Katsuhisa Kigitsu

More of the same as in the first volume. Fran Madaraki does her radical surgery thing and karma is dealt out to various folks who oppose or try to use her. Only this time, the joke has worn off for me, so I didn't have as much fun.

My flagging interest is probably due in part to the lack of character development. The short chapters are very plot driven, more like morality plays to be observed rather than chances for recurring characters to have any real development as people.

I'll probably still pick up the next volume if my local library acquires it, but only because I'm already halfway through the series, so I might as well finish.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:

Franken Fran, Volume 3
• Episode 15. Eternal Beauty
• Episode 16. Adorea
• Episode 17. Sea Monster
• Episode 18. Trivial Love
• Episode 19 Lust
• Episode 20. The Final Movie
• Episode 21. Attempted Suicide
• Episode 22. Protozoan
• Extra Episode. Memento
• Author Episode Commentary

Franken Fran, Volume 4
• Episode 23. Justice
• Episode 24. Immortality
• Episode 25. Girl's School
• Episode 26. Piety
• Episode 27. Her Pet Dog
• Episode 28. A Very Lucky Man
• Episode 29. Egg Parturition
• Episode 30. People of Unusual Tastes
• Extra Episode. Purin
• Author Episode Commentary… (more)

This mashup of Frankenstein and The Island of Dr. Moreau revels in goofy and gross body horror that Junji Ito might produce if he were more of a humorist. It also owes an obvious debt to Osamu Tezuka's Black Jack with air-headed mad scientist Fran Madaraki zipping around and performing unlicensed surgery on people who have been recently injured or killed through accidents, murder, suicide, etc. The results of her life-saving or -resurrecting work are often grotesque perversions of what the patient may have wanted or karmic retribution for evil they may have done.

It's madcap nonsense that requires total suspension of disbelief, but the stand-alone chapters are like potato chips for the eyes -- You can't read just one! -- but they are also empty calories for your brain. Fran is less a character than a convenient plot device for every story, but maybe she'll grow on me . . . or graft her brain to mine and take me over.

Each volume ends with super-short fast-fiction horror stories seemingly unrelated to Fran, but some of which have their own recurring characters: a girl with an eyepatch who slays monsters with giant scissors and a boy wearing a hat, scarf and long coat who sees dead people.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:

Franken Fran, Volume 1
• Episode 1. Brains
• Episode 2. Chrysalis
• Episode 3. Take to Pieces
• Episode 4. Cosmetic Surgery
• Episode 5. God & Dog
• Episode 6. Unhappy Birthday
• Episode 7. Hold Me Tight
• Extra Episode: Movie Star
• Tales of Evil: At the Scene of an Accident
• Tales of Evil: Out of Body
• Tales of Evil: Who Are You?
• Review
• Extra

Franken Fran, Volume 2
• Episode 8. Beautiful World
• Episode 9. Fake
• Episode 10. Cockroach
• Episode 11. Snow Light
• Episode 12. Multiplies
• Episode 13. Multiplies²
• Episode 14. My Little Sister
• Extra Episode: Bloody Veronica
• Tales of Evil: Beauty
• Tales of Evil: Help
• Tales of Evil: Not Peeping
• Tales of Evil: Spirit Photography
• Tales of Evil: Stopped
• Tales of Evil: Criminal
• Tales of Evil: The Past
• Review
• Extra… (more)