Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter
Atelier Sento
125pp
Halloween has come and gone now, but I was lucky enough to get my hands on a short fun ghost manga to read with my little boy who's becoming a horror fan... as long as it's not too scary.
Here we have the story of two friends who come to Nigata in search of Onibi, or spirits. They even get ahold of a special camera that seems to be able to capture the picture of ghosts that are invisible to the naked eye.
The story was fun and my little guy really loved reading this book. For me, more than anything I really loved the photographs with spirits kind of superimposed onto them.
I was also lucky enough to get in touch with the writing team of Atelier Sento (@AtelierSento) on twitter and they were kind enough to answer a few of my questions
ME: For me this book was a visual treat, for my 4 year old son it was just a bit frightening. Did you have a target age when you put this together?
Atelier Sento: When we created the book we didn't have a target age. For us (and our French publisher Issekinicho), ONIBI is for all ages. Because they are stylized, the 2 main characters may attract a young audience. But the other characters are more realistic and some of the themes and atmosphere are darker than what you usually find in children books.
It's interesting because Shodensha targeted the Japanese version at adults while Tuttle targeted the American version at children.
ME: Is there any specific reason that Japan seems to inspire your work more than other places?
AS: We like Japan because every place there (even the most mundane) are filled with a strange atmosphere. When wandering there, you can almost feel you're about to enter an invisible world. For example, it is said that there's a hidden exit at Shinjuku station. If you find it, you may disappear forever. It's the kind of thing that stimulates our imagination a lot!
ME: During preparation for the book, did you come across any Yokai tales that were particularly memorable?
AS: During the preparation of the book, we read many books about yôkai. The stories we like the most are the ones that sound a bit ridiculous. Like that giant dirty foot that comes from the roof to crush you but becomes friendly if you wash it.
Onibi is more about how the old yôkai cope with the modern world. They are slowly fading, forgotten by people, replaced with cute mascots. They no longer fit, they don't have a purpose anymore. There's something nostalgic about them.
ME: What’s next for you guys?
AS: We're currently working on a point-and-click videogame: The Coral Cave.
The story takes place in Okinawa (the archipelago at the very south of Japan) and involves lots of yôkai! The art is done on paper with watercolor: it's like an interactive comic-book!
We do everything (art, programming, music...) so it takes time but it's so magic when we see our characters coming to life.
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Thanks again so much to Atelier Sento for taking the time to shed some extra insight into this book.
Again, I'd say I recommend this for kids up to 11 as a book to read, or for older people for the beauty of the ghostly photographs.
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