Manga Like Muramatsuri

Susumu Nakoshi, a middle-aged man living a double existence between a luxury hotel and a park where the homeless gather, meets a mysterious stranger who proposes trepanation—a surgical procedure that involves drilling a hole into the skull. The stranger insists Nakoshi is the ideal candidate for their experiment. Despite initial hesitation, Nakoshi agrees after his car is impounded, arranging for 22-year-old medical student Manabu Ito to perform the operation for 700,000 yen. At first, there seem to be no effects from the procedure, with Nakoshi showing no signs of abnormality. However, his world takes a strange turn when he begins seeing homunculi, tiny humanoid figures, inside every person he encounters. Transformed by this new perception, Nakoshi must confront the challenge of dealing with these homunculi.

Seventeen years ago, immortal beings called Ajin, or demi-humans, first appeared on battlefields in Africa, marking a major discovery for humanity. Though the government claims they are compatible with society, rumors persist that Ajin are hunted down for cruel, secret experiments. Kei Nagai, an aloof high school student aiming to become a doctor, just wants a normal life. His world shatters when he survives a car crash that should have been fatal. After reviving, Kei is immediately identified as an Ajin due to the bounty on his head, leaving him confused by his new immortality and unable to prove his innocence. Forced to go into hiding to escape both government pursuit and public hatred, Kei is approached by a rebellious group of Ajin who urge him to fight back against human authorities. As tensions between humans and Ajin escalate, Kei must face his own loyalties and decide where his true allegiances lie.

Kazuki Hoshino values his ordinary daily life above all else. His school days are filled with easygoing moments spent with friends—until the transfer student Aine Aya arrives and shatters that peace. The moment this cold, beautiful girl appears in his classroom, she speaks to him in baffling terms: "I've come to destroy you. This is my 13,118th transfer. After going through so many, I started getting bored, so this time I'll add some fun by making a formal declaration." With these enigmatic words, Kazuki's cherished everyday life descends into chaos and dread—Aya's sudden arrival hints at hidden secrets behind his seemingly ordinary friends, including the mysterious devices known as "boxes."

In "Sankarea: Undying Love," Chihiro Furuya has an unusual fascination with the dead, especially female zombies. After his beloved cat Baabu dies accidentally, his obsession grows, and he begins experimenting with a potion meant to bring the dead back to life. Despite repeated failures, Chihiro nearly gives up on his goal to resurrect Baabu. Just before he abandons the effort, Chihiro meets Rea Sanka, a beautiful but deeply troubled girl, who inspires him to keep trying. By adding toxic hydrangea petals to his potion, Chihiro finally creates the elixir he has been seeking. Unbeknownst to him, Rea drinks the concoction, believing its poison will end her life. After a fatal accident, Rea dies, but the elixir works, bringing her back as a zombie. Freed from her oppressive past, Rea chooses to live with Chihiro, who now must use his knowledge of the undead to care for the teenage zombie girl.

In "The Summer Hikaru Died," Yoshiki and Hikaru have been inseparable since childhood, as the only two children their age in a remote village. Their seemingly perfect bond takes a dark turn after one particular summer. Though the person beside Yoshiki looks exactly like his friend, he feels something is fundamentally wrong—the Hikaru he knew is gone. When Yoshiki confronts this change, Hikaru reveals a monstrous form and warns that Yoshiki must accept him or face death, all while professing his love. Heartbroken but unable to let go of his closest companion, Yoshiki struggles with his emotions as he grows closer to this transformed Hikaru. Meanwhile, the village is shaken by strange events that bring growing chaos.

In a strange occurrence, the ghost of a young woman is discovered alone in the abandoned building of Seikyou Academy. First-year student Teiichi Niiya is the only one who can see her spirit. Resolved to solve the mystery, they set out on a quest to uncover the truth behind her death and the circumstances that preceded it.

Yuu Hasunuma has never known a stable home since losing his parents. Most of his relatives have openly refused to take him in, so he has grown accustomed to being passed from one family to another. Eventually, he goes to live with his mother's cousin. While his uncle doesn't treat him as a burden, he sets one non-negotiable rule: Yuu must never enter the storehouse. But when his uncle is hospitalized, Yuu can no longer avoid going inside. What he discovers there both terrifies and astonishes him. A voluptuous woman with horns and hooves looms over him, offering to grant his deepest wish in exchange for what he values most. Having never experienced true familial love, Yuu wishes for a family—but what he receives far surpasses his expectations. His pact with a demon could land him in serious danger!

In the shadowy backstreets of Los Angeles' Chinatown, there exists a peculiar pet shop brimming with unusual and docile creatures. The proprietor of this establishment is the cryptic youth known as Count D. Count D welcomes those seeking solace and comfort, providing "love, dreams, and hope" through the extraordinary pets in his care. Each sale involves a unique agreement and specific guidelines, though he cautions that he cannot be held accountable for breaches of these terms. Hot-headed detective Leon Orcot links multiple criminal activities to Count D and his so-called "Pet Shop of Horrors." Driven to expose the Count as a lawbreaker, Leon starts frequenting the store.

Every year, the Ushiromiya family gathers on Rokkenjima at the request of their eccentric patriarch, Kinzou, whose health is failing. Most relatives believe his time is running out. As a fierce typhoon batters the island, tensions over inheritance and succession escalate within the family. Battler, Kinzou’s grandson, returns after six years away, expecting a peaceful reunion. Instead, Kinzou devises a peculiar game, challenging the family to find his hidden treasure, with the winner gaining control of the family. The game takes a dark turn when participants are threatened as sacrifices to revive the legendary Millennial Witch, Beatrice. Despite being a staunch skeptic, Battler must confront the possibility of supernatural forces or a murderer among them as the body count rises.

In the secluded village of Sotoba, daily life is usually quiet. Megumi Shimizu, known for her lively personality and fashionable style, considers Sotoba a boring place and longs to escape to the city, away from the locals' traditional ways. When a new European-style mansion appears on a hill, Megumi believes its residents must be refined and interesting, so she decides to pay them a visit. However, Megumi does not return home that night. After an extensive search, she is found the next day, weak and pale, with strange puncture marks on her skin. Tragically, Megumi is only the beginning of a disturbing pattern as Sotoba sees a rising number of deaths. Village doctor Toshio Ozaki, along with priest Seishin Muroi, the reclusive Natsuno Yuuki, and the Tanaka siblings Kaori and Akira, start investigating these mysterious deaths. The horrifying truth behind this outbreak may be more than they can handle, as the dead quickly outnumber the living.

In 19th-century London, young nobleman Cain navigates the shadowy corridors of high society into which he was born. Following his father's sudden death, he becomes Earl and takes on the responsibilities of the Hargreaves family, which is steeped in dark lore. With his loyal servant Riff and his ten-year-old half-sister Mary Weather, Cain investigates the eerie series of crimes that seem to pursue him relentlessly. Includes the one-shot: Volume 5: Nichiyoubi no Solomon Grundy.

In the series Shinrei Tantei Yakumo, the story centers on Saitou Yakumo, a college student who possesses eyes of different colors. His red left eye grants him the ability to perceive ghosts and spirits. Yakumo believes these spectral entities remain tied to the mortal world because of a specific "cause," and resolving that cause can release their souls. The narrative begins when Ozawa Haruka approaches him for help, prompting the two to collaborate on investigations together.

In "After School Nightmare," Mashiro Ichijou is a popular and handsome high school student who has always lived as male. But internally, Mashiro resents his partially female body, a secret he keeps hidden while struggling with his own insecurities. One day, a nurse he has never seen before directs Mashiro to a strange infirmary that has appeared in the school's basement. Unbeknownst to him, entering this mysterious room marks the start of an irreversible change. As Mashiro searches for his true identity, he wrestles with inner turmoil and keeps his secret from his classmates. Gradually, the harsh truths of a deceptive and nightmarish world are exposed, where darkness taints even the brightest moments.

In Umineko When They Cry Episode 2: Turn of the Golden Witch, Shannon works as a maid for the eccentric Ushiromiya family, led by Kinzou. She secretly harbors feelings for his grandson, George, even though she knows such a relationship is forbidden. Her emotions intensify despite her efforts to suppress them. One night, Beatrice, the Millennial Witch of the island, sympathizes with Shannon and offers a deal: by breaking a ritual mirror that weakens Beatrice’s power, Shannon can receive the witch’s help in winning George’s love. Shannon eventually agrees, and she sees a marked improvement in her bond with George. Meanwhile, Kanon, another servant, suspects that Beatrice may be manipulating Shannon. Believing that as mere “furniture,” they have no right to experience human emotions like love, Kanon is taken aback when Jessica, Kinzou’s granddaughter, confesses her affection for him. He begins to reflect on his own feelings toward her. However, the arrival of the rest of the Ushiromiya family for their annual gathering complicates matters. Beatrice sets up a contest to find Kinzou’s hidden gold, with the winner set to inherit control of the family. The competition escalates from a strange game into a terrifying ordeal where lives are at stake. Can Shannon and Kanon protect those they hold dear?

After their fierce confrontation, Battler Ushiromiya reflects on the sudden resignation of the Golden Witch Beatrice, who now appears as little more than a faint echo of her former confident self. This dramatic shift compels Battler to reexamine every detail from the first four games. Though he wishes to remain by her side, he resolves to take back control of the current situation, where Lambdadelta and Frederica Bernkastel have taken charge of the fifth game board. Following Kinzou Ushiromiya's death, Krauss Ushiromiya becomes the family head, but he faces serious financial troubles from poor investments that could lead to creditors seizing the estate. His siblings may take legal action against him under these circumstances. Natsuhi Ushiromiya, supporting her husband, seeks Beatrice's help to revive the former head of the family, hoping to hide the truth until the debts are resolved. Erika Furudo, a self-proclaimed detective, arrives on Rokkenjima Island as the family reunion begins. Welcomed as a distinguished guest, Erika quickly becomes fascinated by the ongoing discussion about the epitaph riddle. However, her relentless investigation into uncovering the hidden treasure triggers a chain of events that threatens to disrupt the Ushiromiya family's stability.

At Mai Taniyama's school, there is an old, abandoned building rumored to be cursed. Every time attempts are made to tear it down, a series of unexplained deaths occur, halting the demolition. Determined to prove the building is truly haunted, Mai and her classmates try to summon a ghost by telling stories. Though no spirits appear, they instead meet Kazuya Shibuya, a new 17-year-old student. While her friends are drawn to his good looks and polite demeanor, Mai remains skeptical. After an incident, Mai learns that Kazuya leads Shibuya Psychic Research, a team hired by the school principal to investigate the alleged supernatural phenomena in the building. Because of her involvement, Mai is forced to temporarily assist Kazuya to avoid paying for the damage. Alongside other paranormal investigators—Houshou Takigawa, a former Buddhist monk; Ayako Matsusaki, a self-proclaimed Shinto priestess; renowned medium Masako Hara; and Catholic priest John Brown—Mai and Kazuya work to uncover the building's mystery before anyone else gets hurt.

At a Buddhist university, five students—three men and two women—struggle to apply their unique skills in practical ways within modern Tokyo. Their abilities, including channeling, dowsing, and extrasensory perception, which were once considered irrelevant in the professional world, become essential for connecting with the dead, especially those spirits tied to their physical bodies and unable to move on to the afterlife. These individuals form the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. Whether the death is due to suicide, murder, accident, or natural causes, their goal is to transport the deceased's body to the specific location needed for the spirit to be freed.

Ginji Amano, a calm and pragmatic blonde who can generate electric currents, partners with Ban Mido, a boisterous brunette with glasses and a mysterious "Evil Eye" that lets him create illusions in others' minds. As the GetBackers, they are famous for their unmatched retrieval skills, boasting a nearly flawless success rate in recovering lost items for their clients. However, they need to find new clients quickly if they want to avoid going broke. This energetic duo takes on challenges while keeping their lively and adventurous style of solving mysteries and reclaiming lost treasures.

In the sixth episode of Umineko WHEN THEY CRY, Battler takes command of the game, using his newly acquired golden truth to counter the logical attacks from the detective-witch, Erika Furudo. Battler's initial struggle revolved around the existence of magic, but it has shifted into a quest to bring back the lively and spirited Beatrice he met in earlier rounds of the game. Navigating the complex rules and challenging logic puzzles is tough enough, but as the game master, Battler must quickly learn to steer the unfolding events toward both his and Beatrice's ultimate goals, all while avoiding being trapped by Erika, the Witch of Truth.

In Blood+, protagonist Saya resides with her adopted family, unaware of her forgotten history. Her everyday existence appears ordinary, save for her notably excessive appetite. While at a park, she encounters Hagi, a man who states he has been searching for her. This meeting initiates a profound transformation in her life. A high school student without memory of her past, Saya experiences a feeling of recognition around Hagi, an exceptionally attractive young man. Unknown to most, Saya is not wholly human; she bears an ancient and mysterious lineage. Her purpose is to pursue and destroy the Chiropterans, perilous creatures she must confront.

In the spring of 1998, 15-year-old Kouichi Sakakibara moves to Yomiyama to attend Yomiyama North Middle School. A recurring injury lands him in the hospital, causing him to miss the first week of classes. After a quick recovery, he meets Mei Misaki, a strange girl with an eyepatch, during his stay at the hospital. Her mysterious behavior catches his attention. When Kouichi joins Class 3-3 at Yomiyama North, he senses something off beneath the class's seemingly ordinary surface. The students act nervously and keep a close watch on him. Surprisingly, Mei is also in the class, but neither her classmates nor teachers acknowledge her presence. As more unexplainable events unfold and questions pile up, Kouichi feels compelled to seek answers, despite the class's and even Mei's own warnings against it.

Dowman Sayman's anthology presents a series of independent tales exploring varied subjects, including serial killers discovering romance, historical figures resurrecting, a fresh perspective on the 9/11 tragedy, yaoi fangirl ghosts dispensing guidance to the men they observe, and numerous other distinctive concepts.

A traveling medicine seller journeys through the countryside in search of supernatural demons called mononoke. To defeat them, he wields a sword, but first must uncover their true form (katachi), reveal the human tragedies (makoto) that created them, and understand the reasons (kotowari) behind their malevolent actions. Only then can he successfully vanquish the mononoke.

You wake up in a decaying mansion, where a woman with emerald eyes calls herself your Maid and addresses you as the Master of the house. Yet you remember nothing of your past, have no sense of identity, and even question if you are truly alive. The Maid offers to guide you through the mansion's empty halls, where she says you will witness the stories of the people who once lived there. She hopes that within these tragic tales, you might find hints about who you are.