Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story was so creepy in the most subtle way. It's like being afraid of something, but you're not quite sure what you're afraid of. Yes, there is a giant scary woman who apparently can't be killed that's stalking the main character, but the creepy factor extends beyond this detail. The atmosphere is really just incredible. Between the story and artwork it's a perfect combination to give those little creeps right up the spine.

I went into this completely blind and was so impressed! The creep factor was off the charts with visuals that were incredibly additional to the story. Super quick and enjoyable read with a great plot line

Unsettling Encounters: A Review of "Hauntress"

The eerie cover art of "Hauntress" initially drew me in, but it was the comic novel's masterful blend of psychological horror and supernatural mystery that truly captivated me. This gripping tale follows a college student beset by nocturnal visitations from a towering, enigmatic woman who appears impervious to harm.

As the narrative unfolds, the mysterious woman's actions become increasingly erratic, ratcheting up the tension to almost unbearable levels. The comic novel's atmospheric illustrations perfectly capture the creeping sense of dread, making for a deeply unsettling reading experience.

What resonated with me was the author's thoughtful exploration of bullying in schools, adding a layer of poignancy to the narrative. However, the conclusion felt abrupt and unsatisfying, leaving me wanting more resolution to the chaotic events that had transpired.

Despite this, "Hauntress" remains a compelling and unnerving read, marking a memorable foray into Japanese horror comics for this reviewer. The author's deft handling of the genre's darker elements ensures that this haunting tale will linger long after the final page is turned.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing date: 25th February, 2025

In Hauntress, college student Hiroshi becomes the victim of a mysterious stalker who disrupts his life and won't leave him alone. This was originally published in 1993 and is now appearing in English for the first time.

It's interesting how prominently landlines feature in the plot. Strange as it sounds, it made me a bit nostalgic for the time when you couldn't reach someone unless they happened to be at home. The young romance subplot was nice and sweet until things turned bad later. I liked that Hiroshi and his friend regret being bullies in elementary school, although it's strange that it hadn't occurred to them that bullying is bad until they reached college.

I was disappointed that only the first few pages appeared in color. Most of this is black and white. The title of the story led me to believe it would be a supernatural horror story, but it's unclear whether the stalker is supernatural or not. The story wasn't spooky like I was expecting. The ending also disappointed me because it left our main character's viewpoint and veered off into a different direction.

Review of Hauntress by Minetarō Mochizuki
Hauntress, a psychological horror manga published in 1993, is an extraordinary work that blends urban legend, psychological terror, and nightmarish surrealism into a story that feels as timeless as it is chilling. The manga's ability to transform a seemingly simple concept—stalking—into an unrelenting and deeply disturbing exploration of fear is a testament to its brilliance. Though initially unaware of its cultural and artistic significance, I was enthralled by its originality, the depth of its narrative, and the unsettling beauty of its artwork.
The story unfolds with the introduction of a mysterious figure—a woman whose identity, origins, and motives are entirely unknown. The lack of context surrounding her character is not a narrative oversight but a masterstroke. By withholding her backstory, the author amplifies her terror. She is neither fully human nor monstrous, existing instead in an unnerving liminal space that defies comprehension. Her relentless stalking of the protagonist, Hiroshi, and his social circle transforms the mundane into a landscape of paranoia and dread.
This anonymity is one of the manga’s greatest strengths. In horror, overexplaining an entity or offering excessive detail about its origins can often dilute the fear it generates. By avoiding this pitfall, Hauntress preserves the enigmatic nature of its antagonist, leaving the reader to grapple with their own interpretations of her existence. The narrative does not just ask questions; it offers no answers. Where does she live? What motivates her actions? Why are her victims chosen? These uncertainties mirror the helplessness and confusion of the characters within the story, deepening the reader's anticipation
The psychological horror is heightened by the manga’s refusal to provide closure. Much like the protagonist never learns what happened to Yamamoto, a neighbor who was seemingly her previous victim, the reader is left in a state of suspended horror, unable to fully grasp Hiroshi’s fate. The events unfold with a dreamlike inevitability, and the ambiguity is deliberate and masterful. This lack of resolution is not a flaw but a feature of the story’s brilliance. The terror is not only in what happens but in what remains unknown, feeding the creeping dread that lingers long after the final page.
Hauntress excels in its ability to weave psychological horror with the folklore-like quality of an urban legend. The story does not merely end; it leaves a void that feels intentional, as though the events have passed into myth. The transformation of Hiroshi's ordeal into an unsolvable mystery echoes the way real-life tragedies are often obscured by time and retelling, evolving into legends that retain their power to unsettle.
Hauntress is a masterpiece of psychological horror. It avoids the traps of predictability and cliché, delivering an experience that is both deeply disturbing and profoundly intriguing. The manga’s ability to maintain suspense, mystery, and terror without resorting to over-explanation is a rare achievement. Its timeless quality and artistic merit make it essential reading for fans of horror and manga alike.
This is a story that lingers, haunting you long after you’ve put it down—just like the titular character herself.

A young man hears a woman knocking on his neighbor's door. Waiting for him to answer, leads to him finally opening his door and letting her know that he's not there. She asks to use his phone and he foolishly lets her in. During school, he tries to hang out with friends and ask his crush out on a date, but he starts receiving phone calls from this strange woman. She is consistent in her contacting him, and finding him wherever he goes. It culminates with a fire, and then it's all just an urban legend... right? The black and white crosshatch style typical of manga adds an extra eeriness to this story, and every time there is a closeup of her face is a shock to the system. This story provides a great explanation for how an urban legend could start and is reminiscent of Junji Ito's style of story. Very well done at creating a creeping sensation of doom.

"Hauntress" by Minetaro Mochizuki is about a college student named Hiroshi being stalked by a woman with supernatural abilities. The woman is relentless and starts attacking people close to Hiroshi. The story becomes more twisted and unsettling the further you get into it! The artwork is creepy and adds to the unsettling nature of the manga.

I highly recommend this manga if you are a fan of horror and urban legends! Thank you, NetGalley and Kodansha Comics, for sending me a copy of

ahhh this was SO CREEPY, i loved it!! i read this at night to really get in the mood and i really enjoyed it. thank you so much for this galley !!

I love horror and thought this would be a great complement to my reading. It didn’t disappoint . Originally released in 1993, this graphic novel introduced the concept of stalking to Japanese culture. Keeping that in mind as I read the book gave the story a little more depth. Short, sweet, and to the point. Some of the art was wild and captured the unhinged nature of the obsession perfectly. Recommended to any lover of horror and graphic novels.

I think this is an important work because it’s credited with introducing the concept of stalking in Japan in the early 90s. I think it’s important that this context is considered because we’ve become so accustomed to stories of stalking and surveillance in the US in 2025 that this could feel dull in some ways. It’s a spooky read nonetheless.

Ibitsu meets Cuckoo! Don’t mess with the tall trench coat ladies of the night!

I didn’t know what to expect from this since I went into this blind. I saw the cover and I didn’t need to know anything else. The cover screamed creepy at me and I was set.

This was disturbing and really reminded me of ‘Ibitsu’ a bit. I think because of the breaking and entering and don’t forget the stalking. The art was just as creepy as the story. I even had to go back through and take another look at the art. Some of those illustrations are definitely nightmare inducing.

‘Huntress’ was a great and terrifying story. One of my favorite reads of the year!

Well, this was actually rather impressive – and that from someone who really doesn't rate the whole manga genre at all. Seems there is something worse than being disturbed by a lanky woman constantly knocking on the door, pressing the doorbell and ringing through to the phone of the flat next door – that is when said lanky woman asks for your help in finding your neighbour, and then latches on to you to do the same at your door.

I find it hard to believe this really did highlight the stalker concept to Japanese culture, even if it was first published in 1993. All told there is a touch of the J-horror to this, with the figure of the woman making a startling silhouette – head to one side, questioningly, long bedraggled hair, constant collection of paper shopping bags… It's also a book that refuses to answer all its questions, but generally provides for briskly-read entertainment. OK, for me a lot of the action art fails, and a revenge element never really works and outlasts its welcome as a result. But I was glad I took a punt on a review copy of this – I'm guessing slightly earlier manga would be more my thing, and the seriousness of this is definitely there. Many readers as a result of this will not be opening the door to any overly-tall, shopping-toting young/old women…

The fact this took 32 years to get translated into English is frankly quite bonkers, and shows an abject ignorance of the urgency the job should have been done with. A strong four stars.

This manga is a brand new translation of a 30 year old story. Apparently it introduced Japan to stalker media. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for Jan 28th
Blog post goes live Feb 4th
Will be covered in upcoming Youtube review
Amazon and B&N reviews will be submitted after release

**TL;DR**: Oh my god, this scared the pants off of me. Genuinely, I was vibrating I was so unsettled.
**Source**: Netgalley - Thank you so much to Kodansha!

**Plot**: Hiroshi Mori helps a woman out, against his better judgement, and things go very badly.
**Characters**: No one here is particularly lovable but you still REALLY don’t want bad things to happen because wow it feels bad.
**Setting**: So. Creepy.
**Art/Layout:** The majority of the art itself wasn’t my favorite but the artist did some absolutely amazing detail shots that really amplified the horror elements here.

**Thoughts**:

Being scared this badly by a manga wasn’t on my January bingo card but here we are. Hauntress is a decidedly horrifying story of a stalking with an open and ambiguous ending. A woman pounds incessantly on a neighbor’s door till Hiroshi offers her his phone thinking that will take care of it and end the problem. I promise, it doesn’t.

I’m a chicken, okay, I scare pretty easily though I do consume a lot of horror manga and enjoy a good movie every now and again. I’ll say that before I say I was shaking a little when I finished this. The art, while not my favorite had a very good unsettling feeling to it. It was creepy and there up close and detailed shots, especially around eyes, that really amplified this one.

The ending is open, the story unclear and that makes this worse. I didn’t love Hiroshi but I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him! Now I’m stuck sitting here thinking about how this could possibly have gone… and not wanting to answer the doorbell when it rings. If you like horror manga I recommend this.

Oh. My. Gosh. I will reread this book forever! I love me a good horror manga and this might just be my new favorite manga author, alongside ito of course.

Not scary enough for me to consider it true horror, this story had potential, but I wanted more background and detail. With more development, the tension and scare factor could have been much stronger. Overall, it’s a decent, quick read.

A translated classic manga, Hauntress follows Hiroshi, a college student who gets involved with a creepy tall women who keeps ringing the doorbell of his next door neighbour's apartment.

The art style of this manga is unsettling and creepy, certainly serving a point. The story keeps the reader on edge not really knowing what is going on and why things are happening. It has such an unsettling atmosphere that raises the hair on the back of the reader's neck.

The ending really makes the reader ask more questions than it answers. It's quite abrupt and open ended. I don't require all my stories to have a black and white answer at the end but I just kind of hoped for a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha comics for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

A college student starts getting night-time visitations from a tall, mysterious woman who seemingly can't be hurt. Things start to escalate as her actions become more erratic.

This was a fairly creepy graphic novel exploring urban legends, and there were some visuals I felt worked really well (the focus on the woman's shoes getting progressively dirtier as time progresses for example), but generally the art style wasn't for me.

The ending also felt a little flat, but it was an enjoyable enough quick read.

The story unfolds when Hiroshi, a college student hears the doorbell next door to his house and it is apparently rung by a mysterious tall woman who then begins to follow him, his every action.

This was my first brush with Japanese horror manga that isn't Junji ito's works and quite honestly this book served its purpose of being creepy and peculiar. The story gives you odds and even and your imagination is key. There were twists and turns that brought out the unpredictable nature of the storyline. The close up smiles and facial expressions were unquestionably creepy and creative for sure.

A good book if you are looking for a creepy, urban legend -que quick, haunting read.

”In the middle of the night, I heard a knock. And when I opened the door, I saw this huge woman…”

This was my very first manga and I think this book just opened me to a whole new book genre👀 This story follows a college student who one night hears knocking on his neighbors door and the woman he sees knocking now starts to take interest in him, knocking on his door at night and stalking him! This was such a creepy story, the art style was so cool and creepy at the same time. Very fast paced and eerie🫣

Thank you NetGalley and Vertical Comics for the Arc