Shuzo Oshimi’s Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan is a gripping psychological one-shot that explores the dark corners of adolescence, isolation, and societal cruelty. With eerie visuals and unsettling emotional beats, it tells the story of Yua and her outcast friend Chi, whose quiet reunion spirals into something disturbing. Oshimi doesn’t offer comfort—just a chilling reflection of how society fails those who don’t fit in. It's a must-read for fans of psychological horror and character-driven storytelling.

The story begins with an eerie atmosphere, gradually unfolding into the unsettlingly generous nature of a classmate. As events progress, they take a dark and unexpected turn, leading to a chilling yet strangely satisfying conclusion. A gripping read, perfect for those who enjoy short yet intense dark stories—I can’t wait to explore more like this.

Let me preface this review by saying that I have no intention of watching the movie. This is solely a review of the manga and its story.

TW
— mental health
— SA
— physical abuse
— blood

Troubled Chi hasn’t been coming to school. Her weird fascination with bugs and insects has made her the town’s outcast. When the school’s golden boy, Kodai, decides to build a friendship with Chi, Yua is the only one who can help him. Yua and Chi used to be best friends, and this is Yua’s chance to make amends. But there is something weird going on in Chi’s home, and maybe there’s a reason why everybody has been avoiding her.

While this manga was good overall, I think the story needed to be expanded in order to establish Chi’s motivations. I can imagine that a lot of the questions I had while reading this, will be answered in the movie, but that makes the book not as good as it could have been. If you’re looking for a quick read and you’re a fan of Shuzo Oshimo, I’d still give this a try. It doesn’t quite reach the WTF moments of his other works, but I think the art is better in this manga overall.

Thanks NetGalley for the e-ARC. Wow - what a ride. I couldn’t put this down, the cover and title peaked my interest initially, but the story and beautiful artwork left me speechless. This story has you gasping at the “toxic daughter’s” appearance, stupefied and enraged by her actions, and possibly rooting for her in the end… possibly. The story touched on many topics including mental health issues, bullying, selfish behavior, integrity issues, and assault. Needless to say - this story packs a punch with dazzling artwork and few words.

Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan was an interesting read. It follows Chi, an outcast who skips school daily, and her former friend Yua. Yua's teacher makes a comment about Chi-chan not coming to class and one of her classmates, the teacher pleasing Kodai, volunteers to talk her into coming back to school. He enlists Yua to help him since she was friends with Chi-chan previously. What follows is a very weird, creepy and disturbing series of events. Chi-chan isn't your average teenage girl. She's dirty, obsessed with bugs and has this weird attachment to Yua. I should warn anyone interested in reading this that this touches on bullying and sexual assault so take that into consideration. I really enjoyed the artwork of Shuzo Oshimi! It really brought the creepy vibes to another level. I found that I wanted more of back story as to why Chi-chan is the way she is and I'm intrigued to know what follows that shocker of an ending!

Thank you to Netgalley, Vertical Comics, and Shuzo Oshimi for this e-ARC to review!

TW: Rape, Sexual Assault

Tbh I didn’t get this at all. I get its horror so I was expecting creepy/scary. What I wasn’t expecting nothing to be explained and rape and sexual assault that came out of nowhere. The story was super short and everything just felt thrown together and not well thought out. There’s no explanation for anything and while there are hints of why some things may be happening that’s it.

oshimi did a great job with this one. gritty, bleak, and with his traditional realistic art style, the mangaka has really crafted a compelling prequel. i'd say that the best way to tell if this sort of narrative is good is that it makes you want to consume its follow-up, which this definitely did. can't wait to get my hands on the film to follow chi's journey!

**spoilers**

2.5⭐️
I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy!

I think there is so many things wrong in this manga.
This is supposed to be a prequel to a horror movie to get the back story, but we don't get anything???!! we are looking through the pov of the "friend" Yua and not chin
we get that chin is left out by everyone because she is "weird" because she likes bugs. we get to see her house and she is neglected by her parents (that I think are hoarders)
Yua is in highschool (i think) and she as a crush in this guy, that is super kind/friendly to everyone (we get to see that his dad is not a good person, the guy is kinda neglected too) he is a people pleaser and because his father found out that he lie and made him apologize, he decided to rape her???!! this doesn't make sense 😕 😐

there is more things but this just didn't make sense for me. I don't think I will see the movie.

2⭐️ is for the story and the 0.5⭐️ is for the scene were chin stabes him!!! 👏👏

Wow, Chi is such an intriguing character. Strange from the start, and I loved that about her. The mix of everyday school life with eerie, almost horror-like elements really pulled me in. From collecting weird bugs to her room that room covered in creepy X marks, everything just makes you want to know more. The atmosphere was tense. And the ending felt a bit open-ended… but I won’t say more! Definitely a unique and gripping story.

It’s my first time reading a prequel manga to a film before. I’ve never personally watched Doku Musume since Japanese horror films are a whole other level of scary in my opinion. I did enjoy the manga! The art style was so nice! The plot itself is obviously dark there are some themes in here that won’t be for everyone/can be triggering like SA, bullying and gore just to name a few. I’m intrigued to watch the movie now so hopefully i’ll be brave enough one day!

Note: please check the content warnings if you need them because there are several in this volume.

Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan is a years-prior prequel manga to (or co=collaborated manga for) the film Toxic Daughter (Doku Musume). Even from the outset it's unsettling, and the vibe is 'nothing is what it seems, surely,' especially with Kodai's attitude toward, "Oh, I'll go help out the resident weird girl!"

Chi is a character who's both a product of neglect and also neglected neurodivergence and can't fit in with her classmates even if she DID go to school but lo, Kodai is here to be a "hero" along with his classmate (and our main character) Yua! Except no, it's not easy, and things just get worse and worse for them.

This is one of several Shuzo Oshimi works I've read, and I think there's very few who could compare in capturing the despair of maturation from childhood. Bad things happen, or we get forced into certain situations (see: the content warnings, but also, more just agreeing to go along with things because someone else is popular, etc) because we're trying to find our place in the world as someone growing up. It's hard but it can be pretty realistic in that way. Jumped on this when I had a chance to read it and no regrets.

Thank you to Kodansha as always for the Read Now eARC and to Netgalley for hosting.

Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan by Shuzo Oshimi is a prequel manga to the Japanese film Toxic Daughter (Doku Musume), released in 2024 in collaboration with Shuzo Oshimi with his character design work. For previous fans of Shuzo Oshimi's work, this is perfectly Oshimi no matter how short it is. At one volume in length, this story is steeped in tension that makes you as the reader incapable of escaping it, which is one of my favorite aspects of Oshimi's works. There's an incredible amount of tension and anxiety built in such a short amount of pages that it's claustrophobic and suffocating, and it allows us to sink into the story and stew within it.

What I liked most about Toxic Daughter was the character design for Chi herself. She's a very atypical looking teenage girl, who is ostracized from her classmates and unloved by her neglectful family. Her actual physical design is a lot of fun-- atypical hair with atypical features, and it makes her a character that I felt like I could relate to as an adult who was once an awkward teenager who looked funny and didn't fit in. Chi's actions are shocking, but with the short glimpses we're given into her home life, it's easy to understand her and feel empathy for her despite the horrific things she then acts out.

Overall, Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan is a great example of Shuzo Oshimi's work and his ability to build the intensity of pressure over a small amount of time and pages, and his style shines through brightly in the parallels and opposites between the main character and Chi herself. My only wish is to see this as a full series, because Oshimi has perfectly captured the tone and characters with volume one alone, and his full length series are spectacular.

Thank you NetGalley, Shuzo Oshimi, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical Comics for this early digital copy!

Wow! We first meet Yua, who seems to feel guilty about not being friends with a classmate whom everyone bullies because of her eccentricities. Then there is Koudai, the popular kid in their class, who, for some reason, would like to help Chi reintegrate into the class. I was left wondering why Koudai was so interested in befriending Chi, but I have concluded that it was due to his insecurities and how he sees himself. Be warned, some scenes could be triggering involving SA.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

Shuzo Oshimi never fails to make you feel unsettled, riled-up, disgusted, and left with your jaw hanging open. I’m at loss for words but this simply crawled up my stomach I felt like going to the bathroom right now. This is too short for me!

Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of friendship, memory, and emotional decay. Shuzo Oshimi delivers a story that is as sharp as it is heartbreaking. The artwork is stunning, as expected from Oshimi, but it’s the narrative that truly steals the spotlight.

Told through a fluid, back-and-forth timeline, the story gradually unveils the complex and shifting bond between two girls. The portrayal of Chi is especially powerful; her sorrow and emotional detachment unfold in such a subtle way that it evokes unexpected sympathy, even for a character who might otherwise be difficult to connect with.

It’s a quiet tragedy, and the ending? Absolute perfection. A chef’s kiss to cap off a story that lingers long after the final page.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Shuzo Oshimi for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions

Publishing date: 22.04.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

I love a good horror/creepy manga. This ticked the "creepy" box perfectly. However, I do have gripes.

First off, if you want an eerie read where your flight/fight/fawn instincts jump at you this will do it. It sure did for me multiple times with multiple characters. There is plenty gore and blood and dead ... things. Ticks all the creepy boxes just like I said.

The art is also spectacular. Does it's job well and love how it was executed here. Some characters are truly pretty and those who are meant to be creepy are truly creepy.

Now to my singular gripe, and also slight slight spoiler, but I feel it will do service to those who are affected by triggers like this (like myself). There is one major and graphic S/A scene in this manga. It let me down massively and felt like such an unnecessary scene to actually draw in. Be warned before reading.

Overall, this is a 3 star manga for me. It was creepy, art was good, but my one letdown was major. If the letdown is any hint at what I can expect from the movie this is a prequel to I will not be watching it.

I found Kodai in Toxic Daughter Chi-chan to be a rather unlikeable character, almost a try-hard. It felt like he had his own hidden agenda, a stark contrast to the pure intentions he tried to project. Chi's living situation was truly heartbreaking, and I couldn't help but wish the adults and even the other children in the story had intervened to help her. The fact that this is written as a prologue to a live-action film is incredibly intriguing, and I'm definitely going to explore that further!

Chi-Chan is that good for protecting yua. I'm not really sure what the story wassupposed to be about i know it about Chi and Yua friendship somewhat still
not sure. I do wish there was more to the story about yua and chi friendship.

So the reason I applied for this book is because believe it or not I used to really be into manga and wanted to start getting into it again so when I saw this I jumped at the chance. This could've honestly gone either way and honestly friends, I'm kind of in the middle about it. Firstly, what I loved about the manga is that it gave off that cute/creepy feel that I genuinely adore in a lot of horror manga. It was eerie in the perfect way whilst still maintaining that it seems to start off like a slice of life. The art was cute, the story was well executed, and I did enjoy most of the manga. However, the key word there is most. Unfortunately, this manga does take a twist that I did not expect it to take and there were absolutely no trigger warnings for it at all. Please note, I expected the horror, I expected the gruesomeness and goriness that could have happened. I did not expect what happened to happen and it really threw me for a loop as this is something I tend to avoid in manga if I'm able to. I do like that there's also a movie tie in to this manga however I'm unsure as to whether I'll be watching it or not after the manga's ending. If you want a good horror manga, I would possibly recommend this one, but only if you can read up the trigger warnings and only if you're willing to watch the movie.

Chi-chan is a girl's girl all the way.

While I would definitely preferred this to be a series rather than a surprising film/comic collaboration, I really enjoyed what we got so far in terms of the building tension and themes of perception and power in terms of bullying, neglect, and superficial praise. Oshimi's art is , of course, a hauntingly beautiful gem, and I will say that I am interested in watching the movie continuation whenever it gets its English subtitles.