A Trail of Blood is a fantastic example of a thriller/horror manga that does not have to utilize extreme gore to get that 'shock' factor out from its reader. Instead, the true horror of this story emulates from the author's unique artwork. Oshimi uses lines, and scribbles, to reflect the character's state of mind. When Osabe is anxious, the art seems to deteriorate and the panels begin to mesh together to reflect our main character and the narrator's, point of view. Osabe's mother is the other main character of this series and she serves as an interesting antagonist to this story. When it comes to her character the reader can never truly understand what is going on in her mind. She seems to be a good person at one moment- as she shows tenderness towards her son, and is depicted of a victim of a cruel family and world. Other times, she is the epitome of evil. The reader, like Osabe himself, never really understands his mother. Is she a good person? Is she not a good person? It is yet to be clear, but when more is revealed of her past, my bet is these questions will still not be clear, as they are very subjective in nature. This confusion the reader has surrounding Osabe's mother is similar to what Osabe himself must be feeling, as the manga shows time and time again how conflicted he feels in his situation. This was an excellent thriller thus far, and I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for the ending!