Comics / Manga / Yaoi Manga

Otodama: Voice from the Dead: Volume 1 (DokiDoki)

By Leroy Douresseaux
July 13, 2010 - 09:13

Otodama Voice from the Dead Volume 1 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com

Drama/Mystery; Rated "16+ Young Adult"

Kaname Otonashi was once known as the “Ears of the Police” because of his exceptional hearing, which helped to break important cases.  In fact, his hearing is so exceptional that he can sense the screams of the dead.  His friend, Yasuhide Nagatsuma, is a former cop whose detective work compliments Kaname’s talents.  As Kaname tries to protect himself from the swirl of sound that could drive him mad, “Hide” is always by his side.

In Otodama: Voice from the Dead, Vol. 1, Kaname and Hide come together to solve the case of a serial killer murdering young women.  Meanwhile, the shadowy Shoei Kodama stalks the duo, even while the police suspect that he is connected to the serial murders.  Also, Hide’s brother, Yasuhiro Nagatsuma, is named the Senior Superintendent at the National Research Institute of Police to do what his predecessor could not do – solve a series of bombings.  The bomber may be connected to Kaname; he may even be Kaname.

Otodoma: Voice from the Dead is more of a “bromance” than it is a boys’ love manga.  Kaname and Hide are semi-outcasts who work together trading barbs and living together as a squabbling couple.  Otodama does have the semi/uke, top/bottom dynamic that one will find in boys’ love manga depicting a romantic relationship between male characters.  Hide is clearly the protector and strong one, but although the uke-like Kaname occasionally needs Hide to rescue him, he is also feisty.

The series is a mystery drama and police procedural.  As such, this is rather well done in terms of the writing genre characters and the solid compositions and excellent storytelling.  However, the characters are a little to stiff and cool; it is hard to warm up to them.  Creator Youka Nitta makes the characters a little too good at what they do; they are too professional.  Future chapters need to reveal more of each character’s personal and private side.  If the characters remain aloof, there won’t be any reason to read more than a few chapters of Otodama: Voice from the Dead, since all of it will merely be is a detective series starring all-work, no-play characters.

B

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12