The long version of the title is "Hachigatsu Kokonoka Boku Wa Kimi Ni Kuwareru" Illustrated by Tomomi. Since I'm not a pro at JP translation, "Is it here that I will be eaten by you" was the closest thing that made sense since that's exactly what this story's theme is going for as a psychological, thriller, and horror manga.
It's about Sakurai, a high school student that lives a life constantly plagued by stalkers from old Japanese folklore and urban legends. One day, he was attacked by a classmate that disguised herself as a human and got saved by Miyako, who happens to be another one of his stalkers. Miyako's unconditional love for Sakurai compels her to protect the boy from other monsters, at least, this is what Sakurai has to believe to survive.
But before you get your hopes up, this is still an ongoing manga with around 30 chapters in and the update is slow for English translations anyway. It's also not for people sensitive to toxic relationships, violence and gore.
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This is the default art style that I love to look at when reading manga. It's capturing the necessary values without compromising form and having so much detail implied while using less black ink and more negative space. The characters are hot and this imagery gives it a perfect contrast to their personalities which can be shown as twisted monsters on the next panel.Hachigatsu Kokonoka, is a slow tension building horror story, even after 30 chapters in, there's still a lot to unpack and more characters are thrown in the mix. Just when you think there's a revelation on the way, a new mystery gets added to a character's backstory that hints of a greater mystery beyond the cast at work.
Sakurai as a character feels real despite being depicted as a weak shit main character being dependent on Miyako. He's just a high school kid born with a bad luck and every misfortune incarnate wants a piece of him all to themselves. He's forced to live a life walking on ice with supernatural forces and being paranoid is an expected default emotion he is acquainted with. He's hard to relate because it's not a universal experience to see things that aren't supposed to be there nor to have the unseen want to take a bite at you while they tell you they love you.
The monsters in this story are drawn hot and Sakurai seems to be the unfortunate harem protagonist at the center of all these mysteries. Him being scare at the stalkers that protect him from other stalkers is warranted, because after the conflict has been resolved, the victor that won him over gets to have their way with him like a piece of meat. I know the implied erotic accents is intentional, a niche taste, but it works for this type of horror.
Sakurai is weak but this is expected for normal human standards especially when he's just a high school student getting traumatized left and right by these stalkers that profess their love to him. They maybe hot, love him and still want him dead for their own selfish reasons.
Several chapters in and there's still a lot more to unpack about everyone's past but that's all part of the convoluted mystery. But it's a worthwhile read if you're into a mix of erotic horror and thrills. The panels are easy on the eyes and the art style just damn good.
Thanks for your time.