The debut chapter of new manga Mukai Usagidou Nikki introduces a human named Iori who helps spirits and ghosts during a period when Japan shuns and actively endeavors to destroy all knowledge of supernatural entities. The owner of a rental book shop called The Reflecting Rabbit, Iori defies the wave of change by selling manuscripts on this taboo subject while employing a creature that Japan denies even exists, a ghost named Chiyo.
Although only one chapter has been unofficially translated so far, the premiere suggests that Mukai Usagidou Nikki will be episodic, where each installment will follow Iori and Chiyo as they assist different spirits or yokai struggling to survive in a world that fervently denies their very existence. The manga's first story revolves around a Peony spirit who came into being when the master of an old Samurai household planted her flower for additional income. But due to its beauty, he and his son kept the Peony and soon grew and cared for an entire garden that consisted of these beautiful flowers.
After years of repeated attempts, the government has finally forced the family out of their home to make way for a new Western-style building, fueled in part by talk surrounding the Peony spirit's garden. The flowers always stayed in bloom, even out of season, causing speculation that they were haunted. To quiet these rumors, the government expedited its plan to destroy the garden as quickly as possible before the scheduled demolition as part of its overall effort to silence everything concerning anything supernatural.
The story is poignant with a deep sense of loss as the Peony spirit laments the loss of the kind family that took care of her for so long and watches in anticipation as Iori and Chiyo start the process of transplanting her garden. When the process is complete, the reader is left with a bittersweet image when the small spirit turns to gaze upon the now-empty space where her garden once grew for generations and bows solemnly, imparting final words of thanks for the last time. While deeply moving, more is lost than a family and their garden, as the manga is concerned with the safeguarding of ancient tradition and Japanese culture. Japan's efforts to uproot all knowledge of supernatural tall tales is presented as part of a larger concern with appeasing and imitating Western culture.
Although much slower in pace than popular Shonen manga, the calming atmosphere of Mukai Usagidou Nikki evokes feelings reminiscent of Mushishi, another episodic series that follows a man named Ginko who helps people who are afflicted by spirits known as Mushi. Mushishi was immensely popular upon its release, and the anime adaption even spawned a second season due to the thoughtfully creative nature of its many stories, each of which demand further reflection upon completion. Mukai Usagidou Nikki already promises to transcend what Mushishi accomplished even with just one chapter, as the overarching theme of lost cultures and traditions will likely permeate each installment in a fresh, compelling way. The sins of man are the focus in Mukai Usagidou Nikki, telling the story of how humans harm the world around them rather than casting natural spirits as the villains.
