Your Turn To Die: Majority Vote Death Game Vol 1 Review

Your Turn to Die: Majority Death Game is a horror/mystery manga, written by Nankidai and with art by Tatsuya Ikegami, that’s based on a game of the same name, which I might need to track down and play now.

Synopsis:

Sara has felt like she’s being watched for days, but hasn’t managed to get a glimpse of the stalker. Then, while walking home with her friend Joe, they’re approached by a creepy shadowy figure. Completely freaked out, the two make a run for it, but, just as they reach Sara’s house and think they’re safe, they’re captured and knocked unconscious. They wake up in a sinister facility, along with a nine other people who have also been kidnapped, and are forced to participate in a sick and twisted game. The group needs to solve puzzles and make it past deadly traps in order to make it out of this dungeon alive, but that’s only the beginning of the sadistic mind-games their captors have in store for them! Sara and the other victims are told to participate in a “Party Vote”, where they are instructed to cast votes on who amongst them is going to die!

Review:

I generally don’t enjoy horror stories, but Your Turn to Die falls into that particular category of horror that I do like, where the plot is focused on mystery, suspense and psychological thrills, instead of on blood and gore (though there is quite a bit of blood in this manga). Your Turn to Die is a gripping manga with plenty of narrow escapes and tense moments, as the characters try to work together to find a way out of this hellish game, all whilst not being able to fully trust each other.

Sara finds herself surrounded by a group of quirky and suspicious characters. There’s a schoolteacher who looks like a mad scientist, a cop who keeps acting overly familiar with Sara, a grieving middle schooler who’s wearing a stupid-looking bucket on her head for some reason, and a host of other weirdos, any of whom could secretly be working with the enemy, or even be the mastermind behind this whole sick scenario.

No, she’s not okay, Sara. She needs a fashion intervention! STAT!

Already, several characters have behaved in ways that call their trustworthiness into question. Even Joe, Sara’s kind and stalwart friend who she would trust with her life, has been behaving strangely. Are they just acting oddly due to the extreme stress of the situation? Is Sara becoming paranoid and no longer seeing things objectively? Or are they actually out to get Sara and the others? And, even if everyone is who they say they are, how long can their teamwork last before the terrible “Party Votes” cause them to all turn on each other completely?

It’s an exciting setup and I’m hoping that Sara, who’s already proven herself to be a steady and intelligent young lady, can make it out of this in one piece. Things will probably wind up getting pretty bloody as the game continues, however. We’re just one volume in, and already one of my favourite characters has bit the bullet, and the body count is all but guaranteed to rise from here!

With the intriguing mystery behind why these particular people were chosen for this game – not to mention the identity of who is responsible for setting it up – added to the suspenseful and high-stakes narrative, Your Turn to Die wound up being a very exciting read and this volume has me completely hooked. I’d recommend this to horror fans and anyone who likes a psychological thriller full of deadly twists and turns.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

For more information on this series, visit Yen Press’ website.

What did you think of this manga? Any theories about the cast you’d like to share? Also, has anyone played this game? Let me know in the comments.

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