Ballad of a Shinigami Vol. 1 (Ballad of Shinigami) [Paperback]

K-Ske Hasegawa (Author), Asuka Izumi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Ballad of Shinigami | Publication Date: June 9, 2009

Momo is a shinigami (a Grim Reaper), the messenger of death. Unlike the scary dark cloaked man holding a sickle, she is draped in gleaming white--her gown, sickle, hair and all. Accompanied by a black cat named Daniel, Momo takes up a mission to convey human souls to the Great Beyond. She appears before dying people and relieves them from their mortal fears, but she also comforts those who suffer the anguish of losing loved ones in tragedies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: CMX (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401220584
• ISBN-13: 978-1401220587
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,324,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique Imagery and Contradictory Symbolism, November 2, 2009

By 

GraphicNovelReporter.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ballad of a Shinigami Vol. 1 (Ballad of Shinigami) (Paperback)

Ballad of a Shinigami shows that gods of death don't have to be scary if you bring some creative license to them. Shinigami are creatures of Japanese mythology associated with death and the big beyond and have been important characters in such series as Death Note and Descendants of Darkness. In Ballad, this death-bringing being is a cute little girl with a scythe.

Her name is Momo, Japanese for "peach," which only makes her cuter. At her side is a winged black cat named Daniel, who can talk. Momo doesn't remember her life before she was a shinigami, but in the beginning of the volume, it's hinted she may have committed suicide. Suicide victims, we're told, turn into shinigami.

Though this series is about Momo, she feels more like a background character. Each chapter in volume one has a different storyline, all involving death, and Momo comes in and out of the focus. The main characters change in each storyline. The first story is about someone contemplating suicide, and the last one is about an elderly woman who reminisces about her first love before she passes on. There's also a story of a boy who saw his mother kill his abusive father and who still has nightmares about it. In another tale, a boy mourns the death of his older sister. Despite dealing with such heavy subjects, the manga never lets itself become maudlin or overly morbid.

Ballad of a Shinigami is an interesting mix. There are a few gory pictures in it, but mostly it's pretty tame. There's always the overhanging gloom of death in these pages, but death can also be shown as peaceful. The symbol of death is a little girl, basically the epitome of kawaii (cuteness), but she carries a scythe and takes away people's lives. All in all, it feels like a quiet book, but it's about an explosive subject.

This manga is only part of a Ballad franchise. Before the manga, there was a light novel series by K-Ske Hasegawa, which is now available in English from Seven Seas Entertainment. There's an anime, too, so Momo definitely has her fans. There is something subtle yet powerful about the whole idea of Ballad, and it's curious how the manga will turn out. It's set itself up so that it could have Momo's story parallel the stories of the people she meets in each chapter.


Ballad of a Shinigami will probably attract readers intrigued by unique imagery and contradictory symbolism. Its cover with a little girl holding a dangerous weapon immediately catches attention. Momo doesn't look very dangerous, but she holds the power over life and death.


-- Danica Davidson

4.0 out of 5 stars A good setting up for an interesting new series, August 14, 2009

By 

ChibiNeko "Sooo many books, so little time!" (Whereever I go, here I am.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ballad of a Shinigami Vol. 1 (Ballad of Shinigami) (Paperback)

Ok, so nothing in this manga is really original. Everything in this manga could be traced to another manga or anime out there, the most notable simularities being to Vampire Princess Miyu. Yet for some reason it seems to work for this manga.

The series follows a cute young shinigami by the name of Momo (ID A-100100) & her sidekick Daniel (a fluffy cat). Momo's job is to escourt the souls of the dead to the afterlife, however Momo seems to have a softer heart than most other shinigami. Rather than just escourt people to the afterlife, Momo attempts to assist people in their lives & problems.

Not all of the stories in this volume are powerhouses, but they aren't all together terrible either. My favorite story concerned a young girl & her meeting her first love again after years apart, which was one of the stronger ones. The manga looks like it could do very well but if it isn't careful then it could fall prey to it's greatest weakness: it really brings nothing new to the table. If you can't bring something original to the table then you should be having excellent storytelling & character development. It just really isn't all here in this manga so far. There's two more volumes in the manga, so hopefully it'll brush on some of the stronger stories that are undoubtedly present in the visual novels. If it does, this series will be one to collect & enjoy. If not, well... then I think this series may end up being something to pass over.

I gave the manga 4 stars because I did genuinely enjoy it, but I agree with the other reviewer- it's really more of a 3.5 overall. It could've been a lot better than it was. As far as a general setup for bigger & better storylines, this isn't bad. But if this is what we can expect from the next two volumes, count me out.