The Embalmer
by Mistukazu Mihara
Art: My, my how Mihara has changed. I didn’t even realize that The Embalmer was done by the same mangaka as Doll until the two series were sitting side by side on my shelves. Now, Mihara’s overall style hasn’t changed much; if I compare a page from Doll to a page from The Embalmer, I can tell it is done by the same artist. However, this series has a certain something about it that just makes the art so much more appealing. The art is softer, there’s a more diverse use of tone, the inking is better, there are detailed backgrounds, and the people are drawn better. Unlike with Doll, the quality of illustration on the cover is what you get in the book and there are some pages that the reader will enjoy studying for a few moments more than it takes just to read the page.
Story: Mihara has presented another wonderful story to her readers with The Embalmer. The plot focuses on Shinjyurou Mamiya, an embalmer. Because it is more traditional to cremate the dead in Japan, society frowns upon Mamiya’s profession and sees him as a bit of a freak and an outcast. Mamiya ignores the obvious scorn the people feel for him because he knows that his work is important, not just for the dead, but also for those they have left behind…
Again, Mihara has written a story ripe with emotion. The characters are sympathetic and sincere. The story is so believable, it just might have happened. IGN.com was quoted on the back of the book as having said that this book would “really tug at your heartstrings,” a statement which holds true.
Characters: Most of the characters in The Embalmer only appear in one chapter. The two central protagonists are Azuki Natsui and, of course, Shinjyurou Mamiya. They are youthful characters and their behavior reflects this on occasion, but they usually conduct themselves in a mature manner, especially Mamiya who sometimes seems wise beyond his years. Azuki is a cheerful, kindhearted girl, but she’s also not afraid to put her foot down. She gets aggravated by Shinjyurou frequently, but she cares for him. Shinjyurou is a bit strange, and sometimes sleazy, but he is well-meaning and a good guy deep down. He’s a womanizer, ok, I won’t lie, he’s pretty much a nympho but the reason behind it is… read volume three to find out!
The secondary characters are interesting: one is a narcissist, another is a compulsive liar, there is a gothic lolita ball joint doll maker, Azuki’s brother works for a candy company (but his name is neither Willy nor Wonka), there’s even a transvestite! Every person is unique, and their troubles and motivations can be inspiring, terrifying, or heartbreaking and sometimes all three.
Apparently, there’s a live action film. That guy looks nothing like what I imagined a real Shinjyurou would look like.
Miscellaneous: The end is really beautiful and The Embalmer has a positive message, but some of the themes in certain chapters are disturbing. This series is definitely not for the squeamish and those easily upset by the thought of touching a corpse. With all those cadavers, I was totally expecting a zombie or two on more than one occasion; but then again, I do have a secret zombie film obsession. Also, I commend the folks down at Tokyopop who did the cover designs. Kudos.
By the way, I apologize for the pictures. It’s hard to find good images for this series. I found a few nice ones, but it was hard to determine whether or not they were fan works, so I decided not to post them.
The Bottom Line: I enjoyed reading The Embalmer, even though I was apprehensive about it at first. It seemed like the kind of story that could either be really good or really bad. The art in the Embalmer is good, the story is mature, psychological and deeply emotional; and I think most serious manga readers would enjoy it. If you’re mostly a fan of hack and slash shounen or shoujo love stories perhaps the Embalmer is not for you. Even if it doesn’t seem like something you’d generally read, pick up the first volume and give it a whirl. Remember, you can always flip through the first few pages the next time you’re at the bookstore… unless the book’s wrapped in plastic.
Is this series complete at 4 volumes? I see 1-4 have been released, but at least one site said it was ongoing. I’d rather not have to depend on Tokyopop to release something, but if it’s all done, that’s a point in its favor!
As far as I know, it is complete at four volumes. I have done searches in both English and Japanese and have come up with nothing to lead me to believe otherwise; however, search results were limited. I know Tokyopop isn’t incredibly reliable, which is a shame since they’re one of the biggest manga publishers in the US, but from what I can see they did a pretty good job with The Embalmer.
i might have to borrow this from you laters. i keep meaning to but you know me and how i put things off…
Thanks for looking it up; I haven’t found anything to suggest it’s over 4, either. And thanks for the rec. Somehow this one had never appeared on my radar.
You’re more than welcome, I should be thanking you for reading my blog! I forget how I discovered it, but it’s not available in a lot of bookshops; so unless you’re looking online, The Embalmer is pretty easy to miss. Anyway, if you do read this series, I hope you enjoy it!
http://www.mangaupdates.com tend to have pretty reliable info about manga. nice exposé on The Embalmer!