Orochi: The Perfect Edition Vol. 1 is a two story collection of horror/suspense tales each with a twist ending. The original publication was in 1969 & 1970 and, I have to say, I was very impressed with the level of detail in the art, right down to the grain of tables and blades of grass. The first story wowed me with it's fast pace, the mystery of the seeker and the satisfaction of the ending. The second story was just too, too long. It was serialized initially so the length made sense but to read it as a collected story, you really felt how the last third just felt overlong. Definitely worth a read and I will definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this graphic novel.

Kazuo Umezz is a creator I’ve been watching for a bit not but never took the plunge to purchase his works. I can say that having devoured this graphic novel, I have pre-ordered all Orochi the perfect editions which are coming out in 2022.

I really enjoyed the fact it was longer stories instead of lots of shorter ones, it made me more invested in the characters and stories.

The art style was great, although at times the shading could be a touch heavy (on things like cliff faces & forests) which made it a bit hard to distinguish. However I read this on a phone, and I’m sure when I have the physical it won’t be the same.

All in all, I loved this edition and the stories.

Wow, I whipped through this edition of Orochi by Kazuo Umezu and I'm glad to see that it's gone from the realm of "very out of print / only manga readers in the know" titles to something that anyone can pick up and discover.

If you love Junji Ito's horror manga, Japanese/Asian horror movie, psychological horror stories, or even old school, EC-style horror stories from the 1960's-70's, you'll probably love Orochi. A mysterious girl with supernatural powers finds herself in situations where people fall prey to their worst fears, and act upon them in a way that will leave you slack-jawed in astonishment. There's jealousy, anxiety, betrayal and crimes against god, like resurrecting the dead. Young, old, innocent or devious... no one is safe in a Kazuo Umezz horror story, and the endings of the two short stories in this volume will leave you with chills up your spine.

So one bit of background here: Orochi was originally serialized in a shonen manga magazine from 1969-1970, One thing that you'd have to get used to with this type of older manga is that the characters do a lot of 'talking out loud" when they're thinking something, and this can feel awkward or forced compared to how similar stories are told nowadays -- or if you're used to watching theatrical plays, maybe you're used to that kind of "talking out loud to the audience" kind of thing. And yep, while there isn't much nudity or sex in these stories, there is gore and violence and some of the very bad things the characters in this book do can be disquieting, so it's not something I'd put in the hands of anyone younger than say, age 16 (unless they're big on horror comics anyway).

A great addition to the now growing array of horror manga in English. Check it out and see the work that influenced a lot of the horror manga you're reading today.

What a wonderful horror read! The art style is really interesting, and I found that it really added to the unsettling parts of this volume. There were two stories in this, and both felt contained and thought out, with the reoccurring character of Orochi influencing how the story progressed. I'm still not sure who this particular character is, or what her role will be in future volumes, but I am very excited to find out!

If you enjoy Junji Ito's work, you may enjoy Kazuo Umezz's horror manga. This volume contains two short stories, perfect for fans of unsettling psychological tales of terror. The first story is about two sisters living together in a huge mansion, cursed with ugliness when they turn 18 years old. The second story is about a woman who's husband dies and upon her remarriage, his corpse returns from the grave to take it's revenge. In both stories, Orochi is the returning character, a young lady with some not quite natural powers. She does her best to help the humans in both stories, but it seems like her good intentions always go a bit awry. In the first, She tries to help the sisters in any way she can, watching over them and offering her services as a maid. Unfortunately, sticking her nose into their family secrets seems to make things worse. With the second story, by bringing back the dead husband of the seemingly grieving widow, she unleashes an even worse ending for all involved.

The artwork is very reminiscent of Junji Ito's, with very animated facial expressions. The engaging stories will attract older teens and young adults who are looking for horror manga with a twist.

I found this title to be really cool! It only has two stories in it but each one is a nice, self-contained horror piece. Both of which, interestingly enough, focused on horror stories with a more feminine gaze. Themes of beauty and aging and the pursuit of domestic happiness over any kind of crime. The art style was stand out to me as well. It's stark with-well used black and white tones with retro shojo flair, especially in the eyes. Horror fans should check this one out!

Orochi: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 1 feels like such a bait and switch by its cover art, I couldn't help but laugh (the kind of laugh while trying not to get creeped out). This book is definitely not for those who are not into the creepy, the unnerving, or the psychologically warped. The beautiful women are beautiful indeed, but something's just not quite right. Things seem to start looking up, but you get a sense of foreboding. After reading this I have a better understanding of how Junji ito came to be. (I received an eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

3.5 Stars.

Scary in a thought-provoking way with quite a few twists. The endings of both stories are not at all what I thought they would be. But I think Orochi confused me somewhat. I'm not sure where she is from or what her role was meant to be. It's unclear if she was helping or hurting although she seemed to think she was helping?

Altogether everything felt odd and incomplete, but unsettling. I'm still not sure who or what Orochi is or how I feel about her "interventions." So I suppose I'll be reading on to find out!

I think this will appeal to adult fans of horror manga and older teens who have run out of Junji Ito to read. It is engaging and well illustrated even if it feels somehow like sections are missing.

It is well drawn and plotted but perhaps not to my specific tastes in horror manga. Both stories in this edition are complete and resolve themselves well, but I feel like I didn't quite get the first story. This is best suited for older teens 16+ and will do well in an adult collection at public libraries.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wow, the two stories in this edition were intense. I had never read Kazuo Umezz before this, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more titles by them. This edition was a beautifully horrific. I felt it captured the worst in humanity through the eyes of Orochi, who appears to innocently try to help those she crosses paths with in her own way. Both stories in this collection were equal in idea, plot, and conclusion.

The first story is titled "Sisters" where the reader finds Orochi make her way into this interestingly empty mansion-esque home. However, there is a dark secret the two sisters are hiding, and Orochi is determined to figure out what is going on. Nothing could prepare Orochi for what the sisters were attempting to keep secret, and even more horrifying is the conclusion. I was not prepared for how this story ended, and I mean that in the best way.

The second story is titled "Bones" where the reader is introduced to a poor child who grew up in a terrible household life where her father and step mother treated her abysmally. When she becomes "more beautiful" it is only then that her father sees her value and marries her off for money. For a while, she was happy with this husband who was said to treat her well. However, he ends up dying unexpectedly. This is where Orochi meets the girl and tries to help her by bringing her husband back to life. While innocently doing so, she puts into motion a more horrific ending to the story than she ever imagined.

I loved this edition. I thought it was a well done horror manga. It gave me hope then took it away. The art was amazing. If you love Junji Ito's work, I think you will 100% enjoy this title.

This book had great stories and beautiful art. Although there are some differences, especially in the art style, I can see the similarities with Junji Ito. I'm excited to see what volume 2 has to offer! Highly recommended to horror graphic novel fans.

The art is absolutely gorgeous. The stories were less to my taste, but they were sufficiently weird at times, and it was certainly a fast-paced and quick read. I'll be glad to have new editions of classic manga horror to recommend to fans of Junji Ito, for sure.