Houkago Hokenshitsu

I'm at a loss for words. This manga leaves me speechless. I don't know where to begin, so I suppose I'll just ramble on.

This story delves into the human heart and mind. It's crafted so brilliantly to explore the essence of life itself. The characters seem almost real as you read. You share their pain and happiness; they are unlike any other characters out there. They aren't shallow or fabricated merely to advance the plot. Instead, the story unfolds through them. The narrative is excellent, but it's the characters that bring it to life.

In fact, I've read this before. And now, I'm reading it again. I'm nearly finished, even though I started today. Even with prior knowledge, the emotions and concepts feel so genuine that I find myself drawn back in.

Compared to other shoujo manga, which often focus on school life and relationships, this one tells a broader story about life itself. It touches on our insecurities, darkest secrets, loves, hates, fears, and desires. It covers these aspects with remarkable depth.

Beyond that, I really appreciate the metaphors and symbolism used. While I'm not typically into literature, I believe this story is masterfully constructed. If you're thinking about reading it, I highly recommend it. If not, that's fine too. But be aware that this story is profoundly deep and meaningful, and you might miss out if you choose not to read it.

There are some manga that leave me thinking, "Huh? What the heck did I just read?" This one fits the bill. Was it in a good way? Sort of yes, sort of no. I decided to give this manga a shot because the synopsis sounded intriguing, and the reviews looked promising. Honestly, though, I don't think it deserves as much praise as it gets on MAL.

"After School Nightmare" is a solid 7, but not higher. The manga has its moments – there are deep, meaningful layers that make it 'good.' However, I found myself confused and lost 85% of the time. The story twists in ways that often don't make sense, and the author sometimes skims over scenes without adding depth.

Before moving on, let me add: if you're considering reading this manga, despite its categorization as "Gender Bender" and "Shoujo," it doesn't really fit those genres. "Mystery," "Supernatural," and "Psychological" describe it better.

On we go.

Character (7/10):

The characters fluctuate from shallow to mature to messed up to 'normal' in an instant. Sure, real people can be weird and have their own problems, but come on. Their inconsistency made me impatient. Setona Mizushiro seemed so intent on making these characters 'real' that they ended up feeling unrealistic instead.

Art (8/10):

I don't have any complaints about the art. It's not eye-candy or gorgeous, but it's still good. The storyline was so engaging that it distracted me from paying close attention to the art.

Enjoyment/Overall (7/10):

Once again, "After School Nightmare" is a solid 7. I don't think it deserves the 8s and 9s others rave about. HOWEVER, I might have given ASN an 8 if it had explored issues like gay/lesbianism or gender fluidity. Up until chapter 39, I thought Ichijou's main struggle was finding his/her sexual orientation. All – or at least most – other students were dealing with real issues, whether it was standing up for oneself, finding one's true voice, or overcoming fears. Then BAM! Some out-of-place supernatural stuff ruins everything.

**SPOILER, look away now if you don't want to be spoiled OR hear someone rant**

That ending, though! I understood it, and it was sweet to some degree, but I was also incredibly frustrated. I don't care if anyone disagrees. I was furious that I'd spent hours reading what I thought was a great, meaningful manga (and it is, to an extent) only to get this...meh ending.

Okay, After School Nightmare revolves around a teenager entering school with a significant secret: he is half boy and half girl. You might think, "Ugh, this is just another one of those shojo gender-bender manga." Don't be fooled! The story is actually quite compelling.

Story: 9/10

The storyline appears straightforward initially but progressively becomes more intricate as the manga unfolds. The author frequently drops subtle hints about the ending throughout the series. You may find yourself flipping back a few pages to fully grasp a particular segment. The narrative flow keeps you engaged with numerous plot twists.

Art: 9/10

The artwork in this manga is stunning and perfectly complements the atmosphere the mangaka aims to create. Some images might seem disturbing, but careful attention to detail is evident throughout the story. The art remains consistent, so you won’t have trouble matching faces with names.

Characters: 8/10

Each character is uniquely crafted in their own special way. The personalities of the main characters are well-developed. However, sometimes these personalities evolve gradually, which might confuse you. The side characters, though not as deeply explored, still drive the story forward. Some become important at certain points, and a bit of background information is provided for them.

Enjoyment: 9/10

Considering all the aspects mentioned above, the manga is excellent! The chapters could perhaps have been a little shorter since each was around 60 pages long, but aside from that, it's a genuinely good manga.

Overall: 9/10

I recommend this manga if you enjoy sci-fi, romance, and a touch of horror. You’ll need a fine-toothed comb to catch all the small details scattered throughout the story. If you don’t have much time on your hands, I wouldn’t suggest this to you since the story is rather lengthy, and you may need to reread some chapters.

Overall, I believe it was a solid series. The final volume genuinely surprised me—it wasn't what I anticipated at all, but I won't give anything away. Perhaps that's why I didn't rate it as highly as I might have? While I appreciate the massive twist at the end, I also felt it left several issues unresolved for the readers.

The concept behind the series is incredibly intriguing; it’s what initially drew me in. I had never encountered anything quite like it before—very original. The storyline creates some fascinating and enjoyable scenarios for the characters to navigate through, which makes for entertaining reading. However, I noticed some weaknesses in the plot as well. Around the middle of the series, you start questioning its overall purpose. It picks up towards the end, which helps, but doesn’t fully compensate for the seemingly prolonged sequence of events that could have been more concise. Nevertheless, I appreciated not being able to predict the ending—that’s always a bonus for me. The multiple twists near the conclusion somewhat offset the plot shortcomings and gave new significance to certain events, making me want to revisit those sections.

I found most of the characters to be well-crafted. Some of the minor characters were my favorites, possessing great depth. The main character, Mashiro, was occasionally irritating and felt shallow at times. There wasn't much personal development throughout, which is a flaw considering their central role. Predictable characters did surface throughout, but I suppose that’s hard to avoid. I did enjoy Kureha's character growth over the series though. She was fun to follow as she evolved due to the events. I also liked Sou a lot. Though he played the stereotypical dark character, his unique quirks made him interesting and enjoyable. His growth in the last few chapters was particularly satisfying.

The artwork in this series was fantastic. I just really love this style with its flowing hair, expressive faces, close-ups during emotional highs, and occasional humorous cartoonish side comments.

In spite of the plot and character flaws, I still greatly enjoyed the series.

Story: I rate the story a perfect 10 without hesitation. The psychological undertones and the real-life dilemmas faced by the characters make the nightmarish world feel all the more authentic and harrowing. Once I began reading, it was impossible to set the book aside because I was eager to uncover what would happen next. This narrative captures your attention swiftly and holds you captive until the very last page.

Art: I adore the artwork in this piece. Both the detail and the style are visually pleasing.

Characters: The characters in this tale are credible and lifelike. The portrayal of the protagonist's internal conflict regarding their gender makes one ponder what it truly feels like to be born half-male and half-female. The supporting cast is equally robust and genuine.

Enjoyment: As an enthusiast of psychological narratives, this story exceeded my expectations. Readers will relish delving into the characters' minds and unraveling their motivations and actions.

Overall, this is an extraordinary story that will seize your interest from start to finish, leaving you utterly amazed.

I don't know what to say! This manga has been excellent from the very first chapter all the way to the end. Honestly, I kind of expected something like this right from the start. It's an incredible story and it has definitely made it to the top of my list. The art was fantastic as well.

I appreciated the character development of Ichijo, but I just can't accept her selfishness. I still don't know which guy she ended up choosing, which actually makes the story even more intriguing.

Anyway, it's a great manga, and I wish I could forget it just so I could experience reading it all over again.

This manga was genuinely outstanding. From start to finish, it held me spellbound. It's a deeply dark story, and the ending is both shocking and heartbreaking.

I stumbled upon After School Nightmare while browsing through other manga. Initially, I doubted I'd enjoy it, but boy, was I mistaken. I couldn't put it down. My curiosity kept growing, eager to uncover what would happen next!

The artwork is stunningly beautiful. Even the gruesome scenes possess an eerie elegance. The eye expressions and body language are phenomenal, truly conveying the characters' emotions.

Every character is meticulously developed. Each has their own distinct personality and personal struggles, making them all fascinating in their unique ways.

This is a truly exceptional manga, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

After School Nightmare is an extraordinary piece of literary art! The character development, storyline, and artwork all come together seamlessly! Some readers might find the psychological underpinnings of the story challenging!

It took me a full day to fully grasp the concept after finishing the story! It completely caught me off guard and left me utterly bewildered!

The protagonist is physically male but identifies internally as female (intersex). The narrative delves deep into his nightmares, grappling with choosing his true sexuality. Other characters help guide him in determining his sex/gender identity.

This story could hit you like a ton of bricks, making you question your own existence, sexuality, life itself, and how to navigate it! The plot development masterfully blends emotions and feelings!

The artwork is sharp and clean! The detail in the illustrations is quite impressive! However, some images may be disturbing for certain individuals! You need a strong constitution to handle it!

I personally found some personal connections to the lives, feelings, emotions, and struggles of several characters!

Give it a read! Discover for yourself because the ending will leave you quite shocked! :P

I loved it :P Hope you find my review helpful XD

A very intriguing manga that's definitely worth exploring. It spans 10 volumes, each containing roughly four chapters.

The narrative revolves around Ichijo Mashiro (or Mashiro Ichijou for those who prefer the original Japanese name). Ichijo is intersex, defining himself as having a male "top" and female "bottom," meaning he possesses female genitalia but exhibits more masculine features overall. Consequently, in most anime/manga contexts, Ichijo is depicted as a very attractive man.

For as long as he can remember, Ichijo has chosen to live as a male primarily because it seemed easier. However, his gender identity becomes a significant issue once again when he starts his first period while showering one day.

If you're thinking, "EWWWW. Why would I want to read that?" please hold your judgment until I explain further. This is probably the most explicit part of the series, and it happens early on, so you won't have to dwell on it. There are sexual scenes, but they aren't overly detailed, just suggestive. Moreover, this isn't the entire plot; it's merely the main character's central dilemma. Other characters are equally engaging.

The plot hinges on a club held after school in a mysteriously disappearing basement (present after school, gone during). In this club, participants lie down on curtained beds and enter a dream world where they appear as their "true" selves. Here, Ichijo is dressed in a girl's uniform, which understandably upsets him since he has chosen to live his life as a man, and now other students can see him this way.

The objective in the dream world is to "kill" others to find the key. Once someone obtains the key, they go to a door and "graduate."

Details:

Upon graduation, their existence is effectively erased, and people forget they were ever at that school. When killed in the dream world, large beads around their necks crack and fall apart. Each person starts with three beads, and when they defeat another, they gain some of their opponent's beads. These beads can be broken in various ways: physically destroying the body or breaking their spirit by saying or doing things that hurt them emotionally.

The ending is exceptionally good. So good, it brought me to tears—not sobbing, but definitely misty-eyed. I think it's a blessing I don't know much about symbolism or Japanese culture because if I did, it might have ruined it for me.

It's a good read. A fantastic read. An amazing read.

You better read it.

Really strange, but in a somewhat positive way. It's an intriguing concept, to say the least.

I will include spoilers, but they'll be under my review, and I'll clearly mark them off. You can read this part without worrying about spoilers. The spoiler section mainly covers my issues with the story or things I didn't understand.

The narrative revolves around Mashiro, a student whose upper half is male and lower half is female. He navigates high school, but as you'll quickly notice, it's not a typical school. Students vanish one by one, and along with them, memories of their existence disappear too. Mashiro receives an invitation from the school nurse to attend a special class in the school basement. There, students enter a dreamscape where they battle each other to obtain a key. Once they secure the key, they can "graduate" from the school.

Mashiro's central conflict is whether he wants to become a man or a woman. It's a peculiar idea, but I think if you accept it for what it is, you'll get more out of the manga. I wrestled with this concept throughout my reading. Realistically, physically, you can't be half one thing and half another. So I thought, okay, he's a flat-chested girl; either way, you're still a woman. But in this manga, take it literally: he's half male and half female. It's bizarre, I know, but Mashiro was the only character I fully understood by the end.

Kureha and Sou are the main supporting characters, both crucial to Mashiro's development. One allows Mashiro to experience a relationship with a woman as a man and another with a man as a woman. Kureha suffered significant trauma as a child, while Sou has a major sister complex with a twist. Essentially, these are the challenges their characters must overcome. Kureha is a very likable character and progresses the most. Sou's character slightly annoyed me, not because of his relationship with his sister, but because I felt his character hadn't fully developed by the time I reached the end.

Essentially, this is a story all about character development, becoming who you're meant to be, and learning to accept yourself for what you are. In life, you have to be strong and overcome many hardships. You fight and struggle to get past each obstacle, but remember your friends are fighting alongside you against their own obstacles. Whether it is due to destiny or fate, we all have our own things to overcome and our own lives to live.

I can honestly say I've never read a story like this one. It's not the best thing I've read, but it's by far the most original and definitely worth a shot.

Story: 9 [great]
Art: 8 [good]
Character: 9 [great]
Enjoyment: 9 [great]
Overall: 9 [great]

Things I had a problem with and still don’t understand…

**Spoilers***spoilers**spoilers**
**Spoilers***spoilers**spoilers**

[Please don’t read if you haven’t read the manga. It’s good so go read it!]

1. In the end, why is Mashiro’s character the only one without a past? Kureha and Sou’s problems were rooted in their pasts, which hadn't actually happened … Are their problems symbolic of another issue within a person’s character, or will they really experience these things in the future?
2. Sou and Kureha. There are different theories about who/what they actually are. If you assume everyone in the school is an actual person, then I suppose I don’t understand the challenges they face in the dream. If you assume this is only Mashiro’s version of things, this makes more sense. They are there to encourage and develop his character.
3. The girl who skipped class three times and disappeared. I’ll just say miscarriage?
4. The thing I am probably the most confused about…if the whole school/dreamscape collapsed in the end, wouldn’t that mean the end of us all? No more children could be born, so was this only Mashiro’s version of the school? Does the whole thing reset to allow future students?

**Spoilers***spoilers**spoilers**

I actually think a lot of it isn’t supposed to make sense. The realist in me wants to know all these answers, but I don’t think that was the author's focus. Maybe she left loose ends for you to interpret however you like or maybe she just wanted an interesting story.

The story gets a 7/10 from me because it doesn't entirely make sense, yet somehow it does. It leaves this strange feeling after you finish it. It's like reading something and then not remembering having read it at all. To sum it up, the main character is confusing since they are half-female and half-male. There's also a guy who likes them. If you think about it one way, you might think, "Oh, he's half-girl, so it's okay." But then you recall that they're also half-boy, which makes it awkward if you're not into yaoi. Then, to complicate things further, the main character actually likes a girl, leading to the same issue with the other guy. I'm trying not to spoil anything, but seriously, think about it. It's really weird .///. But hey, maybe you'll enjoy it precisely for these reasons.

The art gets a 7/10. Honestly, my brain automatically judges this stuff, but if you want a reason, let's just say they have good characters, but some parts—like how they draw blood and gore—are not quite what I expected o.o. Yes, it is grotesque; horror is the genre, after all. But perhaps it's due to all the horror movies I watched when I was younger, because I didn't find it scary.

Characters get an 8/10, the highest I can give. I don't particularly like the main character—I almost gave it a 5 or 6—but when I thought about it, there were some aspects I really liked, so I settled on an 8 xP.

Enjoyment gets a 6 because I had to force myself to keep reading. Otherwise, I would've chosen other manga. So, it wasn't very enjoyable for me >3>

Overall, I give it a 7/10, and yes, I rated it a B grade... I have no idea why I wrote such a long review, considering I usually only write overall summaries ._.

When I first came across this, I was like, "Hmm, I'm not sure," and almost skipped it. But then I decided to read a couple of chapters, thinking if I didn't like it, I'd just drop it. I tend to be slow in understanding things, so when the summary implied that the character was half male, half female, I didn't get it at first. Then, after reading the first chapter, I was like, "What the heck?!" But I continued, and I must say, it is very entertaining. It has its WTF moments and those times you're smiling stupidly at your computer screen, and then yelling at it.

The ending, though, personally left me confused. It ended, and I was like, "What the hell is this?" I didn't freaking get it! But yeah, it is a great manga—one of the best I've read in a while.