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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For You AND Your Evil Twin! (Full series review. No spoilers.), March 24, 2007
Affectingly humanistic AND gleefully misanthropic all at once, PET SHOP OF HORRORS is a 10-volume series revolving around a Chinatown pet shop, the highly unusual animals it sells, and the (often unpleasant) fates which befall its patrons. Running the shop is "Count D", a young Chinese man with a charming smile. Trying to run him in is Leon Orcot, a grumpy police detective who is convinced D is behind all those nasty, animal-related incidents.
Each volume contains three or four clever, creepy, well-characterized stories focusing on an individual customer. Meanwhile, the series as a whole gradually unveils the story of Count D, and his quasi-adversarial relationship with the dogged-but-dense detective.
A lot of reviewers here explain the "rules" of the series to you. But I really enjoyed reading Book One "cold" and figuring it out for myself. The confusion is half the fun, and the real charm of the series is the way the stories subversively mess with our perceptions.
Some stories are better than others, of course. I was briefly alarmed at a dip in quality at Book 4, but Book 6 bounced the series back. Even so, Books 4 and 5 each contain one first-rate story, and overall work just fine as a brief change of pace. Book 10 concludes the series with four interconnected tales focused on the recurring characters. It is one of the best final books of a manga series that I have yet come across.
The "rating" jumps from T13 to T16 after Book 3. But I think that Book 1 gives you a good idea what you are in for content-wise. The detective does not watch his language, mermaids don't wear tops, many of the stories, uh, don't end well, and there is gore and extreme weirdness. But it is never gratuitous or stupid, and risque content is clever rather than crass. My local library has the full series, but it is STILL at the top of my To-Get List. It is that good.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fascinating Horror Series, June 16, 2005
I loved this manga so much that I read all ten volumes at Borders. The story is about Count D, who runs a pet shop in China Town, and Detective Orcot, who is convinced that he is up to no good and is determined to arrest him. Most of the pets are very exotic, and the people who buy them usually meet tragic ends. But it is always because of human nature that things go wrong. The pets look like humans to Count D and their owners, an interesting feature.
The characters are eccentric. Count D is usually dark and mysterious(unless there are sweets around), and thinks that humans are much more beastly than the animals in his shop. Detective Orcot is a more typical guy, who likes girls and drinking, and very stubborn, and his opinions are the exact opposite of Count D's.
The art here is some of the best I've seen, and I've seen a lot. The animals' human forms look exotic and beautiful, they were my favorite parts. But everything is well done. There are light shounen-ai elements in this manga, but not enough to bother you if you don't like that kind of thing.
The art here is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the best I've seen, and I've seen a lot. The animals' human forms are exotic and beautiful. They were my favorite part, but everything else is well done too.
I think that everyone can find something to like here. Most of the plots in the stories are very engaging, and sometimes the plot twists will take you by surprise. If you like this manga, I also suggest that you read "Dolls"(plural, "Doll" is another manga), which is about dolls made from plants. It also takes place in China town. But I liked "Pet Shop of Horrors" a lot.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It has captured me and refuses to let go..., March 30, 2004
Not that I want to be let go of course :) This manga drew me in from the very start of the first volume and has only continued to do so in this one as well. Covering the fascinating stories of Dragon, Dice, Delicious, and Destruction, this manga is one you'll have a hard time putting it down till you read it from cover to cover and even then it will pull you back for more (I've already read it at least twice).
I'll admit this manga does have some bloody portions as well as creepy parts (it does have the word horror in its title for a reason), but even if you are the overly sensitive type you should have no problem overlooking these. The story and the art are the main focus here, and Matsuri Akino has a wonderfully beautiful, yet mysterious way, of portraying both. You can't help but tingle in dreaded excitement as some of the more unlucky owners' fates unfold. The tales are sometimes heartwarming (such as in Dice), and yet sometimes there is a illfated case where you feel as if some type of justice has been served (such as in Delicious). It's hard to boil the stories down like this, as they are all such a wonderful mix. There's even some comedy thrown in (such as the conversations between Leon and Count D).
Plus where else can you see so many mythical creatures being interwoven into a story so smoothly? :) All in all it's a must read.
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