In her youth, Sumireko Ogawa aspired to become a successful writer, promising herself that she would write a novel she can be proud of.
Several years later, the 27-year-old Sumireko is working as a bookstore clerk, struggling with writer's block and grappling with the fact that her youth is now behind her... until, on the eve of her 28th birthday, Sumireko finds herself becoming a little girl under the moonlight, and rejoicing at the possibility of finally writing her novel again.
Unfortunately, this "blessing" quickly becomes a nightmare: Sumireko is slowly dying from the side-effects of being restored to her younger self, and is only saved by the intervention of her unassuming co-worker Ren Adashino. Ren reveals himself to be experienced in the occult, and informs Sumireko that her state is the result of a cursed book she read, and soon she gains the ability to shift between the two forms. Sumireko's own interest in the occult and desire to find inspiration for her upcoming novel leads her to team up with Ren and his equally-creepy sister Oto in solving the many supernatural mysteries around her...
Mysterious Disappearances (Kaii to Otome to Kamikakushinote ) is an Urban Fantasy Mystery Horror manga written and illustrated by Nujima, currently serialized on Shogakukan's Yawaraka Spirits website since October 2019.
An anime adaptation was announced with a premiere date of April 10, 2024, animated by Studio Zero-G.
"So, what kind of tropes do they warn about?"
- Cursed with Awesome: Much of the main cast were this.
- Sumireko's curse is "Tsukuyomi's Water of Life", which allows her to switch between her child and adult forms at will, despite some caveats.note While the agonizing side-effects has since been nullified due to her high compatibility with the curse, this has since became extremely useful on multiple occasions, as it sometimes gets her out of sticky situations at times and even helps her with her investigations.
- Shapeshifter Baggage: Turns out that just because Sumireko can turn back into a child due to her curse doesn't mean the extra biomass from when she was an adult magically goes away; it's all compressed to the point that she will start bleeding from the ears and eyes if she stays a child for too long.
- Virgin Power: Sumireko's curse "Tsukoyomi's Water of Life" literally requires the enchanter to be a 28 year old virgin.
