Yamagishi and Sendo are schoolmates, but that's about as far as their similarities go: one is a short, no-nonsense boxer, while the other is a tall, bookish conspiracy nut. But when they find themselves embroiled in a paranormal phenomenon at school involving plant-faced monster people assimilating innocent victims, it seems they'll have to set aside their differences and work together as best as they can. Of course, it doesn't help that the only one with any answers to this bizarre situation is a mysterious "paranormal investigator" named Akisato, who insists they must find some sort of "key" to stop it all - before giant insects and other preternatural perils from the world "beyond" get to them first.
So this was much different than my typical reads. I have read comic books, but never Anime. The story was interesting and kept my attention the entire time. Overall I really enjoyed it. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I'm liking where the story is going despite nothing much happened before the ending since it's just an introduction to the series. The artstyle is really great and is one of the few instances where facial hair on characters look really good and fitting.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

Sorano delivers a creepy and exciting beginning to a new series in "Parham Itan: Tales From Beyond Volume 1." The art is excellent, and the story is engaging. The personalities of the three main characters are well-developed for a single volume, and the art style complements the text perfectly to convey those personalities. Highly recommended for fans of horror and the supernatural.

Perfect read for fans of Tokyo Ghoul that are looking for another horror manga. The two main characters are an interesting mix of serious athlete and nerdy conspiracy fan. Many plots would play this for pure humor but Parham tends to keep things on a more serious level. There is a fair amount of mystery presented in the first volume as the protagonist try to discover the cause behind the paranormal danger they find themselves in. The art is nicely detailed especially the horror aspects. A solid read for manga horror fans but it may be difficult to find cross interest from other genres.

A jock and a nerd get tangled up in the supernatural events in their school – I mean, this has potential for buddy comedy, and loads of mystery, so I was quite interested. I am not familiar with Lovecraft or Call of Cthulhu, except like a few pop references so I can’t say how much of the source material is in there, but I enjoyed the book as its own story. So, Yamagishi (the boxer) and Sendo (the nerd) meet each other when the former helps him lug a big bag of books, late one night. They come across the gardener being attacked by a plant monster, and run away before they become victims themselves. The next day, the gardener seems fine, and Sendo, who is the believer in this duo, urges Yamagishi the skeptic to help him investigate. Round 2 with plant monster isn’t going very well, but they get rescued by a strange pararnormal investigator who himself is a mystery. They all get trapped in an alternate dimension and have to fight their way out through some more creatures.

The dynamic between Sendo and Yamagishi is good, the former being the one eager for occult and paranormal things, while the latter having some self-preservation applied along with a large serving of denial. The investigator, Akisato, is kinda a stock character, with his mystery being mainly of his mysterious ability to be alive (you will understand when you get to *that* part). The artwork is quite impressive, and I loved the action sequences! The character designs of the humans, and the monsters both are quite good. The story, while leaving us with more questions in this first volume, is quite compelling and I am excited to see where it goes.

'Parham Itan: Tales From Beyond, Vol. 1' by Kali Sorano is a horror manga inspired by Lovecraftian horror and the Call of Cthulhu, so of course I was interested.

Yamagishi and Sendo are two classmates, but that's about all they have in common. Yamagishi is a short, solid boxer, and Sendo is lanky and bookish. When they run across weird dealings on campus, they are thrown together to figure out what is happening. From people who have flowers for faces to giant bee-like insects, things are just weird. A mysterious supernatural investigator shows up, but when he is slaughtered in the chapel, it seems that the boys are on their own

I liked this moody, creepy story. I'm not sure it reminded me all that much of Lovecraft, but it's definitely got weird things going on. The art works well, and I'd like to see where the story goes.

I received a review copy of this manga from Tokyopop, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

Summary:

Yamagishi, a small, but powerful boxer, and Sendo, a bookworm obsessed with the occult, are essentially polar opposites. However, a strange paranormal occurrence at their school suddenly brings the two boys together. In the midst of this phenomenon, they witness a man with a monstrous flower for a head, attack and take over a human being. As a result, Yamagishi and Sendo quickly become embroiled in a series of odd occurrences.

This eventually leads to them meeting Akisato, a mysterious paranormal investigator. The three end up becoming trapped in a nightmarish world known as the “Beyond,” plagued with giant insects and other horrific creatures. The group must work together to find the “key,” if they are to have any hope of escaping.

Pros:

The story of Parham Itan is quite interesting and engrossing throughout. Its official synopsis states that the story was inspired by Lovecraftian horror, and to me, that influence is clear. I really like how these aspects were incorporated into the manga; they make for a truly unique story and universe. From the very beginning, the story is fairly fast-paced. But, that quick pace fits well with the story. It doesn't detract from the atmosphere and tone at all.

Moreover, this manga has a great balance of comedy and seriousness. There's enough humor to provide some levity from the often dark, somber story. However, it never becomes too much. Actually, I think it strikes a near perfect blend.

All of the characters in Parham Itan are fascinating, with Sendo probably being my favorite. I found his personality to be unique and endearing. Additionally, I loved his passion for the paranormal and occult. Yamagishi is sort of a reluctant hero, stepping up because he's forced to by his present situation. I'm especially interested to see how his character develops over future volumes.

And last but not least, there's Akisato. This particular volume didn't divulge much about Akisato and his background. But, he makes for quite a cool mentor type character.

As I stated before, the Lovecraftian influence is really apparent, and it adds some neat layers to this manga. The author even had a section at the end discussing this inspiration further. Said section included a stat sheet for Yamagishi, with individual values for traits like Strength, Intelligence, etc. I thought this was a nice touch; it complements the story well.

In addition, the art is absolutely gorgeous, maintaining a detailed, visually appealing style the entire time. Similarly, the character designs are distinct and memorable. I could easily distinguish them from other manga characters and series. The enemy designs are also cool and suitably creepy, with the plant based ones being especially eerie.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, Parham Itan is an interesting, engaging story with a cast of endearing, colorful characters to enhance it. This manga’s tone is dark and mysterious all throughout, which fits the story well. Furthermore, the art style is beautiful, detailed, and distinct, perfectly illustrating the Lovecraftian influence. Truly, I'm so excited to see how the story and characters progress from here. I can't wait for the next volume!

I absolutely loved this manga! Gorgeous art style & a fun story that had lots of action, jokes, & unlikely friends. One of my fave tropes in manga! It was also inspired by the Call of Cthulhu board game so this was definitely right up my alley. I already can't wait for the next volume!

A+

Thanks to the publisher & netgalley for a copy to review!

This looks like it could be really good!
Yamagishi is a jock - a world class boxer. Sendo is a nerd - a guy who routinely checks out stacks of books from the library so large he can barely carry them home.
One night, Sendo literally runs into Yamagishi and together they stumble upon a bizarre plant creature thing (looks a lot like a demogorgon!) that promptly kills the heck out of a groundskeeper.
Before the two can figure out what is going on, they meet a paranormal investigator, witness another horrible murder and stumble into a dark dimension they may never escape from. And who is the creepy little kid in the back cape?

This was my first manga that I have read. It was really good and action packed. I definitely will read more in this series. Two students totally different, one athletic and the other studious. They come upon a crazy guy one evening on campus. What has happened to this guy?

I went into this comic with different expectations. I expected a slow burner, where the mystery unfolds gradually as we traverse into the landscape of the world the characters inhabit.. That wasn’t necessarily what I got but what I did get wasn’t bad. I’d argue that the book is fast paced and action -oriented, which is par for the course for the genre it belongs in. In any case, the comic is decent and easy to digest if you’re looking for something fun and quick . While I did enjoy it, it was definitely not what I was looking for but if anything I’ve described sounds right up your alley then go ahead and read it.

I have an interest in cosmic horror which lead me to this series. Unfortunately unlike the of Call of Cthulhu game which this takes inspiration from there doesn't seem to be anything all that good going for it. I mean the two lead characters aren't even friends. If this was parodying the game this might be good but it's just feels distracting. One of the characters is driven more by a need to better himself and not be bothered by trauma, being around an occult freak would only make things worse for him. I'd like it better if the occult guy wasn't around, he's more of a plot element than a character. At least the cosmic horror stuff would be easier to engage.

I mean when the cover character meets the paranormal investigator he reacts like any normal person would. He's also capable and handling situations despite being way out of his depth. This is actually a good set up to an action horror. Again though, the comedic elements feel in the way. I get that different viewpoints on curiosity or trying to get over trauma are potentially good but couldn't they have been done separately?

This started out in full color and I really wish it had stayed that way. But besides that two guys in the same school but different classes happen upon they flower faced destroyed that will remind readers of the demogorgon from Stranger Things. The story is too drawn out. It seems the same thing happens over and over again. It’s like they are trying to build up sexual tension underlain on all the graphic death, and mysterious disappearances. I thought this book was fine, but will not be reading more of the series.
#LitsyAtoZGN

Initial reaction on twitter: Me: This manga opens with a Call of Cthulhu quote. Should I expect weird shit?
Parham Itan: *has a random dude's face open into a flesh flower like it's Resident Evil*
Me: ... GOT IT.

Addictive. I see a great sequel in the near future. I liked the main characters and how they interacted with the others, and the ending, although bittersweet, was good as well. There are many answers I want right now, so I have high expectations on the next volume.

Full review in my blog (Jan 13): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2020/01/manga-parham-itan-tales-from-beyond.html

Yamagishi and Sendo attend the same school but they don't have much to do with each other. Yamagishi is one of the school boxers and Sendo is a nerd from the year above.

One night after leaving the boxing gym Yamagishi runs into Sendo who is lugging a pile of books home from the library and so he stops to help him. The two of them are shocked and horrified to see one of the gardeners being consumed by a plant with tentacles. They are saved by a mysterious stranger who they later find dead in the school chapel. The next day they are convinced they dreamt it all, especially when they see the school gardener going about his business as usual.

Sendo refuses to forget about these strange occurrences and he convinces Yamagishi to accompany him to investigate the chapel where they found the stranger's dead body and this is the start of their weird adventure. When they go to the chapel they are surprised to find the stranger there and alive, and to their horror he isn't the only strange thing around.

The two young men discover they have entered an altenative reality with huge winged insects that are determined to kill them. They have to work with the stranger, who they discover is a paranormal investigator named Akisatoto, to battle the winged beasts and get home.

This is a well drawn manga horror/sci fi story which is actually quite gripping to read. The story is inspired by Lovecraftian horror and the Call of Cthulhu and it is fascinating to see these kinds of horror in a different cultural context and in manga format.

This is the first volume of the series and it ends on a cliff hanger although I didnt mind because the volume is full of action and the artwork is really good. There is lots to discover in future volumes. What is this strange world the young men have found themselves in and will they get home? How can they stop the winged beasts and horrors of this strange realm from crossing over into their school and who is the paranormal investigator?

There is lots to look forward to with this new series and it will be interesting to see what the next volume will bring.

Copy provided by TokyoPop via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

In Parham Itan: Tales from Beyond Volume 1, high school student boxer Yamagishi and smart nerd Sendo literally run into each other on the way back to their dorm. While walking together, they encounter a half-human half-man-eating-flower monster. But the next day, everything seems normal.

“What if nobody’s seen them before ‘cause they camoflage themselves? What if there’s actually tons of those critters walkin’ among us all the time? What if all those ghost stories and urban legends that sound made up are actually cover stories to hide their existence? What if we saw yesterday is the real world?”
What kind of horrors will they encounter while investigating the flower man?

Per the author, Parham Itan: Tales from Beyond Volume 1 is based on the Cthulhu legend from the tabletop RPG. The plot is more a thriller with paranormal elements than a straight-out horror manga. The artwork, especially of the flower man, is excellent. It succeeds in making the absurd idea of a man with a giant flower for a head into a truly frightening monster.

This story is the first volume in a hopefully long series. The main characters are introduced but there is room for many more explanations in future books in the series.

If you liked the author’s Monochrome Factor series, you will be thrilled with this series too. It has the same genre-fluidity in it. It has action, horror, comedy, and two disparate male leads that must work together without becoming yaoi. It is an enjoyable read. 4 stars!

Thanks to Toykopop, Diamond Book Distributors and Edelweiss+ for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A review for this book will pop up in January 2020 on blog/goodreads.

I received this manga from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I was very excited to start reading this one, the cover looked quite exciting (though his neck/head position was a bit painful) and the blurb sounded right up my lane!

And boy, this was in the end pretty awesome. I wasn't a fan of all the characters, Sendo especially just got on my nerves. He didn't know when to stop being nosy, saw conspiracies EVERYWHERE, he complained a lot (I mean, hello everyone was fighting for their lives and yes I understand that you don't want to touch those damned wires but man up and do it), he is truly the weakest link in the party with that he was the first to be captured (and then had to be freed again by our awesome detective or whatever he is dude). And so on. I just wanted him eaten by one of the monsters. I am sorry.

Yamagishi however? I did like him more! He seemed to actually have a brain in his head, not to mention that he is strong. I did feel sorry for him for what happened at the boxing stuff, I can imagine that he is feeling down by that. But hey look, your skills are still worth something, look at you kicking some serious creepy butt. I do wonder why his hair is half white and half black and why he has the scar on his head. I hope we find out more about that in the next volumes. I can't wait!

The manga is pretty spooky and scary. Our duo is at school late at night when they see something weird happening. They run away but the next night they come back and that is the start of some really creepy stuff. I am still not entirely sure what is going on, but there are plant-faced humans walking around, bugs, dimensions get distorted, people get murdered. It was a bit confusing, but I did get a good grasp in the end, though I would like some more confirmation regarding stuff.

Also booo cliffhanger! Who is that person! I want to know!

So I had tons of fun reading this one, it has all the elements I love seeing in a manga right now (my mood is for spooky things). I also love the art that the manga is using, especially the battle scenes were just wonderful .

All in all, recommended! I can't wait for the next volume.

Hmm, Parham Itan is quite solid actually. I'm not a fan of Cthulhu, so I cannot say if this was accurate in any way, but interesting if nothing else. Yamagishi and Sendo go to the same school, the other is a boxer and the other is a bookish alien loving nerd obsessed with conspiracies. They encounter this odd plant-faced monster that kills a man and they also meet this weird inspector that soon dies mysteriously. Except he didn't die and they all end up in another dimension mansion inhabited by bugs. Basically this first part doesn't really offer us anything else except the monsters and the looming mystery of what could happen next, but no explanation or anything. Thus the manga feels quite long as it doesn't really set the story and we don't get to know the characters all that well either. Still, there's always the possibility that this will turn out better along the run.

The art looks OK, nothing spectacular, but the monsters and the gore looks good surely. Interestingly so this is shoujo! I'm glad we get monster comics like this too. The panels are slightly stuffed, but the humor helps out and lightens everything up. I hope this gets better, but at least this is really new.

Parham Itan is the first volume of a new series. It follows two high school students who accidentally come upon the reality that we are not alone. That there are things that go "bump" in the night and that something is definitely wrong with their school campus after dark.
It sets up the premise for the rest of the series, but fails to end at spot that is not awkward. With that being said, it does a good job of roping in the reader to get them excited for the next volume(s).