By Kaori Yuki
Viz Media, $9.99, 205 pages
As I sat down to read my first manga book, I found I definitely needed to refer to the handy diagram showing me how to read the book for right to left, including the speech bubbles in each comic panel. My introduction to the genre has been a positive one thanks so Kaori Yuki’s Grand Guignol Orchestra.
Yuki was born in Tokyo and started drawing at an early age. She is famous for several best selling series in the Gothic comic genre. Her book features a girl named Lucille, the head of the Traveling Grand Orchestra that roams the countryside entertaining the people. But when their audience breaks out with the Guignol virus, Lucille and the orchestra must act quickly in order to survive. The infected people are turning into zombie dolls and killing is their only goal. The story is rated T+ for older teens due to fantasy violence and some mature themes. The music group takes refuge in a heavily fortified castle, hoping to stay safe. They have an idea that their music might hold power over the Guignols. This is the first book in a series, so the saga continues after the last page.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin