Maddies Manga

This series is a very long, very beloved one. It has spanned over 20 volumes, is still ongoing, and also has its own anime! So, what took me so long to start reading it!? I’m still kicking myself for joining the bandwagon so late… but, better late than never, right?

I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes both scary and cute things. The art style is very unique and builds an interesting atmosphere. While some of the concepts of this volume are rather scary, the art has a way of dimming down the spookiness factor unless you really think about it.

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Check out my review of Volume Two here!

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Before we start the review…

Who wrote this manga?

This manga was written by Iro and Aida. Combined, they make Aidairo. You can find their X profile here.

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Info about the series

• There are 24 total volumes published in Japanese, and 23 in English.
• Both languages also have a volume 0.
• There is an anime adaptation with 3 seasons.

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You can check out this series for yourself below.

Check out a free sample of chapter one below

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What happens in volume one?

In a certain school, there are seven grand mysteries. There seem to be an abundance of little mysteries as well, however, the seven grand ones are so well-known that they’ve become urban legends of the school.

The seventh mystery’s myth goes like this: If you go to a certain girls washroom, stand in front of a certain stall, and say a certain phrase, Hanako-san will appear before you. Hanako is a ghost who has the ability to grant any wish, which makes her a rather appealing mystery.

We first meet Hanako through our protagonist, Nene. She enters the washroom and performs the ritual correctly, but the Hanako who appears is slightly different from the rumours. That is, Hanako-san is actually Hanako-kun, a boy. But, as Hanako explains, that is the only part of his rumour that is untrue. He does actually have the ability to grant wishes. Ecstatic, Nene makes her wish to Hanako: please make the boy she likes, like her back. Hanako accepts her request, but instead of casting any magic, he hands her a how-to book.

Hanako then explains that while he is able to grant wishes, a price must be paid. The grander the wish, the greater the price. It’s probably not worth it in the end, so he has Nene use practical means in order to have her wish fulfilled.

Nene is a rather selfish character though, and while she does go through some trial and error with Hanako’s support, she’s never able to get what she wants. It doesn’t matter to her that this crush is really just a placeholder for the boy who rejected her a few months ago. Nor does it matter that she’s never had a real conversation with him. Hanako calls her out on this fact, but it takes Nene quite a while to realize she is indeed misguided in her attempts.

During all of this, Nene steals a magical object from Hanako: mermaid scales. These scales are both cursed, and hold a special power. Whoever ingests them will have their fates forever entangled. Nene ingests one scale, planning to feed the other to her crush. She thankfully realizes that she’s in the wrong before she makes it to him, leaving one scale uneaten. The curse quickly takes effect, turning Nene into a fish. And while Hanako is able to work some magic and make her human again, she is now cursed to grow fish scales whenever she gets wet.

This event intertwines Nene and Hanako, with their fate now bound together. Nene finds herself being forced to work as Hanako’s helper, but the two quickly become friends as she works (cleans) for him.

Hanako explains that it’s his duty to maintain the balance between the seven mysteries of the school and the students who attend it. Using Nene’s help, the two of the work to keep the peace as things slowly grow more and more chaotic.

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My thoughts about this volume

I was fully absorbed in this story from page one. There’s just something about the unique art and storytelling that has a way of captivating you. I was already a fan of things like urban legends and campfire stories, so when they’re incorporated into a manga, I’m going to enjoy it.

I really enjoyed all of the characters introduced in this volume as well! While there are a couple of side characters that we didn’t learn all that much about, I did like what we were shown of Nene and Hanako. I enjoyed being shown that both characters are clearly flawed, but that they’re able to grow. While I’m not sure just how old Hanako is, Nene is clearly very young. So, it makes sense that she’s easily swayed by things like boys and emotions. Her willingness to learn from her mistakes also makes me want to root for her more!

As for Hanako, it’s rather difficult to tell when he’s telling the truth and when he’s lying. Because of his joking personality, whenever he says something dark, it’s instantly played off as though it’s a joke. But… not everything he says can be a joke, right?

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What I liked most about this volume

❤️ The art. I can’t say it enough times, I really love the art in this series.

🧡 Nene’s unique interests – I really love that the author chose to make her adept at growing vegetables. It feels both random, and appropriate at the same time.

💛 The spooky bento Nene made for her crush – I would have eaten it.

💚 Nene actually internalizing Hanako’s comments and realizing that she was in the wrong. She was just about to do something morally wrong, but stopped herself in the nick of time!

💛 The bunny monsters offering Nene candy – they were just too cute! I really like that they appeared later on in the volume as well.

🧡 Nene’s friend who dislikes scary stories, but makes a point to listen to the rumours so that she can tell them to Nene. Such a good friend.

❤️ The mermaid monster being depicted as actually a good monster when it comes to taking care of her fishies. It was really random, but very cute.

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