My Lovely Ghost Kana

My Lovely Ghost KANA (愛しのかな, Itoshi no Kana) is a romantic drama seinen manga series written and illustrated by Yutaka Tanaka. It was published in tankōbon format by Takeshobo in three volumes.^[1] Although there are traumatic references like suicide and lost love, the manga is still overall a light-hearted story of humor and hope. The series contains a great deal of R-rated sex. The magazine series was canceled in 2009 and the third collection is the last.

Plot

The story follows a young man named Amano Daikichi, who had recently lost his job and home and was forced to move into an abandoned apartment building known to be haunted by the ghost of a girl who had committed suicide 10 years before. Daikichi at first thought he had imagined the ghost when she first appeared, but begins to get to know her and learns her name is Kana. After a night of heavy drinking they discover that Daikichi is able to physically touch Kana instead of just passing through her "body" as when he first arrived. They begin a sexual relationship, and the story follows their budding romance as Daikichi begins to settle into his new home and start a new life.

Characters

Amano Daikichi

Although his name literally means "Good Luck", Daikichi feels he is incredibly unlucky. The story opens with him having just lost his job and apartment, which he doesn't mention in detail. Increasingly depressed, he is contemplating committing suicide when he moves into a dilapidated building known to be haunted where he meets Kana, the resident ghost. He and Kana quickly become close friends and lovers when she convinces him not to kill himself and they realize they can somehow touch each other. In later chapters of the story he attempts to learn more information about the person Kana used to be and ends up visiting a mass grave that supposedly contains the remains of Kana's human body. Daikichi is by nature a fairly laid back, quiet person, although he becomes a good deal more cheerful after meeting Kana.

Kana

A ghost who was once a young woman who lived in the same apartment that Daikichi is currently squatting in. She committed suicide 10 years before the events of the story by repeatedly stabbing herself in the chest. Her only memories of her past life are that she killed herself on a warm summer day looking out at beautiful sunset. Although she can effortlessly go through walls and solid materials, she can still eat and drink, and she eventually learns how to wear new clothes. Her spiritual body is normally very cold in temperature, and she sometimes cools Diakichi off on a hot summer day by wrapping herself around him or chills drinks by holding them in her arms or against her chest. However, her body can also be quite warm, especially in the midst of passion. She encouraged Daikichi to continue to live on even when he felt he had reached rock bottom in his life. She can also get sick, where her body shrinks in the process.

At first Kana cannot leave the grounds of the apartment building, and thus her only outside source of info about the world is through television and magazines. However, after forcing herself out at the end of the first volume in order to save Daikichi's life she is able to roam freely. This in and of itself is no problem as it seems aside from Daikichi only animals, the very young, and very elderly are able to see Kana, though anyone can see things that she moves and feel her somewhat if they happen to touch her. On the other hand those around Daikichi tend to become rather confused as he appears to spend a lot of time talking to thin air.

When needing to rest or think in peace Kana embeds herself in a certain interior wall of the building, leaving a tell-tale smudge that resembles her face in profile on the drywall. Before she met Daikichi she would at times enter this wall for months on end to alleviate boredom and now may use it as a way of giving Daikichi the silent treatment if they have an argument. Despite (or perhaps due to) her manner of death (which happened so long ago she can't remember the reason) Kana has a very bubbly, positive and playful personality.

Inagawa Goro

The manager at the local store that Daikichi goes to for groceries. He has a big interest in the supernatural and occult, and was surprised that Daikichi has suffered no harm while living in the aforementioned haunted apartment. He has lately become more interested in the building and has attempted to investigate it in person. Ironically as much as he loves the occult he also has an intense fear of it which has hindered his attempts to find out more about Daikichi's home.

Yaguchi

The seemingly sole employee at the convenience store Daikichi goes to. She finds her boss' obsession with the paranormal odd, and scolds him for badgering Amano about his infamous residence when he comes by.

Volumes

1. ISBN 978-4-8124-6467-0, published on July 27, 2006
2. ISBN 978-4-8124-6813-5, published on February 17, 2008
3. ISBN 978-4-8124-7177-7, published on October 27, 2009

References

External links

• Yutaka Tanaka's Website