, titled Ghost! in the original Japanese, is a four-volume shōnen-ai manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 by Shuri Shiozu, published in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by Tokyopop

Tokyopop

Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...

. The series centers around Mitsuo Shiozu, a lonely high school student who has the psychic

Psychic

A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...

 ability to see "spirits" who can use him to interact and communicate with the living world for a purpose. These purposes usually don't go very well for Mitsuo, but the spirits seem to be able to do what they need to do to move on. They also lead Mitsuo to quite a few admirers–of the male gender. The story is mostly lighthearted, and much of its humor comes from the awkward and embarrassing situations and misunderstandings the characters find themselves in. The manga itself is shōnen-ai yet also a parody on shōnen-ai storylines and stereotypes.

Characters

Mitsuo Shiozu

The main character of Eerie Queerie, Mitsuo Shiozu is a high school student with special abilities: he can interact with ghosts. Unfortunately, this can work against him, as it leaves him vulnerable to being possessed by ghosts who frequently use his body to fulfill their means. The resulting exploits make up much of the humor in the series. Besides attracting ghosts, Mitsuo inadvertently attracts the attentions of the guys around him, and his naïvete only enhances his appeal in their eyes. He develops a crush on Hasunuma as the story progresses, but doesn't realize it consciously. However, Mitsuo becomes incredibly violent and protective whenever someone else flirts with Hasunuma. Mitsuo's character is a parody on a stereotypical uke

Uke

In Japanese martial arts, the is the person who "receives" a technique.The exact role of uke also known as a partner, varies between the different arts and often within the art itself depending on the situation...

 character. Throughout the manga he tries to prove his masculinity, without succeeding.

Hasunuma

In Book 1, Mitsuo is possessed by the ghost of a girl, Kiyomi, who, in her lifetime, had a crush on Hasunuma and regrets having never told him. Kiyomi uses Mitsuo's body to make her feelings known to Hasunuma. Of course, his classmates think that it is in fact Mitsuo himself professing his love to Hasunuma, and decide he must be gay

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...

 (a belief that Mitsuo fights against in vain). Hasunuma, however, apparently realizes the truth of the matter, and dispels the ghost from Mitsuo's body by using charm cards. He turns out to have a decent amount of knowledge about spirits, and therefore proves useful in helping Mitsuo. Hasunuama is a parody on seme

Seme

Seme may refer to:*Seme Border, a settlement in Nigeria on the border with Benin*Seme , a Maasai term for a type of lion hunting knife*Seme , Japanese martial arts term meaning to attack...

 a stereotype in Shōnen-Ai stories.

Unknown to Mitsuo (for the majority of the 4 books, at least), Hasunuma is interested in Mitsuo, and looks out for him, once even jumping out of an upstairs window to save him and later crossdressing to protect Mitsuo's reputation. Mitsuo also begins to have feelings for Hasunuma, but attempts to hide them out of fear, uncertainty, and his own fabricated reason of concern for Hasunuma's 'feelings'.

At the end of the series there is a gag comic that refers to the fact that Hasunuma's full name has never been revealed. When he attempts to inform Mitsuo of his full name, Hasunuma's attempts are bleeped out as if he was being censored for bad language. The other characters theorize that his name must be something naughty while Hasunuma asserts that his name is not anything bad and is just a normal name.

Ichi Shirai

Ichi is a fellow student at Mitsuo's school, introduced in Book 1. He is haunted by his past, and believes himself a murderer because when he played soccer one time, he kicked his ball out into the road. Ichi's secret crush, Natsuko, ran after it to pick it up, and was run over by a truck while attempting to do so. Ichi continues to blame himself for Natsuko's death until Natsuko herself returns as a ghost through Mitsuo, to Ichi, telling him that she forgives him, and entreats him to stop feeling guilty and start playing soccer again. After this, Ichi becomes friends with Mitsuo, and later develops a crush on him. Because of this, he is a rival of Hasunuma's and the two regard each other with suspicion.

Hibiki Kanau

Kanau is a ghost haunting Mitsuo's high school. He had a tragic death, in which he and his senpai

Senpai

and are an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, with even twins being divided into elder and younger sibling...

 had agreed on committing a double suicide

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

 by jumping off a bridge. However, at the last moment, his senpai could not bring himself to do this, and turned away, but by this time Kanau had already jumped.

Kanau is very jealous of Hasunuma's intense love for Mitsuo; the sort of love he was denied in his lifetime. Kanau manages to push Mitsuo out of an upstairs window, but is shocked and guilty when Hasunuma, fearing for Mitsuo, jumps out as well. Eventually, Kanau becomes somewhat of a pet for Mikuni.

Mikuni

Mikuni is the chief priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 at a Shinto

Shinto

or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...

 temple who makes his debut in Book 2. He possesses incredible spiritual powers and is very arrogant. Mikuni is also the source of much tension as he uses Mitsuo's naïvete to make Hasunuma and even Ichi jealous. At one point, Hasunuma, in spirit form, was Mikuni's servant until he was replaced by Kanau when he returned to his body. Mikuni is the most open of the characters because he makes it clear that his interest lies in boys.

Itsuki

Itsuki makes his debut in Book 3, first appearing to the group when is found half-unconscious outside the shrine

Shrine

A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....

. He is a spiritual medium

Mediumship

Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...

, a profession passed down from his family. His mother, who had died the week before he appears in the book, had been a shrine maiden, and had graduated as a koto

Koto (musical instrument)

The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...

 player. His late father used to possess his body so he and his mother could speak to each other again. Mikuni attempts to further Itsuki's powers by trying to allow God to possess his body, though it ends in disaster. At one point, he explains through thought that his mother would always have this strange look in her eye that Shino later portrays.

Shino

Shino also first appears in volume 3, as Mikuni's new shrine maiden. He doesn't speak to anyone, and he's constantly giving rather "strange" looks towards Itsuki. Later, Shino saves Itsuki when a desk almost falls on his head when Itsuki and Mikuni try to medium God, in the process giving himself a head injury. Itsuki carries Shino out of the "shrine of chaos", as all sorts of things flew around, and they ended up in the forest, where Shino kisses him, and speaks for the first time. Later, it is discovered that Shino was "stalking

Stalking

Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...

" Itsuki since the ninth grade, and the whole mute

Mute

Mute may refer to:* Muteness, a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak* Mute, a silent letter in phonology* Mute , an upcoming sequel to the movie Moon...

thing was part of his plan to intrigue Itsuki.

Manga

External links

• Eerie Queerie!, official site from Tokyopop