Pet Shop of Horrors, Volume 1

My favorite manga in all of the world. This was the first manga series I read in its entirety and it left a profound impact on me at such a young age. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an original, thought provoking series accompanied by gorgeous artwork. ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of monsters/creatures! Each story has a moral or lesson to it- not exactly like an Aesop's tale but reminiscent of one. There's also some subplots found along the way, but it isn't distracting at all and is fairly easy to keep up with. The main focus is each monster/creature the volume features as the central plot focus and thrusts into the spotlight.

Also- we don't talk about the anime. Just read the manga and you're set.

This series is out of show more print now- so if you are wanting to buy them yourself they maybe harder and pricier to find now. I know I paid a hefty price tag over the course of a year or two to gather them all up before they become too hard to find. You can still visit your local library, read online, or ask a friend who has them. show less

I first watched the highly underrated OVA series almost 20 years ago and for a very long time, I felt compelled to read the original manga because I loved the anime so much. I finally found a little free time and have decided to give it a try, and it has definitely been a great read.

Count D is a mysterious Chinese man living in Los Angeles's Chinatown with an even stranger profession: he sells all sorts of exotic and mythical animals to the right customer. Is the beast they see in the maze beneath the pet shop a human being or not? The rules are simple enough: never show the pet to anyone (some cases don't have this restriction), give the pet a specified diet, and keep its enclosure well-tended. The shop will not be held responsible in show more case the owner breaks any rules.

Of course, human nature entices people to break the rules, and all sorts of different problems could occur.

Dream: A young woman from a rich family feels rejected by her emotionally absent father and asks Count D to sell her a bird of unique beauty who sings to her every night. Will she fall in love with her new pet's beautiful lullaby? Or will she ask D for a change in contract to save the species from extinction?
Despair: This story was used in the OVA series and it replicates the source material very well. Our protagonist is an actor named Robin who played an alien prince in a Sci Fi film almost 10 years ago, but attempts to get any new roles have been a failure. Economically in huge trouble and abandoned by his wife, he purchases a very unique lizard from D who will give him the company he yearns. Detective Leon makes his first appearance in this episode and he tries to uncover the mystery between Robin's mysterious death... and all signs points to Count D's pet shop.
Daughter: Another chapter that was featured in the OVAS, it was selected as episode 1 even though it is technically Chapter 3 of the manga. A beautiful teenager named Alice dies from an overdose, leaving her well-intentioned but crappy parents behind in their despair. Fortunately, Count D has a solution that might give them a second chance for redemption... Or not. Quite personally, I didn't like this chapter that much, but horror fans will surely enjoy it.
Dreizehn: A young woman survives a home invasion/arsonist, but she ends up blind from the trauma of seeing the man murder her parents. Distraught and terrified about her safety because the killer escaped, Count D sells her a most unusual and faithful Doberman with the form of a handsome human in military garb named Dreizehn. Karen has a hard time believing Dreizehn is in reality a dog, and feels frustrated by his overprotective nature. However, for some reason she begins to feel like she has underestimated him and might need his help...

The start of the manga starts quite strong with 4 interesting stories venturing mostly in the realm of horror and adventure; I enjoyed reading it very much and plan to continue reading it. show less

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 show more 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! show less

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.

[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 show more 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. show less

It's not my favorite art style, but I actually got really into it. Count D is pretty awesome and I love how innocent (and sweet, heh) and yet menacing he can be. The dynamic between him and the detective is quite interesting as well.

Normally I'm not super big on episodic stuff, where each episode is an entirely new story with new characters and everything, but... like I said, I got pretty into it. Definitely going to read more of this.

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.