By Nubia Jade Brice
“Manga creators from Japan and the US present an international showcase of horror. Collected for the first time in Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology, six short stories reveal the universal fear of the space between the known and unknown. Will anyone cross that border?” (Viz Media)
With Halloween just around the corner, there is no shortage of horror stories just waiting to terrify readers. “Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology” seeks to expose fans of the genre to six chilling stories from a mix of Japanese and American authors and illustrators, all offering their different interpretations of what it means to be “in-between.”
Almost immediately, this anthology draws you in with an engaging and informative forward from horror great Junji Ito. It is well worth the read, as it gives the audience an idea of what to expect and introduces them to the overall theme of the series. Despite how different they are, every story is clearly connected through this theme, and the forward explanation is an especially notable addition to the collection that hypes up the anticipation for the stories that follow.
The first half of the anthology features three American or three Japanese stories, depending on which side of the physical copy you start from. One half reads from right to left, and the other half from left to right, with cover art that extends across the entire book. Although this is such a small touch, the attention to the little details helps to make this book feel distinctive.
The stories are varied in everything from style to voice to art direction. It's not hard to separate one from the other as none of them seem to approach the theme in the same way. “Mirror” by Sloane Leong and Leslie Hung feels less scary than its counterparts but offers a relatable and deceptive slow-burn. At the same time, “Film Ephemera” by Aki Shimizu reads almost like an actual horror film, drawing the audience in with its ominous tone as the fear progressively builds toward the end.
Since every writer and artist approaches the idea of “in-between” in a different way, the stories range widely in terms of plot execution as well. It feels as though the stories on the American side, like Shadow by HuaHua Zhu, often have more open endings or ones that are open to interpretation from the readers. This causes some of the pieces to feel a bit frustrating, as the lack of a concrete ending doesn't consistently deliver that curiosity-inducing effect that keeps viewers thinking about the climax long after reading it. However, each story does manage to deliver on the more traditional aspects of horror, successfully crafting narratives meant to strike a sense of fear and discomfort into the readers. These scary stories make you eager to turn to the next page, as many draw you in with quick and captivating introductions.
Like the plots of each story, the artwork also differs significantly. It's obvious, looking at the style of art used in each piece, that these illustrators took serious consideration into how style can affect the mood of a story. “Never Left” by Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan has a dark and shadowy, western-adjacent art style that ties in perfectly with the wilderness setting of their story, while The Window by Shima Shinya's simplistic illustration helps to keep the focus on the building suspense and does not take away from what is one of the most satisfying conclusions in the series. Yet, out of all of the stories, Kamei by Ryo Hanada has the most detailed and gory panels, which elevates this unique take on Kappa folklore and helps it to leave a memorable impression on the reader.
It's clear that a lot of work and attention went into every story in Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology. They all adhere to the theme of “in-between” without blending together and becoming lost. Although not all of them will resonate with every reader, with pieces ranging from unsettling to downright horrifying, there is something for every type of horror fan in this collection.
