After the publication of Seinen rather light and delicate, we are interested this time in a much darker work, Purgatory girl. A horrific seinen, published by Omaké Books, which promises to keep us in suspense! Warning, risk of SPOIL.
Purgatory Girl
Purgatory Girl is a seinen of Muroi Masane completed in four volumes. In France, the first volume is available since March 25, 2021. The T02 will be published on May 12.
Shion is the pain-sore of her class, until the day she becomes friends with Kirie, a mysterious girl newly arrived at her high school. From then on, strange phenomena occur in Shion's entourage. Soon, she discovers that Kirié comes from a college where one of the most sordid murders in Japanese history was committed…
Series containing violence and blood, sensitive souls, abstain!
An unhealthy atmosphere!
From the first pages, the author plunges us with his pencil stroke into a dark and disturbing atmosphere. Indeed, from the first boxes, we discover a murder of the bloodiest. This allows us to discover from the beginning the atmosphere of the series. However, Muroi Masane does not insist on these scenes and it does not become morbid. Conversely, the mangaka also knows how to bring out the innocent side of certain characters, including that of Shion, the main character. In addition, the author was able to bring out various expressions on the faces of the characters. Whether it's fear, sadness or joy, all these expressions are easily recognizable. This makes it possible to appreciate all the more the reactions of the characters according to the situations in which they find themselves. 
Another strong point of this first volume concerns this time the psychological dimension of the characters. Indeed, Kirié seems to have two very different faces from each other. On the one hand, we meet a high school girl who befriends Shion from her first meeting, who can shed a few tears when her deceased friend is quoted. But on the other hand, her attitude and the look she can sometimes have can lead us to think that Kirié may not be the one Shion really needs. In addition, Shion is also an interesting character. Abused for years by his classmates, we can quickly realize that these repeated bullying have left him with sequelae. We can therefore wonder about the consequences that this new friendship could have on Shion.
A suspense very present!
In addition, the scenario is well paced and leaves no room for boredom or waiting. Each page is important and allows you to adhere a little more to the story. The author alternates between the daily life of our high school girls and the police investigation into the murder carried out in the former college of Kirié. This alternation makes it possible to see history from different points of view and to appreciate its nuances. In addition, many questions also came to mind as we discovered this first volume. Is Kirié behind this bloody murder? Is she the cause of the accidents that happen to Shion's persecutors? Why does she become attached to Shion? So many questions for which we obviously do not have the answers at the end of this first volume.We must admit that we have sometimes felt a certain anguish at certain moments in history, proof that the author has been able to make us adhere to his work 100%. In addition, the series has only four volumes, a significant point when we know that some series of this kind tend to draw in length and therefore, to lose attractiveness. Whether by its pencil stroke or by a well-crafted scenario, Muroi Masane offers a first volume of quality that we will not be able to advise you enough!
