Plum Crazy! Tales of a Tiger-Striped Cat, Vol. 5 by Hoshino Natsumi

I mean, there are homey scenes of making pies and then… grandma turns into a tree. The whole thing is just wonderfully slice-of-life with a DOUBLE PLUS creepy/sad fairy tale vibe. For instance, we find out that the Outsiders are immortal, and so, at one point when Sensei chops the head off of the leader who came for Shiva, he merely starts carrying it around in his arms. Yet, the Dark Mother is SUPER creepy, too. The king is portrayed as ruthless, and willing to sacrifice his own people. It’s interesting to me how naturally I distrust the White Father god figure. Their god, too, has some prophecy involving a pure soul. Shiva was abandoned to the Outside by her aunty/grandmother and so the humans use grandma to lure Shiva back into the human fold. The humans meanwhile, following the orders of their “White Father” god, are also after Shiva. He doesn’t know things he should–and we know he has problems with his memory in general (a side effect of the plague ridden humans)–and the other Outsiders suggest he is a foreigner, which is how they refer to humans. Sensei isn’t having it, but he is drawn into this curious word of the Outsiders… mystical lakes with deep, dark wells that sing “Mother’s song.” It’s here where we learn that maybe sensei isn’t one of them, after all. They say that “the Mother” wants her for some reason. Problems arise for this odd family unit when other, more terrifyingly inhuman Outsiders come for “the pure soul” that is Shiva. Sensei no longer needs to eat (actually, he doesn’t have a mouth any more?!?) but he very conscientiously feeds and cares for Shiva. Shiva is fond of tea parties and so she and Sensei have many of them. Sensei and Shiva have been living a quiet, unassuming life. But, as the story progresses, we find out that humans have become victims of a plague of sorts, transmitted by touch, that can turn them into these black-boned, hellish creatures, who are referred to as “Outsiders,” since the remaining human population (ala Attack on Titan) have locked themselves inside walls.

Sensei looks like a creature out of Hell, and very well _may be_. The story follows a young soul, Shiva (who I think is quite intentionally named) and her erstwhile companion, known only as ‘sensei.’ The English-language versions are all translating his name to “teacher,” but I wonder at that, since there are hints that he might be (have been?) a medical doctor, as well as a professor. My library, which may in fact be magical, had the first two volumes of this gorgeously creepy manga: The Girl From the Other Side / Totsukuni no Shoujo by Nagabe ( Mangakalot has everything else scanlated to date…).

Plum Crazy! Tales of a Tiger-Striped Cat, Vol. 5 by Hoshino Natsumi