Dolls

[kel aka gandy]

1 :: Story
2 :: Creator
3 :: Volumes

 

[kel aka gandy]

Story

Set in an upside-down world combining a murky mix of science fiction, reality and moral ambiguity, Yumiko Kawahara's short stories examine the ineffable disparities that exist between the lover and the loved one.  

[kel aka gandy]

Creator

Yumiko Kawahara is the winner of the Shogakukan Newcomer Award in 1986. She debuted in 1978 with Kotchi Nuite Marie!! in Shuukan Shoujo Comic.  

[kel aka gandy]

Volumes
Status in Japan :: complete at 4 volumes
Status in US :: 4/4 released

Volume 1
Yumiko Kawahara's disturbing short stories explore the strange and codependent world of dolls and the people who own them.
Both quirky and unsettling, these science-fiction morality fables question the dark side of love and pride.
Fair warning: When you live inside a dollhouse, it's hard to tell who's the puppet and who's the master...


Volume 2
Once again, Yumiko Kawahara delivers a collection of wildly imaginative tales about man's best friend--the seductive and oddly compelling Plant Dolls.
In one story, a young man finds comfort from a doll that shares his heartbreak of a lonely childhood. In another, a doll holds the key to a vast family fortune. And in this volume's final story, a singing doll is discovered. But when she sings...madness ensues!
These stories and others make it clear that love is a very complicated thing. Why, for example, does it often come with attachments both agreeable and perverse? Perhaps the Plant Dolls have the answer to this eternal question...


Volume 3
When a young man visits his doctor for a routine check-up, he is told that he'll soon turn into a tree. How odd!
A father buys a doll that looks just like his daughter. How creepy!
A fortune-teller abducts a woman and teaches her about the meaning of life. How felicitous!
With these and other stories, author Yumiko Kawahara welcomes readers into her world...an upside-down place filled with love, obsession and Plant Dolls!


Volume 4
In this volume's first story, the bond between a little boy and his doll leads to a happy (but bittersweet) conclusion. In another story, a rich man becomes obsessed with something called the Tiara of Melancholy. And in Kawahara's most satisfying story yet, a young girl uses her doll to communicate with heaven.
In every one of these tales, love comes with a hefty and unexpected price tag. Be careful, dear readers. Every step you take will take you further from heaven. And the final question remains: Is there a heaven?