With time running out is Kuro going to be able to resist a cure that may come at great cost…and is her journey going to lead to a sadness she never anticipated?
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Satoko Kiyuduki
Translation/Adaptation: Satsuki Yamashita
What They Say
Still in search of a way to break the curse cast on her by a witch, Kuro continues on the winding road of her travels. At every turn, she and her colorful band of companions encounter the peculiar and the mysterious – a girl who lives inside the mirrors at a mansion in the woods; a wind-up woman in a dark forest; a tree that grants wishes for a price; a patchwork witch basking in the sunlight filtering through the trees.
What curious fellows and wondrous things will Kuro’s journey lead her to next? And can any of them provide Kuro with the one thing she really wants before her time runs out?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Kuro’s journey continues as the young woman looks for a cure for her own disease while encountering other people on their own unique journey for life as their paths cross by chance and for a short time that shared journey gains a fresh perspective on events, sometimes expanding the view of one of those who walked side by side even for a short span. But no matter what bond may temporarily be formed it will be eventually broken as Kuro continues to search for the witch that gave the then young girl a horrible sentence but which may have also given her an ability to gain wisdom far beyond any she would have had without it.
In the course of her travels here Kuro first encounters a young doctor, fresh out of university who is lamenting his lot in life as by circumstance of not being the oldest son he has had to take a job far out into the country which has lead him to lament the lack of what he deems civilization. But where he sees obstacles and impossible to travel areas the woman in black sees signs of how generations have cared for what he takes for granted which as much a sign of humanity thriving as the paved streets the doctor pines for which may grant him a bit of a different perspective during his current laments.
Of course it wouldn’t quite be the same world created previously if some familiar characters didn’t show up, either crossing paths with Kuro (somewhat to her regret in one case) or simply showing up later and offering an opportunity for the readers to see what the aftereffects are on some of the characters who were introduced as simply a quick event on the path Kuro walks which allows for a bit of reflection on how her presences has caused some changes in those people.
It isn’t just humans that Kuro encounters in this world however as her journey has her brushing paths with the supernatural as well, from a world where the reflections in mirrors have ideas of their own on how to change places with their counterparts who seem to be capable of doing so much more than just being a reflection to a living doll waiting patiently for her master to return to a mysterious being who rumor says has the power to grant wishes-for a price and who seems able to see into Kuro’s heart. As she crosses with these beings moments are provided for Kuro to recognize what has become important to her along the way but it also presents an opportunity for her to define herself and just who she is and who she wishes to be, as well as what weight she is willing to shoulder to be cured versus what load she will not accept and each of these events help to solidify her will in making that definition of herself one she can live with.
These moments also serve well to provide space to echo the past and the reader is given a glimpse into the past of both the twins that travel with Kuro as well as a hint of what might have been Kuro’s own encounter with the witch that lead her on this trail she now walks. But even with all her gained strength from her travels it may be that one encounter she never intended to have or even dreamed possible may turn out to be too much to bear as a bumping path with a wandering man simply looking to get home to his wife and daughter provides the opening for a pain opening of emotions that may undo the calm that the young lady has enforced with steel like discipline in order to keep her illness at bay. Will fate provide a far crueler blow on her journey than even the witch’s curse provided-and how will that curse feed on the opportunity?
Shoulder-A-Coffin-Kuro is frankly one of the most magical tales I’ve encountered in years as its ability to mix a very fairy tale inspired setting and pace with a message that never really feels heavy handed or preachy is a rarity as I find that often tales that have a mix of morality in them are written with all the subtlety of a brick wrapped in barbed wire and set on fire being thrown through a window. Here though what the author presents is simply a girl living her life as best she can and whose example and statements can open some eyes to look at things differently rather than having the character bluntly challenging someone else’s belief and using force of personality to override them while making their previous view of the world look foolish.
And perhaps that is what I love most about this book- it never seems like the author tries to do some really big bit of thought changing on me while reading but it comes across more as an encouragement to look outside my own head and whatever preconceived notions I may have to see things in a different way which is something no small amount of writers set out to do but so few I’ve found manage to do so in a way that feels like more invitation than confrontation of world views. For me that means it doesn’t seem to set things up as a fight- “I am right, you are wrong” but more like a way of getting me to be interested in the space provided to explore on my own rather than trying to forcibly pull me there or push me out of where I am.
Though given that the story doesn’t ever seem to be pushing a major moral message in particular- Kids don’t trust family members leading you into the woods, don’t enter bears house no matter how inviting they may seem or no matter how fast you are don’t show off until you’ve actually won the race (OK, one or two of those may not quite be morals)- but more of presenting an idea of looking at things differently, though admittedly it may be that everything I am seeing is simply me reading into the material the author never intended. It may be that the material simply is a fairy tale like story of a girl with a curse who meets interesting places while occasionally borrowing material or ideas from other fairy tales to tell a story of her own journey.
And if so, even on that level the book is a phenomenal read. Highly Recommended.
In Summary
The journey of the odd collection of the cursed young woman Kuro, her equally oddly cursed, more-than-a-little-alcohol-and-woman-obsessed-teacher-turned-swrm-of-bats and the odd pair of twins that have become a traveling group continues apace as Kuro searches for a cure to her predicament. As in the other books this search brings her into contact with a variety of other characters each with their own agenda who join this unique ensemble for a spell and may find their lives changed as they get a chance to see this strange world they inhabit through a rather unique pair of eyes- thought this sharing isn’t always one way as each journey holds a potential to help Kuro in her journey (literal and metaphorical) through life. But when one opportunity shows that the sword can cut both ways and open the door for something horrible to be felt will Kuro be able to handle the tragedy of possibly finding out her heart isn’t as closed as she had lead herself to believe and which has helped her greatly in her quest both in keeping her illness at bay but also allowing her to continue on rather than settle in and comfortably wait for the end in a peaceful place? Highly Recommended.
Content Grade: A+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: November 20th, 2012
MSRP: $11.99
