After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 10) by Setona Mizushiro

A while ago, I was adding this series to a list of read-alikes when I realized that I had stopped reading it only one volume before the end. I decided my vacation was the perfect time to finish the series. It probably would have been beneficial to have volumes 1 through 9 available, to remind me of things that had gone on before (and to reread after finishing the last volume, so that I could look at them with new eyes and search for clues pointing to the things revealed in the end). However, I didn't have those volumes. It's possible I would have enjoyed this volume more if I had.

So, first, a quick summary of the volume (and a GIANT SPOILER ALERT, for those who worry about spoilers, because I'm going to give stuff away). Mashiro finally decides to be comfortable as him/herself. In private, Mashiro basically chooses to embrace being a girl (and even has sex with Sou), although he/she still dresses and tries to act like a boy while at school. In the dream class, Sou (whose form is now a dog, which is weirdly cute, considering that form is basically a representation of Sou's desire to be loved and cuddled by Mashiro...although I still wish that Sou had found someone better for himself) and Kureha help Mashiro get the key - this is done via Sou ripping out Kureha's throat, and Kureha letting him. Mashiro can now graduate, and graduation turns out to be birth. Mashiro's dual-gender status was a result of being twins in one body. In the real world (?), Mashiro's mother is pregnant with twins, and the hospital she's staying in is on fire. The male twin dies before being born, but the girl twin lives - only one twin was going to live, and this is the reality of Mashiro's choice. Years later, the girl twin bumps into a stranger who looks a lot like Sou. Will they get to know each other, somehow drawn together by the relationship they had while they were still in their mothers' wombs? Who knows?

I thought this volume was good, but unsatisfying. I cared about the characters enough to want to see what happened to them, and Mizushiro's ending basically said "none of what you read really mattered." There is no evidence that character relationships have any bearing on how those characters interact with each other after being born, so all that intense drama and character growth seems to have been for naught. It makes me wish that the "years later" part had been a bit longer, and that Mizushiro had given the girl twin and the guy who looked like Sou some spark of "do I know you?" when they bumped into each other. Otherwise, what was the point of this series, of the characters' experiences and growth? This is almost as bad as a "and it was all a dream" ending.

I think I enjoyed the buildup to the ending more than the actual ending, although I'd love to reread the whole series again, so I could see graduating and disappearing characters from this new perspective. If I were to encounter another one of Mizushiro's works translated into English, I think I'd jump at the chance to read it. Even if the ending of that series turned out to also be a disappointment to me, I'm sure I'd at least enjoy the journey.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• King of Thorn (manga) by Yuji Iwahara - This is another manga that ends with a bit of a headtrip. It has much the same feel as a blockbuster action movie. I've written about the first four volumes and will have a post for the last two up shortly, since this is another series I chose to finally finish during my vacation.
• Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga; Loveless (anime TV series) - This is another series in which an overarching mystery slowly gets unraveled, although unfortunately the manga may never be finished in the U.S. because it was one of Tokyopop's titles. The anime is short, only covers some of the manga volumes, and doesn't have a true ending, so I'd probably recommend the manga over the anime (although my first experience was with the anime, and that was enough to get me hooked). Like After School Nightmare, this series has some cute moments, but the overall feel of it is kind of dark, and several characters have messed up relationships.
• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP; Xxxholic (anime TV series) - I haven't finished this series yet, but it had gotten pretty strange at the point I stopped, and I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be another series that ends in a way that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew was going on. At least at first, this is a very episodic series. Generally, Watanuki encounters some kind of spirit, and/or Yuko deals with a client. Unfortunately, I think later events probably won't make as much sense unless you also read Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle at the same time. I have written about the first season of the Xxxholic TV series and volume 12 of the manga.
• Perfect Blue (anime movie) - This is a dark and twisty psychological thriller about a pop singer-turned-actress who is being stalked. Those who'd like something else in which all is not what it seems might want to try this.
• Paranoia Agent (anime TV series) - Like Perfect Blue, this TV series was directed by Satoshi Kon. It's another dark psychological thriller (or would it be better to call it a mystery?). Those who'd like something else dark, twisty, and strange might want to try this. If I remember correctly, unlike Perfect Blue, this series has some darkly humorous moments, so it might be better for those who also liked After School Nightmare's lighter moments.

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 9) by Setona Mizushiro

....

Once again, everything I thought I knew about what was going on in this series turns out to be wrong. This is one of those volumes that really needs to be read to be believed. Wow.

Synopsis:

Mashiro can't stop thinking about how Kurosaki, the upperclassman he admired so much, told him that he hates him. Meanwhile, in the dream class, Kurosaki is cowering away from the black knight, who has just killed the gossiping parasite girl. The black knight kills Kurosaki and Kureha. When the black knight finds Mashiro, Mashiro discovers that the black knight is not Sou, as he has always assumed, but rather Kurosaki. In the dream class, the black knight manages to fight back, brutally, against the people in his life who have made him act like something he isn't. Finally, there's only Mashiro left. Mashiro comes to the conclusion that all the different Kurosakis he's seen are all really just different sides of the same person and that being able to see this about Kurosaki means that he/she (Mashiro has the body of a girl in the dream class) must really love Kurosaki. Kurosaki's response is to rip open Mashiro's chest with his bear hands and rip out the key. After he finds the key (in a scene rather reminiscent of a rape scene), he gently kisses Mashiro on the lips, takes the key, and graduates. Mashiro wakes up with his special teacher looking down on him, telling him "good job," but all he can think, with tears in his eyes, is that he really needs to see Sou.

The first thing he does when he sees Sou is ask him why he lied about being the knight (apparently, he remembers this part of the dream, even though he probably no longer remembers Kurosaki). Sou explains that it was a convenient way for him to test Mashiro and see how ready Mashiro was to get involved with him. Sou explains part of his past. Although his sister was one of the most important people in the world to him, when they were children he believed that she abandoned him in favor of a puppy. Feeling rejected, he went off on his own and was awakened by his sister - the opposite of his sister. Rather than wearing a white dress, his new sister wore a black dress and promised never to leave him. No one else but Sou could see his new sister, and Sou chose to be with her rather than his real family, his real sister.

Sou assumed that one day he would grow out of his new sister, but he never seemed to, so he began searching for someone who loved him more than she did, so that he could leave her behind. Mashiro is shocked. Suddenly, a comment from Kureha about a blank note that upset Sou so much makes sense. Sou tells him that his sister Ai is right there in the room with them, even though Mashiro can't see her. Suddenly, Sou claims it was all a joke and leaves. Later, Mashiro sees a dog outside of school and stops to pet and hug it. Unfortunately, he is seen by Sou, who, in his mind, compares this scene to the time he believed his sister abandoned him for a puppy.

It turns out that Sou's sister Ai is really, really pissed. Sou skipped the dream class because he knew that Ai would try to kill Mashiro. Now, in the waking world, Ai pushes Sou off the dorm roof (to punish him for trying to protect Mashiro?). Mashiro is distraught when he goes to visit Sou and is upset with Ai, but Sou doesn't blame Ai for anything, admitting that his problems are a result of his own weaknesses. Mashiro tells Sou that he wants to talk to Ai at the next dream class. Although Sou knows that Ai may hurt Mashiro (there's a really creepy image of a silhoutte of Ai watching Sou and Mashiro through the window, a silhouette that only Sou can see), he has to be there - he can't miss another dream class, since he's already missed two. Mashiro kisses Sou goodnight, and I guess it's a date.

In the dream class, Mashiro is almost immediately stopped by what looks to be the black knight, even though the black knight has graduated. Kureha stops the imposter and tells Mashiro to go and find Sou. This new black knight turns out to be someone in the kendo club, who I guess must have looked up to Kurosaki's strength too.

Mashiro comes across Ai, who allows him to see what she says is Sou's true dream form, the sick, collapsed child he was when this new Ai first found and saved him so long ago. Ai believes she has won, but Mashiro calls for Sou, and the teddy bear Ai holds, that stands for her love for Sou, begins falling apart. Suddenly the scene changes to a broken, forked bridge. At one side of the fork, chained to a pole, is Ai. At the other, also chained to a pole, is Mashiro. The bridge is crumbling, and Sou must choose which one he will save.

Mashiro is crushed when Sou goes to Ai instead of him, and one of his beads breaks. Ai believes Sou has chosen to stay with her, but Sou's next words, "I take full responsibility," make her realize that Sou choosing her doesn't mean what she thinks it means. Sou hugs Ai to him and jumps off the crumbling bridge with her, so that he can hold her under the water and finally be free of her, free to find out for himself if someone really loves him.

In the waking world (I'm pretty sure it's the waking world), Sou finds out that his real sister Ai has died, apparently around the same time he killed the fake Ai in the dream class. At the funeral, Sou decides to forgive his mother for all the time she has spent concentrating on her career instead of her children, and he admits to himself that his sister probably never abandoned him, but was rather just being a child that he expected too much from at the time.

Meanwhile, Mashiro, who had passed out in the dream world under the weight of all that rejection, wakes up to discover that he has apparently fallen asleep in class in the waking world - except that this may not be the waking world. Sou is laughing, Kureha and Sou interact in little ways that indicate that they may be a couple, Kureha and Sou don't seem to know him like they used to, as though all the dream class stuff never happened, and, most amazingly of all, Mashiro is a girl, wearing a girl's uniform and addressed by classmates as a girl (Mashiro-san, rather than Mashiro-kun). What's going on?

Commentary:

The bit where Kurosaki rips open Mashiro's chest to get to the key is drawn and laid out a bit like a rape scene. What Kurosaki is actually doing isn't shown clearly, so the reader sees the sound effects ("thrust," "shove"), Kurosaki straddling Mashiro's body, and the sounds (Mashiro crying out in pain, and the wet sounds as Kurosaki digs around in his/her chest cavity). At the end, after he finds the key, Kurosaki gently kisses Mashiro and graduates. It's hard to watch, especially since it's clear from Kurosaki's expression that he feels nothing, while Mashiro feels pain - both physical and emotional, as the man he/she respects and thinks he/she loves rejects him/her again.

Kurosaki has graduated (into an ice cold bastard??), Sou took what I imagine was probably a huge step towards graduation, and Kureha could probably graduate at any time. The only one left, of the main characters, is Mashiro, who, despite Kureha's comment that he (that they both) have come a long way, seems hardly any different than he was when the series first started. He keeps looking for someone to love, and crumbling when he gets rejected. What he really wants is some kind of ideal person he can gravitate towards - a Kurosaki who, though not the perfect person he imagined, is at least someone who has that perfect person inside him, or a Sou that he can save from Ai and who would love him as completely as he once loved Ai. Basically, Mashiro kind of sucks. Grow, Mashiro, and become less of an idiot!

I'm proud of Sou for finally choosing to get beyond Ai. Holy crap, Ai was never real! This is like finding out that Bruce Willis is dead in The Sixth Sense (sorry if I ruined it for you, but the movie's been out for a while, so I figure it's fair game). What does it say about Sou that the sister he made up like some kind of imaginary friend is also his lover? Was there some kind of pent-up lust for his sister that could only come out when he made up a new one, or was Ai really a separate being, and this is how she chose to act and make Sou her own?

Another shocker - the black knight wasn't Sou?? Again, holy crap! The only indication I had that that was so was the previous volume, in which suits of armor were all around Kurosaki. It was so common to see Ai with the black knight that I had just figured that they were Sou and Ai, not Kurosaki and Ai with Sou inside. Nothing had prepared me for the possibility that Kurosaki could have multiple presences in the dream class. Now I kind of feel like I need to reread the earlier volumes in order to look at how Ai and the black knight interacted, so that I can see what's really going on and not what I think is going on. I suppose I'll have to see if I can get all the volumes of this series on the cheap sometime.

Extras:

There are a few author side panels, in which Setona Mizushiro talks about some of the early plans for this series, including a few drawings of characters and character personality descriptions.

My read-alikes and watch-alikes aren't anything new - if you've seen my posts for previous volumes in this series, you've already seen what's in this list.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
  
• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like something else that's often strange, sometimes a little dark, and has a tendency to deal with characters who have secrets and personal issues they have to overcome might want to try this series.
• The Sandman (graphic novel series) by Neil Gaiman - The first book is the series is called Preludes and Nocturnes. This series focuses mainly on Morpheus, the Sandman, a dark figure who watches over dreams and makes sure they stay separate from reality. Despite this, several of the stories in this series involve the blending of reality and dreams. Morpheus' various siblings make the occasional appearance, and they're fascinating as well. Those who'd like another character-focused series that deals with dreams might enjoy this title. The series often takes a look at aspects of human characters' lives and personalities and how these intersect and blend with their lives in the dreaming world.
• Kare Kano (manga) by Masami Tsuda; His and Her Circumstances (anime TV series) - Yukino is a vain and greedy (albeit likable) girl who has spent years making herself seem like a perfect, elegant, and humble student, just so that she can be praised and loved by others. One day, Arima, a boy she views as a rival, sees beneath her mask and uses this knowledge to blackmail her into helping him out with his tremendous volume of work. Arima appears to be the real deal, a good-looking, perfect, and humble student, but he has his own secrets, some of which are far darker than Yukino's. As Yukino spends more time with him, she begins to fall in love with him and wants to help him deal with the darker parts of himself. Several of the characters in this series have secrets, hidden selves, and insecurities that may appeal to some fans of After School Nightmare. This title is most like After School Nightmare when it's at its darkest, but it does have a tendency to be lighter in tone than Mizushiro's series.
• King of Thorn (manga) by Yuji Iwahara - A mysterious disease called Medusa is sweeping the world, slowly turning those afflicted with it into stone and shattering them into bits. A group of people with Medusa are chosen to be cryogenically frozen while scientists attempt to find a cure. Among them are Kasumi, a girl who had to leave her twin behind in order to join this group, Marco, a dangerous-looking man with secrets, a child, and others. The group is awakened too soon and find the island they're on to be overrun by thorny vegetation and monsters. They try to figure out what went wrong, where all the scientists are, and how to get off the island before Medusa claims their lives. They begin to discover each others' pasts and secrets and have to deal with their own dark sides. Those who'd like another somewhat dark story with plenty of weird happenings might enjoy this series.
• Paranoia Agent (anime TV series) - A mysterious kid with a bent golden bat has been going around attacking people. Two detectives are investigating, so that they can stop this kid, dubbed Lil' Slugger. Lil' Slugger's actions sometimes reveal the (often strange) secrets and private lives of his victims. Those who'd like another weird and possibly paranormal mystery that is heavily character-focused may enjoy this series.

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 8) by Setona Mizushiro

Usually, when I describe what happens in a particular manga volume, I do so pretty much in the same order the manga does. That's not the case with this post - hopefully this change will lead to greater clarity, not less. It's so hard to write about what happens in this series, because I never know what's important and what can be left out...

For this post, I'm going to try to switch to calling Mashiro a "she," as this appears to be the gender that she has settled on (for now, anyway). The previous volume ended with Mashiro finally telling Sou that she loves him. Plus, there was a parasitic student on the loose in the dream world.

Although Sou must know that Mashiro is likely still emotionally wishy washy, he chooses to leave his sister for Mashiro. That doesn't mean that things are over with Ai, though, and Sou still has a lot of issues to deal with. In the meantime, however, Sou and Mashiro have relationship issues to work through. Although Mashiro has decided to be a girl (in private anyway - during regular school hours, no one but Sou and Kureha knows Mashiro is anything other than a guy), this decision doesn't always seem to sit comfortably and certainly hasn't solved all her problems. She's jealous because she doesn't think she's as cute or pretty as Kureha or Ai or any of the other girls Sou has been with (by the way, Mashiro still thinks there might be something going on between Sou and Kureha - yet another reason for jealousy). She's embarrassed about letting Sou see her in the girl's uniform she was given.

Also, the physical part of her relationship with Sou isn't working out so well - the two of them enjoy kissing well enough, but when Sou and Mashiro try to have sex for the first time and Mashiro complains that it hurts, all Sou can tell her is "Your first time is supposed to hurt, just deal with it!" and "Just shut up, lie down, and let me do my thing!" Understandably, Mashiro smacks him (although, to be fair, I think Sou was pretty upset about the way things were going, too, and he might've said stupid things because he was flustered), at which point Sou admits that it's possible he's only using Mashiro as a way to forget his sister. Ouch.

Of all of them, Kureha appears to be doing the best. She's decided to move beyond the rape that has, up until now, shaped her dream form. Now her dream form is herself, with armor. Unfortunately, she doesn't have any weapons in the dream world, so when the parasitic student attaches itself to her hand she needs help getting rid of it. After the black knight cuts off her hand for her, he goes after Kurosaki and then after Mashiro. At first, Mashiro is a bit confused and tries to escape - after all, she and Sou had finally become a couple (or whatever you want to call what the two of them are). She realizes, however, that Kureha is ready to graduate, and the only way she can graduate is by using the key hidden inside one of the dream students. Mashiro allows herself to be killed and, as she dies, transforms her blood into birds that kill the black knight. In the end, Kureha is left with the key, but even though she is now able to graduate, she chooses not to. Her "special class" teacher in the waking world (who is not the same person as Mashiro's teacher, by the way) warns her that she may not get another chance to graduate, but Kureha is ok with that, as long as she gets a chance to see Mashiro graduate and maybe help him along. As frustrating as Mashiro can be, she still cares about him.

In the dream world, there are signs that Mashiro may not be as settled on her gender as she thinks she is (surprise, surprise) - the male Mashiro tries to get his body back, but the female Mashiro manages to get away, for now. Sou/the black knight also has some inner turmoil bubbling up in the dream world, in the form of someone I'm guessing is Ai. Also, before he dies, the black knight says, "That woman continues to control me... The words of a dead woman will always haunt me..." This doesn't make sense to Mashiro, and it doesn't really make sense to me either. However, it leads me to the next character, Kurosaki.

In the latter half of this volume, Mizushiro focuses a bit more on Kurosaki. Before her death, his mother told him to do as his father tells him, so that he can support his father and eventually take over the company. To Kurosaki, this feels like slowly killing the part of himself that is himself, so that the perfect leader he pretends to be can survive. He's tired of it, tired of being his father's puppet, and by the end of the volume he's decided he's not going to be the "perfect leader" anymore. He's quitting kendo, and he rips into Mashiro, who has made it no secret that she admires the person Kurosaki knows he is only pretending to be.

Kurosaki seems to come across a lot of suits of armor. He has some kind of panic attack after seeing one of them. It's possible that it reminded him of Sou from the dream world, but I've been kicking around another idea. Kurosaki feels that he's two people, himself and his father's perfect puppet. What if he's two people in the dream world as well? In the dream world, he looks like himself - this could be because he is himself. The other part of him, the perfect part, could be the black knight, which would explain the "dead woman" comment. If all this is true, however, then who's Sou, and why would Ai have hung around the black knight so much if it hadn't been Sou? Well, it's just an idea - I look forward to seeing what gets revealed in later volumes.

Before I wrap things up, I'd like to talk about the parasitic student a bit. After she's cut off of Kureha, she doesn't survive long. Mashiro inadvertently kills her when she admits that she doesn't know who she is - after she's gone, Kureha tells Mashiro that she's been in their waking world class all along. It's just a little thing, but I like how, in this series, the students in the dream class can kill each other by accident, just with words. In the real world, words can cut pretty deeply too, but the evidence of the damage they cause is often hidden. Not so in the dream class.

Overall, I enjoyed this volume. Damaged characters are fun to read about, and this series is full of them. I may occasionally want to wring Mashiro and Sou's necks, but that doesn't mean they aren't interesting. The series is just about finished (from what I can see in Anime News Network, it looks like I've got two more volumes to go), and I can't wait to see how things end. The nice thing about not really being sure whether I like most of the characters or not is that, when the series ends, I probably won't find myself wishing it would continue. It's kind of a good feeling.

The extras: there's a page of translator's notes at the end (mostly just explanations of people's names, except for one note that helpfully deciphers a reference readers may not be aware of) and some very interesting author free talks. According to the teaser, in the next volume "A tortured Sou must choose between reality and dreams" (which appears to be a choice between Ai and Mashiro - which one is reality and which one is the dream?) - somehow, this sentence feels like a spoiler.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
  
• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like something else that's often strange, sometimes a little dark, and has a tendency to deal with characters who have secrets and personal issues they have to overcome might want to try this series.
• The Sandman (graphic novel series) by Neil Gaiman - The first book is the series is called Preludes and Nocturnes. This series focuses mainly on Morpheus, the Sandman, a dark figure who watches over dreams and makes sure they stay separate from reality. Despite this, several of the stories in this series involve the blending of reality and dreams. Morpheus' various siblings make the occasional appearance, and they're fascinating as well. Those who'd like another character-focused series that deals with dreams might enjoy this title. The series often takes a look at aspects of human characters' lives and personalities and how these intersect and blend with their lives in the dreaming world.
• Kare Kano (manga) by Masami Tsuda; His and Her Circumstances (anime TV series) - Yukino is a vain and greedy (albeit likable) girl who has spent years making herself seem like a perfect, elegant, and humble student, just so that she can be praised and loved by others. One day, Arima, a boy she views as a rival, sees beneath her mask and uses this knowledge to blackmail her into helping him out with his tremendous volume of work. Arima appears to be the real deal, a good-looking, perfect, and humble student, but he has his own secrets, some of which are far darker than Yukino's. As Yukino spends more time with him, she begins to fall in love with him and wants to help him deal with the darker parts of himself. Several of the characters in this series have secrets, hidden selves, and insecurities that may appeal to some fans of After School Nightmare. This title is most like After School Nightmare when it's at its darkest, but it does have a tendency to be lighter in tone than Mizushiro's series.

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 3) by Setona Mizushiro

Mashiro still has to decide if he's going to help Shinonome in order to discover the knight's identity. Things are still rocky between Mashiro and Kureha, and Shinbashi, who has a crush on Kureha, begins a phone calling relationship with Kureha, who needs someone to talk to while Mashiro waffles between her and Sou. Mashiro ends up agreeing to Shinonome's terms (do what he says, and guard him in the dream world). Mashiro does his best to defend Shinonome (who takes the form of a paper giraffe in the dream world), but his actions draw Kureha's wrath. Horrified at having hurt Mashiro, even if only in the dream world, Kureha is convinced that Mashiro will hate her, while Mashiro is sure that she's avoiding him because she's still angry with him.

The giraffe discovers Mashiro's secret, that his bottom half is that of a girl, and needles Mashiro about it. Mashiro forgets his pact with Shinonome and kills his dream form - although he had gotten the key for Shinonome, Shinonome now has to wait for the next class session to graduate. Instead of being angry with Mashiro, Shinonome still wants to continue with their pact - if Mashiro's not willing, Shinonome is willing to blackmail any of the other classmates to get him or her to do his bidding and help him graduate. In the next class session, Shinonome almost doesn't make it, but Kureha puts his paper form back together. The giraffe, now stronger, manages to defeat the black knight and obtain the key. Before he uses the key to graduate, Shinonome offers to tell Mashiro the knight's identity, but Mashiro says he no longer wants Shinonome to tell him. Shinonome graduates, and Mashiro and Kureha make up (for now). By the end of the volume, however, Mashiro has once again attempted to confront Sou, and Sou kisses him - unfortunately, Shinbashi witnesses the kiss.

This is one of those series I feel I could write about forever. There's just so much going on, and so many mysterious thing to unravel. I wish that Shinonome had been around longer. I wonder why Kureha put him back together after his paper form was torn - did she look like herself (as opposed to looking like a wild girl in a raincoat) in that moment because she managed, for a brief time, to overcome her personal problems? What was the significance of Shinonome's giraffe form? And why was he stronger after Kureha fixed him? I think this is also the first time Mizushiro has shown readers more of what's beyond the graduation gates. When Shinonome goes beyond the gates, he falls into blackness, surrounded by a loud "dong" noise. Was that the sound of a clock striking the hour, or was it something else, and what's the fate of those who graduate? I wonder if Shinonome really graduated legitimately. I mean, I remember something about students only getting to graduate after they oversome their personal issues, and I'm not sure Shinonome really overcame his.

Mashiro's swords turn up again in this volume, and I wonder about those, too. The black knight calls them male and female swords - those names don't surprise me, since this fits with Mashiro's gender issues. However, I wonder what kind of significance the appearance of the swords has. To me, each sword looks like one half of a giant split feather. In another volume, Mashiro is frustrated because the cord connecting the swords makes it difficult for him to fight, since he's not used to using two swords at one time. He'd like to get rid of one of those swords, but he can't, which is a pretty good metaphor for how he feels about his body. His body combines features of both a male and female, and he wants to rid himself of his female side, but he can't, something that his obsession with Sou makes painfully obvious. Maybe the appearance of the swords hints at a way Mashiro can overcome his own issues. If the swords are two halves of a whole, couldn't they be combined to be wielded more comfortably? If Mashiro were able to accept both his male and female aspects as parts of the whole that is himself, he'd be much more comfortable with himself, as well.

In this volume, Mizushiro makes the conflict between Mashiro's male and female sides a literal thing - at the beginning of the volume's final special class session, a male and female Mashiro fight each other inside a giant cage suspended in blackness. The female Mashiro feels she is stronger and tries to get rid of the male Mashiro so that the combined weight of them both doesn't take them both down, but the male Mashiro manages to win. Despite that, however, I doubt that Mashiro's internal conflict has been resolved.

One final note before I wrap this up - in my post for volume 2, I mentioned that one of the students who soon graduated was able to see a black moon in the waking world sky that no one else could see. In this volume, the same thing happens to Shinonome. Maybe being able to see the black moon indicates that a student is about to graduate, or maybe it doesn't. At any rate, the black moon makes me doubtful that the waking world the students experience is really the real world. In the real world, people don't see black moons or have their existences completely disappear, so what's actually going on?

Man, I love the mysteries in this series. Sure, the conversations and tension between Sou and Mashiro can get more than a little repetitive, but I think the overall weirdness and mysteries more than makes up for that. As far as extras go, there are three full-color pages (including a 2-page spread in which Sou and Kureha are drawn as servants tending to the every need of a Mashiro dressed as a princess - pretty fitting), the usual author's note at the very end of the volume, and a page of translator's notes. Although there's not much in the way of translator's notes, one of them, an explanation of the name of Mashiro's school (Kokoku) is very interesting. Besides meaning "large swan," it apparently also serves as a way to call someone a "great and mighty person." According to the translator, this will be very important in the future, so I wonder, is this school a crucible intended to produce great and mighty people? I'm not sure that everyone who graduates succeeds at becoming better people than they were...

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like something else that's often strange, sometimes a little dark, and has a tendency to deal with characters who have secrets and personal issues they have to overcome might want to try this series.
• King of Thorn (manga) by Yuji Iwahara - A mysterious disease called Medusa is sweeping the world, slowly turning those afflicted with it into stone and shattering them into bits. A group of people with Medusa are chosen to be cryogenically frozen while scientists attempt to find a cure. Among them are Kasumi, a girl who had to leave her twin behind in order to join this group, Marco, a dangerous-looking man with secrets, a child, and others. The group is awakened too soon and find the island they're on to be overrun by thorny vegetation and monsters. They try to figure out what went wrong, where all the scientists are, and how to get off the island before Medusa claims their lives. They begin to discover each others' pasts and secrets and have to deal with their own dark sides. Those who'd like another somewhat dark story with plenty of weird happenings might enjoy this series.
• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
• Paranoia Agent (anime TV series) - A mysterious kid with a bent golden bat has been going around attacking people. Two detectives are investigating, so that they can stop this kid, dubbed Lil' Slugger. Lil' Slugger's actions sometimes reveal the (often strange) secrets and private lives of his victims. Those who'd like another weird and possibly paranormal mystery that is heavily character-focused may enjoy this series.
  

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 2) by Setona Mizushiro

Sou still insists on pursuing Mashiro, despite the fact that Mashiro has a girlfriend (who's getting more than a bit unhappy with the Sou/Mashiro relationship) and Mashiro's insistence that he's a guy. Sou's sister shows up - she doesn't think things are going to work out between Sou and Mashiro (in fact, she warns Sou to stay away from him), and she's more than willing to continue to be Sou's lover until he finds a girl who'll love him. During the "special class," Midori, the girl with a hole for a face, appears to have given up. In the dream world, she jumps from a balcony - this upsets Mashiro, but Midori actually feels peaceful and whole for the first time in ages. While Mashiro is freaking out over Midori, the black knight comes and rips the key (the one that allows students to graduate) right out of Mashiro's body. Mashiro's not completely down yet, however. He uses his willpower and imagination to provide himself with a weapon, which appears in the dream world as two strange swords (one short and one long - a female and a male sword) bound by a cord. Mashiro manages to defeat the knight and, in the process, the key the knight took ends up in Midori's hands. Midori uses the key to graduate.

After Midori graduates, all signs that she existed disappear, and no one remembers her. Mashiro talks about it with Sou, who flusters him again by telling him for the umpteenth time that he loves him. Later, Mashiro and Kureha meet someone new, a guy named Shinbashi. Kureha is afraid of him, as she is of all males, but Mashiro tries to befriend him, even after Shinbashi confesses that he has a crush on Kureha. Mashiro hopes that Shinbashi can help Kureha become more comfortable around men. However, Shinbashi also becomes his sounding board after he and Kureha start having fights (mainly about Mashiro's inability to have any kind of intimate relationship with Kureha). Mashiro also talks to Sou about interacting with girls (is Mashiro dumb, or what?), which of course leads to the usual "I love you" talk that always makes Mashiro so uncomfortable.

In the dream world of the "special class," Mashiro comes across a new student, one who takes the form of a paper giraffe and who can see the true identity of all the other students. The giraffe is cruel to Kureha but is eventually defeated by a bit of rain. Mashiro also ends up getting defeated in the dream world, and the black knight finds the key after Mashiro is gone but doesn't use it to graduate. In the waking world, Mashiro finds out that there's a new student at his school, a 14-year-old child prodigy named Shinonome. Mashiro tells Kureha that he plans to ask the giraffe about the black knight's true identity, which sets Kureha off - for one thing, she believes that students' true identities are private things, and, for another, if the knight turns out to be Sou she's suspicious of what Mashiro plans to do with that knowledge. Kureha confronts Sou and doesn't exactly come out of it a winner. Meanwhile, Mashiro meets Shinonome, who admits that he's the giraffe and offers to tell Mashiro the knight's true identity for a price - Mashiro has to agree to do whatever Shinonome says.

After getting several volumes into the series, I'm glad to finally get to read volume 2 - I had to skip volumes 2 and 3 because those weren't available at my library yet.

Since I've already read several future volumes, the confrontations between Sou and Mashiro feel very "same old, same old" to me - it's pretty much the same thing over and over again. Sou won't take no for an answer, Mashiro doesn't help with all his blushing and obvious obsession with Sou, and Kureha is stuck in the sidelines, jealous and suspecting that something's going on between Sou and Mashiro, but unable to really do anything about it. I do feel sorry for Kureha, but I think it's also important to remember that Mashiro's not just using her (being her boyfriend and protector makes him feel more male), she's also using him. Because Mashiro isn't quite male, Kureha feels he's the perfect boyfriend for her, but then she gets upset because he's not behaving like how she feels a boyfriend should (kissing her, etc.).

What does intrigue me about this volume are some of the details and more minor characters. Midori, for instance, is pretty interesting. She doesn't really do much in this volume, but some of the things that are revealed in her scenes may be important clues that could help explain some of the mysteries of this school. Early in the volume, she mentions seeing a black crescent moon, one that Mashiro is unable to see. I can only remember one other character in the series seeing a black moon, since that's a detail I haven't paid as much attention to as a should have, but the other character I can think of also graduated shortly after seeing the black moon. It's possible that a black moon is a sign that a character will be graduating soon.

Speaking of graduation, I wonder about Sou's sister's comment that she knows what happens after graduation. She talks about this again later in the series, but she doesn't give any more details then than she does now. I still wonder what happens after graduation - is it really so bad, and why don't the other students remember those who've graduated? Is the waking world of the story really the waking world at all, or is it another kind of dream world?

Besides volume one, the earliest volume I got to read before I read this volume was volume 4, so I only knew about the giraffe character from the "our story so far" sections. He's an interesting and creepy character. In the dream world, he has no weapons and could, in some ways, be considered the weakest student in the class. However, his ability to see through students' dream selves gives him lots of power in another way, and he quickly demonstrates that he has no problems with using that power in whatever way he can. I wonder about his dream form, though. The fact that he's made of paper may indicate that, no matter how tough and ruthlessly he talks, he's actually really weak and easily hurt. Why is he a giraffe, though?

I'll wrap this up by talking about two other characters that show up in this volume, Sou's sister and Shinbashi. Apparently, the incestuous relationship between Sou and his sister is made fairly clear earlier than I thought, but I still think that it's presented in a much more shocking way in a later volume. She's a very mysterious character - powerful enough in the dream world to graduate any time she wants to, yet unwilling to graduate, and she seems to know more about what's going on than the other students do. As for Shinbashi, I can't believe how Mashiro acts with him. Shinbashi is right - a normal boyfriend would be more reluctant to encourage a guy who admits to having a crush on his girlfriend to befriend that girlfriend. Mashiro's intentions are good, but it's bizarre behavior for a boyfriend. It's yet another thing that hints that Mashiro is merely playing a part with Kureha.

Overall, I thought this volume was interesting - it's too bad I've had to read this series a little out of order. As far as extras go, there are 4 full-color pages at the beginning of the volume and a page of translator's notes - not too interesting.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like something else that's often strange, sometimes a little dark, and has a tendency to deal with characters who have secrets and personal issues they have to overcome might want to try this series.
• King of Thorn (manga) by Yuji Iwahara - A mysterious disease called Medusa is sweeping the world, slowly turning those afflicted with it into stone and shattering them into bits. A group of people with Medusa are chosen to be cryogenically frozen while scientists attempt to find a cure. Among them are Kasumi, a girl who had to leave her twin behind in order to join this group, Marco, a dangerous-looking man with secrets, a child, and others. The group is awakened too soon and find the island they're on to be overrun by thorny vegetation and monsters. They try to figure out what went wrong, where all the scientists are, and how to get off the island before Medusa claims their lives. They begin to discover each others' pasts and secrets and have to deal with their own dark sides. Those who'd like another somewhat dark story with plenty of weird happenings might enjoy this series.
  
• The Sandman (graphic novel series) by Neil Gaiman - The first book is the series is called Preludes and Nocturnes. This series focuses mainly on Morpheus, the Sandman, a dark figure who watches over dreams and makes sure they stay separate from reality. Despite this, several of the stories in this series involve the blending of reality and dreams. Morpheus' various siblings make the occasional appearance, and they're fascinating as well. Those who'd like another character-oriented series that deals with dreams might enjoy this title. The series often takes a look at aspects of human characters' lives and personalities and how these intersect and blend with their lives in the dreaming world.

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 7) by Setona Mizushiro

Kureha and Sou are still having lunch together, talking about the things that Mashiro does that upset them, and considering going out with each other in order to get revenge. They don't know that Mashiro already thinks they're going out. In the next special class session, Mashiro is shocked when he sees that the number of his beads has mysteriously doubled. Soon Mashiro discovers that the increase is due to a parasitic student that has attached itself to him - Sou kills it and Mashiro at the same time. Later, Mashiro accidentally hurts Kureha's feelings, and Sou retaliates by kissing Kureha in front of Mashiro - this causes Mashiro pain, because he's now convinced that the two of them are dating and/or lovers. Mashiro doesn't really have anyone he can talk to, so he ends up talking to Koichiro, his sempai, in an attempt to sort through his feelings and figure out what to do. After Kureha and Mashiro get into a fight, Kureha decides that she's going to take the next step in her quest to overcome the ugly part of herself that she hates, the part of herself that's still the scared and hateful rape victim: she's going to go home and see her parents.

After Kureha leaves, Mashiro invites Sou to his room to talk to him and decides he's going to see him while wearing his girl's uniform. Unfortunately, Koichiro visits Mashiro's room before Sou does and Mashiro is forced to explain why he's wearing girl's clothing. Koichiro is surprisingly accepting, which appears to be good news for Mashiro, but now Mashiro and Sou's relationship seems to be on worse footing than ever before. Meanwhile, Kureha is having trouble coping with the fact that her parents are acting as though nothing has ever gone wrong in their family - no one talks about her father's earlier abusive behavior towards her mother or Kureha's rape. By the end of the volume, Mashiro is even more confused after Koichiro kisses him, and he finds himself wondering if his behavior towards Koichiro encouraged that kiss. Also, Mashiro and Sou's sister have a heart-to-heart during the special class, as Mashiro reveals his discovery that Sou's sister isn't even a student at this school and Sou's sister tells Mashiro that she was Sou's first lover. Sou's sister is afraid that Mashiro will make her go away, and she may be right - Mashiro finally tells Sou that he loves him.

A few volumes ago, I might've gotten more exciting about Mashiro's declaration of love, but I'm over that now. Considering Mashiro's track record with relationships, I'm not yet convinced that Mashiro is telling the absolute truth when he says that he loves Sou - after all, Mashiro has yet to deal with the new developments in his relationship with Koichiro. However, Mashiro's declaration does appear to have had an effect on Sou, who blushes and looks shocked/surprised, so it seems likely that the poor guy is going to be inadvertently crushed by Mashiro again.

It was nice seeing more of Sou and Ai's past (Ai is Sou's sister's name). Although it's still clear that the incestuous relationship between the two of them is unhealthy, the brief glimpse into their past reveals a little of the reasons why the whole thing started in the first place. Ai is very, very protective of Sou, overcompensating for their parent's lack of interest in him, which eventually developed into a sexual relationship. I don't think she can ever grow beyond her own issues until Sou is with someone else, because it doesn't seem like Sou is strong enough, at this point, to say no to her unless he's got a really good excuse, like a girlfriend he actually cares about. Although I don't yet believe that Mashiro means it when he says he loves Sou, I hope that he'll mean it eventually, since I'm really starting to root for Sou.

The parasitic student is interesting. Currently, my theory is that Koichiro, Mashiro's sempai, is the parasite, since he appeared with a missing bead after Sou killed the parasite and Mashiro. I'm not entirely convinced that my theory is true, however. When Koichiro appears near the end of the volume during a special class session, he has the parasite on his body and a doubled number of beads, too - if he were really the parasite, his beads wouldn't be doubled. Maybe he only had two beads in that earlier class session because of the shock of seeing one of his classmates killed - after all, he'd only recently started attending the special classes, so maybe he hadn't yet had time to become comfortable with the way the classes work.

Whether he's the parasite or not, I wonder what inner ugliness Koichiro has to deal with that's resulted in him getting added to the special class. The brief glimpse of his home life that readers are given indicates that he's constantly criticized and yelled at by his very proper father. I imagine that Mashiro's adoration is both an ego boost and annoying, since Koichiro knows all too well that he's not perfect. If he's the parasite, does that mean that he has a constant internal commentary going, gossiping about all the other students?

As far as extras go, there are a few author sidebars (mostly just sketches) and a page of translator's notes.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
  
• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like something else that's often strange, sometimes a little dark, and has a tendency to deal with characters who have secrets and personal issues they have to overcome might want to try this series.
• The Sandman (graphic novel series) by Neil Gaiman - The first book is the series is called Preludes and Nocturnes. This series focuses mainly on Morpheus, the Sandman, a dark figure who watches over dreams and makes sure they stay separate from reality. Despite this, several of the stories in this series involve the blending of reality and dreams. Morpheus' various siblings make the occasional appearance, and they're fascinating as well. Those who'd like another character-oriented series that deals with dreams might enjoy this title. The series often takes a look at aspects of human characters' lives and personalities and how these intersect and blend with their lives in the dreaming world.
• Kare Kano (manga) by Masami Tsuda; His and Her Circumstances (anime TV series) - Yukino is a vain and greedy (albeit likable) girl who has spent years making herself seem like a perfect, elegant, and humble student, just so that she can be praised and loved by others. One day, Arima, a boy she views as a rival, sees beneath her mask and uses this knowledge to blackmail her into helping him out with his tremendous volume of work. Arima appears to be the real deal, a good-looking, perfect, and humble student, but he has his own secrets, some of which are far darker than Yukino's. As Yukino spends more time with him, she begins to fall in love with him and wants to help him deal with the darker parts of himself. Several of the characters in this series have secrets, hidden selves, and insecurities that may appeal to some fans of After School Nightmare. This title is most like After School Nightmare when it's at its darkest, but it does have a tendency to be lighter in tone than Mizushiro's series.
  

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 6) by Setona Mizushiro

Although Mashiro has finally slept with Kureha, it hasn't completely fixed the problems in their relationship. While Mashiro is still trying to figure things out, he goes to another special class session and meets a new student, a girl who appears as a mermaid and is confined to a wheelchair in the waking world. Mashiro does his best to rescue her, and the girl repays his attempt to play hero by killing him for the key within him so that she can graduate. After the special class session, things become even more strained between Mashiro and Kureha, and Mashiro starts skipping school in order to avoid her and everyone else. In the next special class session, Kureha gives Mashiro one last chance. Although he tries to keep her and prove that he really cares for her, but his dream body won't let him lie, and Mashiro and Kureha are finally over as a couple.

Mashiro begins skipping the special classes and hangs out with a wallflower of a girl named Ohara, not realizing that Ohara is also a student in the special class who is skipping in order to spend time with him. Ohara is the one who appears in the special class as the grabbing hands, and she knows something that Mashiro doesn't, that special class students will disappear if they miss more than three class sessions. Unable to deal with the jealous and lonely part of herself that wants to hang onto those around her, Ohara decides to let herself disappear, but before she goes she leaves Mashiro a gift, one of her school uniforms. Meanwhile, Mashiro is upset because he thinks Sou and Kureha may have become a couple, and he's sure he can't compete with Kureha in girly perfection.

I keep wondering how long it's going to take Mashiro to stop trying to save people in the special classes, since the classes are practically designed to encourage everyone to just look after themselves. This time, trying to save a classmate really backfired for Mashiro, and it seems he's finally starting to realize that he has to look at the world and the people around him as a real person, and not as an ideal he hopes to become. Unfortunately, I suspect that Mashiro still has a long way to go. After all, he's moved from obsessing over Kureha and wanting her acceptance to doing the exact same thing with Sou (I suppose that's not actually anything new, since he's been obsessing over Sou since pretty much the beginning of this series).

While Mashiro seems to still be stuck in his usual pattern, Kureha appears to actually be growing. She still cares for Mashiro, but she wants a healthy and loving relationship. Mashiro can't provide that, and Kureha can no longer make herself put up with that. Although I feel kind of sorry for Mashiro, and I still feel like Kureha's sudden change in behavior towards Mashiro feels a little out of character, I was cheering for Kureha. I'm glad that someone in this manga seems to be becoming more emotionally healthy.

Ohara's story really touched me, maybe because she's one of the few special class students who has a problem that feels more... normal. Although there are people out there who'd share Sou's incest problem, there are likely far more people out there who can relate to Ohara's problem. Ohara seems like a nice girl, but she's unfortunately too shy to make new friends when he old friends start to change and leave her behind. It's sad, and I wish she could have developed beyond her problems and graduated, rather than allowing herself to disappear.

I've wondered before what happens after graduation and where students go when they disappear, and now I find myself wondering what happens to students like Ohara, who just disappear. Maybe all these students are dreaming, and the special classes are dreams within that dream - when they disappear, they wake up.

As far as extras go, there's just a page of translator's notes.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like another sometimes spooky, often weird manga series with high school students as main characters might like this series. As with After School Nightmare, some parts of the series can get a bit dark and involve a lot of emotional anguish.
• The Sandman (graphic novel series) by Neil Gaiman - The first book is the series is called Preludes and Nocturnes. This series focuses mainly on Morpheus, the Sandman, a dark figure who watches over dreams and makes sure they stay separate from reality. Despite this, several of the stories in this series involve the blending of reality and dreams. Morpheus' various siblings make the occasional appearance, and they're fascinating as well. Those who'd like another character-oriented series that deals with dreams might enjoy this title. The series often takes a look at aspects of human characters' lives and personalities and how these intersect and blend with their lives in the dreaming world.
• Alice 19th (manga) by Yuu Watase - Sixteen-year-old Alice has always felt overshadowed by her older sister Mayura, but never more so when she develops a crush on her sister's boyfriend. Not long after Alice finds a rabbit who tells her that she's been chosen to be a "Lotis Master," Alice has a big fight with her sister. As a Lotis Master, Alice's words have power, and Mayura disappears after the fight. Alice works with Kyo (Mayura's boyfriend) and others to try to find Mayura and free her from the evil that has taken her over. Those who enjoyed Ohara's part in this volume of After School Nightmare may like Alice in Alice 19th, who has a similar inability to tell the guy she likes (and just about everyone else) how she feels.
  

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 5) by Setona Mizushiro

Mashiro tells Sou that he's chosen Kureha. Sou, who's more hurt by Mashiro's decision than he lets on, leaves and runs into his sister. Sou's sister has always been against Sou's interest in Mashiro, and now we find out why (or at least, I found out why - those who got to read the earlier volumes may already have known) - apparently, Sou and his sister have an incestuous relationship (one which seems to deeply upset Sou). Mashiro does his best to be a perfect boyfriend for Kureha, but he's brought to tears not long after Sou tells him that he's no longer interested in him. Sou even tells his sister that he's over Mashiro. That's all well and good, but Sou's sister is not dumb. She knows that Mashiro's presence hurts Sou, so she tries to helps Mashiro find a key during one of the special classes. Although the key would allow Mashiro to graduate and finally become the man he always dreamed of being, he chooses not to use it so that he can stay with Kureha. In the meantime, Mashiro experiences more difficulties with Kureha when she lets him know that his chaste and princely behavior is no longer enough for her. Mashiro proves his manliness by sneaking over to Kureha's room and sleeping with her.

As with volume 4, I need to begin by saying that I have yet to read volumes 2 and 3 - keep this in mind if it looks like something I'm writing seems to be wrong or incomplete.

After this volume, I've got a little better understanding of why Sou acts the way he does. His family life is less than ideal, what with having his older sister for a lover (he seems both pliable and unwilling - it's very messed up) and a mother who doesn't know anything about what's going on. I wonder how Mashiro would've reacted if Sou had managed to tell him about the situation with his sister. The way Mashiro acts, he might have decided to choose Sou out of pity. There are times when it seems as though the only reason Mashiro stays with Kureha is because being with her looks manly, and Kureha is the only girl who wouldn't mind Mashiro's gender issues. Mashiro never seems to make decisions for the right reasons.

I was surprised that Mashiro was so shocked at the revelation that the knight in the special class is Sou - I had assumed that the knight was Sou since the first volume, and I had thought that Mashiro knew his identity, too. I know that my guesses and assumptions for this series haven't always been correct, so I suppose I shouldn't have assumed that the knight and Sou were the same person, especially since I guessed wrong for the identity of Sou's sister. Oh, well.

The revelation about the relationship between Sou and his sister came as much more of a shock to me. I knew that Sou was probably damaged in some way, because his attitude towards sex and the girls he dated was so empty and indifferent, but I hadn't expected this. I think that if I had gotten to read volumes 2 and 3, I might feel differently, since certain parts indicate that Sou has actually talked about his sister with Mashiro before. However, with the limited knowledge that I've got, this is especially shocking. I always thought she was just overprotective in a sisterly sort of way. Eww.

I was not quite as shocked, but still surprised, when Mizushiro and Kureha slept together. Actually, I wasn't sure that Kureha would ever want to have sex, since she still has nightmares about the rape she endured as a child. The parts where Kureha pressured Mashiro to be more passionate in his physical affection felt a little out of character to me. Then again, as I've already mentioned, I missed a couple volumes - who knows what kind of growing Kureha's been doing during that time. I continued to be a bit upset that Mashiro seems to be going along with this relationship with Kureha because he feels it's something he has to do. I'm sure that he likes Kureha, but when it comes to passion, all he's doing is immitating the things that Sou did with him.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite volume (my "ick" reaction to incest storylines tends to be too great for that), but I didn't think it was a bad volume. I loved that Mizushiro revealed so many interesting things about different characters, and Kureha's behavior with Mashiro, although stronger than I expected, had the benefit of moving the plot forward.

As far as extras go, there's author sidebar notes and sketches (early Sou and early Mashiro!) and a page of translator's notes.

I've been having some difficulty coming up with read-alikes/watch-alikes for this series. The only read-alike/watch-alike below that I'm truly confident about is Loveless.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
• When They Cry - Higurashi (anime TV series); Higurashi no Naku Koroni (manga) by Seventh Expansion and many different artists - Keiichi is a transfer student who has moved to a small and seemingly peaceful village, where he befriends several pretty girls. Life seems good, until he uncovers the village's dark secret - every year, during the Watanagashi festival, one person dies and another goes missing. As Keiichi investigates this mystery, it becomes evident that his new friends may have a part in the deaths and disappearances. Those who'd like another story that starts off relatively normal on the surface and gradually becomes stranger and darker may enjoy this title. This is horror of the blood-curdling (and bloody) "I'm afraid to turn off the lights" sort, rather than the more psychological horror of After School Nightmare, so it may not appeal to all fans of After School Nightmare.
• Guilty Pleasures (book) by Laurell K. Hamilton - This is the first book in Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, set in an alternate history where vampires, werewolves and more are now a (sometimes uncomfortable) part of society. Anita Blake is a vampire executioner, an animator (she can raise the dead), and a consultant to the police on all things supernatural. In this first book, someone's killing innocent vampires, and, although Anita's killed her share of vampires, she does her best to find the killer. Those who'd like a story that at times deals with the problems that result when someone tries to be someone they're not might enjoy this series. The various somewhat dysfunctional relationships in this series crop up after the first few books and become more important as the series progresses. A warning, however - there is some very explicit sex in this series, especially in later volumes.

After School Nightmare (manga, vol. 4) by Setona Mizushiro

In case you hadn't already noticed, I've pretty much given up on blocking myself from writing all spoilers. Read this post (and others in this blog) at your own risk. Most of this post was written 6 months ago, prior to my big move, so the public library I mention is not the one I now have access to.

Mashiro Ichijo's friend, Shinbashi, witnesses Sou kissing Mashiro. He assumes that Mashiro is confused about his sexual orientation, and he urges Mashiro to make a choice, either Sou (who's known to go through girlfriends like potato chips) or Kureha (Mashiro's girlfriend). Because Shinbashi cares for (loves) Kureha, he wants her to be happy, and Mashiro's indecisiveness is not making her happy. Eventually, Shinbashi ends up in the special class. A key is finally found, and Shinbashi decides to take it and graduate so that Kureha and Mashiro can stay together - his only request is that Mashiro finally choose Kureha, even if he still feels conflicted and confused. Mashiro agrees. When he wakes up from the dream, he can't remember Shinbashi, who has now disappeared, but he discovers within himself newfound confidence and indifference towards Sou. For now, at least, he can resist the temptation that Sou offers.

I'll admit that I had to skip volumes 2 and 3 - I can't afford to buy them at the moment, and my public library has been buying this series out of order. The volume does begin with a "our story so far" section, but only the last two of the five paragraphs actually covered anything that I missed. Still, I guess it's better than nothing. As far as I can tell, the actual story hasn't progressed too far, although at least one of the dreamers I remember from volume 1 has apparently graduated.

Although this is primarily a dark and serious series, I thought the portions where Mashiro desperately wants to explain to Shinbashi that it's not his sexual orientation that's confusing him were pretty funny. The thing that's really confusing Mashiro is his gender - his top half is male, while his bottom half is female. He wants desperately to be male and has an idealized version of masculinity in his head that he'd like to follow, but his feelings for Sou confuse him. I think it's interesting how Mashiro feels he has to pick just one gender and then follow that role perfectly. It's too bad that he doesn't feel he can follow a third option (or maybe even recognize that other options besides male and female as he sees them exist), since I think he'd be a lot happier and more relaxed if he could just forget all that "ideal male/female behavior" stuff.

Shinbashi was an interesting character. I don't think he was in the first volume, so everything I know about him comes from this volume. It's obvious that he cares about Kureha, and he knows or suspects enough about her past to know and understand that she's not comfortable around men. Because of that, most of their interactions in this volume take place via cellphone. In my opinion, it was both sweet and horrible that Kureha was so important to him that Shinbashi took the form of a cellphone in the dream world. It left him able to find her no matter where she was and get help for her, but it also left him unable to help her himself.

As soon as I saw that Shinbashi was going to become a student in the special class, I figured he'd end up fighting Mashiro in the dream world. Instead, Shinbashi had a form that rendered him incapable of fighting. He chose to view Mashiro, flawed as he is, as Kureha's best chance to be happy, even better than someone like him (Shinbashi), who definitely loves her.

Sou, as usual, has no problems physically expressing his interest in Mashiro. In this volume, Sou kisses Mashiro, does some upper body fondling (Mashiro set the limitations, probably not realizing how intimate Sou could still make things become), and almost has sex with him (her? - it's too confusing to switch pronouns, so I'll just stick with "him"). Had they not been interrupted, Mashiro would have ceased to be a virgin in this volume.

In some ways, I'm kind of glad that they were interrupted. Sou is still guarding himself so much that it seems like Mashiro isn't much better than one of Sou's throw-away girls - at one point, he even makes it clear that he's mainly interested in sex and that it never occurred to him that he and Mashiro would go on dates. I'd like them to actually bond more before things go farther in their relationship. Then again, since I missed out on two volumes worth of the story, maybe they've done more bonding than I know about. It's certainly amazing that it's taken Sou four volumes to get as far as near-sex with Mashiro.

In other ways, though, I wish they hadn't been interrupted. This isn't the squealing fangirl in me talking, although I do think Sou is sexy when he's not acting like an unfeeling, chauvinist bastard. No, the reason why I wish they hadn't been interrupted is because I, too, would like Mashiro to settle on someone, and I haven't even gotten to see him waffle for three whole volumes. It's painful seeing him to try play the role of perfect boyfriend for Kureha. He likes Kureha, but he's in lust with Sou - if he can't decide which one to choose, then it might be better if he weren't dating anyone at all.

One last comment before I wrap things up: I loved the ending of this volume. Usually, Sou expects Mashiro to cave any time he comes over and makes some crack about Mashiro being a girl. These situations usually end with Sou kissing Mashiro and Mashiro barely resisting. Not this time, though, and Sou's expression was great. It's one of the few times when I feel like readers are actually getting to see a little of what Sou is feeling - it's hard to say exactly what emotion his expression is indicating, but it could be shock, upset feelings, or both, or more. I'm just thrilled that it's not his usual blank indifference.

Overall, despite missing out on volumes 2 and 3, I enjoyed this volume, and I can't wait to see what else happens in this series. Choose someone, Mashiro!

As far as extras go, there are four lovely full-color pages, a few author sidebar notes (the design of the necklace for the special class, a little information about Kureha's uniform, the "colorful" names), and a page of translator's notes. The sidebar about the "colorful" names is accompanied by a great drawing of Mashiro wearing a shirt, tie, and vest - Mashiro doesn't usually bring out the fangirl in me, but for some reason this drawing does.

Much like Emma, this is a series for which I have difficulty coming up with read-alikes/watch-alikes. Again, feel free to list your own read-alike/watch-alike suggestions in a comment.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Loveless (anime TV series); Loveless (manga) by Yun Kouga - Twelve-year-old Ritsuka's life isn't very normal - his older brother died not too long ago, his mother is physically abusive, and a strange 19-year-old man named Soubi has shown up, claiming to have known his brother. Soubi says he is Ritsuka's Fighter, while Ritsuka is a Sacrifice. Ritsuka slowly comes to understand what this means, as he learns to battle other Fighter-Sacrifice pairs who may be able to lead him to knowledge about his brother's death. Those who'd like another story with mystery, twisted relationships, and emotionally damaged characters might enjoy this title.
• Legal Drug (manga) by CLAMP - Kazahaya is collapsed in the snow, on the verge of dying, when he is rescued by Rikuo and taken to a pharmacy called the Green Drugstore. Kazahaya doesn't always like Rikuo's attitude, but he feels indebted to Kakei, the owner of the pharmacy. He wants to continue to be able to stay there, so he agrees to do the strange jobs Kakei gives him and Rikuo. These jobs often require Kazahaya and Rikuo to use their special powers. Those who'd story with mystery elements, strangeness, and an often moody tone might enjoy this series.
  
• Xxxholic (manga) by CLAMP - Watanuki is a high school student who is plagued by the ability to see spirits. One day, he meets a woman named Yuuko who can help rid him of this ability. Anybody who receives her help must pay a fair price in return, so Watanuki becomes her cook, housekeeper, and errand boy for an undetermined amount of time. Until he has worked enough to earn her help, Watanuki will continue to have to deal with his abilities, which often come in handy when Yuuko gives him special errands to run. This series includes lots of mini-stories, as Yuuko deals with clients who need her special skills and knowledge. Sometimes things turn out well for the clients, and sometimes things end badly, and, due to these experiences, Watanuki gradually grows and changes. Those who'd like another sometimes spooky, often weird manga series with high school students as main characters might like this series. As with After School Nightmare, some parts of the series can get a bit dark and involve a lot of emotional anguish.
• The Cell (live action movie) - A psychotherapist uses a revolutionary new technology to help patients by exploring their dreams. She enters the dreams of a comatose serial killer in an attempt to save his latest victim before she dies. Those who'd like another dark story in which someone's psyche is explored through dreams might like this movie.