Jumping from a novel to several different media, In/Spectre has achieved plenty of success in its decade of existence. Featuring a supernatural romance between a goddess and a monster flesh-eating university student, In/Spectre offers an interesting spin on the paranormal.
Though it may have started as a novel, the manga and especially the anime version of In/Spectre have quickly eclipsed this source material. More volumes of the manga are now coming to the West, with a second season of the anime in the works as well. Here's what people should know about getting into In/Spectre and the best and most cost-effective ways of consuming all its media versions.
The Plot of In/Spectre
In/Spectre follows university students Kuro Sakuragawa and Kotoko Iwanaga, the former of whom has recently been dealing with a bad breakup from his ex-girlfriend. Kotoko lifts his spirits by confessing her own love for him, before also revealing that she's a goddess of wisdom after encountering a yokai at the age of 11.
Kuro himself is a monster with supernatural healing powers that he gained after eating the dead bodies of two different yokai. Now able to heal from almost anything in a matter of seconds, he also boasts incredible precognitive abilities. After facing off against a dangerous yokai in the school's library, the two realize the truth behind each other's words, with Kuro aiming to help Kotoko with whatever she needs as a goddess of wisdom.
Where to Read the In/Spectre Novels/Manga
In/Spectre began in 2011 as a novel from Kodansha, with Kyo Shirodaira writing the series and Hiro Kyohara providing the illustrations. It would later switch imprints from Kodansha Novels to Kodansha Taiga, with Chasiba Katase taking over the art duties. There have been four volumes of the original novel series to date, which is still ongoing. There's also a manga version of the story that began in 2015 and which is likewise drawn by Katase. Beginning in 2015, there are 15 collected volumes so far, although only 13 have currently been localized.
The manga can be purchased through Comixology, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Walmart, Target and Right Stuf Anime, with some of these venues having the books in either digital or physical format. Unfortunately, the four volumes of the original novel series have not yet been officially translated and localized in the West, although with the franchise growing more popular, that may soon change.
Where to Watch the In/Spectre Anime
An anime adaptation of In/Spectre was announced at the beginning of 2019, which began airing in January of the following year. Its first season lasted for 12 episodes, leaving a lot of material still untouched. Produced by Brain's Base studio -- known for such iconic anime hits as Baccano! and Durarara!! -- the show's initial season was directed by Keiji Gotoh, with Takatoshi Honda handling the character designs. The series' second season was announced in November 2020, with the staff nearly all reprising their former roles. Honda, however, will be replaced by Kentarou Matsumoto as the character designer.
The show was co-produced by streaming service Crunchyroll, and it can still be streamed through that site as well as via HBO Max. Individual episodes can also be purchased through Google Play, Vudu and Apple TV+. Viz Media localized the series on home media, and the Blu-ray collection can be bought through Amazon, Best Buy and Right Stuf Anime.
