I first watched the highly underrated OVA series almost 20 years ago and for a very long time, I felt compelled to read the original manga because I loved the anime so much. I finally found a little free time and have decided to give it a try, and it has definitely been a great read.

Count D is a mysterious Chinese man living in Los Angeles's Chinatown with an even stranger profession: he sells all sorts of exotic and mythical animals to the right customer. Is the beast they see in the maze beneath the pet shop a human being or not? The rules are simple enough: never show the pet to anyone (some cases don't have this restriction), give the pet a specified diet, and keep its enclosure well-tended. The shop will not be held responsible in case the owner breaks any rules.

Of course, human nature entices people to break the rules, and all sorts of different problems could occur.

Dream: A young woman from a rich family feels rejected by her emotionally absent father and asks Count D to sell her a bird of unique beauty who sings to her every night. Will she fall in love with her new pet's beautiful lullaby? Or will she ask D for a change in contract to save the species from extinction?
Despair: This story was used in the OVA series and it replicates the source material very well. Our protagonist is an actor named Robin who played an alien prince in a Sci Fi film almost 10 years ago, but attempts to get any new roles have been a failure. Economically in huge trouble and abandoned by his wife, he purchases a very unique lizard from D who will give him the company he yearns. Detective Leon makes his first appearance in this episode and he tries to uncover the mystery between Robin's mysterious death... and all signs points to Count D's pet shop.
Daughter: Another chapter that was featured in the OVAS, it was selected as episode 1 even though it is technically Chapter 3 of the manga. A beautiful teenager named Alice dies from an overdose, leaving her well-intentioned but crappy parents behind in their despair. Fortunately, Count D has a solution that might give them a second chance for redemption... Or not. Quite personally, I didn't like this chapter that much, but horror fans will surely enjoy it.
Dreizehn: A young woman survives a home invasion/arsonist, but she ends up blind from the trauma of seeing the man murder her parents. Distraught and terrified about her safety because the killer escaped, Count D sells her a most unusual and faithful Doberman with the form of a handsome human in military garb named Dreizehn. Karen has a hard time believing Dreizehn is in reality a dog, and feels frustrated by his overprotective nature. However, for some reason she begins to feel like she has underestimated him and might need his help...

The start of the manga starts quite strong with 4 interesting stories venturing mostly in the realm of horror and adventure; I enjoyed reading it very much and plan to continue reading it. ( )

My favorite manga in all of the world. This was the first manga series I read in its entirety and it left a profound impact on me at such a young age. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an original, thought provoking series accompanied by gorgeous artwork. ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of monsters/creatures! Each story has a moral or lesson to it- not exactly like an Aesop's tale but reminiscent of one. There's also some subplots found along the way, but it isn't distracting at all and is fairly easy to keep up with. The main focus is each monster/creature the volume features as the central plot focus and thrusts into the spotlight.

Also- we don't talk about the anime. Just read the manga and you're set.

This series is out of print now- so if you are wanting to buy them yourself they maybe harder and pricier to find now. I know I paid a hefty price tag over the course of a year or two to gather them all up before they become too hard to find. You can still visit your local library, read online, or ask a friend who has them. ( )

The amazing supernatural and chilling stories about a petshop and its strange owner.

Makes me think of:
Mew-The Zookeepers boy
( )

This is one of the best horror mangas in existense along with Uzumaki and The drifting classroom. I loved it! ( )

It's not my favorite art style, but I actually got really into it. Count D is pretty awesome and I love how innocent (and sweet, heh) and yet menacing he can be. The dynamic between him and the detective is quite interesting as well.

Normally I'm not super big on episodic stuff, where each episode is an entirely new story with new characters and everything, but... like I said, I got pretty into it. Definitely going to read more of this. ( )