Finished
“Skilled embalmer Shinjuurou restores dignity to the dead, helping mourners find closure despite societal rejection.”
The Embalmer
死化粧師
8.0
837 rank · 16,198 readers · 357 favorites
Josei
Psychological
Drama
Romance
Would You Love or Hate This?
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Skilled embalmer Shinjuurou restores dignity to the dead, helping mourners find closure despite societal rejection.
Shinjuurou Mamiya works as an embalmer—a profession seen as "unclean" by Japanese society due to religious traditions and lack of demand for the service. Driven by his passion to preserve the dignity of the deceased, he has resigned himself to the outcast lifestyle that comes with his job. Though his clientele is lacking, he is exceptionally skilled. Shinjuurou does not shy away from opportunities to show off his ability to transform a corpse into a state that makes a loved one believe they are just sleeping peacefully. Shigeshoushi explores the delicate psychological relationships between life, death, loss, and mourning. With each embalming, Shinjuurou brings the inner beauty of the deceased back to life to give their loved ones a chance to properly say goodbye.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 6 sampled reviews
8.2
/10
What 6 readers settled on.
83%
recommend
Score distribution
median 9
mode 9
σ 1.46
Agreement
Mostly aligned
σ 1.46 · some divergence
The polarity gap
3.8 pts
Recommenders 8.8 · others 5.0
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 0.83
Running avg · Jul 2010 → Sep 2024
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 9 “This manga is not to all tastes because some people can consider gloomy, creepy or boring. It's about a guy who becomes an embalmer and his daily routine with his "customers". The stories are all...”
- 9 “"if you ever lost someone close to you, this book will really tug at your heartstrings, but also might become a treasured part of your bookshelf" -ign.com I think it's true. I can understand this...”
- 9 “Being in a country where embalming is a practice, I could probably relate to the thought where "the family members would want the deceased to look how he/she usually was when he/she's still alive"...”
Verbosity
Short · 17%
Medium · 67%
Long · 17%
Read Order & Related
Explore the The Embalmer universe
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 42 × 7 ch × vol
- Total read 5h 36m approx
- Published May 2002 – Apr 2013
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M0523 catalog