▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		MATSURI AKINO
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		192
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		02/12/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		03/16/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

From the creator of Kamen Tantei and Genju no Seiza, comes Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo to continue the story where the original Pet Shop of Horrors left off. It's been several years since the bizarre Chinese Count known only as D left L.A.'s Chinatown. In that time, life has returned to normal in the world and the nightmares associated with Count D's pet shop of horrors have ceased. But across the Pacific, amidst the bright lights of Tokyo, a mysterious Chinese man has been spotted, and he seems to be opening a new shop. Magical "pets" are the elixirs of people's dreams--and the potions of their nightmares--in this continuation of the horrifying and tantalizing tale known as the Pet Shop of Horrors.

The art in this book is very Shojo – it’s certainly very detailed and pretty to look at. Interestingly enough, it’s also whimsical even when it is conveying something horrifying. The mass amount of detail and time put into each page is very much appreciated – there’s usually quite a few interesting things to look at in the backgrounds or in the character design that keeps you enticed. There’s nothing quite like intricate backgrounds and background objects to keep your mind wondering: “How did the artist manage to get this amount of detail in and not go crazy?” There’s a particular part that features a character who owns many books that she keeps around her apartment. All the books are drawn in detail on the shelf – a lifetime of mess presented to us on the page to look at – quite cool. The character designs are what make the book especially Shojo – everyone is “pretty” with lots of soft lines and heavy details in the little things like eyes and clothing.

The story is quite interesting – it’s a continuation of a strange fictional idea that worked already in the last series, and looks like it’s going to go further in this sequel series. It certainly revolves around a lot of dreams, and even more nightmares of the characters that inhabit the book. Some of their worst nightmares seem to come true, and the book can often be a bit brutal in its presentation of such things. It is rated OT (Older Teen) for some pretty good reasons: moderate sexuality, non-sexual partial nudity, moderate violence, and moderate gore. There was one particular portion where a woman’s infant son was stabbed through the back with a butcher knife and the blood spewed enough to fill one or two bucket’s worth. The violence is all part of the story, and not unnecessary by any means, but it can be shocking at time for a Shojo-like title. The plot is engrossingly complex at parts – the journeys into the past are some of the most interesting. Would you believe that Hitler and the German Third Reich had a part to play in Pet Shop of Horrors? Well he does, and it’s quite interesting to see real life history play into a fictional story like this. It looks like this series could be really interesting – the first volume is an exciting and involving leap into the continuation of an already very popular series!

IN SUMMARY: 
Involving, intriguing, and sometimes even frightening – Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo is quite a trip. It’s not your everyday situation or story – there’s something really unique here that will likely capture the attention of most readers that choose to pick it up.