Manga Review: Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Vol. 1

Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Vol. 1

By Shin Mashiba
Viz, 184 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

Wow. I haven’t read a manga this derivative since, oh, Hell Girl. If Hell Girl read like a cheap shojo Death Note rip-off, this reads like xXxholic after years of lead poisoning. This is not to say that Nightmare Inspector is particularly bad per se… it’s just dumb. And it lacks any serious substance. This isn’t due to lack of effort–every page of Nightmare Inspector drips with attempted atmosphere. But Nightmare Inspector is living testament: you can try too hard.

Much like its far superior counterpart xXxholic, Nightmare Inspector is highly episodic. Each chapter is a self-contained one shot story, with the only commong elements being the protagonist Hiruko and the Tea House. This is the formula:

Step 1: Client enters with bad dreams.
Step 2: Hiruko enters his dreams for a “price.”
Step 3: Hiruko fixes up the client’s dream neuroses, and somehow claims the moral high ground.
Step 4: The client gets his or her “ironic” and “shocking” just desserts.

While this has the capacity to be thrilling, what this actually results in is a whole lot of very repetitive stories that are largely devoid of any deeper meaning. Think Mushishi, minus any brain activity. Honestly, one client comes in to finally get with his favorite actress in a dream and ends up dying IN REAL LIFE! OMG!!! Furthermore, Hiruko is a supernatural creature, a “Baku,” which is apparently code for “stock stoic character.” Personality costs extra.

As for the art–well, it’s nice enough. In fact, a lot of it does a great job of setting the gloomy and surreal mood. The art does kind of crack me up though; the protagonist, who is male, and at least in his late teens, looks like a twelve-year-old girl. In fact, in the aforementioned episode with the love-struck fan, the teenage boys look like identical twins–tween girl twins, that is. This all serves to detract from the series’ intended gravity, and left my more bemused then impressed with its style. There was one chapter I really dug, where the client’s dream is covered with Japanese characters replacing physical reality. It’s an awesome touch.

The real problem with Nightmare Inspector comes into focus when you compare the jacket copy with other examples of the careful-what-you-wish-for genre. Here’s the back cover blurb from Nightmare Inspector:

For those who suffer nightmares, help awaits at the Silver Star Tea House, where patrons can order much more than just Darjeeling. Hiruko is a special kind of private investigator, he’s a dream eater, and he’ll rid you of your darkest vision – for a price.

And now for the back cover of CLAMP’s very own xXxholic. Compare and contrast kids:

Watanuki Kimihiro is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits. Seemingly by chance, he encounters a mysterious witch named Yuuko, who claims she can help. In desperation, he accepts, but realizes that he’s just been tricked into working for Yuuko in order to pay off the cost of her services. Soon he’s employed in her little shop—a job which turns out to be nothing like his previous work experience!

Notice anything? Maybe a shop that’s a little more than meets the eye?

A word to the wise, save your money and try out a gem like xXxholic or Mushishi. You won’t have to wade through this pit of mediocrity.

Volume one of Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun is available now.