The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service: Book Four Omnibus Paperback – June 21, 2016

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is quickly becoming one of my favorite manga. The art is beautiful and detailed, even when the subject matter is completely grotesque, and has a really wonderful uniqueness to it. (If anything, the style reminds me a little bit of Naoki Urasawa, the guy behind Monster, though not quite so detailed.)One of my favorite things about the manga is its willingness to go from comedic to horrifying at the drop of a hat--a story featuring a possessed space monkey is immediately followed by one about WWII-era human rights atrocities. It makes it a little hard to classify, but in a good way; is it horror? Black humor? Something else entirely? Despite the dark turns the story line often takes, the manga as a whole actually comes off as pretty lighthearted thanks to the central cast; they're all charming and quirky and very deadpan about the weird situations thy get themselves into.Another thing I love is the translation quality. The translator's notes at the end of each book are packed to the brim with historical information, explanations of Japanese pop culture, and even personal anecdotes. Sounds dry, maybe, but it's actually immensely fun to read.I devoured the first omnibus for this manga and had been eagerly awaiting the second ever since. It definitely did not disappoint! The only thing I'm sad about is that it ended on a cliffhanger--it feels like it's going to take forever for three to finally come out.(Fair warning, though: I am NOT KIDDING about the strong stomach thing. This one's actually less nasty than the first volume, but it still has tons of drawings of gore, decay, insect-infested bodies, open wounds, etc. It's not for the squeamish.)

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is comprised of five people with special skills. Kuro talks to spirits when he touches corpses. Numata uses a pendulum to dowse for the location of corpses. Makino is one of the few people in Japan that embalms the dead. Yata has a hand puppet that insists he's an alien completely independent of him. Lastly, Ao has a mercenary nature. She makes sure they are paid and figures out unique ways to make money with their talents. Together, they fulfill the wishes of the dead and make a meager living off of it.The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is an odd manga series and their adventures helping the dead and the living. The most unique thing about this is how it's a horror series that has reverence and respect for the dead. Many of the gut punch moments are emotional in nature, not because of gore or extreme situations. Corpses walk occasionally and it seems to be only if a spirit has an overwhelming need to accomplish something. The author wanted to make the walking dead scary again and does so while maintaining the emotional aspects of the situations. I also very much enjoyed how Buddhism is their main training and faith rather than any Christian religion.Each story brings something unique that I haven't seen before. The first story is the most extreme with a pedophile, necrophile father and two suicide pact teens. The other stories are less offputting. One of the most emotional ones is when the group finds an elderly woman dead in an abandoned alter. It turns out she put herself there, sacrificing herself so she wouldn't drain the resources her family has. It was tragic and uplifting at the same time, especially with the ending. Other stories I enjoyed involved an elaborate assisted suicide insurance scam (that almost claims the lives of some of the Delivery Service), a melody that influences people into killing themselves with a mundane source, and a funeral home that offers to resurrect murderers for families to kill in revenge. Each story has an element of mystery and an attempt to fulfill the dead's wishes.Some characters are developed well like Kuro, the main character of the piece, Ao, and Yata. At first, I thought the hand puppet thing was super obnoxious and just there to be weird, but over time, the hand puppets personality is shown to the be completely different from Yata's and actually helpful sometimes. I know the series isn't over yet, but Numata and Makino are useful without much development at all. My only other criticism is the constant inclusion of women either nude or half dressed for no reason at all. When it's just a part of the story, I don't mind. However, when it's completely unnecessary like Ao answering the phone topless or questionable wardrobe choices for only female characters or posters on walls or magazines in the background, it gets annoying and frustrating that this manga is clearly aimed at men by the artist. At least add some sort of detail that makes sense if the artist really wants it there.The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is a lot of fun despite its flaws. There is a section at the back of each one that translates the sound effects and defines some terms or situations that are culturally unfamiliar to American audiences. The sound effect part is a bit unnecessary and I can find it out by context, but the other definitions and explanations are enlightening. There are 4 omnibuses out right now, each of them containing 3 full length manga. It's a bit unwieldy to read with a 600+ page book, but the unique stories are worth it. I look forward to more character development for all and more Delivery Service adventures.

I honestly picked this up due to the cover. It was unique and different and it immediately piqued my interest. The premise sounded interesting and it didn't let me down! This series is absolutely fantastic. I've burned through all 4 collected volumes in just a few month's time.Not only is it a great story, very well done, but the notes after each section provide a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and history.This series isn't for everyone as it deals in graphic deaths and dealing with the dead and dying. It approaches it with wit, humor but also compassion (after all, Kurosagi Corpse Delivery is all about delivering their client's final wishes).Highly recommend this series for manga lovers or those who like Japanese culture and want to get another peek inside it.

I'm sure you can guess just from the name, but this is a pretty messed up story. A sensational manga if you are looking for a darkly creative story. But probably best to avoid if you want something lighthearted.

A quirky, mature, adult, scary, goofy read! Grab it. It is definitely not for kids. Was truly surprised by some of the content. Love it. I bought omnibus 2-4 as well.

He a big boy this book is thick and it has all the stories and pages I like the plot and the cover it came quickly would recommend if you want to add to your manga collection

KCDS is high-quality, well-translated dark comedy at its best. The art style is still stylized, but it's more realistic than you'll find in most manga picked up off the shelves, and it works perfectly with the writing. Sometimes the writing is flat-out hilarious, sometimes it's bittersweet, but it's always got that morbid sense of humor lurking at the edges. I find the translation notes are a treat in and of themselves, with tidbits about culture, trivia about historical context, and a wry sense of humor that perfectly matches the tone of the manga itself.