Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1 by Aidalro
Nene Yashiro is in her first year at high school. She has a crush on one of the older boys, Minamoto. But Nene’s been unlucky in love before (the last boy said she had legs like a daikon radish), and Minamoto’s super popular so getting his attention won’t be easy against the competition. Right now she’s desperate enough to try approaching one of the Seven School Mysteries, Hanako-san of the Toilet, who allegedly can grant wishes.
According to rumor, Hanako-san can be found in the third stall from the end in the girl’s restroom on the third floor of the old school building. Knock three times and call her name twice, and Hanako-san will appear. Nene does this, but the rumor was a teensy off.
Hanako is a boy! Why he’s got that name and is bound in the girls’ restroom is a subject he’s not ready to discuss right now. But he is willing to grant Nene’s wish. After a fashion. Since the use of magic to grant a wish requires a sacrifice equal to the power of the magic, Hanako-kun tries to assist Nene with confessing her love in a normalish “wingman” way.
When this approach proves fruitless, Nene wants to try magic. She learns that Hanako-kun has a “matchmaking item”, mermaid scales, and swallows one before learning the details. Turns out that if you swallow one, you turn into a fish and the slave of the mermaid–but if two people swallow matching scales, they share the curse and thus a bond. After some action, Hanako-kun swallows the other scale to be bonded to Nene. But in exchange, she will now need to be his assistant.
The “Seven School Mysteries” is a common plotline for kids’ horror and fantasy stories in Japan. Swapping in a male Hanako is a bit of a twist, as is making him the protagonist. Turns out that the supernatural beings inhabiting the school are affected by the stories that are told about them, which can make them more or less dangerous, depending on the rumor. Hanako-kun’s job is keeping the supernatural and human worlds from fatally colliding.
Nene’s assistance initially is just toilet cleaning, but soon she’s needed to help with a series of missing objects, allegedly “taken by the fairies.” The fairies turn out to need her and Hanako-kun’s help as much as the people who’ve lost stuff.
Oh, this is a shounen manga, so we need a rival! Kou Minamoto (not the same person) is the descendant of a famous exorcist clan, and wants to follow in their tradition by eradicating Hanako-kun. As it turns out, he’s a rookie, and not ready to take on the more powerful than he appears Hanako. He joins the team to protect Nene from her boss.
Then the trio investigates a haunted staircase that retcons away people who tread on the wrong step. This turns out to be another School Mystery, but one that’s right now far more malevolent. The volume ends on a cliffhanger as Nene’s about to lose her head over the situation.
The art is cool, especially when it leans into spooky or stylized panels. The initial premise works well enough, but how it’s fleshed out over future volumes is going to determine if I will pick them up.
Content note: Hanako-kun likes looking at naughty magazines, and there are some breast jokes. (Nene’s self-conscious about being a late bloomer.) And of course, a bit of horror-flavored violence. Suitable for junior high readers on up.
Recommended for (mild) horror fans.
And here’s the animated adaptation:
