Kuro Hakubutsukan: Ghost and Lady
Black Museum: The Ghost and the Lady

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A fascinating short series by the creator of 'Ushio and Tora', 'The Ghost and the Lady' is a supernatural history fiction giving a new spin on Florence Nightingale's actions in the Crimean War.

STORY

The manga is fairly brief in an industry where popular series can go on for dozens of volumes and hundreds of chapters, but it was clearly meant to be this length and tells a complete story that nicely ties up all its plot points and loose ends. This makes 'The Ghost and the Lady' high re-readable. This manga is also a good starting point for historical study of the period in addition to ... being good entertainment.

ART

A unique looking series, this manga goes for a less traditional aesthetic and instead uses lots of sharp, thin lines and an often grotesque style that looks like a mix of manga and a 19th century political cartoon. The style really helps sell the theme of the story, giving it both a period-appropriate look and matching the themes of war, disease, and man's often twisted indifference to the suffering of others. A more 'pretty' aesthetic would be out of place here no matter how well drawn.

CHARACTERS

The main cast is Florence Nightingale and The Man in Grey, and their interactions are the main driving force of the manga. Florence Nightingale's piety and selflessness play off well against Grey's rakish, Han Solo attitude. As the story progresses their personalities both adapt to circumstances and change the other, giving some very good character development.

OVERALL ENJOYMENT

I very much enjoyed this series, being a fan of history and supernatural stories. 'The Ghost and the Lady' is a tightly written, complete package of a story that gives its reader plenty in its two volumes.