Originally released in Japan in 2018 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Forbidden Siren survival horror, the manga Rebirth of the siren comes to us today thanks to Mana Books. This first volume to claim the influence of J-Horror takes pleasure in a macabre and strange atmosphere by evoking Pell-Mell. ring, Noroi: The curse or the youngest Howling Village de Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on).
This manga, which consists of 8 volumes, therefore remains relatively classic from the start, as its pitch is reminiscent of genre cinema and of course the game by SCE Japan Studio: Twenty-seven years after the landslide that led to the alleged disappearance of the village of Hanuda, it is rumored that this strange event actually hides a mass murder and that this isolated village is the victim of a curse. Kyoya Suda is passionate about urban legends and decides to investigate this story.
As we can see, all the components of the horror story are there and therefore this first volume is not going to amaze you in its structure or even in what it tells. This is all the more true as it takes up most of the elements of the game, starting with different characters like Kei Makino and Shiro Miyata. However, If Tsutomu Sakai’s scenario seems a little too classic for the moment, the Yukai Asada trait (currently an adaptation of Sengoku Basara) brings a good overall vibe to the story, whether in the shock scenes that focus more on the ‘atmosphere or the representation of madness, especially thanks to very expressive eyes, which sometimes remind of the quality of Gou Tanabe. As such, we’ll also be a little surprised that the hero wears expressions that evoke an alienation that doesn’t always coincide with his reflections of the moment. It’s hard to tell if this is due to the chara design or the personality of Kyoya that the mangaka seeks to highlight.
Nevertheless, this first volume can be read without displeasure, even if it is very stingy in dialogue. Sakai and Asada prefer to linger on the deserted streets of the village, the macabre discoveries, or certain characters to recreate the overall atmosphere of their story. Everything works pretty well, especially when we quickly discover that Kyoya is endowed with The Vision, an ability that allows him to see through the eyes of creatures. If the process was brilliant and central to the game, here it becomes a simple gimmick at the turn of an action scene. We must therefore wait and see the next few volumes to see whether this power is being used more wisely.. Likewise, we can’t wait to see how the authors manage to enliven this story with two temporalities, revolving around godless ceremonies and two twins that everything seems to oppose. This introduction therefore remains relatively effective for the time being, despite the zeal in the situations that follow each other quickly and do not always create enough empathy for the hero or the other characters in the adventure.
If you are interested in the universe of the series, this first volume offers a cross interview between Nobuaki Mitsuda (interpreter of Kei Makino and Shiro Miyata) and the screenwriter of the series Naoko Sato, in which various anecdotes, especially about the extremely difficult ones, are hidden in the game.
> Buy Volume 1 by Siren Rebirth
By Logan, Journalist igamesnews.com
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