"Welcome to my Petshop. I am Count D, the current proprietor of this small Chinatown shop while my grandfather is away. Our motto is to sell love, dreams, and hope.” Petshop of Horrors is based on this saying, and, indeed, Count D seeks to mend people's hearts by providing them with their hopes and dreams. However, people tend not to be careful what they wish for...

Recently, more and more strange deaths have been reported to the police, and Leon Orcot, private detective, is sent to the only link the victims seem to have in common; they all bought animals from the strange petshop run by a certain 'Count D' in Chinatown, Los Angeles. He meets a man who claims to be Count D's grandson, and is only watching the store for his grandfather.

Leon's detective instincts warn him about the mysterious man who also claims to be called 'D'. Leon suspects the petshop to be a ploy for a drug trade, or even selling people. However, legally he can't find anything to arrest Count D on, as all the animals he sells are within USA regulations.

Petshop of Horrors is divided into a number of short stories, which can be read and understood easily without reading them chronologically. Most of the stories, apart from a few, focus more on the relationship between the pet and the owner than the recurring characters, such as Count D and Leon. The stories tend to have a moralistic undertone, but not so obviously that it grates on the nerves.

Other than the touches of mystery, horror and gothic this story has, the series is most familiar because of the developing relationship between Leon and D. Although never blatantly stated, the shounen-ai (boy's love) hints range from subtle to obvious. The two have a hate/love relationship going on (Leon doing most of the hating...), but not even Leon can explain why he comes by the shop for tea so often, even if he is not performing an official investigation.

The quiescent story of Count D himself remerges more frequently as the series draws to a close, finally revealing to Leon and the reader both what the true nature of the Petshop is, and what D had hidden behind his eternal smirk.

There were 10 manga made under the title ‘Petshop of Horrors’. It was created by Matsuri Akino in the 90s, and was published by Tokyopop in 2003. A follow up, ‘Shin Petshop of Horrors’ (Shin translating into ‘new’), is at 3 volumes now.

Petshop of Horrors is definitely a manga I'd recommend to anyone. The stories can be read on more than one level, just like the relationship between Leon and D. The humour is great, a bit snarky and sarcastic at times, and can be thoroughly touching and heartbreaking the next.



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