“Keitaro is ready to stop living as a shut-in. He's starting university. He's reconnecting with his childhood friend. He's taking a tutoring job. And he's not messing around with ghosts anymore. At least that's what he thinks, until he finds out the elementary schooler he's tutoring is an occult-obsessed genius who's hunting down dangerous spirits and won't stop until she's found the one that took her mom!” (Viz Media)
Pure horror manga are few and far between, with many titles labeled as horror divulging into other genres, with a popular choice being shonen. While this makes being a horror nerd difficult to find new titles outside of your Junji Itos, Kazuo Umezuus, or Hideshi Hinos, there are some releases that do mash up the styles successfully–interjecting enough terror to satisfy those cravings while taking shonen tropes and working them in a complimentary way that does not diminish either genre. Kenichi Kondo's “Dark Gathering” is one such title, with a healthy dose of ghastliness mixed in with exciting action and an entertaining cast of misfits.
Notably, protagonist Keitaro is a perfect balance of teenage innocence and a dark past that fits well into the horror narrative. Weary of the supernatural through past trauma, yet a catalyst due to a curse he carries, Keito's battle with the various twisted entities always entertains as they explore different elements of his past and persona. The other notable character, Yayoi, approaches the supernatural with such confidence that it forces Keitaro to conquer his own fears–they make an ideal pairing in facing off against the various horrors Kondo conjures. Outside of Keitaro and Yayoi, the rest of the characters are just as expressive and interesting, successfully pushing the humor of the series through defined, eccentric personas.
Kenichi Kondo's art balances horror, action, comedy, and kawaii in equal measure, with the ability to shift sharply between themes keeping the book visually punchy. The monsters, in particular, vary drastically from traditional entities, such as Okiku, to abstract creations that capture the terror of the unknown. However, those looking for a ‘raw' horror experience may be disappointed as Kondo balancing genres means he puts equal attention to other visual elements–the darker moments are defined and memorable, but the series is still, in many ways, a straightforward shonen title that is content to indulge in the macabre.
Overall, “Dark Gathering” balances many genres with confidence backed by a strong cast and this is further heightened by a wonderfully ghoulish artistic direction with many unique and traditionally inspired evil entities. Fans of the “Mieruko-chan” manga, in particular, should give this one a shot as the balance of horror and humor is comparable on top of the defined artistic direction. The series is still fresh, and there is always the possibility it will deviate one way or the other, but it is a strong first entry and one worth giving a shot, especially for those that enjoy horror-themed shonen titles.
