When hearing the term “horror work,” many people might think of a heavy story filled purely with terror. However, “Ushiro no Shoumen Kamui-san” is a work that betrays that image in a good way. The protagonist, Shizuka, is an ordinary high school girl with a slightly unusual constitution of only being able to see ghosts. However, triggered by her peculiar constitution that attracts spirits, she ends up facing supernatural phenomena as the assistant to Kamui, a famous psychic with overwhelming spiritual power. The development where a girl who should normally be living a peaceful high school life is swung around by one appearing ghost and supernatural phenomenon after another has a good tempo, and readers are naturally drawn into the story.

The charm that cannot be left out when talking about this work is, above all, the method of exorcism by Kamui. In general horror manga, scenes where supernatural phenomena are calmed using talismans, spells, or sacred tools are standard, but in this work, that common sense does not apply at all. Kamui, who possesses powerful spiritual energy, faces ghosts in creative ways that completely betray the reader's expectations, creating developments that make you laugh in spite of yourself each time. The exquisite direction where supernatural phenomena that are supposed to be scary look like comical entities before you know it can be said to be a unique individuality of this work. Once you taste that unique tempo, your hands won't stop turning the pages, wondering “what kind of method will solve it next.”

In the work, many famous urban legends and supernatural phenomena that many people have heard of at least once, such as “Mary-san,” “Teke Teke,” and “Kokkuri-san,” appear. While the characteristics held by each supernatural phenomenon are firmly utilized, it is impressive that in this work, rather than relying solely on conventional horror direction, they are depicted from unexpected angles that make you laugh in spite of yourself. Precisely because they are ghost stories people know, a sense of anticipation is born, wondering “what kind of arrangement will be added this time,” making it content that can be easily enjoyed not only by people who have liked ghost stories for a long time but also by people who haven't interacted much with horror works.

In the genre of horror comedy, not a few works end up leaning towards one side or the other. However, “Ushiro no Shoumen Kamui-san” is extremely skillful in its balance of horror and laughter, and just when you think tension has heightened, a development where you burst out laughing in spite of yourself awaits in the next moment. Thanks to that exquisite pacing, the tempo of the story is comfortable until the end, making it a work that is relatively easy to read even for people who are not good with horror. On the other hand, because the creepiness and unique atmosphere of the supernatural phenomena themselves are also firmly depicted, the point that the charm as a horror work can also be felt strongly was impressive.

“Ushiro no Shoumen Kamui-san” is a horror comedy that depicts numerous supernatural phenomena and urban legends with plenty of humor, centering on a story woven by a unique duo: Shizuka, a high school girl with spiritual inspiration, and Kamui, an unconventional psychic. Exorcism methods that betray expectations, friendly characters, a well-paced story, and the imaginative power to depict famous ghost stories from a new perspective fuse beautifully, creating a mysterious charm where you can smile many times despite it being horror. Even people who picked it up intending to read a scary work should find themselves hooked on the comical interactions before they know it, wanting to see more of the interactions with the supernatural phenomena that appear one after another. For people who want to fully enjoy both horror and gags, it is a work that you should definitely read at least once.