Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart

by Syundei, Amber Tamosaitis (Translator)

A Boy’s Love drama about dark connections by the creator of Go For It, Nakamura!

High schooler Hoshino Terumichi has been haunted by a recurring dream: a young man, a century earlier, dying at the hands of another man he calls “Sensei.” This dream--or curse--is about to merge with reality when a mysterious, attractive classmate named Yamada Omihito steps into Terumichi’s life.

Genres: Manga, Horror, LGBT, Comics, Supernatural, Yaoi, Queer

220 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2017

About the author

Syundei (春泥) is a Japanese manga artist.

Associated Name: Shundei

Reviews

[Phu · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Cậu học sinh trung học Hoshino bị ám ảnh bởi những giấc mơ kỳ lạ:  vào thế kỷ trước đó, Hoshino đang chứng kiến một cậu bé bị giết chết bởi người đàn ông cậu ấy gọi là "sensei". Giờ đây, giấc mơ - lời nguyền - quá khứ bắt đầu kết nối với cậu bạn bí ẩn của Hoshino, Yamada.



Warning: Rất dark!!!
Mình ấn tượng với tác giả Syundei sau bộ Go For It, Nakamura! , nét vẽ phong cách của thập niên trước rất đẹp. Nhưng ở Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart nó không phải Syundei mà mình nghĩ... mà lần này câu chuyện mang khuynh hướng bạo lực, giết chóc và biến thái. Diễn biến ban đầu với mình là kỳ lạ - nhuốm màu horror. Để rồi sau đó là yếu tố "chuyển kiếp" xuất hiện lý giải cho những sự kiện kỳ lạ kia.

Thực sự là so với Go For It, Nakamura! thì nét vẽ của Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart không đẹp bằng; mình vẫn muốn biết thêm về diễn biến - bởi cái kết không hài lòng mình. Dù là một câu chuyện biến thái nhưng không hiểu sao mình thích nó ;))) Tình yêu, lạm dụng, lệ thuộc trong câu chuyện theo cách nào đó khiến mình vừa sợ hãi vừa thương cảm; kể cả nỗi cô đơn, nỗi buồn của nhân vật nữa. Đọc xong quyển manga này mình lại thấy tò mò về mấy tác phẩm  văn học kinh điển của Nhật.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

wtf... um, no.

I have to admit, I like some fucked up stuff now and then, but yeah... no. This is not ok.

If you're thinking you'll like this because you enjoyed Go For It, Nakamura! I suggest you pass. This has absolutely nothing in common with that story but the art style. This is so many kinds of wrong I'm honestly stunned it got published.

Edit to add:
This is not a romantic BL/yaoi type story it's more horror and done in a way that I think a modern LGBTQ audience will find problematic. For more detail check the spoiler:


Boy Y is the reincarnation of a famous author who apparently no one knows was a serial killer / pedophile, and is now "doomed" to not to permanently die or age in his new body until each of his previous 9 victims murder him in the same way he murdered them.

Boy S is the reincarnation of his final victim and mad crushing on Y. He is having recurring dreams of his past life, but does not know the significance.

Boy Y lives with some random ass adult writer who found him on the street injured, and now passes Boy Y's new writing off as his own, and uses him as a sex toy, (note Y appears to be a petite HS age boy, despite his current body being ~80 years old, and Pedo II seems to have no idea he's not a HS boy, just in case anyone's trying to justify it.

So, gay = pedo * 2 if you're counting.

In the past timeline, Boy Y is a successful "mystery" writer, though from the samples we're shown it appears his "mysteries" are just stories about him molesting and murdering his victims, and getting away with it. Inexplicably, these books are all the rage with the youngsters of the day and allow him to pick out new targets to groom, molest, and then murder once they tell him they love him. Perhaps even more inexplicably, no one connects the string of missing boys to the author who they have been seen in public with, and who apparently writes "mysteries" about molesting and murdering boys.

In the very brief span of the present day timeline, boy S witnesses another boy murder Y, who gets up and wanders off after. Then, the following day, S accompanies another boy B from school to plagiarist pedo author 2's house to take Y his homework. The scene there, and some things Y says cause B to flash back to Y raping and murdering him and he runs off to a book store where he confirms his own murder was used in one of Y's books.

So to be clear, we've got 9 victims bound across multiple lifetimes to re-encounter their rapist/murderer and relive their trauma. Yay. /sarcasm

B then races back to pedo 2's house because it's his turn to murder Y. (S follows after paying for the book B inadvertently stole from the bookstore. (They're classics!) )

S is no dummy, he can connect these dots, so clued in now, we get to see him doing the, OMG, Y is a horrible rapist/pedo/murderer... but I LURVES HIM!!! ... Oh, what should I do? dance in both timelines.

Which apparently he decides is take Y home for some hot sex before murdering him. Which then causes S's family to forget he exists and he evaporates or some shit.

So, yeah. I think there's like a whole PhD's worth of negative gay tropes to unpack in this mess, and I have a hard time believing any actual LGBTQ person could have been consulted at any point in the writing / publication process and this have actually made it into print in 2019.

[The Artisan Geek]

25/10/20
This was a hard nope for me. Yikes.

I love me some good old horror, but almost everything about this just did not sit well with my spirit.

You can find me on
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[Amber]

What the fuck did I just read? Why was I so intrigued by this? Am I a fucked up human being? What is this torture porn?

These are life's many questions after finishing this book.

I will tell you I liked it for the fucked up journey it took me on. I was literally engaged the entire time. BUT I can't rate this a four or five in good conscience so I am abstaining from giving it any rating.

I will also say TRIGGER WARNINGS up the fucking wazoo.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The manga's premise was quite intriguing. It shouldn't, in my opinion, have been limited to just six chapters. Due to its briefness, the plot felt rushed and underdeveloped at times. I believe the underlying tale would have been better developed and worthwhile to read if there had been additional chapters. However, the plot itself was really original and fascinating, and the two major characters are distinctive even though they are shallow. Because the tale itself had a solid idea but was not performed as effectively as it may have been, I am rating it a generous 2 overall.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the darkest love stories I’ve read plays out in these pages in an attractive, engrossing art style which brings its individual characters to life. A former writer and serial killer finds himself reincarnated and cursed to die at the hands of his victims again and again. Drawn into this drama is the one boy who can’t stop loving him, even when he discovers and remembers their sinister past in a previous life. Complicated and dark, this offers a reader a glimpse of the horrors lying behind the charming, brilliant facade of a serial killer, the terrible way he chooses to express his brilliance and desire for the boys who worship him. It also shows the peril and vulnerability of his victims, more than willing to risk themselves for their idol, only to find the terrible truth behind his interest in them. It also depicts the sweet, yet tragic desperation of our main character, how desperate he is for any kindness after a life of abuse, even if it’s with someone who puts both his life and his sanity in peril. All of this is relayed in an engaging mystery, subtly spiced with horror that delves without fear into the hearts of the characters. For all of these qualities, I give this four stars.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still can’t believe this was by the same author as Go for It, Nakamura-kun. The genre flip reminds me of Rumiko Takahashi, just like how Syundei’s art is also reminiscent of Takahashi’s style...

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy SHIT Amber did such a good job on this. Absolutely gorgeous. I can see why everyone was hyping it up so much but I already want to read it again. Honestly one of my favorite manga for the year.

[MarinaLawliett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adoro el estilo. La historia loquisima pero que engancha lo más grande me hizo leerlo de golpe. No sé si el otro tomo que hay publicado por la autora en España tiene el mismo rollo, pero wow. Quiero más

[• Ru • · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Go for it Nakamura' is one of my comfort reads so I had to try this one too...i didn't expect it to be like that, the story was so dark, so twisted and so good, it made me sick and even cry. I'm still processing...
Also Hoshino you deserved so much better... :(

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm still not entirely sure I understood the ending, I really enjoyed this dark BL-flavored horror story.

[Ronan · Rating 4 out of 5]

É uma coisa bem bizarra e interessante...

[Lauren Evatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart was an exciting and disturbing story with an awesome concept behind it. The characters and their twisted relationships were fascinating and had me dying and yet dreading to know how it would end. I feel like I can't say a lot without spoilers so I shall just say that is a thrilling read and my only complaint is that it wasn't longer. Now let the spoilers commence! I loved the idea of people being reincarnated to avenge themselves on their murderer who has also been reincarnated. The concept was done very well but I do feel like this could easily could have been a short series. The two main characters had a fascinating relationship in a sick kind of way. One, Omihiko, is a murderer who has no conscience at all in his first life but seems to perhaps regret his actions in his second life. He seemed like is he resolved to endure consequences through a weird detachment instead of trying to change for the better. The other, Terumichi, is one of the victims. He bonded to his killer and thinks he sees some good in him. Terumichi becomes determined to save Omihiko from himself. In the end though Terumichi leaves you questioning if he is just as bad as Omihiko because which is worse, the psychopath or the one who loves him. I also loved the end (I always love tragic endings) and felt it wrapped up the story perfectly Overall I loved this manga and I would read it again for sure. The song I chose for this is Circe by Ghost.
"I feel your presence amongst us
You cannot hide in the darkness
Can you hear the rumble?
Can you hear the rumble that's calling?"

[Curious Madra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well wow guys, I didn’t realise this manga was made also by the same author who did “Go For It, Nakamura” lol. Both very different mangas obviously because this manga is rather a lot more darker and forceful than Nakamura. Nakamura is more lighthearted and sweet. Unfortunately (but fortunately for the creator) I was able to only get 3 chapters of this manga online so I was unable to complete the whole thing. I gotta say this manga gives you “Killing Stalking” vibes with Terumichi falling in love with a guy in his school who was known to be a serial killer from the past (a little bit of isekai there). I liked that the author was able to combine old skool style with psychological elements sprinkled to it. It made the story more interesting and you just wanna read more!

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very disturbing and morbid plotline featuring recurring murders and reincarnations.

The plot is intriguing and the art is nice.

If you only know Syundei as the author of the funny and charming Go for it, Nakamura!, you'll be rather surprised by the change of pace and atmosphere in Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart.

Take a look at the synopsis of the plot before reading, though, because this manga is packed with trigger warnings.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't the biggest fan of 「ガンバレ、中村くん」... it's cute and fun, don't get me wrong, it's not just the type of story that would stick to my mind. In passing, it does have a sequel, 「もっとガンバレ、中村くん」a chapter of which I've read when I bought OPERA79 and I did find that chapter funny so hey I think I'm gonna buy the tankobon when it's out.

So! This book wasn't in my radar at all because it sounded like it had a sad ending. But in the midst of the Nakamura-kun cover parodies being posted online, there's a few wet blankets who are up for a moral crusade and they said maybe people should stop posting their Nakamura-kun parodies? Because the mangaka totally wrote this fucked up BL with fucked up elements.

And that was when I knew I had to read it.

The story doesn't have a sad ending so much as a horror ending, which makes all of the difference. (I don't mind a horror ending.) This is, before anything else, a horror BL. I'm also not surprised it was picked up by Akaneshinsha/OPERA, since I'm not sure this kind of thing would pass with other publications. If you want a description, it's like what the director of the Double Mints movie said about the story: 'it just happened to be BL'. But the real focus here is the horror.

It sort of maybe? has an acquaintance with the eroguro genre. And if I was the kind of person who read novels, I might be able to make a comparison with Hamao Shirou's works (I have The Devil's Disciple in my TBR pile, I'm gonna get there at some point I promise!!), especially with the detective novel elements. But since I haven't a book in years, all I can say is maybe there's a connection. The eroticism of horror is a popular theme in Japan, after all, so this manga isn't a big surprise. But also I don't think I own a single horror BL, so I'm really happy this exists and that I have a copy of it.

I bought the translated version, btw. I've had experience with Seven Seas manga before and think they do an excellent job. They keep glossy pages and I don't think the translations glossed over Japanese culture to localise it to America (I mean, come on most localisations make it American, but not all English speakers are American so it doesn't even serve the purpose it was intended for). In fact, they keep honorifics in Total Eclipse.

The way Syundei turned things around at the end made me rate this 5 stars instead of 4. It really made the story more chilling and memorable.

[S.E. Martens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I was hoping for a dark, queer, horror story. But, hmmm . . . The idea of a serial killer from the 1920s being reincarnated alongside all of his victims in the modern world is definitely an interesting starting point. But Total Eclipse feels very rushed and scattered. There are some awfully homophobic tropes at work here, what with the way pedophilia is associated with queerness throughout. I understand it’s walking a line here, because this is clearly meant to be read as horror, not romance. But come on. And the ending is really eyeroll-inducing. This is a super quick read, but ultimately pointless and just kinda stupid.

[Afew* · Rating 4 out of 5]

เรื่องสยองของญี่ปุ่นหลายเรื่องที่เคยอ่านมักจะชอบเล่นกับความวิปลาส หรือเล่นกับเรื่องที่ผิดศีลธรรม สองสิ่งนั้นแหละที่ทำให้เวลาอ่านรู้สึกสะอิดสะเอียนกับคันยุบยิบๆที่เนื้อตัว มังงะเรื่องนี้เป็นแบบนั้น

สิ่งที่ชอบสุดๆเลยคือลายเส้นของอาจารย์ มันเหมือนการ์ตูนสมัยก่อน ทั้งสวยและทั้งน่ากลัว เส้นเรื่องก็น่าติดตาม อย่างที่บอกไว้ มันวิปลาส มันผิดศีลธรรม แต่ก็อยากอ่านให้รู้ว่ามันจะไปจบที่ตรงไหน และไม่บ่อยที่จะเจอมังงะ BL-Horror ในไทย

ขอติดtrigger warningไว้สักนิดเพื่อใครสนใจอ่าน ในเรื่องมี Child Abuse, Grooming และน่าจะ Pedophilia ด้วย

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHH!!! I looooved this. It's very much a horror manga, with serial killers and revenge and supernatural stuff and I just wish there were MORE. Ahhhh, it was great! I ADORE how Syundei can draw the innocent, unknowing eagerness of the victims and the creepy look of the killer. Like, the use of how the eyes are done is SO GREAT.

[Samael Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of every Syundei work I’ve read, this has to be my favorite. I’ll admit it took me more than 1 re-read to fully understand the ending but I felt it was very clever and beautifully drawn as always. Despite it only being a one-shot, I believe that Syundei developed the complex character relationships considerably well. Definitely a manga I won’t forget.

[Boujee · Rating 2 out of 5]

i love the 90s art-style, but whoooooof this one's a weird'un even for me

not necessarily bad, it just wasn't my jam

[The Local Spooky Hermit · Rating 4 out of 5]

for a book I had to buy wrapped in plastic to not see inside, it was pretty tame. Not gory or any nudity so I don't get why it was wrapped. Enjoyable dark romance either way.

[robbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Syundei’s art is nice as always, the plot was whatever. Read Go For It Nakamura instead tbh!!!

[Fátima Embark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Le daría menos, porque no lo disfruté nada, pero tiene sus cositas buenas también y tampoco quiero ser injusta.

[Nikola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tohle bylo úžasný. Dovolím si říct bez chyby! Příběh mě dostal, takových zvratů. Tak temný, a jakou to má atmosféru. Nechápu jak autorka mohla napsat tohle a i Go for it Nakamura! Na jedno volumko to má fakt všechno, co je potřeba... teď se jen budu modlit aby přeložili do angličtiny její ostatní mangy.

[TheOASG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoshino Terumichi has had some scary recurring dreams: being choked to death in likely Shōwa era Japan by someone he called sensei. He doesn’t understand why it happens, but his dream begins to turn more into reality the more he interacts with Yamada Omihiko, who he likes a lot. His love for Omihiko ends up colliding with a seemingly random young boy, who ends up stabbing Omihiko to death.

Then maybe some minutes later, Omihiko wakes up, walks away, and says with blood drying at the side of his face, “Two more to go…”

Syundei’s Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart mixes mild boys love with supernatural and horror elements to bring forth a fascinating read. The story is set in the present, but the past — and in this case, the past is feudal Japan — plays a major role in the manga in a creative way. There’s a twist that I won’t spoil you in this revolving around most of the characters (even that seemingly random young boy), but for the most part it’s worked in pretty well. The only thing I can say at this point is we get the usual reincarnated manga and light novels and anime, so this is by far a decidedly different spin on that, which lends it to be pretty refreshing.

Also refreshing is the art. If you’ve seen or read Syundei’s Go for it, Nakamura!, this is a very old school type of feel which sets it apart from most manga in the market, but it sure looks great. The very first splash page is terrifically detailed, colorful, and also foreboding as well, which certainly will set you up for what to expect from this work. It’s also pretty gay, but as mentioned earlier, it’s fairly mild/or at least nothing is shown like it’s a hentai or something from SuBLime. It’s really about a young boy who, from the little background info we get, feels disconnected from his family and is back talked by some of his classmates at school for liking guys. But things change when he meets Omihiko, and that ends up saving him.

The “little background info” is some of the problems with Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart — it’s a one-shot manga. This usually means certain things will get cut out or won’t be developed, so in this manga, we maybe get a few pages where he spends time with his family. At best only the mother, who has a few lines, speaks to him, whereas his dad and sister don’t have much a role at all. This isn’t a major problem, but I think some extra pages going over Terumichi’s family might have been nice.

The other problem is the ending for me. From a narrative standpoint, it probably fits due to Terumichi and Omihiko’s true backstories, but once it got to the part with Terumichi’s mother holding those cookies she just baked, I wasn’t too happy. Maybe I was hoping it would end in a different manner than that, but it just didn’t sit well with me.

Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart is a title that interested me once Seven Seas announced it because of its mix of genres. And while I’m ambivalent on how it ended, I certainly was not disappointed in reading this — from the pacing to the mix of reality and the past, this was a thoroughly great read, and is worth checking out for not only those who like boys love, but also those who enjoy horror stories.

- Justin

[Rach' B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reseña:

Terumichi es un estudiante ordinario, alguien que pasa desapercibido y cuya vida no parece tener nada fuera de lo común. Sin embargo, hay dos elementos que rompen con esa aparente normalidad: las pesadillas recurrentes sobre un asesino que acechó Tokio en el pasado, y la atracción que siente por uno de sus compañeros, Yamada.

Lo que comienza como una historia cotidiana da un giro abrupto cuando Yamada es apuñalado frente a Terumichi por un joven que claramente lo estaba buscando. El impacto del momento no radica solo en la violencia del acto, sino en lo que ocurre después: Yamada se levanta como si nada hubiera pasado, incluso mostrando una extraña satisfacción, mientras que su agresor parece haber sido liberado de algo más profundo que el simple acto de apuñalar.

A partir de este punto, la historia revela que Terumichi y Yamada están ligados a un destino mucho más oscuro. Todo se conecta con la obra de Kuroiwa, un reconocido creador de relatos de horror cuya obra maestra dejó una huella mucho más peligrosa de lo que cualquiera hubiera imaginado. Sus historias, admiradas por muchos —incluido un joven llamado Tsukimura—, terminaron dando origen a almas atormentadas que buscan venganza.

Estas entidades no descansarán hasta que el propio Kuroiwa experimente en carne propia los crímenes que alguna vez plasmó en tinta, condenándolo a un ciclo de sufrimiento que trasciende la muerte.

En medio de este horror, la historia también plantea una idea inquietante: encontrar a la persona que amas en distintas vidas no siempre es un acto romántico. A veces, ese destino compartido puede estar marcado por oscuridad que cubre a los involucrados.



Opinión Personal:

No suelo leer mangas de horror, pero este ha sido toda una JOYA.

A pesar de ser un tomo único, creo que abarca muy bien la historia, especialmente para tratarse de una obra que recae tanto en el misterio como en el horror. Mi personaje favorito, sin duda, fue Kuroiwa/Yamada; leerlo fue tan… exquisito (?), suena muy mal considerando que es un manga que nos muestra todas las atrocidades que cometió y su indiferencia hacia ellas. Aun así, leer sobre agresores o asesinos me resulta muy interesante por la forma en que funciona su mente, especialmente alguien tan descarado como para plasmar todas estas muertes en un libro que lo llevaría a alcanzar la fama.

Creo que este manga toca temas como el karma, en el sentido de que las víctimas de Kuroiwa regresan para “asesinarlo” de la misma manera en que él las hizo sufrir, y cómo su alma no es liberada hasta que el ciclo se completa. Además, el encargado de ello debe ser la persona que “más lo amó”. La relación que se presenta es un verdadero dark romance, mostrándonos la crudeza de los vínculos enfermizos y oscuros como el de nuestros protagonistas.

No sé qué más decir de este manga más allá de que me encantó. Siento una gran admiración por la autora, por lograr llevar una historia así de manera tan increíble y con un dibujo HERMOSO. Sí, las escenas de asesinatos fueron crudas de leer, pero qué belleza de arte.

[Mess López · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is horror with gay characters, not a bl with horror- to clarify.
If you like messed up and fucked up romances with a lot of problematic topics, this is amazing! I really like Syundei's art style and the plot? I loved! It was a great mystery with a tragic and nice plot twist/revelation.
The fact that many people didn't like this almost discouraged me from reading it, but i think that if you're used to reading problematic things, this is okay! (I've read some fucked up things, like- this is only grooming and murder, not good but- i mean, this could be Harada's nii-chan with blood, actually I thought this was like nii-chan but with blood, so the plot of past lives, revenge, fear, a death wish and all that was a good surprise... To say that I think nii-chan is a great story that shows hard thoughts about SA and here the grooming part was kind of unimportant- like 'oh, yeah, i have a crush on this old man, yeah, he ruined my life, well, x, imma ruin him next time in the best and most tragic way of loving someone', i would like a little bit more of deepness, but yeah, i liked it. The no longer human quote and question about those who don't fear death- it reminded me to Akutagawa Ryunnosuke in a good way.

[Yakult Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Warning: violence on young characters, age difference, sexual scenes

Really well paced. Super tense and superb art (incredibly well drawn expressions and beautifully drawn people). Do not go in expecting a light hearted story despite the innocuous set up (to be fair, the story foreshadows and sets the horror tone early on!).

Yes, the story is about a gay man seducing boys but it’s treated exactly for what it is. Creepy and worthy of horror-style punishment.

Do not go in expecting “the pinnacle of queer rep” or anything like that. It’s a horror yaoi and super messed up but very well done.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a completely different story but this is what I got I guess.

I'm in the 'vengeful-spirits-coming-to-hunt-their-killer' trope but pedophilia is a BIG 'no no' for me.
I like the art and the story was actually really interesting. The ending was confusing af so I would need to give this a second read but I will not. Not in a thousand years. I was so glad when this was over.