Countdown Seven Days Vol: 1
Released By: Digital Manga Publishing
Writer and Artist: Kemuri Karakara
Release Date: Out now
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Mitamura, a very lonely teacher at the Sheol Soul School thinks he is pretty good at what he does, even if others think he is a bit big headed about his achievements - one such person thinks this of him, and wants to sort him out in a big way. The school is a top academy dedicated to the teaching of pupils about the afterlife and what happens after the death of the body, when the soul searches for the light. This is hardly so serious a novel though, with crazy characters and only one way to find the truth that lies in a place no one would think to find it.

Unhappy with his lot, Mitamura has to keep looking round after his star pupil, Tsuru has gone missing in the world of the living. His dealings have normally been with the dead, so he has no idea how to talk to humans, have fun with them, love them or interact with them in any way, so he has his work cut out to get to her without showing who he is to others - they wouldn't believe him anyway!

He discovers there is little time for that -  so he has to enlist the help of Hanasuke, a kid off the street he asks to help him find her, but with only seven days to do it, he has an idea he might lose. The strangest thing of all is Hanasuke is actually dead, so he can get along fine with him as he has so many times before.

Countdown 7 Days Vol:1 is an unusual story of a guy being given the slip by a girl who knows what she is doing, the question all the readers will want to know is whether he does too.


Verdict: A heartwarming story full of comedy and social comments.