Manga: Ghost Diary

Ghost Diary
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Ghost Diary is a new ongoing manga series about a young exorcist's search for his sister after she vanishes, leaving behind only a mysterious notebook filled with secrets about hunting ghosts.

Sukami Kyouichi comes from a family of exorcists, the strongest of whom has always been his sister, who keeps a special notebook by her side that details how to defeat even the most malevolent of ghosts. One day, shortly after his sister rescues young Kyouichi from a haunted shrine, she goes missing. Six years later, with only the notebook as his guide, Kyouichi is confronted by someone claiming to have been his sister's friend. Who is this stranger, and what does she know about his sister's disappearance?

I'm not going to lie to you guys, I immediately knew I was going to love this manga like....a page in! The cover is colourful and draws the eye, and there are some truly beautiful colour pages at the beginning! I actually really loved the art as well, even though it's not the usual style that I enjoy! I was so intrigued by the synopsis for this, and it really lived up to all I hoped for. If you like Supernatural,  you'll love this as at points it kind of reminded me of the early seasons of it! 

Kyouichi is determined to get his sister Hanaichi back, he's certain she's still alive and somewhere in the town. Chloe Kowloon, a reaper, supposedly a friend of his sisters has decided she's going to help him in order to get her memories back, but that's not the only help he has. Kyouichi, the kid who can see ghosts, didn't have a great time at school and making friends, but luckily for him there's a group of people who are just as...odd or at least interested in the odd, as he is. Together, they all form the Occult Club...Mayumi who has a crush on Kyouichi, Yuushirou the grandson of a great detective who dresses like Sherlock, Kukuri who has her little buddy Aerosmith a sort of imaginary friend, Tatsumi the resident skeptic and genius son of a gangster. They investigate urban legends, mysteries and you know...the occult! 

I love the format of the manga, we learn about Kyouichi and his past with his sister, we learn about his new mission to complete the Ghost Diary and there's a great monster a chapter thing going on in the beginning which was a lot of fun! Some where creepy, some where just strange, but all provided entertainment and a great mystery, with sprinklings of humour throughout. 

There's an intriguing commentary on the work at the end of the volume, as well as some other bits scattered throughout. There's some great horror movie references and urban legends like Bloody Mary referenced throughout which are fun to spot! Ghost Diary is a brilliant first volume, there's mystery, romance, (I totally ship Mayumi and Kyouichi!) humour, and some creepiness mixed with the strange and odd! I really loved this volume and I need the next one nooooww!