With more people reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before, Beat’s Bizarre Adventure gives three writers an opportunity each week to recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. This week we have an award-nominated Viz Original one-shot, lesbian brothels, and, of course, bathrooms.
Resenter
Writer/Artist: Gigi Murakami
Letterer: Annaliese “Ace” Christman
Platform: VIZ
While the afterlife isn’t new territory for manga, Gigi Murakami’s Resenter finds a fresh take. There is no pat moral binary of good and evil. There is just life and death, cause and effect. The job of a Ripper, who enforces the rules of Death, is presented as an eventuality. It’s a horror story rooted in complex emotions.
In the world of this series, people are offered three choices if they are murdered. Victims can move on and reincarnate, with no guarantee they’ll be reborn as a human. They can request that a Ripper hunt their killer, but then they will live in the purgatory of the Death Zone forever. Finally, they can become a Ripper themselves to avenge murders. They can ask for justice or forgive. Neither choice is easy and the justice Rippers perform is truly blind. It doesn’t matter who committed the murder or why. If a Ripper is dispatched, their soul must be collected.
All of this is rendered with Murakami’s expressive art. Her depiction of The Death Zone owes as much to Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” as it does the comics work of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura. She renders the world of the living as a scratchy nightmare. But what truly makes this story memorable is Murakami’s ability to bring life to the dead through her excellent character work. The horror of the story wouldn’t function without how she depicts the expressions of the characters as they realize the consequences of their actions.
That’s what makes Resenter so potent: the horror of cause and effect. The best horror is rooted in ideas, and the very concept of Rippers is horrifying. Their job might be pure but they are very human, and must live with their actions. That they must do so for all eternity only makes it worse. — D. Morris
Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels! (Vol. 1-3)
Writer/Artist: Kuro Itsuki
Translation: Jennifer Ward
Adaptation: Asha Bardon
Lettering: Ash Works
Publisher: Seven Seas
The title says it all. This story follows Asumi-chan, a college student working part-time to help pay for school, living expenses, and dates at lesbian brothels. While the part-time aspect comes in every so often, and the school portion is pretty much just a background detail, the real meat of the story lies within the brothel dates which are the major focus of most of the chapters.
Asumi-chan, looking to reconnect with a childhood friend, has made the assumption that her old friend is working as an escort. So she makes reservations with different women in the hope that she might meet her friend once again. It’s a wild leap, but not too far off the mark. Mai-chan, her friend, is also yearning to re-connect with Asumi-chan. And so their fates intertwine.
This is a cute, funny manga about a woman exploring her boundaries and the kinds of pleasure she enjoys. It’s not just about the sex—although there is a lot—but about following Asumi-chan’s journey of self-discovery as she grows and becomes more comfortable with herself and others. You can see the growth right on the page as well. In just three volumes, Asumi-chan has changed tremendously from how she was at the beginning, while still holding onto some of her shy tendencies that are part of her personality.
You even see her unwittingly take on the mannerisms of the women she meets as she becomes a caretaker for another classmate who is discovering herself as well. There are without a doubt some cringe moments, mostly when it comes to the yearning scenes between the two main characters. What’s important to remember during those scenes is what headspace the two must occupy when all they remember of one another is their childhood selves.
The supporting cast, from Asumi-chan’s best friends to her boss, are wonderful foils to her personality that mix well together. Each brings out something differing in Asumi-chan and builds her up. I also enjoy Kuro Itsuki‘s art. She has a soft, squishy, rounded style that makes the story like a warm hug.
The third volume ends with a sudden declaration that has me itching to find out what happens next. The drama is unfolding with layers of feeling that I just know will come to an explosive head; I must witness it unfold. — Derrick Crow
The Bathroom Ghost
Writer/Artist: Volpe
Platform: WEBTOON
Imagine green yuri…but red. That’s how I would pitch Volpe’s The Bathroom Ghost, which to my surprise became a WEBTOON Original without me noticing. I always wanted to talk about it when it was updating frequently on CANVAS, but now I have another excuse.
The Bathroom Ghost is a comedy webtoon first created by Volpe in 2023, before being republished as an Original starting in August 2025. It’s centered on the titular Bathroom Ghost, a red and black figure who resides in a mall toilet. Long strands of hair cover her face like Kayako from the Ju-On series. But the Bathroom Ghost isn’t malevolent. In fact, she is easily distracted and forgets to scare her intended victims. Sometimes she feels self-conscious about her appearance; sometimes she even cheers on her supposed victims in silence.
Starting in the third episode, more elements of the world are introduced. We learn that there is a ghost department with its own corporate system in place complete with managers, inspectors and performance reviewers. Ghosts and specters are only able to move to a new place if they can scare enough humans in the location they have been assigned to. Obviously, our titular ghost has been behind for over five years.
The Bathroom Ghost has a strong visual identity that sets it apart from other Canvas series and even originals. Like I mentioned earlier, the color palette reminds me of Sumiko Arai’s The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All. But instead of using lime-green to supplement the art, Volpe uses a vibrant red. It is used sparingly, mostly for the ghost herself, text, specific environmental objects and to add depth to the bathroom itself. The majority of human characters remain in black and white with screentone to add greys. These screentones are never used on the ghost, allowing her to stand apart from other supernatural characters and even humans when they share the same space.
It is hard to know if The Bathroom Ghost’s use of black and white with one consistent solid color is an intentional homage to Arai’s style or if it is purely a coincidence. Regardless, it’s refreshing to see more black and white webtoons in the Originals lineup. I haven’t seen one with this style since Raúl Trevino’s Live Forever back in 2018.
I hope the success of The Bathroom Ghost will encourage WEBTOON to greenlight more black and white series, even if they add one or two other colors to give visual variety. The comic’s color palette plays to Volpe’s strengths as an artist but also helps get these episodes out in a more consistent timeframe. The less time is spent coloring and shading the art, the more focus can be put into making sure the art looks its best.
I will continue to sing Volpe’s praises, but can you blame me for that? The Bathroom Ghost’s character design, simple yet gripping premise, writing and strong visual identity sets it apart from the others. If you enjoy it as much as I do, I encourage you to explore WEBTOON’s Canvas side as well. There are plenty of unique and niche stories just like this one that stand out from their peers. Whether they have large or small followings, you never know if or when a series might have the potential to grow into something larger. Until next time, my adorable birb nerds! — Justin Guerrero
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