The Voynich Hotel

[rdn]

The Voynich Hotel​

Author/Artist: Douman Seiman
Summary: Staffed by murderous maids and situated on a war-ravaged island, the Voynich Hotel is far from your run-of-the-mill vacation destination--but it’s not such a bad place to lie low for ex-yakuza Kazuki Taizou, who’s on the run from his so-called family. As he settles into his weird new life, this darkly comedic manga winds through plots both nefarious and romantic, delving ever deeper into the island’s witchy--and sometimes demonic--strangeness.

what did you like, what did you hate? the artstyle is certainly something to behold. A mixture between comedy and gore.

 

[waterflame]

If you're trying to fill the void in your empty heart where THe Voynich Hotel was.... try Nickelodeon(or really any of his works... They're all pretty good.)

I'll really miss this series... I was following along as it was scanlated and then it just ended... I wasn't expecting an ending and it just happened... just like most of the things in this manga... Well it was a fun read non the less and I'll need to reread it soon

 

[Raycu]

I'm a bit sad whenever I think about Voynich Hotel, because I loved reading it so much. At the same time it concludes pretty well, and I'm glad it didn't drag on and become something I wouldn't like.

 

[Arlo]

My #1 manga.

The art style, story and characters are all sort of bizarre, but only if you haven't read any other Douman Seimans. I like them all well enough, but they're not what really stand out to me and make it my favorite manga.

More than anything else, the thing that impresses me is that underneath the weird dark humor and the quirky characters and the silly gags, it's really just a pleasant and satisfying and oddly life-affirming story about a bunch of different people (and creatures) who care about each other and are kind to each other. It's odd in a way that a manga that stars yakuza and assassins and witches and demons and serial killers ends up focused so much on the positive aspects of people, but it definitely does. And it does it very well - the characters aren't sappy or cloying or irritating - they're just decent people. And ghosts and witches and vampires and...

And, unusually for manga, it's an essentially complete story. The ending is sort of open, but in a good way, and not only are all of the loose ends tied up, but there are a few satisfying call-backs to things from much earlier in the manga.

It's just such a complete, unique and satisfying experience.

 

[Nobudi]

A part of me still laughs whenever I get to the part about the pouch containing a certain man's tooth. It's a great story, would rec for just about anyone who wouldn't be too squeamish.

 

[CPainter307]

This was such a stark, interesting manga. I got into it because of r/manga's Manga Book Club and I never regretted it. It's a great example of manga being created for manga's sake. It's got that solid artistic charm and a really unique story/aesthetic. Quality stuff.

 

[theroachoftime]

Definitely one of my favorites, this and Nickelodeon. I'm honestly kind of blown away that it's getting an official english translation. Never thought I'd see a Douman Seiman work get an official release. You can be sure I'll be buying every volume as they come out. Maybe if it sells well enough they'll do Nickelodeon too.

 

[Hounder]

Simple enough. Loved it.

 

[komyou]

I just kinda stumbled onto it & ended up marathon reading it in about 2 days. There really isn't anything like it that I'm aware of, & I feel like the only people who wouldn't like it are those that get weirded out easily. Which is a real shame, because it's such an interesting story filled with cool, bizarre characters that you wind up loving.

I think Arlos' is right about the overall positive focus on the characters, that's probably the best indicator of how good it is. It's definitely not easy to write murderous witches & assassins & perverts that fill you with warm feelings, nor is it easy to walk the line between dark & "edgy", something I think doumon seimon does well in general.

If it seriously is getting an English release I'll buy it, this absolutely deserves a space on the bookshelf.

 

[Friendly_Ram]

Well I'll give it a try. thanks.

Edit: well that was a fun ride, I love how casual everyone was throughout.

Kinda reminds me of Franken Fran but with less humor.