Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Matsuri
Translation: Julie Goniwich
What They Say
“I will take your most revolting secrets with open arms.”
The troubled masses, human or otherwise, are always welcome at Murakumo Inn. Payment is accepted in only one form-your darkest secrets. The main dish for this evening is…Spider’s past?! Enjoy the hospitality of the mysterious inn as you feast upon tonight’s banquet of otherworldly tales…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Out of the trio of employees of the Murakumo Inn, Spider always came across as the most human. That is larger due to the fact he used to be one, centuries in the past. After learning about the strange origins of Butterfly and a little bit about the owner, it’s time that Spider is given his due.
Spider’s past is tragic but also one of redemption. As we witness him watching over a teenage girl in the present we wonder who she could be. A descendent? Someone with the same gift he once had? It turns out she is a descendent of someone that he decided to protect. Someone who even as he committed her to a terrible fate reached out to him with concern and kindness.
Interestingly, Spider was no great hero and is simply guilty of rather cruel past sins. He learned too late that his people and their prejudice and fear created a manmade disaster. A cursed stretch of land that remains a dark and dangerous lesson for the present. While the girl in the present may not be a sacrifice or scapegoat like her ancestors, she could still meet with hatred, fear, and scorn. So Spider watches over her even as his own artificially extended life inches closer to a final rest.
While the owner is once again shown to be kind and caring to his favorites, he remains a terrifying force to those that he deems petty. A trio of people who’s train was pulled from service need a place to stay for the night and he welcomes them in with open arms. The boy with a beautiful smile asks only for a ghost story or two in exchange for a night’s rest, and the group soon realizes that they are all haunted by the same man.
This is another case where the owner is shown to disproportionately dole out punishments for humanity’s failings. You could argue that the guests didn’t deserve the fate they were given, but at the same time, their lack of remorse and general attitude immediately put them at odds with not only the owner but his two employees. It stands as a lesson in kindness.
The last two stories return to characters we previously met. One is Kaibara, the man who loved the occult and went missing. He’s been a guest at the Inn ever since, in happy seclusion who lets the reader in on some of the things he has discovered about the place. He also lets Butterfly in on a secret about his tattered and fragmented existence.
The final story returns to Sasaki and Saejima, the skeleton boy and occultist. Saejima is still on a single-minded mission to track down the owner, and Sasaki just wants Saejima out of his afterlife. Neither end up close to the owner in this case, but they do cross paths with another we met earlier. All of these crossing lives surely will lead to something.
Extras in this volume include several pages of gag comics and Yen includes the first handful of pages in color.
In Summary
While the owner continues to gather and keep the secrets of those that wander across his threshold, the employees offer up some secrets of their own. Often times both cruel and kind in measure, the owner continues to be the largest enigma of this story. Yet the real draw of this volume is learning about Spider and what drove him into the service of the Inn. This volume is all about showing kindness and woe be it to those that do not treat their fellow man well. This remains a beautiful, uneasy series of tales.
Content Grade: B +
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B +
Text/Translation Grade: B +
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: February 25, 2020
MSRP: $15.00 US / $19.50 CAN
