After School Nightmare Volume 1 [Paperback]

Setona Mizushiro (Creator)

Book Description

Series: After School Nightmare | Publication Date: October 25, 2006

You have just awakened to find your darkest, ugliest secret revealed to classmates who would do anything to destroy you. This is what's happened to Ichijou Mashiro, whose elite school education turns into the most horrifying experience of his life when he's enlisted by a mysterious school nurse to take an after-hours class. Only those who pass the class will graduate, and the only way for Mashiro to pass is to enter into a nightmare world... where his body and soul will be at the mercy of his worst enemies. Can Mashiro keep his life-long secret - that he is not truly a "he" nor entirely a "she" - or will he finally be "outted" in the most humiliating way possible?

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Go! Media Entertainment (October 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933617160
• ISBN-13: 978-1933617169
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Same story, different twist, October 26, 2006

By 

Shukaku (Ocala, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After School Nightmare Volume 1 (Paperback)

After School Nightmare is an interesting mix of typical teenage confusion with the unique twists of a Twilight Zone episode. The premise of the story is that Ichijou Mashiro's elite high school has one particular class that is required for students to graduate. A graduation that is possible even for a freshman, provided that they can pass this class. What is the class? Basically it is a foray into the human mind. This is accomplished by each student within a small group delving into a shared nightmare. Within this nightmare each student sees and will have seen their true self, the scars of their pasts, and their worst nightmares. This sounds simple in theory, but if one thinks on it for awhile it could truly be a horrible experience. There are always pieces of our pasts and fragments of ourselves that we would never wish others to see. For Mashiro-kun, unfortunately, this means that his fellows classmates find out that "he" is also a "she". No, this is not a simple case of cross-dressing. From the waist up Mashiro-kun is a male, from the waist down a female. Definately not your garden variety problem. At least, not on the surface. In all actuality, Mashiro-kun is facing the ever important question of "Who am I? What am I?" and in some ways more importantly "What do I want?" These are questions that invaribly other characters within the story will face. And these characters are definately interesting. As is the triangle forming between Mashiro-kun, Kureha-chan, and Sou-kun. In the end, this story may be dipping into familar waters but it is certainly being done with an enjoyable flair.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keep reading! Its more than it appears..., August 5, 2009

By 

R. Underwood (NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After School Nightmare Volume 1 (Paperback)

Until the last two volumes of this series, I had no idea why I was reading it. The characters and their relationships all seem so shallow. The school setting seems so strange and doesn't seem to fit into the world around it--like others have said it really does have a twilight zone feel! But I was having a slow few days and was still mildly interested in the "omg-who-ends-with-up-who?!?!111!" so I finished reading all ten volumes.

For anyone who's started reading and is uncertain about continuing, please finish reading the series! There is an incredibly interesting and unexpected revelation in the last volume, that makes it well worth finishing. I honestly loved it. I promise there is much more to After School Nightmare than sexual tension--it becomes much deeper in, I repeat, a VERY unexpected way (although the author states in the end that many subtle hints are splattered throughout the series). The Twilight Zone feel has much more to it than the after school class, and is explained in the end. I won't say much more, because I don't want to spoil the ending, but I'll also add not to worry about the incest another reader mentioned. It becomes much more than it appears.

For me, the concept of this story deserves five stars, but its execution pulls it down to four. I found the relationships in the series very shallow...not enough character development.

While there are reasons for these flaws which become clear later (in my opinion, they are still flaws), the author does little to hold attention until then. The foreshadowing in the series could have been not-so-subtle, to make it clear to the reader that there really is more coming.

Still, all-in-all a very interesting manga, set in an environment far beyond the typical shoujo high school setting. And the "after school" class is just the tip of the iceburg there! Definitely enjoyable and more than worth the read. I plan on rereading!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another awesome work of Go! Comi.., May 4, 2007

By 

HatsumiShinogu "Anime Addict" (Orange County, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After School Nightmare Volume 1 (Paperback)

I picked up this book because the publisher is Go! Comi and I am a big fan of their other works. I didn't read it right away but when I did, I was astonished and surprised to find myself sucked into the book and the story. It is the story of Mashiro who is both a male and female but since his lower part is that of a female, then some might see him as a girl more than a guy.
The love triangle of Mashiro, Sou, and Kureha is the best part and I totally root for Mashiro and Sou.

I am so looking forward to get my hands on the third volume and hopefully there will be another kiss between Mashiro and Sou.

Good job, Go! Comi and congratulations for the nomination of the After School Nightmare for the 2007 Eisner Award!