Title: Skyhigh

Author & Artist: Takahashi Tsutomu

Chapters: 1-10 (Complete)

Summary

You live, you die, and rest forever in either heaven or hell (or somewhere else that isn’t heaven or hell). But what happens to those whose lives have been wrongfully taken away? Welcome to the Gate of Grudges where your guide Izuko will give you three choices: go to heaven by passing through the Gate of Grudges to be reborn, refuse death and remain a ghost on earth, or proceed to hell by killing one person on earth. Each soul gets one choice, which will they pick?

The Good

Story

Each chapter presents a different circumstance for the dead characters. The craft of these different stories presents unique and interesting takes on the overall personalities of the characters. Will they kill someone or won’t they? The fact that they are given a choice with what to do is appealing enough. I love revenge stories, but this is much different. The victims are already dead and have to come to peace with themselves in one of those three choices.

The Artwork

I’m not picky. I think the artwork is great. The black ink controlling a majority of the pages drip grim comings, a foreshadowing effect for some chapters. Each character has a distinct feature; no two characters look-a-like. Not only that, but the emotions in the victims eyes. Readers can see pain in the dead eyes, and that helps fill in the readers’ thoughts of what choices will be picked.

The Bad

Not “Kid-Friendly”

This manga is not for the kids to read. Blood, brutality, nudity, and sex are in the manga and not exactly for a child’s eyes. In other words, adults or those matured only.

Not “Happy-Ending-Friendly” Either

If you don’t like sad endings, don’t read this. When it comes down to it, there is no “happy ending” in the manga — they are already dead! I didn’t mind this much, but I’m sure there are those that do.

Overall

I liked this manga very much. Mainly the story and the art kept me reading. May not be something I would recommend beginners, but it’s one hell of a read. A four out of five.

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