'Otaku Blue #1: Tokyo Underground' by Richard Marzano with art by Malo Kerfriden is the first half of a story told with two halves. How it turns out will have to wait until the second volume.

Asami is a sociology student who is studying otaku for her thesis. She mainly talks to the cute girls who dress like school girls and maids to attract the attention of the otaku. Meanwhile, local prostitutes have caught the unwanted attention of a serial killer who is collecting parts of their bodies. Inspector Arakawa and his young assistant are looking in to the murders. As Asami gets further in to the world of the Otaku, she gets an invite to meet with mysterious and famous otaku, Buntaro. Could the two stories have a common link?

They most assuredly must, but there are a lot of red herrings being thrown out at this point. I liked the art quite a lot, but the story feels like it's moving slow at this point. Perhaps things pick up a bit in the second half. The cover drew me in, and I think it's quite striking.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

My thanks to Europe Comics for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Tokyo Underground: Otaku Blue #1’ by Richard Marazano with art by Malo Kerfriden in exchange for an honest review. It was originally published in France in 2012 and translated by Edward Gauvin. This is the first in a two-part story.

In present day Tokyo Asami is a sociology student working on her thesis. Her subject is Otaku, a Japanese subculture of people with obsessive interests. She is also having relationship issues with her boyfriend, a young filmmaker currently working on J-horror.

Meanwhile, Inspector Kioski Arakawa of the Metropolitan Police is investigating a series of brutal murders. The victims are prostitutes and the killer is taking body parts from each. By the final panels these two stories begin to converge.

It’s a little hard to judge part of a story though I found that I was quite caught up in the story, which is quite different to previous graphic novels that I have read. It serves to introduce the characters and setting.

I found Asami an appealing protagonist and the writer and artist were quite adept at conveying her character and conflicts. Inspector Arakawa was a more familiar character embodying universal aspects of jaded police detectives the world over.

The artwork aims for a realistic approach rather than manga and I liked it, especially in terms of capturing a sense of the cityscape of Tokyo.

I hope that there’s enough interest for the second part to be made available in English.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

A story well suited to the comic book style.
Richard Marazano, well known in his homeland, France for his graphic novels, turns his focus on Japanese culture.
' Tokyo. Present day. Asami is a sociology student. Her post graduate thesis - Otakus, a Japanese subculture of people with obsessive interests. She meets with them, interviews and befriends them in a serious academic paper to throw light on their bizarre behaviours. For those engaged to explain their motivations and enjoyment. '
Meanwhile, the police have a more pressing enquiry, that, in its own way, shares a dark mystery which points to a serial killer from a world of obsessive behaviours.
The detectives have disfunctional relationships with women and struggle to find any firm leads. One senses that not everyone are who they seem to be, or they might be closer to the crimes or the influence of Otakus than they realise.
The story is told over two parts and this was the story establishing bit - part 1. I feel therefore it has not been able to score well in reviews. However, for the non-Japanese this is a culture difficult to get a handle on, let alone understand. However, I praise the efforts of the writer and the fine artwork which lifts the story to a level of menace and intrigue.
That the focus of the story is more on the killer, of whom few clues are known than the victims may seem to diminish the crimes. Yet they are so brutal and a destruction of youth and beauty that the drama is established. The further into the piece you also get the feeling that Asami is going to discover things she'll never be allowed to share as part of her studies.
I look forward to reading Part 2, who wouldn't after reading of this dark, shadowy world from the culture of Japan.

'Otaku Blue' is a French comic book set in Japan and following a young woman researching fan culture and a middle aged detective investigating a series of murders. The killings are of young women and in each case a different body part is stolen. It plays out like an eastern giallo and its examination of Japanese culture is kind of interesting at times, but never quite reaches the level of being insightful.
A bigger problem is the lack of any tension as the body count rises. It feels like the deaths are happening to give the detective something to do rather than for any other reason. The fact that this is just the first part of a story in two parts doesn't help either. The conclusion felt abrupt and I was left with little incentive to seek out the concluding part.

“In order to change, I have to become my true self.”

Otaku Blue is the first in a two-part story about a young woman’s search for the ultimate otaku. Otaku belongs to a Japanese subculture of people with obssessive interests. It is also a crime thriller as we follow the investigation of a serial killer targeting and mutilating young women.

It is full of beautiful and morbid art depicting modern Japan and its dark corners. I have to say a lot of elements may have been lost in translation for me. The confusing mess of the main characters’ relationship was also distracting at times, but I appreciate how it effectively portrays the conflict between one’s commitment to scholarly pursuits vs. sacrificing and failing on real life obligations.

Since it is just part one of a promised duology, expect the ending to be non-conclusive. I am looking forward to reading the second book.

I have given this 3 stars for the artwork. The story was not for me. I think in order to enjoy it you need to be interested in certain aspects of Japanese culture. I though the story labours the point about the protagonist's Phd studies too much. Too slow for me but the artwork was great.

Seven years before the publishers felt the urge to put this into English goes some way towards suggesting it may not be the best book out there. A young woman trying to work out the psychology of all that wacky Japanese dressing-up cos-play lifestyle struggles too to keep her relationship going with a horror film worker (who seems to have a grand total of one colleague). Meanwhile a real nasty type is killing off street workers and taking bits of their bodies for his own delectation. Could our heroine be about to suddenly, unwittingly fall into this even darker world?

Well no, for this does nothing suddenly, being far too wordy, over-long and over-wrought. The junior cop using his regular hooker as a sounding board, yack and yack about dressing up, and the actual thesis for the woman's study, which doesn't read as very interesting or at all plausible, drag this down, and it all feels rather skippable. There is only one other volume of this story to come, but I can't see me rushing to get a look.

While the art style isn't exactly my cup of tea, I found that the story was engaging enough for my taste. Asami goes to great lengths to try and understand the Otaku culture, taking research to a new, dangerous level— as she dives deeper and deeper into the darker side of Otaku.

The art style softened up some of the macabre scenes depicted in the comic. Each death is worser than the last and the serial killer begins to get more and more creative. Meanwhile, Asami and Kotaro's relationship is indeed on the rocks and each incident is enough to draw them further apart.

Not quite for me, but there is definitely an audience for this graphic novel. I"ll be recommending this one to our patrons.

An interesting story with somewhat interesting characters, but a little slow and predictable. It took me a while to understand what is happening but once I get it, I am curious. I want to know how things will play out. I am not a fan of the art, though. I think it's just okay. Still, I don't mind following the rest of the story.