Pet Shop of Horrors, Volume 1

What I love about Pet Shop of Horrors is that it's episodic in nature. Each chapter is a story in itself. You won't see a story arc that goes on and on and on like in so many other manga.

Of the first four chapters, I think DREIZEHN is my favorite. I love dogs. ( )

[Spoilers in this review]
I read this a long time ago in the original Japanese, so I can't comment on the translation.

I watched the anime first, and I'll mention right away that I preferred the anime rendition of "Daughter" over the manga. That said...

Pet Shop of Horrors is pretty good at telling the stories of each pet that D sells. Two have stuck with me even after it's been so long - the bird and the dog.

In "Dream" I always felt terrible about the ending. I liked it, overall, and the ending did stay with me. I wish it didn't have a 'rushed' feel - it always came off as weird that Count D would never be able to get a word in and mention that the bird would die if she bought a female. That part felt glossed over and I wish it showed a stronger reason that D would be incapable of mentioning it to her.

"Dreizehn" I liked more, maybe because I enjoy happy endings. A girl has seen something so horrifying that she's gone blind, and she visits Count D to get a guide dog. The 'dog' she gets is so adorable. I loved his character, and I loved how dog-like he acted through the story. Karen was nice as well. She reacted realistically to the situation and adapted as she realized no one else seemed to be seeing things quite the same way as she did.
I also enjoyed the little tidbits (like her not wanting him in the room with her), and that he slept in front of her door all night.
The way she bonded with Dreizehn when she needed someone so badly was great. She was sometimes childish but still understandable. Both were likeable characters and I'm glad they got to stay together, even if Dreizehn could never speak to her again.

"Daughter" was the one where I liked the anime more and I'll say why here: when the rabbits attacked I think the manga version tried to make it too big. I was left wondering how they expect people to forget a bunch of man-eating rabbits attacked the city. I don't feel like that's something people would have brushed off, and they would have been looking for the source a lot harder.
In the anime only the characters involved in the story were attacked, which made it more personal and more believable that it could be overlooked in the end.

The poses can sometimes be a little stiff. When one character is jumping at another it doesn't get that feeling of impact. The art is beautiful overall, though. ( )

This is a review for the first three volumes.

Count D is a seller of pets ... more specifically, ones that fulfil a role in your life. These pets are not average, and seem to take on a human shape. If you don't follow the three rules that come with the pet... bad things might happen.

On the whole, I liked the series. I really did. Count D was an interesting young man who is not quite human. Leon Orcot, the police officer who is out to get Count D is also interesting, but very human. Leon things Count D is selling drugs or some other illegal product out of his store, but comes to view Count D as a friend. As for the animals, they are always rare, and inevitably, their human owners always breaks the rule, usually the last.

Its a bit formulaic. But, the characters steal the manga. Well written, always in character, always interesting. The animals on the other hand... their human side and the relationships with their owners is well... feels wrong. I also have a hard time with people owning people, even if they are animals in a human guise. Plus, the whole thing feels a bit silly. If I find the other volumes, I will probably buy them and read them. I really want to know what happens to Leon and Count D! ( )

In summary, a mysterious man who calls himself Count D sets up shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. He sells all manner of creatures, with very specific instructions. One very persistent cop thinks he's doing some shady dealings, but is unable to prove it.

This is, without a doubt, my favorite manga series. It's funny, it's smart, it's got mystery, and is, at times, a bit disturbing. The plot is told as a series of shorts, with the main "story," or "mystery" if you will of Count D taking a back seat in favor of four individual short stories, each about a different person coming to the pet shop in search of a companion. They always get more than they bargained for. ( )

I have never read any manga before. A coworker recommended this series, so I tried the first book. It was pretty cool - more thematic substance than I was expecting. The artwork was good eye candy, but it looked like the other manga artwork I've seen in passing. It would have been cool if it was in color. ( )