A manga series blends academic life with a terrifying hunt for vengeful spirits
In short: In the Japanese series Dark Gathering, a young man cursed to attract ghosts teams up with a brilliant, occult-obsessed girl. Together, they navigate the supernatural to track down a malevolent entity. It is a dark, gripping exploration of trauma and obsession that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.
Created by Kenichi Kondo, Dark Gathering began its run in the magazine Jump Square in March 2019. The narrative follows Keitaro Gentoga, a college student whose life is defined by a traumatic spiritual encounter from his youth. This event left him and his childhood friend, Eiko Hozuki, with cursed hands and a constant, involuntary attraction to ghosts. After years as a shut-in, Keitaro attempts to re-enter society by working as a tutor for Yayoi Hozuki, Eiko's younger cousin.
Yayoi is a child prodigy with an IQ exceeding 160 who possesses the ability to see ghosts clearly following a tragic accident that orphaned her. Driven by the need to rescue her mother's spirit from an embryo-like entity, she recruits Keitaro to help her capture and weaponize dangerous ghosts. The group is later joined by Ai, a girl marked by a malevolent god who deflects her misfortune onto others, dooming her to become his bride upon turning twenty.
The series has achieved significant commercial success, with over 3 million copies in circulation by September 2026. Beyond the printed volumes, the story was adapted into an anime series by OLM, which broadcast its first season in late 2023. A second season is currently in development for a 2027 premiere. While the characters grapple with the supernatural, their human motivations—ranging from Eiko's intense, obsessive devotion to Keitaro to Yayoi's desperate quest for her mother—ground the horror in complex, often unsettling, emotional stakes.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Dark Gathering
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