Strange Pictures Vol 1 Review
Story: Uketsu
Writer & Artist: Kikou Aiba
Letterer: Bensidi Ayoub
Publisher: Titan Manga
Price: $12.99
Release Date: July 14, 2026
While Sasaki attends classes at his university, he is falling behind in other areas of his life. So, when he bumps into Kurihara in the cafeteria, Sasaki is conflicted. It’s great to see his friend. Still, he confides that he feels out of touch. Studying and job hunting are taking up all his time. Instead of pressuring Sasaki to return to the Paranormal Club, Kurihara shares a blog that he has recently discovered. But does Sasaki have the time to read it? And why is Kurihara so enthusiastic about it? Let’s leap into Strange Pictures Vol 1 and see!
Story
Sasaki hasn't looked at social media much recently. And when he reads Ken Kitanosho's blog, he wonders why Kurihara is so excited. His friend likes extraordinary mysteries, and Sasaki must admit that the final entry raises questions. Sasaki finds the journal more nostalgic than scary. Nonetheless, once he starts reading Ken’s blog, Sasaki cannot stop.
In Strange Pictures Vol 1, Sasaki follows Ken’s marriage to Yuki-chan. After the couple celebrates their first anniversary, they learn that Yuki is expecting. While Yuki anticipates her child’s birth, she endures the trials of pregnancy. But Yuki is a former professional illustrator. She provides a portrait of Ken for his blog. Then, Yuki draws images of her future child. Ken shares her illustrations on his blog. But then the blog ends. And the way it does seems a little weird.
Kikou Aiba doesn’t tell us Sasaki’s major. Yet as he attends classes, art creeps into the lectures. In a Psychology class, the instructor discusses how drawings of people, trees, and houses can reveal a person’s mental state. When an architecture professor mentions a famous artist, it prompts Sasaki to reevaluate Yuki-chan’s drawings. And when Sasaki shares his views on Ken’s blog, Kurihara points out inconsistencies that he has found.
Sasaki and Kurihara may not be close friends. Sasaki always calls him Kurihara. Yet, his schoolmate usually addresses him with the formal honorific “Sasaki-san" rather than "chan." Ken's story seems more rooted in conspiracy theories than paranormal activity. Still, Sasaki finds Kurihara's enthusiasm infectious as the two students embark on a problem-solving adventure that Robert Langdon might well applaud in Strange Pictures Vol 1.
Art
As Kikou Aiba adapts Uketsu’s novel, a professor smiles as she addresses her students from the podium. As she speaks into the microphone, Sasaki rests both forearms on the table and supports his chin with his palm. He envisions a girl sitting at a desk. The way Ako-chan uses her pencils and crayons to draw her mother’s face provides the first clue to her mental state.
While Strange Pictures Vol 1 begins and ends with a child’s drawing, Sasaki imagines Akichan and her mother. That evening, Sasaki’s mind provides illustrations to flesh out Ken’s text. In his musings, the characters have no eyes, and their skin is darker than normal. While these illustrations of Sasaki’s thoughts are as refined as the children’s drawings are basic, Yuki’s art lies somewhere in between. Still, the lamp on his low desk illuminates the cans of drink that help Sasaki stay awake as he reads.
As Bensidi Ayoub places uppercase black words in balloons, off-camera dialogue lacks arrows. Thoughts may overlay art, accompany caricatures of the speakers, or fill suns. Boxes and screen grabs share clues from Ken’s blog, while keyboard clicks, mouse swipes, and yawns show Sasaki’s struggle to finish a late-night reading adventure. Thanks to Titan Manga for providing a physical review copy.
Final Thoughts
A picture may be worth a thousand words. But in Kikou Aiba’s tale, several numbered illustrations prompt two students to set aside their studies and financial woes to solve an intriguing puzzle. And while Sasaki and Kurihara read between the lines, Konno's child pursues art in frustrating ways in Strange Pictures Vol 1.
Rating 9.8/10
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