Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Hell Screen

“…a short, yet engaging read that you won’t want to put down […] If you are a fan of Japanese folklore and religious deities, you will likely enjoy this tankobon and want to seek out the original story.” —Otaku Magazine“…this is an excellent adaptation [of] a seminal work of Japanese horror fiction, and genre fans definitely should take this opportunity to see why.” —Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network, Spring 2025 Manga Guide

Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) is regarded as the father of the Japanese short story and Japan’s most prestigious literary prize, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He wrote over 150 short stories, the most famous of which are Rashomon, In a Grove, Kappa and Hell Screen. He was a great fan of Natsume Soseki, and it was Soseki’s praise for his story The Nose that first brought Akutagawa to fame. In 1921, Akutagawa went to China as a newspaper reporter, a stressful experience that damaged his physical and mental health. Although he continued to write after his return to Japan, his health did not improve. He committed suicide at the age of thirty-five.

Mihiro (Manga Adaptor) is a Japan-based manga artist who specializes in the scary and the offbeat.