Danica Davidson
May 2, 2025 
Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary is a mixture of cuteness and horror. The titular Kaya-chan is a kindergartner who is seen as a problem child at her school. She’s different, and gets into trouble all the time. And no matter what happens, she blames “ghosts.”
Chie becomes a new teacher there and is assigned to Kaya-chan. But Chie very quickly realizes — Kaya is telling the truth! The little girl is very psychic, and she sees ghosts all over. Her odd, troublesome behaviors are just things she does to protect the others from the malicious spirits.
In the first volume, each chapter is themed to a different thing that is causing problems. So in the beginning, there are evil spirits around the swingset, and in another, something sinister is happening in the bathroom. At first it gives the impression that each story is a stand-alone and it will continue like that. Then it starts to slip some very, very interesting things, mainly about Kaya’s family, showing there’s more to this story than first meets the eye. Of course, the story can’t give things away this early on, so it’s mostly just hinting at things. And the hints are pretty provocative.
Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary has some really creepy imagery, but I wouldn’t say it’s scary. It does have a good macabre effect. Then, juxtaposed against this menacing imagery are cute characters like Kaya. This cute horror has a home in Japan, and this manga does a good job of balancing the two seemingly contradictory styles. It also has some moments of humor.
At the end of the first volume, the mangaka mentions that before this she was a kindergarten teacher, which is an amusing thing to reveal after so much horror in the kindergarten classroom. But the kindergarten classroom she’s created in this book is something else, and it’s a fun escape into safe horror.
Story & Art: Yuritaro
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Translator: Kathryn Henzler
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
