Eiri is an art student working in an antique store where he becomes fascinated by a painting of a young girl, Cossette. The painting is infamous because all of its former owners have died in odd ways. When Cossette’s spirit comes to Eiri asking for his help, he begins a journey through darkness and danger trying desperately to collect Cossette’s lost possessions–which have become cursed–and, in the process, save Cossette’s soul.
Based on a popular anime, this manga is a decent choice for teens who are eager for more Gothic romance-type books. It has an appropriately eerie feel, though never enough to fully suck the reader into the story. The art has lots of blood, darkness, long looks and Goth Loli clothes and the story is full of voiceover talking about fear, despair, death and fate. Somehow the two elements fail to come together to create anything especially memorable. This is not a bad title, but it fails to stand out from the crowd. At two volumes total, the series is a good choice for libraries with rabid Gothic fans, but it’s an optional purchase overall.
Le Portrait de Petite Cossette, vol. 1
By Cossette House/Aniplex
Art by Asuka Katsura
ISBN: 1598165305
Tokyopop, 2006
