PTSD Radio is a Manga that I bought so long ago, I don’t even remember the year. Sadly it was put on an indefinite hiatus due to the authors health, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying what has been released.
What is an anthology?
To put it simply, an anthology is a set of separate stories that follow a specific theme. In PTSD radio, there are several different storylines that all feel related, and so they mesh together well.
PTSD Radio changes stories a total of 18 times. That isn’t to say there are 18 different stories each with a different storyline and new characters – The same characters come back multiple times throughout the manga, and some storylines also continue every few stories.
In PTSD Radio however, each separate story is very short. As in, some are as short as only one page. This makes the book feel a little bit short (for me at least), as I felt like I read through the whole Manga in no time at all.
Overarching themes
- Hair
- Darkness
- Shadows
- Spiritual idols
I would say that the most noticeable reoccurring theme is hair. The very first story really sets up the theme for the whole Manga – A little girl crying as her Grandma is cutting off her hair. The same girl comes back multiple times throughout the Manga at various stages in her life.
Plot Summery
Carried into modern Japan from a forgotten past, the being known as Ogushi haunts and tortures humans of all kinds. Little is know about Ogushi’s curse, except that it resides in an unexpected place: human hair.
Like Junji Ito’s Uzumaki, PTSD Radio takes something everyday and weaves it into a series of chilling, cryptic, twisted, repellant, and alluring manga stories that become more than what they first seem.
My favourite part of the manga
Personally, I really like the stories that have shadows are their theme. Out of these stories, I will post a few pictures from the one that had the biggest impact on me.
What just happened? – A bullied boy suddenly punched the ground with great force. He then suddenly runs away. Most of the bullies give up and walk away, but one is unable to move. It turns out that the bullied boy didn’t punch the ground, but his shadow – immobilizing him.
Isn’t this so creative!! It’s by far my favourite story in the anthology.
Where to buy?
The whole series can be bought in English off of Amazon here!
Lastly…
Have you read PTSD Radio? If not, i recommend giving it a read!
Maddies Manga 
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