Comics / Manga

Bizenghast Volume 7

By Chris Zimmerman
July 12, 2010 - 09:29

Birthed as part of Tokyopop’s OEL (original English language) manga campaign, by M. Alice Legrow, Bizenghast managed to impress enough people to earn itself a full length series, with a healthy run of seven volumes to date. Since premiering as a sample work, the title has achieved a measured amount of success with a novel adaptation and animated shorts provided by Menfond Electronic Art. With so much going for it, one might be confused when considering the level of quality pertaining to the series.

Bizenghast focuses on Dinah Wherever, an orphan who possesses the ability to see ghosts. As it so happens, Dinah discovers her name on a contract that forces her to venture to a mausoleum every night in an effort to free the ghosts inhabiting it. Should she fail, she will die and become a permanent resident of the mausoleum.

Volume 7 is something of a penultimate chapter in the series’ run, with Dinah accepting her destiny as she confronts her nemesis Maphohetka. There is a lot of action to be had though the recurring mystery of the town and the mausoleum takes center stage, as many questions finally receive answers. A flashback of Maphohetka’s past explains her motivations though it does little to garner sympathy for her.

The storyline of the series is rather simplistic though it’s bound to appeal to teens in search of angst and romance to go along with their fantasy. The lack of twists involved in the plot make it predictable, with several fantasy clichés cropping up to add to the one dimensional nature of the series.
The characters themselves are hardly endearing, showing little complexity, and come off as boring and uninteresting.

The artwork doesn’t help either, as it does its best to evoke surreal gothic fantasy; it fails in almost every way to please the eyes. Of all the hype heaped upon the series, the artwork has been at the center of it. Unfortunately it’s far from being worthy of praise, as many of the page layouts appear amateurish.
While the series isn’t wholly bad, its one dimensional characters and boring plot will more than likely leave a few readers detached and unimpressed.

Rating: 6 / 10

Last Updated: January 1, 2026 - 11:07