Let's just be honest with ourselves: Broadly speaking, manga and anime are full of goody-two-shoes protagonists. They're usually teenagers. They tend to have selfless personalities or goals, and there's usually some element of needing to stop a superpowered bad guy for anyone's sake but their own. Sure, they're not usually saints, but when push comes to shove, you can count on them to do the right thing. GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! is a short, 5-volume manga for the people who are sick of that, and just want to see a grown, tax-paying adult revel in petty revenge on everyday annoyances.

When you hear the phrase “revenge fantasy” in relation to manga, you probably start envisioning that it's led by a Sasuke Uchiha-esque character whose had (a) loved one(s) murdered, had something precious stolen from them, was ousted from a society or group that they desperately wanted to be a part of, or some other manner of grandiose, high stakes sin, which has yielded deep, life changing consequences. You don't usually think of something more common and relatable, like “someone tired of their neighbor's loud music” or “someone who wants to get back at that doctor who keeps ignoring what they say.” And yet, that's exactly what you get in GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST!'s Akechi, who's enabled (and often encouraged) by her guardian spirit, Masako.

This isn't to say that Akechi hasn't experienced any hardship—just that she's been through it in a different, more grounded way. Early on, we learn that she had an affair with someone higher on the corporate ladder than she was at her old job. He kept promising her that he'd leave his wife for her, but when it was time for him to put his money where his mouth was, when the company found out, he left Akechi instead. She lost her job (but he got to keep his), and it's resulted in her having to make payments. Her new job isn't secure, and she doesn't care for her boss or peers. The stress this whole thing gave her resulted in her accidentally overdosing on stomach medicine—this is how she met Masako in the first place. Akechi isn't framed as being suicidal, per se, but when faced with the possibility of her death, she's completely apathetic toward the idea of dying. Still, some readers might interpret this as Akechi being suicidal, so I wouldn't recommend this manga—or at least, its first volume—to anyone who wants to steer clear of this subject matter.

Masako is taken off guard by how little Akechi seems to value her own life, and wants to help bring some much-needed joy to Akechi. But Akechi is a quintessential dirtbag: Selfish, callous, and not particularly interested in becoming a better person. And more than anything, her experiences have left her feeling vengeful. So, if revenge by way of supernatural curses is what'll bring happiness to her life, then ironically, blessing her with curses it shall be—and no transgression is too small for the petty, drunk-with-power Akechi. And thus, most chapters follow Akechi and Masako experiencing some manner of annoyance or inconvenience, and finding a perverse happiness in cursing those responsible. Usually this happens by way of a grisly, ghostly jumpscare, but some curses involve more effort and creativity than others—and then others still are just plain bigger and thus require bigger, more over-the-top solutions. Admittedly, this does make GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! a bit repetitive and formulaic at times, but the comedy and flawed charms of our duo of protagonists are more than enough to make up for it.

As you might have noticed by now, the writing of GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! is incredibly cynical, and it's matched perfectly by Miyako Hiruzuka's stylish, not particularly cutesy, and remarkably expressive visuals—to say nothing of how spooky Masako looks whilst going full-on ghost while trying to scare people. Similarly, Minna Lin's translation is excellent and captures the tone of this manga wonderfully. I especially want to highlight the quality of the translation notes in the back of each volume, which I found pretty interesting and helpful since there's a handful of Japanese cultural references that would be considered deep cuts compared to what we're used to seeing in anime and manga (EX: a popular Japanese comedy gag from the 60s, and the way trash disposal works in Japan).

GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! is the best kind of revenge fantasy: A relatable one. Even better, it's led by a duo of imperfect protagonists who relish being cartoon villains. In fact, there's an argument to be made that Akechi and Masako are more villainesses than most of the protagonists of actual villainess anime and manga. A hilarious, sardonic change in pace, this manga is for the sickos who are in the mood for a heaping helping of delicious schadenfreude.