You're a few pages in on the first chapter, the art is cute and charming and you've been introduced to a few of the main characters in a very happy slice-of-life fantasy way. You quickly learn a basic summary of these characters, and as each new character appears, you start to get the feeling that they're all pretty generic archetypes. The sweet childhood best friend, the beautiful and popular school idol who is somehow friends with the male protag, the cool and responsible student council president... Oh man, are you wrong.

The one thing that really stood out to me about Mousugu Shinu Hito was the creation, development, and especially the portrayal of the characters. We have Haju Yonesaka, a classic, sweet maiden who is in love with her childhood friend. But as the story develops, she learns of the gruesome deaths that potentially await her and her friends. She witnesses the betrayal of her best friend who suddenly went from supporting Haju's love to becoming a fearsome rival, all in the span of less than one day. And, much to my surprise, Haju did not take this well. She snaps. And Haju is not the only one. All the main characters, even our male protagonist Riku Kominato, goes through dynamic changes. Some changes are more subtle than others, but it's there, and it's so satisfying when you notice the change and connect 2+2 with the story. The characters in this manga deserve a solid 10/10.

Characters aside, the story is smooth and consistent, and the ending was well finished. It wasn't rushed or messy with many new characters or mysteries added in. Mousugu Shinu Hito made sure to only focus on the main characters and solidify who exactly are the main characters, cleverly utilizing minor characters or key items to advance the story. There is no sudden, "I'm actually the REAL mastermind!" or "The real mastermind is actually this new character who has never even been hinted at before!" plot twist. It's all carefully laid out and well stitched together, from start to finish. There are a few unsolved mysteries here and there, but for the most part, they're quite minor and do not interfere with the overall plot.

Despite using a very moe moe kyun kyun art style, the artist manages to convey the horrors of this story well. It can be quite disturbing seeing a cute, smiling face with disorderly eyes, covered in blood. Hiroki Haruse does not go lightly on the blood and gore, and I truly commend them for sticking strong and with a consistent art style throughout.

Like many psychological-horrors, Mousugu Shinu Hito plays a lot on human emotions and the human mind. If you're able to handle a darker genre, do give Mousugu Shinu Hito a try, and I do hope that you'll enjoy this manga as much (if not more) as I did.