A review by mossybean
Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this! Wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but it’s a wonderfully weird and simple story starring an older woman as the adventurer. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where the main character was old, and especially not where they were queer! I think my favourite page is where Kumiko is on zoom with her daughter, and says “Alice was my girlfriend before I married your father.” Then there’s a panel indicating silence. Then she says “And Meena is my vacuum cleaner salesperson”. There were very interesting fantastical elements to do with death and it’s lackeys, and many cute creatures! I loved Kumiko, and I felt all of the characters seemed real and believable.