Gogogogo-Go-Ghost Volume 1 Review
With a title like Gogogogo-Go-Ghost! (henceforth referred to as Ghost!), it’s hard to miss this new Yen Press title by author Miyako Hiruzuka that promises a supernatural comedy. But does this first volume live up to the eye-catching name? Let’s take a look.
Our story follows protagonist Ushiro Akechi who has hit rock bottom after losing her first job. Ushiro had been dating her married boss, who promised to leave his wife but ultimately, once their affair is discovered, wants nothing to do with her. Now Akechi is working temporary gigs after being fired from her position and paying thousands of yen in damages to her old boss.
What little money Ushiro has left is spent on booze, rice and stomach pain medication. One evening when our protagonist is downing booze and pills (not intending to commit suicide, I think), she happens to fall unconscious and is brought back from the brink of death by her self-proclaimed Guardian Spirit, ghost Masako!
As it turns out, Masako has been haunting Ushiro behind the scenes for about a year now, after the affair was discovered. According to Masako, our protagonist had attracted many evil spirits so the ghost decided to take matters into her own hands and protect protagonist Ushiro going forward. Now, having come close to death, Ushiro can see and speak to Masako who suggests they take revenge on her ex-boss for all the suffering he’s put her through.
While the set-up may revolve around taking revenge on the ex-boss, Ghost! is quite episodic and we never get to see her deal with him in this volume. Instead, Ushiro has a run-in with a new troublesome individual every chapter, whom she ultimately ends up cursing with Masako’s help. This includes her current boss, who is due to appear on a popular variety show segment, and the mangaka living next door, who plays loud music to keep herself awake when deadlines loom!
The fun of the series comes from the fact the people Ushiro is cursing do deserve it and ultimately they’re not (usually) being hurt in the process. In the case of the neighbour, she becomes friendly with Ushiro after Masako scares her. And of course, Ushiro herself is a great protagonist. Sure, she’s been hurt and understandably become very jaded about the world but she’s not necessarily a bad person either and still has a caring side. She pairs well with Masako, who seems to be the kind of individual who is happy to watch the world burn provided her loved ones are okay. Arguably Masako is encouraging Ushiro to do things she may not have had the courage to do before, but it never feels forced. They make for fine partners in crime.
This is a tale of two adult women (even if one’s a ghost), putting the world to rights and I am here for that. Their relationship is entertaining to watch, as well as the hilarious situations they find themselves in. Some may find it a tad meanspirited, but I think this is one of those series where readers will be able to decide quite quickly whether they wish to carry on with it or not. It’s certainly not subtle about what it is.
Ghost! appears to be mangaka Miyako Hiruzuka’s second work and the first of theirs to make it across to the English market. As their debut work here, this is a good one. While there isn’t a lot in the way of backgrounds on each page, being a comedy the emphasis is on Ushiro and Masako’s reactions which I think are depicted well. There’s a wide variety of faces on show here that always fit their given situation. When Masako is cursing people she looks genuinely terrifying, which is very important to get across to the reader.
As mentioned earlier, Ghost! Volume 1 comes to the West thanks to Yen Press and has been translated by Minna Lin with lettering by Alexis Eckerman. The release reads well and comes with translation notes at the end, which explain some notable details such as why Ushiro is paying damages for the affair. There are also colour pages at the beginning, which are always a welcome treat!
Ghost! is complete in Japan with 5 volumes under its belt, which seems like a good number for a premise like this given what we’ve seen here. Volume 2 of the series is currently scheduled for an English release in November, but there’s nothing more in the schedule beyond that so I suspect this one is going to be coming our way considerably slower than some of Yen Press’ other titles of late.
Overall, if you’re looking for a thrilling supernatural comedy with a hefty dose of revenge then Gogogogo-Go-Ghost! Volume 1 will serve you well. It’s difficult not to be charmed by the misadventures of Ushiro and Masako as they wander through life righting the misfortune that comes their way.
Our review copy from Yen Press was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.
