Natsumegu Seiju’s 2015 debut series “Ghost Diary” brings supernatural manga fans on a wild chase to learn more about the ghastly things that go bump in the night.

Academy student Kyouichi is a young exorcist who is on a mission. He searches for his older sister Hanaichi who disappears six years ago after fighting a nameless god. With nothing left but her ghost diary, it seems hopeless for the teen until the strange Chloe Kowloon visits him. The woman calls herself a friend of Hanaichi and also a Reaper. After proving her powerful abilities with the unfortunate help of the Occult Club, she strikes a deal with Kyouichi that if he helps her regains her missing memories she will give any information that might lead to his sister. Strangely, the key to finding any of them is by defeating spirits and filling in the pages of the ghost diary with their information.

Seiju fills the manga with an eclectic mix of characters that both help and hinder Kyouichi. The artist mentions in the commentary portions how there are references from urban legends and occult icons such as the famous Winchester Mystery House in California. Looking at the main cast, it seems that Seiju made complementary pairs including Kyouichi and Chloe. The selfish Reaper appears to be a good foil to the protagonist though both might be able to hold onto their own in a magical conflict. There is a nice blend of the traditional legends and the modern myths and Seiju shows it with a clean presentation. While Seven Seas Entertainment gives the manga a “Teen” rating, there are some brief scenes of gory violence and traumatic moments.

Volume Two will be out on July then Volume Three in October, just in time for Halloween. Visit Seven Seas Entertainment’s site for more information.