Disturbing.

I stumbled upon this manga while looking for something short to read. Suicide had always intrigued me as it is the very essence of giving up and finding solace in death. It is one of those few things that those with the will to live can never understand and for that reason I was eager to read this manga.

Story: Unfortunately this manga had more of a horror taste (perhaps to be expected) than a profound psychological one and I was left relatively unimpressed by the time I had reached the end. The manga is quick to shake you as it begins with a scene of mass suicide; nothing is explained. While the shock-factor may intrigue you at first as it did me, I quickly found that this was the only thing that enticed me to finish the story. They did not delve deeply into the minds of the girls who joined the club nor did they explain much of how the protagonist felt - things simply happened. And perhaps it is my lack of exposure to Japanese culture but in spite of the protagonist's tragic upbringing I felt myself unable to relate or feel sympathy while feeling that the whole thing was unrealistic and simply designed to be disgusting. By the end of the story nothing is resolved. There is no depth. The story succeeds in its role as a horror manga however and for that reason I reward it a7/10

Art: The art was quite good and effectively magnified the story's dark and disturbing flavor. Bodies are drawn in proportion and 'impacts' are realistic to say the least. The character's were all consistently ugly. They are not afraid to go the extra mile. Everything is done to make this manga look as disturbing as possible.

At this point I don't really feel like analyzing the rest of the categories as I normally do. The characters like the story, were 2-Dimensional at best. And while the story was enjoyable in the sense that it kept you reading - it won't add anything of value to your life. The story was not insightful. The art was not astonishing. The characters did not make you cry or smile. This manga was meant to disturb. It is designed to shock you. And that is what it does well. Had they gone more in depth into the idea of suicide, how and why it occurs for different individuals and considered the topic on several levels while maintaining the existing mood of disturbia, it would be much better. Overall: 6/10