In Parham Itan: Tales from Beyond Volume 1, high school student boxer Yamagishi and smart nerd Sendo literally run into each other on the way back to their dorm. While walking together, they encounter a half-human half-man-eating-flower monster. But the next day, everything seems normal.
“What if nobody’s seen them before ‘cause they camoflage themselves? What if there’s actually tons of those critters walkin’ among us all the time? What if all those ghost stories and urban legends that sound made up are actually cover stories to hide their existence? What if we saw yesterday is the real world?” What kind of horrors will they encounter while investigating the flower man?
Per the author, Parham Itan: Tales from Beyond Volume 1 is based on the Cthulhu legend from the tabletop RPG. The plot is more a thriller with paranormal elements than a straight-out horror manga. The artwork, especially of the flower man, is excellent. It succeeds in making the absurd idea of a man with a giant flower for a head into a truly frightening monster.
This story is the first volume in a hopefully long series. The main characters are introduced but there is room for many more explanations in future books in the series.
If you liked the author’s Monochrome Factor series, you will be thrilled with this series too. It has the same genre-fluidity in it. It has action, horror, comedy, and two disparate male leads that must work together without becoming yaoi. It is an enjoyable read. 4 stars!
Thanks to Toykopop, Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.