Nude Model and Other Stories (Kodansha, 2024)

In the title story, a high school delinquent tries to seduce an introverted artist in his class as part of a cruel game, but learns some unexpected things about himself when she turns the tables. Then there's “Girl,” in which a teenage boy gets more than he bargained for when he tries to fulfill his own need for attention in an unusual way. Finally, in “Kamiya,” a young doctor who can't stand the sight of blood overcomes her phobia thanks to a host club staffed by vampires. But there are other things to fear lurking in the night… In these three complex, alluring stories, Tsubasa Yamaguchi (author of the award-winning Blue Period) shows off the darker side of her imagination, in the process transforming manga itself into something stranger and more erotic.