little sceptical about a child born of human and ghost (not once but twice) but I guess that is the way things are in ghost stories!

[Emma :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love graphic novels thats primary audience isn’t middle schoolers. I feel like you get a totally different reading experience. Over all, you get less time with the characters and plot, and the characters are not as developed as they would in a regular book. It works out though, as there’s a lot more showing not telling (obviously because there’s pictures). I thought the art was amazing for this. It looks right out if a Studio Ghibli film. I’ll admit I thought the plot was kinda weird at first, with the whole ghosts and humans having romantic relations thing, but I got used to it. Still a little lost on what happened with the main shadow character though.

Anyways what does this say about me as a reader? Yes that I actually have the attention span of a 10 year old.

[Melinda Brasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I loved how the shadow people were depicted in the art, and the scenery was beautiful.

I always like stories with ghosts, and this was an interesting take on it, with interesting characters and situations, but there were also some plot holes and confusing bits, especially toward the end, which affected my enjoyment. SPOILER ALERT! TRIGGER ALERT! The treatment of suicide at the end was a bit disturbing to me, as it seemed to encourage the act. END SPOILERS.

TRIGGER ALERT: unorthodox treatment of suicide

More accurate rating: 3.5 (but I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels)

[lala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Festival of Shadows : A Japanese Ghost Story is a graphic novel about Naoko, like any other villagers around her, was assigned to help a Shadow to deal with their death. This graphic novel set in Japan village area and Tokyo which showed the contrasts beautifully. I love the art style and the colors used in this book. The story itself is told in a lighter and heartwarming way even though it has heavier topic around death and trauma. I love the Japanese cultural aspect, how they held the festivals and how the main character came into understanding.

[Benita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this ghost story. I was pulled in to buy this book from the beautiful cover and the stellar illustrations did not disappoint. The plot had that artsy, quiet sense of urgency that I often feel when I read Japanese translations. The pictures paired with the writing allow you to quickly get caught up in the emotion of the main character Naoko who has the uncanny ability to see ghosts and is compelled to help them find their way. You get a conclusion but I mean I still have questions!

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel about love and loss and helping those that stay after to move on.

I absolutely fell in love with the illustrations which brought to life the different landscapes of Japan and the story of a girl who is helping a shadow move on, when it becomes more complicated and she falls in love - she has to figure out if she can make him stay or how she can move on.

Such a beautiful story and I love how everything came together. The storytelling was just so perfect, this will likely be a book I remember for a long time.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality Rating: Five Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

What a stunning, hauntingly bittersweet little story. Rich in worldbuilding, deep in characterisation, thoughtful in story and comforting in tone, this was a beautiful graphic novel from start to finish. Its story took turns I didn’t expect but felt just right for the tale it was telling, and the resolution left that perfect moment of relief and letting go that only the best stories have. Vibrant images filled with movement and expression work alongside the dialogue neatly, expanding into a fantastic narrative journey.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across “Festival of Shadows” on a “Best Graphic Novels of 2023” list. It’s an interesting concept: a Japanese village helps lost souls (“shades”) peacefully transition. If they don’t find peace by the time of the annual festival, they become a monstrous shadow. Naoko, the protagonist, is assigned a shadow, but this one is different and things go awry.

All that being said, I didn’t find the story particularly moving. I had a hard time understanding what was going on at various parts. The art was fine.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art is gorgeous but story-wise, it felt a bit lackluster? the initial premise was intriguing, the MC takes on the role of caring for a shadow (basically a lost soul) for a year and she has to find out who they are and how they died so they can pass on to the afterlife. but when i reached the second half of the book where the mystery is uncovered, i don't know, the emotional beats just didn't hit me. i'm not perceptive enough to explain why though ;;