G O T H

With a unusual title “ Goth” that usually refer to Gothic, this novel had

brought a mysterious side of horror stories. Goth is a novel by Otsu-ichi and has

been adapted into manga (comic) and movie as well. Both novel and manga

published in Japan by Kadokawa and published in English by Tokyopop. The novel

won the Honkaku Mystery Prize. This novel is about two high school students

fascinated by murder.

Goth is consists of six short stories but it has main plot that grew

unexpectedly after folowing the continuation

of story. The title of the six stories are Goth,

Wristcut, Dog, Twins, Grave, and Voice.

Altough manga adaptation is based on novel,

there are differences with the novel. The

differences are manga adaptation (that

ilustrated by Kendi Oiwa) eliminates Dog

storyline, and combines Voice and Twins, with

Morino taking Natsumi's role in the final story.

The main characters are two high

school students, a boy who remains unnamed

until late in the story, and a girl named Yoru

Morino. Both share a similar interest in

gruesome murders. The first chapter, Goth,

tells about Morino finds a diary written by a

serial killer. It describes a third victim that has yet to be discovered, so she and

the narrator go to look at it. Morino then begins dressing like the third victim, and

a few days later, sends a text message to the narrator, which reads only, "Help." .

Second is Wristcut tells about flashback to before Morino and the narrator were

friends. After finding a doll with no hands in the science lab garbage can, the

narrator breaks into the science teacher's house, convinced he has been the one

cutting hands off people of all ages in the city. He then steals the teacher's hand

collection, and plants evidence to suggest Morino was the one who stole them -

because he wants Morino's hand, and the scar from when she cut her wrist.

Next is Dog chapter that tells about the narrator investigates a series of

dog kidnappings after his sister discovers a pit filled

with their bodies. A young girl and her pet dog have

been plotting to defend themselves against her

mother's abusive boyfriend. Twins contents are

Morino has been having trouble sleeping, and is

looking for a rope to put around her neck - the right

rope will help her sleep. At the narrator's urging, she

tells the story of how she and her twin sister, Yū,

often pretended to be dead...until Yū accidentally

hung herself. Grave or we can translate the original

title in Japanese (Tsuchi) into Soil tells about Saeki

spends all his free time gardening, digging holes to

try and control his obsession with burying people

alive. He's already given in once, and killed a young

neighbor boy, drowning him in his coffin. Now he's

snatched a high school girl off the street - according to her ID, her name is Yoru

Morino. The last chapter is Voice that mainly about Natsumi's older sister was

recently found chopped to pieces in an abandoned hospital. A few weeks later, a

mysterious high school boy gives Natsumi a tape - a

message from her sister, recorded just before she was

murdered. If she wants the rest, she will have to come to

the hospital, and allow him to murder her.

There are several characters with theirself strange habits. Boku (translated to

english means “me”) is the narrator. A high school

student obsessed with death. Said his passions are to

"haunt crime scenes to look for details" and to "stand

where a body had been not long ago". Yearns to watch

Morino's death. Yoru Morino is a high school student

obsessed with death. Tends to keep to herself and not

talk to anyone. Befriends the narrator after an incident

involving Mr. Shinohara. Has a glaring white scar on her

wrist. Next character is Mr. Shinohara. Mr. Shinohara is

Morino's science teacher that has an obsession with hands. The Cafe Manager is

manager at Morino's favorite cafe. He is never named. Mr. Saeki is a man who

lives near Morino. He's obsessed with burying people alive. Yū Morino is Yoru's

twin sister. Natsumi Kitazawa has a shadowed background because of her older

sister was recently murdered, and her world has fallen apart. When a mysterious

boy approaches her with a tape of her sister's final words, she can't stop herself

from listening. Last character is Itsuki Kamiyama, a friend of Natsumi's from junior

high, he is a student at the same school as the boy who gave her the tape. While

he seems outgoing and friendly, at the end of the novel he is revealed to be the

previously unnamed narrator.

My complaint about this book is that the murder case is drawn too extreme

about slicing body part and how the murderer torture their victim. And because of

distribution of this book is limited it`s very hard to find this book in bookstore.

Inspite of the weakness, this is a great mystery story that`s written by Japanese

writer, Otsu-ichi. Little by little as the story continue, truth was revealed and the

ending make a great surprise. Eventough it`s just consist six short stories,

because the explanation and point of view the writer used, I enjoyed a lot to read

this story.

Overall, Goth is a terrific horror story. The plot is good and the character so

mysterious and well developed. This story has “a black aura” in it`s story and that

“black aura” support background story and make Goth really worth to read.