[Manga] [After School Nightmare / Houkago Hokenshitsu]

[Sheard]

Plot Synopsis - Mashiro Ichijo has been living his life as a boy, but he is not fully male nor fully female. This hasn't caused much issues until he was informed that he is required to take a strange class where a group of students enter a nitemare world where their true form is visible and they must find a key.

US Releases -
Vol 1: ISBN: 1933617160
Vol 2: ISBN: 1933617179
Vol 3: ISBN: 1933617241
Vol 4: ISBN: 1933617330
Vol 5: ISBN: 1933617470 (Oct 2007)


Comments - The thing that I thought might make this series enteresting (at least around this guild) with Mashiro's dual sexality is that he has two love interestes.

Kureha (female) is another student that is known to be in the class. She doesn't like boys as she is afraid of men in general. She only becomes intested in Mashiro after seeing his dream form (which is himself wearing a boy's school uniform from the waste up and a skirt.) Although she initially becomes interested in Mashiro because he isn't completely male, she accepts him as being that way.

Sou (male) has a reputation around the school for being a bad boy and a player with and seemingly endless list of ex-girlfriends. He develops interest in Mashiro, who he insists is a girl.



Images
Sou kisses Mashiro - from Vol 4, color section  

[Lady Gyrfalcon]

I've seen it around... At the place I get manga. It looks like it might be good.
It certainly looks interesting.  

[Sheard]

I could have gave this one a more detailed plot description but unfortunately ASN is a mystery above all else... Proper discussions are probably would turn into a very heavy spoiler-fest. ^^;;;

but I thought some people might enjoy the scan I did since the first few pages are in color.  

[Skizzors]

What I don't get is.. very first thing in volume 1, Mashiro gets his period, yeah? So he has female genitalia. Why.. why, if you had female genitalia, would you assume you're a guy? gonk And a "male top".. for most of his life, all before puberty, that would be normal. And now he's just flat-chested.

I mean, wouldn't you just assume you're a really ugly, flat-chested chick?  

[Lady Gyrfalcon]

I stood around today in my local comic store and read volumes 1-4. My feet! I was there for ages!
Anyway...
I don't really get it either. D: It's certainly quite strange.

Full colour pages are awesome. And ASN has about two-three, which is very nice.  

[good-jack04]

I just got vol 4 but I haven't read it yet and I look at the preview for Vol 5, all I have to say is that I'm so going to hate Mashiro if he sleeps with Kureha. scream

Reason: Mainly cause I think a good number of us can agree he seems more attracted to Sou. Heck if it wasn't for Shibashi knocking on Mashiro's room door during scenes in Vol 4 he probably would had end up sleeping with Sou. Plus I do think Mashiro cares for Kureha but not as a boyfriend. I think he pitys her and does care for her but does not have any physical attraction for her and that the main reason he is with her is just to prove to himself that he is a guy while Kureha is with him cause since he is physically not a boy so he can't rape her.

Sou is the only one that actually loves Mashiro for who he really is and would probably even love Mashiro if he really was a boy, which I doubt Kureha would. So I hope that once Mashiro see who the knight really is and that if it is not Sou that maybe he will finally realize his true feelings and go out with the person he really loves, not go out with someone just to prove to himself he is a guy cause he really needs to except he is not a guy. mad  

[Sheard]

While it is not specifically stated anywhere in the manga, I am going to take a leap here and say that Mashiro is probably a hermaphrodite (someone possessing both male and female sex organs.) It's very rare, but does actually happen.

I do think that both Kureha and Sou are both very wrong in how they treat him. Kureha would have Mashiro live his entire life in in a quasi-state of not being full male. Sou would force Mashiro to choose to be female and goes so far as to pressure him very hard to make that choice, with no thought put into what Mashiro actually wants.

What gender Mashiro identifies himself with should be his choice alone. (I refer to the character as being male just because this is how the character sees himself as of Vol 4.)  

[good-jack04]

I wouldn't be too shock if Mashiro is a hermaphrodite, that would explain a lot from the 1st vol where its a flash back and Mashiro's mother is asking the gender of the baby and the doctor doesn't answer. 3nodding I can see why Mashiro identifies himself as a male since he looks more like one and expect that is that is what he wants. I also agree that both Kureha and Sou treat him wrong but the way Mashiro treats them shows so far he has more interest in Sou then Kureha. Because of that I'm more against Mashiro being with Kureha but in the end I actually wouldn't be shock if he ends up with neither yet that would be really sad if that does happen. sad Sou liked Mashiro way before he found out the truth about Mashiro which is why I have more hope for Sou then Kureha cause Kureha really didn't show any interest in Mashiro when she found out the truth about him yet that was also that time Sou finally made his move too.

One thing is for sure: I do feel sorry for Mashiro and can understand him being so confuse with Sou and Kureha both courting him. Yet if Mashiro is with Kureha out of just proving to himself he is a man and not out of love then I still think that's wrong. Mashiro needs to except his male and female parts.  

[good-jack04]

I found the cover of Vol 6, looks like Mashiro gets back close to Sou in this one.



After reading Vol 4, I actually felt sorry for Mashiro, the guy is so confuse of what he really wants but he doesnt want to hurt Kureha. Yet if he can't fully love Kureha then he will just end up hurting her more, plus Sou too... so I hope he can make up his mind at least near the end. :3  

[Skizzors]

I really dislike how Sou's treating Mashiro too. I understand his problem, but telling Mashiro to think of himself as a girl because it's the only way Sou could like him.. yeah, no. Piss off, breeder >/

*cough* ... *eyes vol6 cover* He's in a dress.. this presents a bad sign for my argument.. xD;  

[uzumakinoai]

i like afterschool nightmare =) at first i thought it was.... kind of dragging.... but then that whole lov conflict with mashiro and sou just made me want to read it more =p i dont like kureha.... it hink she's.... kind of like a leech.... poor mashiro.... and sou's relationship with his sister is just so.... twisted x_X.... i just want sou and mashiro together!!!!
m.i.a. =p  

[Skizzors]

I still want threesome T__T. *indecisive* And.. idk. Mashiro getting with Sou just seems like such a dangerous relationship. Suppressing his identity for the sake of being in a relationship. Dx Like.. Sooooou. STOP BEING AN a*****e.  

[smileontheedge]

I tell you what when I first about this manga I really wanted to get it because it looked really interesting. I haven't picked it up yet beause I don't think they sell it in my area. I'm going to have to look. If worse comes to worse I'll try to find it online.  

[Dracavia]

I adore After School Nightmare. I just finished reading Volume 7, and the last scene makes me really anxious to read Volume 8. I'm dying to know what happens. sad Stupid Chapters and their "Temporary unavailable to order"...

And I definitely want Mashiro to end up with Sou. Like good-jack said, their relationship just feels much more emotional and real. But whenever they make any kind of progress, one of them has to go and be an a** and ruin everything.  

[Mage_Almasy]

You know---I think I might have seen this manga and just shrugged after checking a few pages xD

It gave me the impression that---well,that it wasn't all that good.
But now idk, I might have to go back there and read a few pages!