Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The cliffhanger scene in “Happiness” Volume 2 by Shuzo Oshimi gave me the chills; what a fantastic panel to end the edition with – Yuki lying trapped in a tank somewhere, surrounded by bloodied dead bodies.
Quick recap: High-school student Makoto finds himself thrown into a new chaotic life of bloodlust and violence after he is bitten by a mysterious young vampire called Nora. Becoming stronger from the bodily changes post-vampire attack, Makoto ends up becoming friends of sorts with his bully Yuki, and the association lands him in trouble with local goons. A violent turn of events orchestrated by the evil Saku leads to the near death of both boys, and while Makoto wakes up in a hospital, Yuki is missing.
Also read: Happiness Vol 1 Review – Mix of Terror & Teen Turmoil
Happiness Volume 3 begins with protagonist Makoto looking for Yuki, right after Makoto was once again nearly hacked to death by the psychotic Saku. Shuzo Oshimi delivers a gritty edition, which sees the mysterious Nora reaching out to Makoto, offering him a bizarre deal he isn’t interested in. Meanwhile, Yuki comes to terms with his own vampire transformation and newfound thirst for blood. It’s like Makoto’s and Yuki’s newfound friendship is sealed with blood, as the boys know what is happening to them, even though they aren’t sure how to deal with it.
Shuzo Oshimi’s artwork fantastically captures the eerie, unsettling sensations in Yuki’s body, all of it taking place in the hospital, a morbid enough setting in its own right. The illustrations are frenzied, with lots of lines and spirals in some panels that will remind horror manga fans of Junji Ito‘s Uzumaki.
The plot doesn’t move forward significantly and is even repetitive, since Yuki experiences the same terrifying sensations as Makoto after being bitten. Despite the mysterious Nora’s appearance in “Happiness” volume 3, readers still don’t get any back-story or her exact reasons for saving Makoto. The significant development in the story is the introduction of a shady organization that knows about the existence of vampires and hunts them down. So, Makoto and Yuki might not be able to live regular lives as high-school students.
Volume 3 of “Happiness” ends with a dark cliffhanger, which isn’t as spooky as the last edition, but leaves viewers with a sense of excitement for the next volume.
Rating: 4 on 5. You can read “Happiness” on Kindle Unlimited.
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