"Shadow House" is a series serialized in Weekly Young Jump. The story revolves around the lives of faceless creatures known as Shadows who behave like aristocrats and live in a mysterious mansion, as well as the living dolls who follow Shadows, and the secrets of the mansion, Shadows, and the living dolls. The anime adaptation will begin airing in April 2021. We'd like to introduce you to the author of "Shadow House," Souma Tou!
They're actually a duo!? Souma Tou's background!
Soma Tou is a duo of manga artists: Nori, who is in charge of original story and design, and Hisshi, who is in charge of illustrations. Based on their official website, their debut work appears to have been a one-shot titled "Fukukami!?", which appeared in issue 11 of AMW's "Dengeki Daioh" in 2009. Since then, they have published works in Houbunsha's "Manga Time Kirara," Kadokawa Shoten's "Comp Ace," and Shueisha's "Tonari no Young Jump," among other publications. They have also frequently participated in anthology works.
What kind of works does Souma Tou have? Is she also active in both seinen and shojo manga?
10周年おめでとうございます🎉
— ソウマトウ_シャドーハウス☕ (@somatoma) January 8, 2021
微々たる関わりの跡…（その昔アンソロに寄稿しただけ） pic.twitter.com/XA0ObxSjfF
Soma Tou has worked in both seinen and shojo manga, and her works are known for their cute girls. Looking at her past works, her illustrations are characterized by a warm and cute style, and in Shadow House, she seems to have a strong preference for Gothic Lolita fashion. However, her cute illustrations are complemented by a strong element of suspense, with mysteries and foreshadowing gradually drawing you in. The contrast with her cute style makes for a captivating story.
Is Souma Tou a female duo?
今週発売のヤングジャンプ3号 #シャドーハウス はお休みです。
— ソウマトウ_シャドーハウス☕ (@somatoma) December 16, 2020
※年末年始は合併号が2回続くので実質隔週。アプリやとなジャンの更新も同様です。 pic.twitter.com/bt3eyr1tSr
Soma Tou is a manga duo, but their gender is unknown. It seems likely that both are female, or that one is female. This is just my imagination, but the style of the artwork, attention to fashion, and writing style seem appropriate. Since she has also worked on shojo manga, I would say she is male or female, but no matter where I searched, I couldn't find any information on her gender.
Soumatou, who was originally active as a doujinshi artist
She originally worked as a doujinshi artist under the pen name Mayoibashi. In 2017, she published a work titled "This Story Has No Relationship" at COMITIA 120, but has now taken a break to focus on serialization.
Introducing Soumatou's representative works and their plot summaries!
Dengeki Comics NEXT Series "ギリギリアウト"
This work was serialized in Dengeki Comics NEXT from 2012 to 2018. Recommended for those who enjoy girls holding their pee, it is a slapstick romantic comedy featuring cute girls. The girls depicted in Shadow House are cute but lack sex appeal, and the style and worldview have an overall dark and eerie impression, emphasizing the suspense and fantasy elements. The girls in this work are generally bright and cute, with a sexy style that truly captures the essence of a romantic comedy. Perhaps the difference in impression from Shadow House is due to the two manga artists involved.
Synopsis of "ギリギリアウト"
Miyagase Hana, a perfect girl with both academic and athletic excellence and idol-like looks, has a secret. Having once urinated at a shrine, she is cursed with the tendency to wet herself whenever she gets nervous. This terrible curse means that if Hana urinates during class, her school life will be over. However, on the day of the entrance ceremony, she meets an introverted boy named Tokuyama Sora, who has the ability to calm her urge to urinate (though he claims he doesn't have such powers). Hana, who stands out for her looks and grades, can manage her school life without revealing her secret? This is a slapstick love comedy about pee-holding.
Tonari no Young Jump Serial "Kuro"
A cute girl named Coco and a strange cat living in a large mansion? While it seems like a heartwarming comedy depicting the daily life of "Kuro," the contrast in attitude between Coco and the other characters suggests there's something else going on. This structure is similar to Shadow House, where the story starts out heartwarming but gradually reveals a darker setting and expands into the world. This work has a very similar atmosphere to Shadow House, sharing a fantastical worldview and a major mystery that is gradually and indirectly revealed.
Synopsis of "Kuro"
Koko lives in a large mansion with her strange black cat, Kuro, and at first glance, her life seems peaceful and uneventful. However, in reality, there is a monster in this world that steals color, and people have lived in fear of it. For some reason, Koko cannot see the monster. Kuro has been secretly protecting her. The strangeness of this world gradually becomes apparent, and the daily lives of Koko and Kuro begin to change.
"Shadow House" serialized in Weekly Young Jump
This gothic mystery, suspense, and dark fantasy work has been serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 2018. However, due to its many elements, it's officially said to have no similar works. Similar in structure to the aforementioned "Kuro," it starts out as a heartwarming comedy set in a eerie and strange world, but gradually unravels the mystery of its eerie and strange aspects. To put it in perspective, it's like an orphanage where children live happily with a kind sister, only to discover that the orphanage itself is actually a meat farm. The illustrations are so cute, but the contrast makes the story even more eerie and captivating.
Synopsis of "Shadow House"
In a large, deserted mansion, a clan of Shadows, whose faces and bodies are completely black, live, along with the living dolls who serve them. The mansion is governed by strict rules, and the Shadows and the living dolls live by them without questioning them. Kate, a Shadow, is somewhat at the mercy of the innocent living doll Emilico, but she finds her cheerfulness invigorating. However, as they see and hear various things in the mansion, the two begin to realize the strangeness of the mansion. Eventually, they begin to search for allies and unravel the mystery of the mansion.
[Shadow House] Summary of the Shadow House Author
Here's a summary of Souma Tou, the author of Shadow House! It alternates between a bright, cute-girl romantic comedy and a dark, cute-girl fantasy suspense story, and both are fantastic works, so I hope you'll check out Shadow House's other works in addition to the anime and original manga!
