Warning! Spoilers ahead for Fool Night chapter 7!
Fool Night by mangaka Yasuda Kasumi will undoubtedly appeal to readers who either enjoy a good occult detective manga or have an affinity for the suspenseful and grotesque. But those who can appreciate each of these traits will embark on a journey few series can offer them.
Fool Night introduces the horror-esque aspect of the manga immediately, so those who crave the type of story where a powerful spiritual medium helps others connect with the beyond or exorcises malicious spirits will have to wait. The setting is quite dismal. There isn't enough clean air because dark clouds perpetually cover the sun, causing oxygen-producing plants to wither and die. And there are odd corpses making strange sounds strewn about everywhere. Plants are growing out of every crevice imaginable from these mangled bodies, sometimes exposing certain organs in unsettling ways. That's because these poor souls were already dying from some other disease or affliction and decided to participate in a government-sanctioned experimental medical procedure called "transfloration" that turns them into a plant or tree called spirit blossoms. Transfloration prolongs their lives by at least two years before the process is complete and they receive a great deal of money from the government since, as a plant, they produce oxygen that humanity needs desperately.
The suspense aspect of Fool Night comes in the form of the main character Kamiya Toushirou. Kamiya is young and healthy but decides to poison himself so he can be itted to the program. He's strapped for cash and his mother needs antipsychotic medication to keep her violent episodes at bay, but he can't afford it. As time es after the transfloration, he begins to grow buds. But what truly gives Fool Night the additional twist that takes it to the next level is how Kamiya essentially becomes an occult detective, except he's "communicating" with spirit blossoms instead of spirits. For some reason, he can sense how some ospirit blossoms are feeling, and the government decides to hire him so he can help its under-qualified branch that's tasked with connecting families with their loved ones who underwent the procedure and disappeared. Once a spirit blossom fully transforms into a plant or tree, it's essentially impossible to find them for obvious reasons, and Kamiya might be the key.
Since only seven chapters have been unofficially translated into English, Kamiya has only been given one assignment since his employment. But it can be assumed that the manga will follow an episodic format where he works with different clients trying to find spirit blossoms, just like occult detective manga series but with an added unique twist. Based on the latest chapter, Fool Night promises to be an emotional rollercoaster with each new client he's assigned. The girl he's currently helping doesn't want to connect with her spirit blossom for a good reason. Her motivations are purely sinister in nature. Kamiya is now forced to contend with a highly difficult ethical dilemma once he learns of his client's history with the former human, all while trying to balance the legality of the situation, as his client wants him to break the law.
How mangaka Yasuda Kasumi introduces each critical aspect of the story will immediately hook anyone who dares glimpse within its pages. There's the dystopian future that's out of this world but still culturally relevant, with its dying environment and lack of sustainability. There's the morally gray medical procedure that's left mutilated corpses strewn about everywhere. There's the main character who's faced with a difficult decision concerning something every reader can relate with (i.e. money). And then there's the occult detective aspect of Fool Night, which this underrated manga couldn't have presented with a more compelling first scenario.
