The Embalmer is one of those titles that really prove how full of various and unusual themes the medium of manga is. Really, where else would you find a fiction about non-Egyptian embalming?

Now, embalming isn't really something most of the readers would relate to. I too had my doubts about how someone could make a series based around it entertaining or meaningful, especially considering I didn't see any meaning even in the act of embalming itself. Lo and behold, it actually is good. The manga takes the readers doubt and responds to them. It explains and defends the utility of the profession of embalmer really well through the whole story and is perfectly capable of changing your opinion of it. This is very important thing to do, as without the reader understanding the meaning of embalming, the whole manga would have much lesser impact, and I commend the author for getting it right.

The second instance of the author answering my doubts as a reader was within the first few chapters. At the beginning, this manga didn't look that great and most importantly, the episodical format of the chapters seemed to have the same formula for all of them - a character is introduced, they die somehow and the protagonist gets to do their job while some part of the deceased's life is explored. Which is nice and all, but it gets repetitive quickly. However, it was exactly the chapter that I was starting to get bored and complaining about the repetitiveness that this formulaic cycle was broken. The progress of the chapter went different than expected, in a good way, and it was also around this point where a more consistent plot started to show through the chapters. It really shows a great writing skill when the author is able to pinpoint the reader's doubt like this and answers them.

The protagonist has his flaws and one of the main point of the story is confronting them, which I have to appreciate, especially in this era of mary sue MCs. The minor characters too have their own personalities, even if some of them appear only for a short time. Unlike some other titles, none of the characters here feels like a cardboard cut-out of the person.

The art feels kinda... Tokyopop-ish. Yes I know, Tokyopop is just an English licensor, and yet the art feels exactly like something they would typically pick up for a release. It might feel kind of... dated, if that's even the fitting expression, but you'll get used to it quickly and it's certainly not a bad art. It's just your typical early 00's manga vibe.

Overall, it's an interesting read with an unusual theme and with a satisfying story conclusion. Certainly worth picking up.