“Sankarea” creator Mitsuru Hattori adapted famous novelist NISIOISIN’s 2011 story “Imperfect Girl” into a three-part manga series.

“Imperfect Girl” followed a young male college student who excelled in his assignments and exams. When it came to his creative writing prospects, he barely received offers from publishers looking for new authors. As he reflected on his thoughts of not making progress in his career, he witnessed a truck hit a young girl. He then saw her friend run to her but only after finishing her portable video game. The death left him overwhelmed for the next couple of days, but it was the other girl who left the biggest impression. As he tried to get back to his normal schedule, strange nuisances wedged themselves into his plans. It was after the writer replaced his lock and key that he discovered the reason he lost his keys. The dead girl’s friend waited for him under his desk with a knife. The girl given the alias “U” forced him to leave his apartment and go to her home. Soon after they entered, she locked him into a closet because he might tell them who I really am.” He realized that he became the captive of a psychotic child.

While Hattori doesn’t shy away from bloody violence especially in his 2010 zombie romance “Sankarea,” “Imperfect Girl” is a much more serious tale that will give chills down your spine. The years of experience shows the refinement in his art while keeping his thin-lined detailing. The characters’ expressions on the pages really give out a strong pull of emotions. Even though Hattori is good at exaggerating the face using silly comedic styles, he focuses on the intense dark tone. It is very interesting to find this manga within his collection of lighter works, but he proves to be the right artist to bring NISIOISIN’s thrilling story to life.

Vertical Comics released the second installment of “Imperfect Girl” in early January 2018. Their main company, Vertical, Inc. translated many of NISIOISIN’s “Monogatari” series and other novels. Those interested in watching can head over to Crunchyroll which has the anime adaptations of NISIOIN’s “Monogatari” series and “Juni Taisen: Zodiac War” available for streaming while Funimation has Hattori’s “Sankarea”. Kodansha Comics has all 11 volumes available in English.

To learn more about “Imperfect Girl” and read an online preview, visit Vertical Comics’s site.