Gosh, this was a delight of a graphic novel! I loved the folklore elements, which per author’s note are pulled from both Shintoism and Buddhism. I loved Anzu and her journey to recognizing her sense of self and the power in being true to herself. This is very strongly reminiscent of Spirited Away, and I really enjoyed this rendition of a young girl ending up in the spirit realm and having to find her way home.

Anzu is caught in wanting to fit in, and not being able to. Her food that she brings to school is made fun of, and her name is changed by her “friends” because it is too silly or hard to say. And she just accepts that she is now Anne.

And now she has had to move, and so has to start all over again. She has lost her grandmother, and misses her. But she doesn’t want to do any prayers to her, even during Obon, which is the time to celebrate your ancestors.
So, Anne wanders off, to be by herself, and gets caught up with a magical dog who steals her jade necklace, and she ends up in the underworld, despite being alive. The gate has a fault to it, and that is the least of her worries. Queen Izzami wants all the souls of the lost children, of which Anzu|Anne is one.

Good story. Slightly reminiscent of Spirited Away, but different at the same time. This is more of a story of not knowing who you are, and wanting to be yourself at the same time. The sadness of Anzu is quite fierce, and the dog who helps her, the gatekeeper, is also determined to both save her, and repair the gate.

Loved the illustrations. Loved the story, sad and frustrating as it was. I think this will connect with children who are half in the world, and half out. That are pushed into conforming, just to fit in.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out from Penguin Young Readers Group on the 7th of May 2024

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anzu and her family have just moved into a new town during the celebration of Obon. While her classmates call her Anne instead and make fun of her lunch food, Anzu has lost her energy to celebrate the holidays. Then, after following a dog by accident, Anzu trips into the Yomi underworld of demons, creatures, and things that go bump in the night. Yet, Anzu eats something of that world, and so it's a race against time to get back to the human world before it's too late.
With a brush of bright colors, such as midnight purples and silvery hues, this graphic novel tells the tale of one young girl trying to find her way in a harsh world. The creative designs of the underworld and its inhabitants are fascinating as Anzu travels to find the answers she needs. With the dog-like gatekeeper trying to find himself against ridicule from others, both he and Anzu fight to make their way back home. A delightful read!

I absolutely loved this story, it was so good and reminded me a lot of Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Anzu has a lot of complicated feelings and seeing he work them out for herself while finding her courage was inspiring. The art was also beautiful and the colors were sublime. I will always read anything Mai Nguyen writes, and have had this on my list as soon as I knew it existed, and I'm glad I was able to get a digital ARC of this lovely graphic novel!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. My opinions are my own.

#AnzuandtheRealmofDarkness #NetGalley