Pet Shop of Horror Primer

[sightsee.livejournal.com]

Hello, I'm Averil and I'll be your anime/manga driver this month. As I plan to rec a bit from Rurouni Kenshin, Pet Shop of Horrors and Gravitation, I only have small basic premiers planned. If Ii do not cover something or I am confusing then just comment and ask :)

Spoilers within.






Pet Shop of Horrors

Welcome to Chinatown! During your visit, be sure to stop by Count D's pet shop, where love and dreams are sold in the form of mythical creatures - but not without a catch. The buyer must adhere to a set of rules, which if broken, may result in death... or worse.

Pet Shop of Horrors is by far my favourite manga. I adore it. Above and beyond all else. It's just all kind of awesome. It is completed in 10 volumes, with one anime dvd covering four chapters.

Do not let the summary fool you into thinking it isn't scary (because the summary, well, not really all that fear inspiring) because it really can be. It can be freaky and weird and really uncomfortable at times with where the story lines can go. But that it why it is so good, because it can go there yet still keep the audience in touch with the characters and wanting to finish the chapter.

Another interesting thing to note about the series is that it is not actually slash. It has its moments but it rather gen all up.

Ah, Officer Orcot ... what am I going to do about you? I do enjoy your company. One of these days, I may not let you leave.


Overview

Count D is the mysterious caretaker of a pet shop in Chinatown, San Francisco. Each of D's pets, which all have strangely humanoid appearances, comes with a contract with three major points. These points differ for each animal sold, and breaking this contract usually results in dire (and sometimes disturbing) consequences for the buyer, for which the pet shop claims no liability.

Individual chapters of Pet Shop of Horrors are often based on these consequences, and are each written as a stand-alone story, usually introducing one or more new characters in each chapter. With the exception of the main characters and their families, it is rare for a character to carry over to a later chapter, providing the series with a very episodic nature.

The detective Leon Orcot is used to tie the chapters together into an ongoing plot, usually in the form of a subplot within each chapter. Initially he suspects Count D of malicious criminal activity and using the pet shop as a front for drug trafficking. As the series progresses, he learns more about the pet shop and Count D himself, entering into a strange friendship of sorts with the Count as he works to uncover the truth.

Characters

Another thing about this manga is that I love the characters. Normally I like one more than the other etc. not this one. D and Leon both matter to me equally. Chris is okay, but to tell the truth I hate how every manga/anime adds a kid for another plot device, I don't read for the kids okay? But Chris is okay.


D

• Gender: Male (though his appearance is androgynous and he is often mistaken for a woman)
• Nationality: Overseas Chinese
• Age: Unknown
• Occupation: Owner of "Count D's Pet Shop"

Though he denies the name is "Count D" – claiming that this title belongs only to his grandfather, the shop's true owner – most humans refer to him by this name, often shortened to "The Count", "Count", or simply "D". He runs a pet shop in Chinatown while the shop's alleged true owner is travelling abroad. His motto suggests he doesn't actually sell pets but rather "love, dreams, and hope" with a three-term contract.

He appears more fond of animals than humans and displays a love of the natural world. He usually appears calm and soft-spoken (except when he is fighting with Leon), though towards the end of the manga series, his attitude changes. He enjoys drinking tea and has a special fondness for confectionery. In fact, Leon often bribes him with sweets and pastries in return for information. Although he often expresses disdain for humans and claims to hate human children, he eventually becomes very attached to Chris, and he also seems to hold his brother Leon in affection.

"Welcome... how can I be of service today?"


Leon

• Gender: Male
• Nationality: American
• Age: 24 at the beginning of the series
• Occupation: Detective

Leon Orcot is a hot-headed young detective who attempts to connect the pet shop with mysterious deaths in the region. He is convinced Count D is a criminal and proceeds to investigate him with an iron will, determined to be the one to put the cuffs on the manicured hands of D. Over time, he forms a close and complicated relationship with the Count. He has a disdain for the supernatural and therefore refuses to be believe D's explanations for the events of the story, though this attitude is challenged as the series progresses. He is extremely lecherous as displayed though the series, and spends a lot of time chasing girls. Over the course of the series, Leon is given two pets by D (a flowering plant and a butterfly), both of which help him through hard times in his life (as opposed to other pets sold, which are meant to teach their owners a lesson).

"Hey, this is new. You finally have something that won't give me cavities."

Chris

• Age: 6
• Personality: Cheerful and innocent, but a bit of a crybaby

Chris is Leon's much younger brother – their mother became pregnant with Chris when she was fifty, and died during childbirth. As a result, Chris was raised by his aunt and uncle, who he grew up calling "Mom" and "Dad". When Chris' younger cousin, Sam, told him that he was responsible for his mother's death, he was so shocked that he lost his ability to speak. Chris was sent to Los Angeles with Leon and spends most of his time in D's pet shop. Although he can't talk, Chris has the ability to telepathically speak to all of D's animals as well as the Count and Leon. He also thinks very highly of Q-chan saying that he was "The cutest, rarest, and highest priced pet in the shop," though as it turns out, Q-chan is the only "pet" Chris perceives as an animal. Since he initially only ever sees the animals in their human form, he believes that the Count actually sells human children, although he feels all right with that as long as the children don't mind it.


And all the animals are characters but... well there is a lot of animals.

Places to go:

Not much, as far as I can tell at least. The fandom lacks fics and really is not that big.

petshop_icons
psohdrabble
psohfanfiction
petshop_horrors

http://petshop.promised-dream.net/manga.html
http://countd.wandering-soul.net/
http://otaku.memory-motel.net/dleon/


Side Note:

There is a sequel to Pet Shop of Horrors but what I've read of it I don't like - and the main reason why I'm sure is clear to many of you - but I also have read no fics from the sequel so expect no recs from it.

So to sum it all up, get the manga now. Seriously, please do. Also get the anime too if you can. I can't recommend it enough.

Thank you wiki, thank you!

Comments

[solar-cat.livejournal.com]

*is extremely excited for PSoH recs* OMG, I love PetShop so much! =DDDD Tet-chan is sort of my hero. Which should feel wrong-er than it does. XD

[bloodygoodgirl.livejournal.com]

Awesome overview. This was always one of my favorites and I'll be interested to see what you rec.