.png)
With "The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui", a new work by mangaka Masasumi Kakizaki is being released on the international market. Kakizaki is best known in the community for his work "Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin", which was adapted as an anime and won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2005.
How was The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui?
The story begins with the introduction of Kanetsugu Nawa, a former policeman. After exacting revenge on the perpetrators for the horrific murder of his wife and daughter, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other, he was imprisoned. After a few years in prison, he is able to serve the remainder of his sentence on parole and after being violated by his only remaining family member, he returns to what he has left: his revenge. Nawa is determined to find the man who wiped out his family and bring him to justice.
When Nawa finally tracks the man down, he learns the reason why he was able to escape his first attempt at revenge: The man is immortal after eating the Yomotsuhegui fruit. When the situation turns against Nawa and he fights for his life, it becomes clear that the seed of this fruit also seems to lie dormant in him. What's more, he has the power to extract the seed of the Yomotsuhegui from others and end their immortality.
This curse or blessing places Nawa at a crossroads where he can either regain his lost humanity or succumb to the darkness within him. Meanwhile, he teams up with a Shinigami to fight against the threats from the other world.
Readers who are already familiar with Masasumi Kakizaki's works will recognize his unique style right from the start. Kakizaki is known for his detailed and expressive drawing style, which allows him to impressively depict complex emotions and scenarios. His style allows him to tell dark and atmospheric stories that captivate the reader.
This also succeeds in the first volume of "Yomotsuhegui". Kakizaki manages to transfer the dark atmosphere that pervades the entire volume to the paper through his detailed drawings. The style of the monsters is strongly reminiscent of the creatures Lovecraft created in his works. Fans of splatter will certainly find what they are looking for in this volume, but it should be noted that there are also some hard-to-digest scenes and themes. Murder, torture, rape and suicide are present in the volume, but they serve to drive the story forward and you never felt they were there just to grab attention or just to shock. Seven Seas itself recommends the title for readers aged 17 and over.
"The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui" is on the one hand a straightforward revenge story about Nawa, who seems to have only one big goal, but also offers another present storyline: the never-ending battle between our shinigami Ren, who takes up residence with Nawa and has a curious creature at her side, and an enigmatic immortal who has stolen the Yomotsuhegui tree and believes that all humans should be immortal. At the same time, the manga also explores themes of justice, redemption, fragility and the human quest for power.
Seven Seas is publishing the title in its familiar paperback format. Unfortunately, there are no color pages or other extras in the edition.
Conclusion
If you like manga that delves deep into the darker aspects of the soul, detailed illustrations and a touch of cosmo horror, then I think "Yomotsuhegui" is worth a look.
It should be emphasized that this is a manga designed for adult readers and has plenty of gore and more difficult themes.
The Tree Of Death: Yomotsuhegui Vol. 1
€11,24
€14,99
An action-packed supernatural horror series about a battle over eternal life!Police officer Nawa Kanetsugu lost almost everything when his wife and daughter were killed. All that remains now is his thirst for vengeance and hunger for the fruit of immortality!… read more
