Several interesting stories. The last one was my favorite, but all of them were really good. I do love that the author did give introductions for some of the stories.

4 stars

Sometimes there's a good reason why a creator makes their splash with a certain series. Koyoharu Gotouge's early works all have the seeds of what would eventually become Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, but that's all they are: seeds. None of them have the growth potential to become something more, and while they're interesting showcases of how Gotouge has grown as a storyteller and artist, they also aren't very good.

Of the four pieces anthologized here, the strongest is the third, “A Man Called Ribs.” The story is about a man with unconventional sight; he's largely blind, but he can see people's feelings inside the hazy outlines of their bodies. When someone is infected with a noxious urge or a terrible emotion, Abara purifies it, saving them. Or at least, freeing them to be punished by the law, as is the case in this story – while he's out walking around, casually flicking evil emotions off of people's shoulders, he stumbles upon a trail of bad feelings linked to hair, which leads him to a woman collecting women with beautiful hair and holding them captive. It's a thin plot, but the premise is solid, and Abara is interesting as a protagonist.

That's not always the case; the bug brothers in the second story, “The Monjushiro Brothers,” are little more than outlines, one-note characters whose powers are never adequately explained. Gotouge mentions that this was originally intended to be spun out into a serialization, and I can't say that I'm surprised that it didn't happen; Gotouge's ability to draw bugs aside (the reason given for the abandonment of the story), it just doesn't have any depth. The idea that everyone has a bug inside them is interesting but not enough to carry it. That story and Abara's involve the same group home, a link that isn't explored in the book but suggests that Gotouge is creating stories all set in the same universe.

Watching Gotouge's art evolve throughout the volume is probably the best aspect of it. The first story, “Overhunter Hunter” (which is credited with being the inspiration for Demon Slayer) has an almost ukiyo-e look to it, and the art shifts subtly until it's nearly what we're used to by the final tale, “Zigzag from Haeniwa.” It's rare to see such a clear, step-by-step progression in an artist's work, so either Gotouge did evolve like this or these were very well-chosen stories for that purpose.

In any event, this is simply an okay book. If you're a die-hard fan of Gotouge, it's probably worth it, but otherwise, it's a collection of stories from a creator who hadn't yet found their groove.

I was honestly so surprised that I could not get through this. I loved Kimetsu no Yaiba, but this felt very unfinished to me.

So I was interested in this because I am a huge Demon Slayer fan. However… this just lacked what I enjoyed about Demon Slayer. The stories were… a little odd to say the least and more horror forward.

The first of our two new manga anthologies hails from Demon Slayer creator Koyoharu Gotouge. This collection is a must-have for fans for the manga or its anime adaptation, as it sheds interesting light on where and how Tanjiro’s story began. Some stories skirt the paranormal; others served as direct inspiration for the series we know and love.

The collection kicks off with Overhunter Hunter, the one-shot that led directly to the creation of Demon Slayer. This story of a one-armed, scarred swordsman singlehandedly hunting down demons changed a lot on its way to becoming a full series, but familiar threads are still there. The standouts of this volume are The Monjushiro Brothers (the start of an intended series about bug-powered siblings) and A Man Called Ribs (about a man with the power to sense emotions and a lot of emotions of his own).

I always love seeing mangaka's one shots as it shows different facets of them. It's also cool to see what influenced them and how they transformed they art style or storytelling. I recommend this for people into darker stories.

(Thank you NetGallery for the ARC).

Just like the collection of Tatsuki Fujimoto's early works, Koyoharu Gotouge's pre-Demon Slayer work is a great little volume. Outside of the one-shot that was later developed into Demon Slayer, it's fascinating to see an artist's early work, knowing how it evolved and also how they stayed true to certain elements. It's oddly reassuring to know that reading Gotouge's work makes the reader ask "Wow, seriously, who hurt you?". It's a fascinating parade of trauma processed through art, and an odd sense of justice that somehow remains a recurring theme through their work.