There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Junji Ito is the defining artist of our time. Second, more people than ever are reading horror comics and webtoons (aka vertical scrolling comics). Therefore, we at The Beat have chosen to embark on a new venture called Beat’s Bizarre Halloventure. Each week through October, three writers will recommend their favorite scary books and series from Japan, Korea, and beyond. This game features frightening themes such as a fairy-tale battle royale, a naughty dimension, and a utopia (?) ruled by a singing clockwork goddess.
heroines game
Writer/Artist: Iori Taba
Translation: Ewa Wachol
Platform: Comic key
Heroines Game is a thrilling three-volume manga that reinterprets the classic fairy tale as a dark and twisted battle royale. Beloved characters like Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in the Land of Hearts try to survive a dangerous race fueled by revenge, jealousy, and the darkness of their souls.
This story is about Alice, a young idol who suddenly wanders into the Forbidden Forest. There she encounters a group of damaged fairy tale heroines trapped in a brutal game in which they must kill each other to change their tragic fates. Each heroine’s tragic past and motivations are revealed as they fight for their own version of a “happy life.”
In the second volume, alliances are formed between characters such as Little Red and the Little Mermaid. But the game becomes even more dangerous as the mystery behind their tragedy is revealed. What can you do when your fate is worse than death? In Volume 3, the emotional stakes intensify as the dark revelations surrounding Alice of Hearts take center stage.
What makes Heroines Game so appealing is its dark twist on familiar fairy tales. Oh, I love twists, especially dark ones! Like the tea party after every survival game, references to Alice in Wonderland make the game even better. We’re all angry here. (I’m a big fan of Alice.) The heroines are no longer pure and innocent characters, but have transformed into tragic, damaged versions of themselves, each carrying the weight of their unfortunate fates.
This manga puts an old tale in a chilling new light and shows that not all fairy tales end happily. Instead, we witness characters driven by jealousy, desperation, and survival instincts. Fluent storytelling with hauntingly beautiful illustrations brings these ugly heroines to life in a way that heightens the story’s emotional weight.
If you’re a fan of dark wonderland fantasy like me, you should definitely check out this manga. — Ilgin Said Soysar
north berth
Writer/Artist: Nortuet
Platform: https://nortverse.com
(Editor’s note: As usual, this comic is not safe for work. Reader discretion advised.)
It’s spooky season. So you’ll be delving into a spooky yet spicy story. This time, instead of webtoons or manga, I’d like to introduce you to a webcomic that a friend of mine can’t help but recommend. Nortverse is a series for adults about a sapphic couple, Tara and Beverly, and their friends and family.
Artist Nortuet skillfully creates seasonal themed chapters each year. This year is no exception. In the current story arc, Tara and Beverly are searching for their dog Steven. They encounter a witch from another dimension, a naughty one (don’t judge me!), and she does exactly what the naughty energy harvester (again, don’t judge me) intended. We take our sapphire duo into that dimension to find out why it doesn’t work. I wish this was fiction, but these scenarios are what you would expect from this webcomic series.
Besides the cute character designs, scenarios, humor, and vulgarity, what caught my attention was nortuet’s art style. The way Nolt colors and shades his characters suggests great depth and dimension despite their simple design. Many other artists have tried the same thing, but I’ve seen them make the shading too detailed and make the art look weird, or use little or no shading and just flatten out the characters. Ta. Despite its simplicity, The Note’s art has a unique character, whether the Note’s characters are clothed, unclothed, or have a simple yet unique design like Stephen the dog. The high level of skill on display never ceases to amaze me.
The humor is very subtle and light. The way the series shifts from standard story arcs to the season’s more fantastical story arcs is consistently entertaining. The world this story takes place in is largely grounded in (sort of) reality, so it almost feels natural. Again, this is a comic that wouldn’t be possible without the internet, allowing Note to tell Tara and Beverly’s story any way he wants.
Despite being uncensored and aimed at adults, Nortverse is a pretty wholesome series from creators who just enjoy telling this quirky, light-hearted girl love story. Happy Halloween! Be careful of naughty areas. — Justin Guerrero
marie’s music
Writer/Artist: Usamaru Furuya
Translation: Laura Egan
Lettering: Elena Pizzaro
Publisher: One Piece Books
Pipi and Kai are two teenagers living in a perfect clockwork world. Pipi likes Kai. However, Kai loves Marie, a giant woman floating in the sky of his hometown. He is the only one who can hear her music, and with that great privilege comes power and an unimaginable curse.
Marie’s music is illustrated by multi-minded artist Usamaru Furuya. He drew the hilarious Short Cuts, an anarchic 1990s comedy series about trendy “little gals.” However, he is also the author of vulgar manga such as “Lichi☆Hikari Club” and “Suicide Club.” Marie embodies the full breadth of Furuya. On the surface, it’s a fun, imaginative, idyllic fantasy work, like a Miyazaki film. But beneath that surface are hundreds of rotating gears, ready to crush the finger bones of unsuspecting readers into blood and dust.
This series is full of wonderful fantasy images. A huge multi-legged “forest” rises from the sea like a swarm of spiders. Three wise men who develop a fetish mechanical nightmare from Riichi Ueshiba’s comics. And Marie herself transforms from a highly detailed clockwork goddess to an amorphous thundercloud depending on the mood of the scene.
Marie’s Music is built around an age-old sci-fi question. The question is: Is it worth giving up free will to live a pain-free life? By the end of the manga, we know where Furuya stands. The afterword at the end of my edition further reveals his feelings. Although I’m impressed with Furuya’s technical ability as an artist, I couldn’t help but wish his answers were a little more nuanced. Every time this manga reaches its final episode, I think, “Huh?”
But the true genius of Marie’s Music is in the details. Consider Furuya’s whimsical landscapes and clockwork backdrops. The epilogue is surprisingly mean-spirited and refuses to read this comic as mere allegory. Not to mention the scene where Pipi walks in on Kai masturbating to his guardian goddess. Despite the beautiful art and charming characters, Marie’s music is a bit sinister. Perhaps even a corrupt one. But that’s what I like about it. — Adam Wescott
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