Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Satoko Kiyuduki (Creator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2008

Regularly mistaken for a boy and/or vampire, the traveler Kuro roams the land, clothed in black from head to toe, a Kuro-sized coffin on her back. Accompanied by her snarky bat friend, Sen, the mysterious duo meets all sorts of individuals en route - some good, some evil, some just plain crazy! But Kuro never stays in one place for long, begging the question: What exactly is she searching for? And what exactly does she intend to do with that coffin?!

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Yen Press (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759528977
• ISBN-13: 978-0759528970
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,107,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful wonderland with a twist..., May 28, 2008

By 

Tatianna the Reader "Tatianna" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I could not help but pick up the manga with the curiously dour little character on the front? Manga has been growing in popularity for long time, underground has become a funny term, mainstream an even funnier one. This is hand down one of the sweetest, best drawn and most captivating manga's I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

It is short, it is sweet, and it leaves you craving more. Kuro, the main character, Sen her bat and the twins Nijuku & Sanju seem to blithely make it through the stories in the manga while touching the lives of those who dare to approach them. There is a mystery here, why is Kuro traveling why does she need that coffin... What awaits her at the end of it all.

With this funny, touching story telling it makes you want to welcome her in, for longer than she will stay. I know that once the second manga comes out we will the answers we want, but truthfully as faithfully as I will wait for it, I don't want to rush it I don't want to end our journey together. Kuro and her troupe are great friends to travel with.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mysterious Girl Carrying a Coffin on Her Shoulders: Touching Comic with Humor and Pathos, April 3, 2009

By 

Tsuyoshi (Kyoto, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

For those who are looking for something different, Satoko Kiyuduki's comic "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is a real find. In addition to a collection of unique characters, her manga has brilliant artwork and an intriguing story told with such depth and nuance. But what is most amazing about "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is that, despite its strange heroine carrying a coffin on her shoulders it has a lot of humorous scenes that would make you smile.

[STORY] "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" follows the story of a heroine in black, a young, bespectacled girl often mistaken for mortician or vampire (or something else), and the interesting characters she encounters on the road. For what this mysterious young girl with big glasses keeps traveling, only she and her companion Sen (actually, a talking bat who also has a secret) know, but hints as to the answer will be given as the story unfolds.

Manga creator Satoko Kiyuduki has created a unique blend of fairy tales and traditional manga format of four-panel comic strips. Her fantasy world (that looks like Europe early in the early 20th century) deals with such serious topics as death and prejudice, but its tone is neither dismal nor sentimental, and some episodes contain even touching moments.

[ORIGINALLY] Though I mostly agree with previous reviewers' opinions, I must also point out that in spite of its occasional pathos and seriousness "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is also a comedy. The comic has been serialized in Houbunsha's four-panel comic strip magazine "Manga Time Kirara." This means "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" follows the format of traditional Japanese four-panel comics (though not strictly) and like most of Japanese four-panel comic strips (such as "Azumanga Daioh") the fourth panel is often the "punch line" or "humorous part" of each strip. In "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" the "humor" is usually low-key, but is definitely there, effective enough to offset the serious themes the heroine's history suggests.

[LANGUAGE] I say this because part of this manga's charm comes from its language. Heroine "Kuro," being cool and trying to hide her emotions, usually uses standard Japanese when she speaks. The "snarky" Sen prefers more masculine, colloquial style. The spoken Japanese of two lovely children Nijuku and Sanju sounds (and "looks") very childish when read in original Japanese because it doesn't have any kanji letters and is often mispronounced. The twins' repeated "Kuro-cha" in fact sound very cute to us (I am a Japanese) even though (or just because) it really should be "Kuro-chan" ("chan" is an honorific used when addressing to someone affectionately).

[ENGLISH EDITION] Yen Press did a very good job. The English edition has the same format as the Japanese original (except the latter uses dust jacket): book's size, color pages, author's postscript, as well as black margins of each page. The English version also has the original's "bonus" (see. p.122-123), two illustrations on the cover of Japanese edition (hidden under the dust jacket), plus translation notes (one page). The comic's FX is also translated.

[TRANSLATION] Translation is very good, but perhaps they should have used different fonts as a way to distinguish characters. (Read the preview of Vol.2 at the end of the book that retains the Japanese writing system.) It is understandable that some interesting jokes found in the original - the twins' malapropism (p.84) "taraka" and "takara" ("treasure") - had to go. I only add that Kuro's remark "I won't let you live this time" (p.6) reflects the translator's personal interpretation. What she says is: "kondowa ajitoni kaesitewa yaranai karane," which means only "I won't let you go back to your hideout."

[TRIVIA] The illustration of "traveler unknown to youngsters" on p.122 is a nod to Snufkin, a character (and a vagabond with a large hat like "Kuro") from the "Moomin" series by Tove Jansson, hugely popular in Japan. The work has been made into animated TV series, the last time in 1990s, hence the remark "unknown to youngsters."

In short, the manga is strongly recommended. Don't be put off by the title. "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is a moving tale with just the right amount of humor and pathos.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute, but also surprisingly deep and pleasantly bittersweet, January 10, 2009

By 

A. Cosenzo (Wilmington, DE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I was very pleasantly surprised by this comic!

I wasn't sure what to think of this from the cover. Don't be put off by the cute artwork or four panel format, though. This comic has a surprising amount of depth to it, in the artwork, stories, and characters.

The story follows Kuro, a mysterious and often misunderstood vagabond on a journey, and hiding a sad past. The stories are often touching and sad or bittersweet, but in a subtle sort of way. However, the comic also has a good amount of humor and heartwarming moments mixed in. The characters also have more depth than you would expect. This continues in the second volume, which is even better than the first one.

There is a lot more to this comic than first meets the eye. I was surprised at how certain chapters managed to touch me. The artist is also better than you might guess from the covers, capable of some very interesting artwork in various styles. The artist is also capable of drawing beautiful backgrounds, which is really important for a comic book about traveling. The color pages are very enjoyable.

A very nice surprise! I'm looking forward to volume 3.