Content Warning: Brain Damage contains violent and erotic imagery alongside imagery likely to upset those with trypophobia. It also contains themes and discussions surrounding cannibalism, incest, murder, gaslighting, and medical abuse.
Shintaro Kago’s takes on ero guro nansensu—the 1930s-born blend of eroticism, grotesquery, and absurdity as a form of countercultural expression—weren’t particularly appreciated when his first work debuted back in 1988. Times have changed, with throngs of fans eagerly awaiting to see how Kago will combine satire and the macabre to crack open culture’s cranium and laugh at what leaks out. The newest oozing from that brainpan has congealed into his latest short story collection, Brain Damage.
Synopsis:
The book contains four short stories, “Labyrinth Quartet,” “Curse Room,” “Family Portrait,” and “Blood Harvest,” with stories ranging from a unique take on the zombie genre to a car based horror story that’d make Quentin Dupieux jealous he didn’t think of it when writing and directing Rubber. At the risk of sounding like a terrible clickbait writer, the twists found within these stories will truly shock you, for better or worse. I’ll do my best to not spoil the major twists in the stories, but it’s impossible to not leave slight hints when discussing my impressions, so reader beware!
The Good:
The stories within Brain Damage feel like what would happen if Monty Python decided to dabble heavily in horror alongside their usual comedic stylings. Horror stories often tend to rely on tropes, with the best stories in the genre subverting them in unexpected ways which Shintaro Kago has done masterfully here. Even following the carefully-placed breadcrumbs, Kago still managed to surprise me.
His story “Labyrinth Quartet” is a perfect example. There were moments that clearly laid out why a stalker was chasing after four women who looked practically the same, but I was so caught up in my expectation for this kind of slasher story that I couldn’t figure out the ending only a mangaka would ever come up with. Kago’s unique approach lent a refreshing take to the idea of helping zombies recover from their affliction in “Curse Room” as well.
Part of what makes the collection of stories so engaging is their humor. Horror stories have so much potential for comedy, and just like the aforementioned Rubber, stories like “Family Portrait” and “Blood Harvest” left me literally exclaiming out loud at points. I repeatedly kept saying, “What did I just read?”—in the most complimentary way possible.
The Bad:
There are reasons Kago has had to battle against censorship and regulations when getting his works published. The kind of guy who casually makes jokes about having sex with horses in an interview unsurprisingly makes stories that shock and upset people, especially when it comes to social taboos. Some might be brave enough to check things out like Lolita Anime, the first hentai OVA ever released, so Brain Damage won’t be their first experience with a sexual horror story that hinges on incestuous relations between a girl and her grandpa, but readers like that are not exactly common.
While it feels wrong to suggest a collection of stories potentially having less mass market appeal is a “bad” thing, it also wouldn’t feel right to not note that some of these stories might be beyond the usual pale of what casual horror readers typically check out. Though that is one of the greatest strengths of Brain Damage!
The Verdict:
In a world with countless options, how often does one get to experience something they may have truly never seen before? How frequently can one be shocked or alarmed in the safety of their home by pulp and ink easily set aside unlike the horrors taking place constantly around us these days? It would be easy to simply dismiss some of these stories as written purely for their shock value, but I found myself questioning both my own and the moral of the stories when trying to engage with the themes with a critical lens.
I can absolutely see why Brain Damage was nominated for Best One-Shot Manga by the American Manga Awards. Ero-guro, or erotically grotesque content, might not be for everyone, but I think these stories particularly tone down the salacious side of things compared to some of Kago’s other works. The laughs to be had here are just as serious as the thoughts some of these stories will leave you with long after you’ve put the book up on your shelf.
Still, the content warnings for the stories should be taken seriously, and those who might be offended by taboo topics—even if used in provocative ways— should stay away from this release.
Brain Damage is available to purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and directly from Fantagraphics.
If you liked Brain Damage, you might also like…
- Lychee Light Club by Usamaru Furuya
- Pits Of Hell by Ebisu Yoshikazu
- Monster Men Bureiko Lullaby by Takashi Nemoto
Credits:
Writer and Artist: Shintaro Kago
Translation: Zack Davisson
Designer: C Hwang
Editor: Conrad Groth
English Edition Published By: Fantagraphics
Thank you to Fantagraphics for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy did not affect the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.
Article edited by: Kelly Stewart
The Good
- Unique Stories and Premises
- Actually Unexpected Twists
- Potential Laughs For Horror Heads
The Bad
- Potentially Oof-Inducing Taboo Topics
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