ヴォイニッチホテル

THE VOYNICH HOTEL

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
3
RELEASE
March 17, 2015
CHAPTERS
68

DESCRIPTION

Welcome to the Voynich Hotel, a rundown resort located on an all but deserted island in the South Pacific. Owned by former Mexican wrestler Kandre Umeda, the hotel is maintained by two mysterious maids, Elena and Beluna, as well as a homicidal chef named Amelia.

Kuzuki Taizou, a Japanese tourist, comes to stay at the hotel to escape from his dark past. Soon he discovers that the strange occupants and happenings of the island are even more abnormal than what he is used to. Taizou quickly becomes embroiled in the spiderweb of affairs on the island, growing close to many of the residents and helping them out, though often causing even more problems for himself. But when Taizou's past comes to the island to haunt him, his new friends jump to his aid.

CAST

Elena
Beluna
Taizou Kuzuki
Snark
Alice
Mercelo
Elena
Kandre Umeda
Vixen
Emilia
Akira Kurosawa
Leader
Maroya
YM629 HDVJ
Tenebrarum
Karie
Doctor
Zepis
Haraki
Fatty
Tamara
Misha
Rinda
Ashkelon
Olga

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

saulgoodman
100/100
Gore, murder and maids done tastefully right
Dowman Sayman, probably my favorite mangaka of all time. His minimalist, cartoony art-style is instantly recognizable. His interesting, quirky story-telling through strange plots and small stories building the main, overarching story remains my favorite. And his dark humor never fails to crack a smile on my mug. The Voynich Hotel is a fantastic culmination of these traits, making it one of my all-time favorites.

Story

Taizou Kuzuki escapes to the Voynich Hotel, a rundown resort on a quaint island called Blefuscu in the South Pacific, after dealing with some troubles back in Japan. He quickly discovers the bizarre nature of his new home as he becomes acquainted with Voynich's staff and occupants. Soon, he finds himself entangled in everyone's bizarre affairs and discovers the island's secrets.
- Dowman tells the story from multiple perspectives, giving individual characters their own short stories. These short stories are very bizarre and unique, almost making the series feel like an anthology of individual stories. However, Dowman manages to smoothly connect them all with his wonderful use of recollection/referencing. For example, Snark is a central figure in the Detectives' and Sleuth's Brigade plot lines. The detectives are investigating a string of murders caused by Snark and Snark is the older sister of one of the children. Eventually, the two stories converge as a result of their common point. Dowman connects various other plot-lines in the same fashion, slowly breaking the walls between the short stories to smelt them together.
- The series' selling point lies in its absurd comedy. Dowman has mastered the art of dark humor, effortlessly making murder, sex, suicide, and necrophilia jokes in a natural, light-hearted manner. Through the amusing dialogue and interactions between characters, we additionally find out more about the world in The Voynich Hotel. The absolute absurd and eccentric nature of the comedy compliments the bizarre stories seamlessly, making for a very entertaining read.
- Despite the story's general lighthearted tone, it does have its emotional, somber moments. Such as Snark's story. She traded her soul with a demon, Demona, in exchange for three items. One, a Rabbit's Mask that allowed her extremely shy younger sister to freely talk. Two, claws that allow her to skillfully bake food for her bakery (and kill). Three, big honkers. She's depicted as self-centered and greedy with an unhealthy obsession of seducing men then killing them. However, during her last moments before going down to hell, Snark chooses to confide in and apologize to her younger sister.
Characters

The series' characters contribute tremendously to the series' absurdness, as they themselves are very quirky and eccentric. You have a former Mexican pro-wrestler hotel owner, a Japanese-otaku loli maid, two assassins-turned-ghosts, a pothead government undercover agent, etc. There's also an air of mystery around them, that dissipates as the story progresses and reveals more about their pasts. Their interactions and relationships are very entertaining to see unfold.

Art:

The cartoony, somewhat crude art-style compliments the series' ridiculous, wacky tone. It's certainly reminiscent of old-timey western cartoon comics, like Popeye. The character designs and facial expressions are rather cute, radiating an aura of "hey, have fun with this series!". The art is definitely not perfect, but it does what it's supposed and maintains the lighthearted tone of the series.

Enjoyment

The most entertaining series I've read by far. Dark humor done right, absurd gore, a lovable art-style and a very interesting story built on the foundation of multiple short stories. I've read this 5 times and its quality is still fresh as ever.

Final Words

The Voynich Hotel is a phenomenal comedy series with an interesting and enjoyable way of story-telling and cast of characters. The absurd nature is crafted very well, making it feel natural as you continue reading and find out more about the bizarre world and its inhabitants. It's certainly a unique series by a unique mangaka and hasn't lost its taste after multiple rereads.
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IceofBlizzard
85/100
Crazy shenanigans follow an "ordinary" Japanese man to an unusual island...

Absolute madness. Having read Suicide Parabellum and Oddman 11 I expected nothing less than sheer chaos from one of my favourite mangaka, Sayman Dowman, and I wasn't disappointed. A plot where the extraordinary becomes ordinary, The Voynich Hotel is a wonderful work of art that throws sanity out of the window.

Every character has something interesting and unique about them, the hotel itself is hilariously sketchy and the plot is continuously developed whilst consistently maintaining the madness that makes it a Sayman Dowman work. Death is inevitable (or is it?), the maids are more than meets the eye, and every guest at the hotel is irregular from manic mangaka to delirious drug dealers to average assassins, this hotel has it all!

I binged this manga in one sitting it was that enticing, and whilst I do want to question the meaning of life after reading it I do not regret reading it in the slightest. The characters of The Voynich Hotel are so likeable, you can't help but find yourself rooting for them, the plot itself is bonkers, you just can't help but laugh as you soldier on, and the art is quirky, distinguishably Sayman Dowman's art style. Whilst it is easy to discuss how enjoyable it is, reading it for yourself is the quickest and surest way of ensuring you don't miss out on what can only be described as a unique experience. Whilst it isn't the longest manga, it stays fresh and never fails to satisfy.

Throughout the manga you will find yourself experiencing all kinds of emotions, it will leave you wanting more when you reach the inevitable end of the journey.

If boredom is your enemy than this manga has you more than covered, it will keep you invested with its vibrant diversity in characters and before you know it you will have finished the manga! If you want more mayhem such as what you have witnessed in this manga, be sure to check the mangaka's other works out as you will not regret reading any of them, they're that darn crazy and special.

All in all, you'll find yourself invested in the island's fate, intrigued by the mysteries of the inhabitants, and uncertain regarding who is in the right and who is in the wrong, it's depth quite surprisingly leaving you blown away. You'll probably feel like you've eaten a wild mushroom on this journey, so be wary - it is that insane of a ride.
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