人形芝居 [Ningyou Shibai]

A quiet, eerie four-issue series from Hakusensha that began in 1996, 人形芝居 (Ningyou Shibai) centers on the unsettling world of puppet theater. Its brief, self-contained run is most associated with its creator's precise, atmospheric storytelling and detailed art, which bring a sense of creeping dread to each performance. While short, the series stands as a distinctive, moody entry in the horror-tinged manga of its era.