Shibito no Koe wo Kiku ga Yoi ("You Will Hear the Voice of the Dead") is a horror manga by Sachiko Uguisu, which was serialized in Champion RED from 2011 to 2018.
It follows the misadventures of Jun Kishida, a sickly high school student who can see dead people. One person in particular is following him around: his childhood friend Ryoko Hayakawa. Even after he uncovered the truth behind Hayakawa's death, she stayed by his side. As he and his classmates get into even more strange and mortally dangerous situations, Hayakawa's spirit quietly aids him.
The series follows a mostly episodic format where each chapter details a new encounter with the bizarre and supernatural, often with horrifying results. As the series goes on however, recurring plot elements and characters appear. The series ran for a total of 12 volumes and concluded with the culmination of the Myth Arc. Aside from the horror, the manga also loves to engage in Black Comedy.
Tropes appearing in Shibito no Koe wo Kiku ga Yoi:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Ghost, a Serial Killer who is madly in love with Kishida. Unlike many examples of this trope, she is actually a very cute, petite girl, but her status as a Serial Killer, her belief as "God's chosen one," and her unhealthy obsession with Kishida puts him off.
- Butt-Monkey: While Jun qualifies, poor Egucchi is this trope to a T. In nearly every chapter she appears in something terrible happens to her, be it almost being used in a snuff film or being locked up in a dungeon by her Abhorrent Admirer. In one later chapter where she yet again is put in a traumatizing situation, she simply decides she's dreaming and refuses to acknowledge what happened.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Egucchi has a very obvious crush on Kishida, but in most chapters she's too shy to tell him her feelings. When she finally tries to confess during a dance, she gets interrupted. It's also a downplayed example, because Kishida and most people who know them seem to be aware of how Egucchi feels about him.
- Cute Mute: Hayakawa's ghost cannot speak and instead relies on body language and pantomiming to communicate her thoughts to Kishida.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Shikino is the president of the Occult Club, and as a result almost all of the characters simply call her "President" or "Prez." Downplayed as she's occasionally referred to as "President Shikino."
- Evil-Detecting Dog: A couple of chapters feature a pair of werewolf hunters and their little dog, Zundel, who is capable of sniffing out whether someone is a werewolf, vampire, or other supernatural being disguised as a human.
- Girlish Pigtails: Mako always sports these, as befitting her image as a "Dark Idol."
- Idol Singer: A recurring psychic who helps out Kishida, Mako, is one, She's known as the "Dark Idol" because of her all-black wardrobe and interest in the occult and supernatural. Unlike many idols shown in anime and manga, however, she's not a very popular or successful idol, being dismissed as a "has-been" and a "b-list celebrity" in-story by some characters.
- One chapter involves an up-and-coming idol, Rumi, who Mako takes under her wing. She eventually attains her dream of being a famous idol... at the expense of her life, because in reality her success was being powered by her psychic abilities and she exhausted them conjuring up a stadium full of fans.
- Invisible to Normals: Most supernatural phenomenon, including ghosts like Hayakawa, are invisible to people who are not spiritually gifted (which is the vast majority of the population). Some supernatural beings avert this but for the most part Kishida and other psychics like Mako are the only people who can see them.
- Karma Houdini: In a series where foolhardy and unpleasant people usually have something terrible happen to them, President Shikino manages to avoid any consequences for her actions.
- Last-Name Basis:
- Kishida's first name is Jun, but almost everyone except for his family members refer to him by his last name.
- Kishida himself almost always refers to people by their last names as well. He used to call Hayakawa "Ryo-chan" when they were younger and still close friends, but as a sign of their growing distance he refers to her as "Hayakwa-san" in their teenage years.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Hayakawa is the ghost of Kishida's childhood friend and never leaves his side. She cannot talk and relies on nonverbal cues to communicate with him. Hayakawa acts as a guardian angel of sorts for Kishida, protecting him and telling him what to do when he is in a dangerous situation. Perhaps because she's a ghost, she also has supernatural levels of awareness of what's going on and is knowledgeable about other supernatural beings.
- Psychic Nosebleed: Kishida gets these whenever he encounters something supernatural, so it basically happens Once per Episode.
- Running Gag
- President Shikino immediately sacrificing (or trying to sacrifice) anyone in her vicinity when shit hits the fan so she can escape.
- Whenever Hieda isn't on an expedition with the Occult Club, the reason given is that he's at a funeral (whether he lies about this or not is left up to the reader).
- Poor Egucci often ends up in terrible situations involving her after-school clubs and ends up switching clubs after the terror is over.
- Snuff Film: One chapter involves the Occult Club staying at an inn that ends up being run by a family of Serial Killers who want to replicate the success of their first film, which was praised for its grittiness and effects (which in reality was a snuff film featuring their real-life murders).
- Trademark Favorite Food: President Shikino absolutely loves mame daifuku
. - Weirdness Magnet: Kishida is this trope on steroids, as in nearly every chapter he encounters something bizarre, supernatural, and/or downright dangerous.
- The entire city where the story is set, Aoba, is this as well. Strange and supernatural occurrences happen basically every week.
- Yandere: Ghost. Try laying one finger on Kishida.
