Reviews for Ubume no Natsu

Ubume no Natsu is a dark and suspenseful manga that tells the story of a novelist who investigates the disappearance of a doctor and his pregnant wife. The story is set in Tokyo in 1952, and it is full of atmosphere and dread. The manga is beautifully drawn, with detailed and atmospheric artwork. The characters are well-developed and believable, and the story is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. One of the things that makes Ubume no Natsu so special is its exploration of the theme of motherhood. The story is told from the perspective of the doctor's wife,who is a yokai known as an ubume. Ubume are women who have died in childbirth, and they are said to haunt the places where they died.

The manga explores the complex emotions of motherhood, such as love, loss, and grief. It also raises questions about the nature of good and evil.

Ubume no Natsu is an underrated manga that deserves more attention. It is a dark and suspenseful story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

In conclusion, Ubume no Natsu is an intriguing manga that combines mystery and supernatural elements to create a gripping thriller. It has received positive reviews from readers but is still an underrated manga. If you’re a fan of mystery and supernatural genres, then this manga is definitely worth checking out.

This is a gripping thriller. The story has psychological, sci-fi, medical, and youkai(Japanese sprits) elements. I read it in one go. There is a LOT of texts, and if you want to understand the story you’ll have to read carefully. Or else it won’t be fun. Story 9/10 There is a woman who is pregnant since 20months, a doctor who disappeared from a locked room and missing babies from a hospital. These mysteries are interconnected, and we unravel them with our 2 protagonists— Chuuzenji(librarian and wisdom aficionado) and Sekiguchi(writer). Over the chapters the story became unreliable and I was fearing that theending would be via “deus ex machina “. But no. I wasn’t disappointed at all. The story has a well-explained ending. I’m fully satisfied, and this is the best compliment that I can give after reading a mystery manga.”

Art 7/10

Art is good, not exceptional. I always give 7/10 unless the art is exceptional. In this case the art was useful bcoz there was a lot of text.

Characters 7/10

I liked all the characters and side characters. Make no mistake, the story is the main character here.

Enjoyment 8/10

I love to read psychological and mystery manga. So this was a treat. I would love to read more stuff like this.

Don’t read this if you want an easy to read slice of life, action, romance or sports-comedy.

But if you want a mystery, dig in.

Thank you for reading this review!!

The art was great, it often added to the beauty or "ugliness" of subjects/ characters. The backgrounds and buildings are very detailed, so you can get a strong sense of "place". This work covers topics in science, japanese mythology, phycology, and more. Reading this series was very entertaining (once you get past the first chapter), and the developments (with plot, characters, etc) are explained or implied. Personally I don't fully agree with what was expressed or the logic behind some things, but I feel like understanding the thoughts behind these things was interesting in themselves. A good read if you're bored, like theorizing about mysteries,and like to read about unusual or taboo subjects.

This manga is an adaptation of Natsuhiko Kyogoku’s novel, “Ubume no Natsu”, or “The Summer of the Ubume”, the first entry in the author’s “Hyakki Yakou” series. I discovered this series after watching the premiere of an anime series for the Summer 2025 season. That anime is based on a prequel for this story. This manga is based on the original seminal work. The main character is very interesting. The Sherlock Holmes comparison is obvious, but Chuuzenji can actually survive in a society where he won’t stand out as an eccentric. He owns a bookstore, serves as a priest of his family shrine, and arecognized exorcist. His deductive, observation and reasoning abilities are comparable to Holmes. But unlike the Victorian detective, Chuuzenji is well read on a variety of topics that are not related to his main job. You probably won’t see Holmes pepper his conversations with quantum uncertainty and Freudian psychology.

The manga author who adapted this novel really turned it into a work of their own. Moody, suffocating illustrative storytelling that grips the reader. The art conveys that gritty Showa era filter that gives it a lived in feeling. His visuals lean heavily on the noir elements the novel has. The femme fatale is drawn beautifully, and the mystery carries the story until the inevitable reveal.

I have mentioned that the story has noir elements, but also supernatural, and body horror elements. There are romantic elements as well, and the tragedy that results from the doomed romance and cuckolding. Japanese authors really enjoy their NTR.

The juxtaposition of an exorcist performing their craft based on logic, facts, and reasoning really stands out. Chuuzenji is adamant that there are no mysteries, and everything can be explained rationally. There is almost no supernatural element. Except for one, the preternatural ability of Enokizu, Chuuzenji’s friend and a private investigator, to see memories of people. That ability lets this story keep a foot inside the supernatural.

This was a great read, and while I’m concurrently watching the serialized broadcasts of the anime, an excellent way to get more of the lore. There are more manga adaptations of the novel series, and I will definitely be reading them as soon as I can manage.