otherside picnic vol 1 by Iori Miyazawa

Adapted and illustrated by Eita Mizuno

One day, urban explorer and legends enthusiast Sorawo discovers a mysterious door that leads her to a world where the unexplained can  become reality. There, she meets Toriko, a beautiful and deadly you woman searching for her best friend who got lost in this Otherside. The two agree to explore together as there are dangerous and paranormal monsters that defy logic and take over one's senses. Toriko reveals she explores the Otherside while armed with a gun, which startles Sorawo at first, but starts to make more sense the more they encounter deadly and unexplainable phenomenon.

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Other than Sorawo being a thrill seeker, it's not entirely clear in this first volume what keeps her going back to the Otherside for exploration. Hopefully, she gets a bit more of a motivation or explanation in later volumes. Toriko has a solid reason to enter into such a creepy place and to continue risking her life, but I'm not as convinced Sorawo is just an adrenaline junkie. Nevertheless, if readers are looking for a story full of horrific monsters with a touch of yuri undertones, this series will be right up their alley. The monsters so far have been well drawn and just scary enough, but I'm sure as the two continue their journeys, there were be even more nightmare-fuel waiting for them.

Square Enix rates this for Older Teen. This series has some unsettling horror moments, some gun violence and fantasy violence, and potentially an LGBTQ+ romance later in the series between Sorawo and Toriko. The series would be best for high school audiences.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Publisher: Square Enix
Publication Date: August 31, 2021
ISBN: 9781646091065 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 7/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Adaptations, Horror, Action Adventure, LGBTQ+, Surrealism, Fantasy, Square Enix