I highly recommend checking trigger warnings before reading.

To be honest, I haven't seen the movie but I've read and loved Shuzo Oshimi's Blood on the Tracks series. The art is, as I expected really well done. I thought the plot was good but as this manga was created from Yua's POV and was mainly focused on her and Kodai's efforts towards Chi, it felt like we didn't get to learn much about Chi herself. I would've liked to learn more about her childhood, her friendship with Yua or how did she end up in the position we find her at the beginning. Reading this made me interested in the movie as well, I'm planning to watch it soon.

4 ⭐️

‼️ Thank you NetGalley for sending this my way in exchange for an honest review. ‼️

Friends Yua and Kodai decide to try to save their delinquent classmate and Yua’s old childhood friend Chi, only to find themselves sinking deeper into a darkness that surrounds her. But Kodai is determined to bring Chi back into society and he needs Yua’s help to do it. But good intentions can lead to bad places.

I am diving yet again back into the world of Shuzo Oshimi after reading his previous work Happiness and having Blood on the Tracks on my TBR. This is a one shot prologue to a horror film by the same name Toxic Daughter. I have not seen the film, so please keep in mind that this review is without any knowledge of it! I enjoyed the art style, as I have with Shuzo Oshimis work prior in Happiness. I will say this story took a DRASTIC turn that I was not expecting whatsoever, it completely caught me off guard and I was just like wow okay so that happened. Unfortunately with this being such a short story it’s hard to really get a feel for it. I wanted more by the end, which is a good thing and I guess that’s where watching the film would come into play.

This manga has some heavy subject matter so please tread carefully if you decide to read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC. I will endeavour to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

Toxic daughter: Chi Chan is a psychological one shot (although the story continues in a film adaption). This is an atmospheric manga, that is highly reminiscent of Junji Ito’s work and is perfect for any horror of thriller fans.

This manga follows Chi, Yua who once had a childhood friendship that broke down due to societal pressures.
We are then introduced to Kodai (Yua crush) who enlits Yua; to convince Chi to return to school.

This manga is not for the faint of heart! The ending takes quite the dark turn, (which is saying something. It touched on so many topics, I wish there was more.

I will be buying this Manga once it is released, and watching the film adaption.

I'm going to be honest and say that this book definitely isn't my cup of tea. It's reminiscent of Junji Ito's works, which would definitely appeal to some, but I personally found it difficult not to compare Toxic Daughter to his Ito's works. With that said, I can definitely see how this would be loved by horror and thriller manga fans.

The art style was absolutely beautiful, and the atmosphere the story produced was suffocatingly tense in the best way. I personally found the story nauseating, but I think that was the point. It invoked negative emotions I was incredibly uncomfortable with that I probably wouldn't have experienced if I hadn't given the book a chance. This is a positive thing though - any new feelings is a plus in my book.

The use of bugs was ingenious and really added to the creepy energy of the characters; the bullying and the shunning that came from the students reflected the way people view bugs as disgusting creatures which was an incredibly parallel. I really didn't like any of the characters, but once again, I think that was the point.

All in all, I don't regret reading the book, but I also don't think I'd read it again. 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I think the idea was there, it just didnt give as much of a story as I'd hoped. It just fell a little flat for me. Art was good tho.

TOXIC DAUGHTER : CHI-CHAN de SHUZO OSHIMI

✂️✂️✂️✂️✂️/5
__ Dans ce manga one shot, on suit deux jeunes filles qui se lient d'amitié petites. L'une d'entre elles est assez inquiétante et a une affection toute particulière pour les insectes morts. Après s'être perdues de vue, celles-ci vont se retrouver. J'ai adoré cette lecture, c'était génial. Les dessins sont trop cools et j'ai aimé cette histoire d'amitié sombre. Je précise qu'il y'a un trigger v*ol dans le manga. J'ai trouvé la narration hyper bien menée, j'étais à fond dedans jusqu'à la fin que j'ai trouvé très bien. Bref c'était trop chouette.

I was able to get an e-arc of this one-shot thanks to @netgalley and @kodanshamanga.

I was so excited to get to read this one a little early. I have been looking forward to this one-shot since it was announced by Kodansha and this manga did not disappoint.

This was a pretty good quick one-shot. I liked how unhinged Chi was. I devoured this volume in one sitting.

The ending definitely left me wanting more and it makes me want to watch the movie that this is a prequel of.

I feel like if you like Shuzo Oshimi then you will probably enjoy this too. I also feel like if you like horror/psychological manga then you might also enjoy this manga.

Basically All of the trigger warnings !!!!

I did not enjoy this at all. I was expecting to get some insight into Chi or maybe a few curiously creepy moments but instead we only got a few horrible scenes cobbled together randomly. I would not recommend this to anyone and especially not younger audiences. I will not ever revisit or support this particular author in any capacity.

I didn't expect this one to turn as dark as it did. Honestly trigger warning would have been helpful at least for the sexual assault.
I think more time with Chi could have been helpful but at the same time Yua seemed to be the main focus of the story.

This story felt a bit discombobulated for a story that's supposed to be a prequel of some sorts. I believe the adults being absent for the most part in the story was a conscious choice of the creator. However, it seemed weird to me that none of the adults cared about the wellbeing of Chi or her living situation. Even within the context of a horror story, it felt weird that the adults would push the responsibility of rehabilitating her into school, to her peers. To me, Chi is neither dark or a delinquent. She's a misunderstood, abused child without adults care and guidance. Even when she escalates, no adult steps up. Instead, the adults put the blame on another child, Kodai. Who in turn, also escalates rather suddenly and quickly.

Providing a more thorough explanation of the broader dynamics and reasoning of the (adult) characters would have greatly improved my reader experience.

Chi is a little different from her peers. She enjoys looking for dead bugs and bringing them home. I really enjoyed the artwork. The artist does a great job of expressions and I could feel myself in the picture with them. I loved the idea of this book. A girl who is a little different, doesn't have any friends, obsessed with bugs and is neglected. I do not feel like the story is complete and I understand it was a prequel to a movie. I just had a hard time with it being so incomplete. I had more questions than answers and will now have to hunt down the movie to see the rest of the story.

A child with a fascination for dead bugs and two classmates trying to "fix" her—what could possibly go wrong?

This manga is not for the faint of heart. From its grungy, shadow-heavy art style to its grotesque and unsettling plot, Toxic Daughter Chi-Chan delivers a deeply disturbing experience. The story follows a girl who agrees to help a classmate "normalize" Chi-chan, a girl who doesn't quite fit in with society. They try to get her to attend class and conform. But with a pair of scissors and a collection of dead bugs always nearby, Chi-chan resists—and pulls away from them time and time again.

The pacing is excellent, and the characters are well-established. The subtle hints early on that things would spiral out of control were strong and kept me hooked. I fell in love with the art style immediately, especially the way the insects were drawn—both beautiful and unsettling.

I'm typically very critical of what I read, as I am quite picky, but I struggled to find anything negative to say about this. If anything, I wish we got a small glimpse of what Chi-chan is up to next at the end. Still, this book was incredible and left me disturbed (in the best way).

I highly recommend Toxic Daughter Chi-Chan to anyone who loves dark stories, unique characters, and gritty, haunting artwork.

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!!! 👏👏