Manga Review: The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka & Housui Yamazaki.
Five students at a Buddhist college discover that each of them has a talent or skill relating to death. The corpse that brings about this revelation is restless, and they help it find peace. In exchange it wills them just enough money to start their own business helping the dead fulfill their last wishes.
This is a quirky horror manga with some fun characters, chilling storylines and excellent art. Many of the stories involve either twisted versions of Japanese urban legends, or real-life unusual aspects of modern Japanese culture. For example, in Volume Thirteen, Sasaki (the team’s business manager and hacker) is drafted as a “lay judge” in a murder case, following changes in Japan’s trial system in 2009.
The series is put out in America by Dark Horse Manga, with the first thirteen volumes available in English. There’s extensive footnotes in each volume, covering various subjects of interest and explaining references. The cover designs are fairly distinctive as well.
There is frequent nudity in this series, both male and female, usually of corpses drawn with realistic injuries and in various stages of decay. There’s also some disturbing violence and sexual situations; There’s relatively little of the usual fanservice, though. The nudity serves plot purposes. I would recommend this only for older teens and up.
Unfortunately, I am told that sales are poor, so this series may not continue in the U.S. This is one series I would ask you to consider buying new if you can.
