Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

This was different and had an unsettling vibe to it, I didn't much enjoy it myself but I am interested in seeing the film based off of this book

Yua and Kodai team up to reach Chi, a disturbed girl with an obsession for dead bugs, to convince her to come back to school. Yua and Kodai’s relationship takes a dark turn resulting in a violent ending to the story.
The artwork complements the story, with detailed illustrations that capture the emotional intensity of the plot.

Readers be aware of mature themes!

3.5 rounded up. A horrifying and disturbing manga - trigger warnings for SA, bullying, and animal abuse. I've read Blood on the Tracks by Oshimi, and if you enjoyed that series this manga has the same beautifully creepy art style, particularly the chilling facial expressions and focus on the eyes. The story is quite fast paced, and a lot is unexplained and left to the reader to interpret. Even though I haven't watched the movie Doku Musume (Poison Girl), which this is a prequel to, I didn't feel that this hindered my enjoyment or understanding. Definitely give this one a read if you like creepy horror, but do be aware of the triggers.

I have to say I am obsessed with this horror manga and while I hate spoilers I am so glad that Kodai got what he deserved thanks to Chi. I am not sure if I would call her toxic for that act alone but I digress. This was such a good and creepy manga and worked so well at tying into the movie so well and the perfect prelude to it.

The art style suits the story so well and I loved the pacing of this one as well. You can definitely see Oshimi’s style coming through as well. This is perfect for fans of their work but horror fans in general as well.

As always thank you to Kodansha Comics for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

How does someone approach a family that hoards and with a daughter who spends her days collecting bugs and not go to school. Chi-chan is that daughter and when Hayakawa and her friend Kodia go spend an afternoon at Chi's home, hoping to get her back to school, things go horribly wrong.

I do love the cover of this volume, but the story just didn't connect with me. I didn't get much connection from the characters, right from the beginning the boy that the main character has a crush on was so obviously "helping" just to look good and it really bothered me. Perhaps had it seemed more real I would have gotten it.

Just like any other Shuzo Oshimi manga, this one is weird, creepy and disturbing, so if that is your vibe, I highly recommend you give this a go. The artstyle, as always, is stunning and adds on to the disturbing ambience of the whole story. Never disappoints.

It was my first work of this mangaka and I didn't know what to expect. I have to say, I enjoyed it, despite all the dark aspects it moved. The scene where Chi looks through the classroom door actually creeped me out. I honestly don't know why the teacher let Chi into the classroom, among other students, with her clothes being... torn and full of bugs. Koudai felt suspicious to me from the begining, I couldn't understand why he was trying to get Chi to come back to school (was it really only for a reward...?). There were more pictures than dialouges, but the artwork was really well done. The SA moment at the end caught me off guard, so beware of that, because there are no trigger warnings. But this is horror after all, yet the way it was drawn, so soft and fragile... With such a good storytelling, I will definitely grab other pieces of this mangaka's works.

Thank you to the publishers, authors, and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a review.

Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan is a manga prequel to Doku Musume (Toxic Daughter/Poison Girl), the 2024 Japanese horror film that brings Chi-chan to life. Telling the tale of Chi-chan and the events before her disappearance.

Toxic Daughter: Chi-chan is my first manga by Shuzo Oshimi, and while the art style is gorgeous, it might be my last. While seeming like a horror manga, it still gives an air of unsettling and creepy feelings throughout.

I was not prepared going into Toxic Daughter, and was not expecting everything. Truly packing a punch, with storylines about adolescence, bullying, and more. It felt rushed, and while it is a prequel, I was just confused throughout. It starts with a horror-esque story, but, to me, fails in the end.

Kodai never sat well with me, and the way he persuaded Yua to make nice with Chi just rubbed me the wrong way.

There was so many different storylines to follow, and there was no answers. Why is she obsessed with bugs? What happened with her parents and family? I understand this is a prequel, but I have no interest in continuing.

There should be trigger warnings going into this, but there was none. Please read the reviews and proceed with caution going into the manga.

Overall, I would recommend for Japanese horror manga fans and fans of Doku Musume.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing this eARC!

I knew right away when I saw that Shuzo Oshimi was the author I would enjoy the story and the art would be fantastic. While I was right on both accounts, the story itself was very fast, and I wonder if - since it is a prologue - it is necessary to watch the movie that this manga is tied to in order to fully understand and appreciate the story.

Shuzo Oshimi is my favorite mangaka, and I have therefore been looking forward to this release. I liked this, but it was not my favorite from Oshimi.

Here is my full review in norwegian:
𝘛𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 er en one-shot manga, og en prequel til den japanske skrekkfilmen 𝘋𝘰𝘬𝘶 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦. I 𝘛𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 får vi høre om karakteren Chi-chans skrekkelige origin story, fantastisk illustrert (som alltid) av min favoritt-mangaka, Shuzo Oshimi. Denne utforsker utenforskap og annerledeshet, i typisk Oshimi stil, med en klassisk japansk skrekkfilm-feeling!

Jeg har ikke sett filmen mangaen er tilknyttet, men Shuzo Oshimi er min absolutt favoritt mangaskaper, og jeg vil lese alt med hans navn på, i hvert fall om det er snakk om en skrekkhistorie! Og jeg har derfor sett veldig frem til denne utgivelsen. Så når jeg så at denne var tilgjengelig på NetGalley, var det ingen tvil om at denne skulle leses!

Og jeg får veldig lyst til å se filmen nå etter å ha lest denne mangaen! Karakteren Chi-chan er godt skrevet, og både skummel og skremmende, men også tragisk og trist. Oshimi har skrevet en enkel, men god, bakgrunnshistorie til Chi-chan. Derimot blir handlingen i seg selv litt enkel.

Men jeg vil på mitt sterkeste anbefale de av dere som ikke har lest noe fra Oshimi tidligere, å gjøre det! 𝘛𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 er nok ikke riktig manga å starte med, men Oshimi har heldigvis flere utgitte serier på engelsk!

𝘛𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 får av meg TERNINGKAST 4!

Shuzo Oshimi (known for Blood on the Tracks) and director Eisuke Naito deliver a chilling one-shot manga that combines psychological horror with emotional depth. The story’s atmosphere is thick with tension, and Oshimi’s art perfectly captures the unease that builds throughout.

What stands out is Oshimi’s ability to explore the complexities of trauma, guilt, and the darkness within, all while maintaining a slow-burn suspense. The tension between the characters, combined with eerie visuals, makes Toxic Daughter a gripping read that lingers long after you’ve finished.

In principle, I like the concept of mixing two types of media, in this case manga and film, to tell a story, but if we take this volume on its own, we're left wanting more.
We find Shuuzo Oshimi's style and themes, with psychology and a very human and realistic horror for many women.
Graphically, it's very good, thank you Oshimi, even if I find it a little lighter than what he's used to.
I didn't have a good feeling about the boy from the start (always beware of goodguys).
Unfortunately, we don't get any answers about why the crosses are there, or about these adults who look half-amorphic half-scared of Chi in her home.
It's good publicity for the film Poison Girl (Doku Musume), but as a book in its own right, I wasn't totally convinced.

This was really great! I loved the unsettlingly and tense atmosphere. The story was fast paced and gripped me from the very beginning. One scene made me actually gasp out loud. And I wasn’t expecting this manga to get as dark as it did near the end. I would have loved a little more backstory on Chi-chan as a character, but I still really enjoyed this one shot. Since this is a prequel to a movie, I absolutely need to watch it now!

The art style was super cool, and definitely fit the horror vibes of this book. Overall this story was horrifying, but mesmerizing.

Thank you NetGalley for this amazing arc, from my favorite manga author !

This story touches on many dark areas of humanity & adds a scary horror element. Reading this had me like wait… what the hell is going on !!! How could he ?? Im impatiently waiting on more volumes of the toxic daughter. It’s a twisted yet beautiful tale of childhood friends who grew apart but become closer even with traumatic experiences & life happening.

Can we also talk about how amazing shuzo’s art style is ! Each panel & page has its own unique story to tell.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Shuzo Oshimi for providing me with an ARC of Toxic Daughter: Chi-Chan in exchange for my honest review.

Toxic Daughter: Chi-Chan serves as a prequel to the film Toxic Daughter, diving into the backstory of Chi, a troubled outcast with a reputation for delinquent behavior. The story follows Yua and Koudai as they attempt to reach out to Chi and save her from her downward spiral.

This manga is an intense, dark, and unsettling read, masterfully brought to life through eerie and atmospheric artwork. The themes of parental neglect and the emotional toll it takes on a young person are explored with unsettling depth. Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the narrative is gripping and thought-provoking, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

Although I haven’t yet seen the Toxic Daughter film, this one-shot manga has left me intrigued and eager to dive into the movie to uncover what happens next in Chi’s story. Oshimi’s storytelling and unique art style make this an experience worth exploring for fans of psychological and dark narratives.

While the premise intrigued me, I had trouble connecting with the characters. Yua’s passive nature made it difficult to relate to her, and Koudai’s actions were deeply unsettling—I assume he wasn’t meant to be likable, but it made engaging with the story more difficult. Chi herself, despite being central to the plot, remained too mysterious for me to feel invested.

Narratively, not much happened throughout most of the book. I understand this serves as a prequel, but the setting felt overly confined—spending the majority of the story in a classroom left me wishing for more variety or impactful events. Overall, the psychological elements had potential, but I struggled to stay engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Toxic Daughter is obscure, disturbing, and captivating. The art is great and perfectly reflects the vibe of the story. I didn’t realize this was a prequel to a movie I haven’t seen, but it did make me want to watch it to learn more about the story.

Dark, mysterious and a little gross. This perfectly describe Chi, a withdrawn and violent young girl who has a thing for dead bugs. Yua and Kodai team up to try to help Chi socialize and continue to go to school, but things quickly take a dark turn for them. This quick read thriller kept me aching for more, but I couldn’t have asked for a better plot twist. The story was a little rushed, but overall it was a good a quick read.