MANGA REVIEW | "Colette Decides to Die" - Volume One
Don’t let the title fool you. Colette Decides to Die is not a sad tale. Quite the contrary, it’s the opposite! Originally a one-shot story, author Alto Yukimura decided to expand the story, one filled with a fledging universe and plenty of characters. And as one can tell by its shojo-styled artwork, there’s plenty of heart to go around!
The titular character of Colette Decides to Die works as an apothecary, who works tirelessly to heal all who are sick or wounded. It becomes too much for her, to the point where she leaps into a well to hopefully escape to another world. But this sadly isn’t InuYasha, as Colette finds herself in the underworld. At long last, she no longer has to work another day in her life.
But no. The leader of the underworld, Hades, is sick and in need of a healer. Even in the Land of the Dead, Colette can’t escape work. Upon meeting and treating Hades, she discovers that the Underworld isn’t the dark and dreary place people claim it to be. Also, she’s not dead; the workers in the underworld just didn’t know what to do with her when she arrived.
From there, Colette jumps between the lands of the living and the dead to do what she does best: heal like nobody’s business! Whether it’s with humans or in the company of skeleton people, Colette finds plenty of interesting folks to talk to and treat as the days go on. But no one is more interesting than Hades himself, who slowly shows his sweet side the more he’s looking better. And because this is a shojo series, something causes a stir in Colette’s heart when she’s around Hades.
It’s a good thing VIZ Media is releasing Colette Decides to Die in omnibus fashion. Since it combines the first two volumes of the series, readers get a much better look and feel of the worlds these characters reside in. It also allows those to quickly see that Hades isn’t just another smug male lead that the shojo realm fills to the brim like horrible hop-filled hipster craft beer; there’s a lot to like about him right off the bat! In fact, it’s thanks to Hades that Colette rediscovers her purpose in life.
Colette and Hades chemistry is the backbone to this series. They often switch the savior roles between the two, as they help one another with realizing something the other hasn’t quite grasped. For Colette, she aids Hades in seeking the joy of experiencing life outside of the underworld. As for Hades, on top of him aiding her in finding her passion, he also gives her the assurance that even in death, happiness is still obtainable…that is, if you weren’t a scummy person in life!
One great moment in the first volume of Colette Decides to Die involves her mentor, who took care of her for eight years. His time on Earth has finished, and he’s allowed into the Good Place. But his claim about killing his life makes him feel like he deserves punishment, with the confession falling on deaf ears. It takes both Colette’s assurance of the mentor’s good deeds and Hades’s nobleness towards pure souls that not only lets the mentor find acceptance, but also his beloved. It’s a truly sweet moment that brings the best parts of the series together.
The addition of Zeus at the end winds up bringing a lot more fun to the table. It’s funny seeing him flirting with just about everyone, considering that the Zeus in folklore was a horndog. However, his and Hades’s bond becomes stronger over a truth regarding how the brothers came to rule their respective lands. Not only does it allow Zeus to get a big weight off of his chest, but it also gives the leader of the gods the chance to respect and confront his fear of those who’ve passed on.
A nice bonus to the omnibus is the one-shot Night and the Melody. What starts as two people trying to figure out the name of a silly song evolves into two folks rekindling their youth and hearts. It has its fair share of shojo tropes, but for a short story, it’s rather enjoyable. (Here’s hoping VIZ shows off the other one-shots Yukimura made before this series came to be.)
Colette Decides to Die may be a grim name, but it’s anything but. Volume One builds up the world great, and the characters are filled with a lot of heart and emotion. And just like many other shojo, the series is a beaut to look at. It may have taken ten years for it to finally arrive in the West, but Colette Decides to Die is worth jumping into a well towards the Land of the Dead for!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
