Naturally, when you read a manga you expect to be provided with something new whether it be the art style, the characters or the story. Maybe more than that. Let me say this now: UNDEAD by Terashima Masashi lacks all of those except in its art direction. Well... maybe.

I just want to say this right now: Terashima Masashi is an amazing artist. His art style is perfect for the world he's trying to portray. All the evil spirits are extremely unique, detailed and heavily inked. His character designs are strange and appealing.

Although his art is great, it's hard to be forgiving elsewhere. In the story you follow the life of Hachiouji Tarou, a high-schooler who loses everyone he loves to spirits. While originally weak--mentally and physically--he absorbs those that he hates and hopes to avenge his mother and save his brother... all the while making some shady connections. To me, this story just seemed beaten and tired. Of course you lost everything you loved, of course you went off and tried to avenge them, of course you gained some help along the way... the list goes on. I expected it all and nothing new was really thrown at me plot-wise.

Unfortunately, even the characters were stale. Each and every one of them could be summed up with one word and their purpose could be easily discerned within a couple seconds. It's a shame, really. The only one who showed true complexity was Tarou. Tarou is thrown into a world where demons roam free, feeding on humans and can seemingly be created from something simple as abandonment. Even the weakest evil spirits are extremely dangerous, enough to obliterate a normal human.

He's stricken with grief over the loss of his family, stressed because he may never see his family ever again, constantly in pain from the trails he must endure. And he expresses all of this through his tears. He's the saving grace for the series, he's the only original person in a world of stand-ins.

Overall, this manga is pretty average. I mean, there's much, much worse out there so I can't hate it too much but it can be extremely unlikeable. Don't jump into this one expecting a masterpiece is what I'm saying.