Manga Reviews #1: Higanbana No Saku Yoro Ni

When it comes to Ryukishhi07, mystery and thrill is the first and the foremost priority he cares to keep in his mind for his works. Right after the acclaimed big-hits Higurashi and Umineko, came Higanbana No Saku Yoro Ni. Contrary to its predecessors' origins, HNSYN started off as a 12 chapter manga and got a visual novel later. This isn't what you'd term as Ryukishhi's "next big" {that position's been occupied by Rose Gun Days' visual novel(s)}, as this is just another extremely minuscule( if you compare it to Higurashi and Umineko; which were 60 and 80+ hours long respectively) entry in his works, and not the start and/or a part of a particular series.

As already stated, Ryukishhi's works were primarily based on mystery, and 90% mystery( even though Higurashi had its share of jump scares and cataclysmic ally horrendous moments), amongst other things. There was the premise of "there isn't any supernatural entity and all of this is the work of a human" in them. Contrary to both, in HNSYN, Ryukishhi didn't bluntly disregard fantasy but neither did he fail to incorporate it perfectly with the norms of a student's everyday academic routines. 

Higanbana's about a girl who is constantly bullied by her classmates and is molested on an almost regular basis by her teacher. She comes to seek help from a supernatural identity; the personification of one of the institution's feared "seven mysteries" to help her release herself from her cruel fate and put her teacher and the bullying students' to a brutal end; and how far she's willing to go with the said task.

The theme of "why people bully" is said to be present in the story, however, I've personally failed to find that( yet to play the visual novel too. Probably the theme's there, since VNs ARE a hundred times more detailed than mangas).

The main genre is horror, and mystery is almost non-existent if you compare it to Ryukishhi's earlier writings.

ART(8/10):

Nothing quite specially spectacular or extremely lame, yet not within the spiral of mediocrity either. The author was extremely bad with the drawings( as was apparent from Higurashi and Umineko's visual novels, and is from Higanbana's VN too), however, Higanbana's manga's art isn't bad at all( there's a different illustrator after all) if not good. The absolute perfection which the art attained in was the characters'( and the fantasy creatures') facial expressions in times of their respective atrocities. The potentially "horror" scenes' disturbance adds to the "elegance" of Higanbana, and its all thanks to the illustrator. 

STORY(9/10):

Higanbana shines in the story, as would be expected from Ryukishii. The author had shortcomings in drawings, but not at all in the story. He didn't attain the perfection he did in Umineko in Higanbana, but he pulled off one hell of a narrative masterpiece. 

The blend of a not-so-normal school life, a victim of hypertension's delusions, and the mystical and horrifyingly disturbing creatures dubbed as the "seven mysteries" promises a rich experience for the horror/thriller + perverse slice of life in a school setting aficionados. 

VERDICT(8/10):

This isn't nearly as disturbing as Saya No Uta or Kara No Shoujo, yet it's got it's share of creepy and surreal appearances and a perverse touch to the story. 

I have yet to play the visual novel for the perfect final impressions about Higanbana( there's an English translation available for the VN; if you'd go for the series, I'd day go with both the manga and the VN).