I'm a sucker for a good scary story. I grew up a horror movie junkie, and haven't outgrown the addiction as I've gotten older.

My obsession probably began in Elementary school. Like many young kids, I heard the story of Bloody Mary, whereby you can supposedly summon a ghoul to appear in a mirror by calling her name. Although we were too scared to go through with it, my friends and I dared one another to summon the ghoul while staying up way past bedtime.

Naturally, Japan has its own set of canonized ghost stories and urban legends. One of the most popular is Mary's Phone. Although there are a few variations of the tale, most center around a young girl who loses her doll. Here's a video overview, but be forewarned, it might give you the creeps if you're susceptible to that type of thing:

If Mary were here today

Captivated by the famous urban legend, manga writer Cha Ros (@Cha_ros) recently wondered what a current-day Mary might be up to. The artist updated the story in a recent post. However, the story is not quite the same with modern conveniences:

Cha Ros (@Cha_ros)

Cha Ros (@Cha_ros)

Cha Ros (@Cha_ros)

Cha Ros (@Cha_ros)

Not quite as spooky as most would recall. Nevertheless, readers were amused. They reacted:

  • "I think this is a story about realizing what's important."
  • "In the future, it'd be great if they got married. Then she could say, 'Now, I'm right beside you.'"
  • "What a wonderful story. Mary was cute even though she was having some trouble."

If you liked this manga, you can find more like it on Cha Ros's Twitter page. Check it out.


By - Luke Mahoney.