Undead Girl Murder Farce (アンデッドガール・マーダーファルス, Andeddo Gāru Mādā Farusu) is a Japanese novel series written by Yugo Aosaki. It began publication in December 2015, with four volumes being published as of 2023. A manga adaptation illustrated by Haruka Tomoyama began serialization on Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine in June 2016, before moving to Nemesis in 2017, and then to the Comic Days website in 2018. The manga has been compiled into three print and five digital tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation produced by Lapin Track aired on Fuji TV's +Ultra programming block from July to September 2023.
Contents
Plot
The story is set in an alternate timeline, during the Belle Époque era in the late 19th century, where supernatural creatures such as vampires and oni exist in the same world as humans. Tsugaru Shinuchi, an experimental half-oni known as the Oni Slayer, accepts a job from an immortal woman named Aya Rindo with her loyal servant Shizuku Hasei. Tsugaru wishes to find a way to extend his lifespan, while Aya exists solely as a talking head who wants to die. When they both realize the person behind their current predicament was a wealthy foreigner with an "M" printed on his cane, they leave Japan for Europe and try to track him down. While trying to locate Aya's missing body and hopefully their target with it, the trio take on supernatural mysteries across Europe with Tsugaru taking on the persona of "The Cage User" for the birdcage he carries with Aya's head inside.
Characters
The Cage User
Aya Rindo (輪堂 鴉夜, Rindō Aya)
Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa
A young Heian era woman and a yōkai, who is beheaded by an unknown half-oni assailant from Britain and has her headless body taken away. Since she is a Fushi (a kind of immortal youkai), she cannot die (though being decapitated by a half-oni means she cannot heal herself) and thus her head continues to live on, ultimately seeking support from Tsugaru to get her body back and take revenge on the man who left her like this.
Tsugaru Shinuchi (真打 津軽, Shin'uchi Tsugaru)
Voiced by: Taku Yashiro
A former member of a special oni extermination squad charged with slaughtering monsters across Japan during the Meiji Restoration. At some point, he was injected with oni blood by the same man who beheaded Aya and turned into a half-oni himself. Though the power allows him to kill oni and other supernatural beings with his bare hands, he knows that at some point in the future the oni blood will overcome his human personality and he will be put down by a similar hunter. In the meantime, he supports himself by fighting other demons in cage matches as a circus act called the Oni Slayer.
Shizuku Hasei (馳井 静句, Hasei Shizuku)
Voiced by: Makoto Koichi
A stern maid who serves under Aya. She wields a rifle with an attached bayonet that fires silver rounds.
Parisians
Annie Kerber (アニー・ケルベル, Anī Keruberu)
Voiced by: Sayumi Suzushiro
A young Parisian journalist girl who follows the exploits of The Cage User and the various supernatural cases they run into around Europe.
Arsène Lupin (アルセーヌ・ルパン, Arusēnu Rupan)
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano
A gentlemanly Parisian thief and a master of disguise who loves playing with his targets, even sending calling cards to his targets to prove he can steal their treasure regardless of their defenses against him.
Phantom (ファントム, Fantomu)
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono
A mysterious Persian orphan who lives beneath a theater in Paris. Lupin recruits him for a heist he plans to attempt in London.
Ganimard (ガニマール, Ganimāru)
Voiced by: Kōsei Hirota
A Parisian Inspector who doggedly pursues Lupin, though with little actual success.
221B Baker Street
Sherlock Holmes (シャーロック・ホームズ, Shārokku Hōmuzu)
Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki
A legendary private detective who consults for Scotland Yard in London. A master at deductive reasoning and baritsu for self-defense. Aya finds him odd.
John H. Watson (ジョン・H・ワトソン, Jon H Watoson)
Voiced by: Masaki Aizawa
A physician and Sherlock's faithful companion.
The Banquet
James Moriarty (ジェームズ・モリアーティ, Jēmuzu Moriāti)
Voiced by: Wataru Yokojima
Sherlock Holmes′ legendary rival, a genius Professor who commands a group of similarly evil companions to perform experiments for his own ends. He is the old man with the "M" on his cane responsible for Aya and Tsugaru's respective conditions.
Aleister Crowley (アレイスター・クロウリー, Areisutā Kurōrī)
Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita
An English magician and cult leader who currently works with The Professor.
Carmilla (カーミラ, Kāmira)
Voiced by: Reina Kondō
A beautiful and deadly vampire with incredible swordsmanship who works for The Professor.
Victor (ヴィクター, Vikutā)
Voiced by: Itaru Yamamoto
A giant undead monster who currently works for The Professor.
Jack the Ripper (切り裂きジャック, Kirisaki Jakku)
Voiced by: Soma Saito
The legendary English serial killer who was turned part-oni from The Professor's experiments, and the one who separated Aya's head from her body.
Wolfinhöhle
Nora (ノラ)
Voiced by: Maaya Uchida
Vera (ヴェラ)
Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori
Kaya (カーヤ, Kāya)
Voiced by: Saima Nakano
Lloyd's
Reynold Stinghart (レイノルド・スティングハート, Reinorudo Sutinguhāto)
Voiced by: Shin'ichiro Kamio
Lloyd's Insurance Agent #5, a swordsman who detests getting himself dirty. He can even cleave stone pillars with his sword.
Fatima Doubledarts (ファティマ・ダブルダーツ, Fatima Daburu Dātsu)
Voiced by: Sara Matsumoto
Lloyd's Insurance Agent #7. Fatima wields a crossbow on each of her arms modified to fire semi-automatically, with customized bolts that can punch through thick surfaces or ricochet off walls.
Alice Rapidshot (アリス・ラピッドショット, Arisu Rapiddoshotto)
Voiced by: Ayaka Asai
Insurance Agent #3, a hot-headed cowgirl who wields a pair of revolvers with silver ammo.
Kyle Chaintail (カイル・チェーンテイル, Kairu Chēnteiru)
Voiced by: Sō Nozawa
Insurance Agent #4, a large black man with an effeminite face who wields heavy metal chains.
Others
Phil Fogg (フィリアス・フォッグ, Firiasu Foggu)
Voiced by: Hideaki Tezuka
A wealthy Londoner with a large mansion containing several treasures of his travels going around the world in 80 days.
Passepartout (パスパルトゥー, Pasuparutū)
Voiced by: Hidenari Ugaki
Fogg's French butler and close confidant.
Lestrade (レストレード, Resutorēdo)
Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki
The Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard who often calls upon Sherlock Holmes to help him solve difficult cases.
Louise (ルイーゼ, Ruize)
Voiced by: Anna Nagase
Rosa (ローザ)
Voiced by: Aki Nagao
Yutte (ユッテ)
Voiced by: Emiri Suyama
Alma (アルマ, Aruma)
Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame
Gunther (ギュンター, Gyuntā)
Voiced by: Takaki Ōtomari
Dennis (デニス, Denisu)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi
Falk (ファルク, Faruku)
Voiced by: Kazuki Ura
Media
Novel
Written by Yugo Aosaki, Undead Girl Murder Farce was first published by Kodansha on December 17, 2015, under their Kodansha Taiga imprint. As of July 2023, four volumes have been released.
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Haruka Tomoyama began serialization on Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine on June 25, 2016. It later moved to Kodansha's Nemesis magazine on June 9, 2017. After Nemesis ceased publication, the series was moved to the Comic Days website. As of June 2018, three print tankōbon volumes have been released.
In May 2021, Kodansha USA announced that it had licensed the manga for English digital publication.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced during the "Fuji TV Anime Lineup Presentation 2023" on March 22, 2023. The series was produced by Lapin Track and directed by Mamoru Hatakeyama, with Noboru Takagi serving as head writer, Noriko Ito designing the characters based on Zerogo Iwamoto's concepts while also serving as chief animation director alongside Naho Kazono, and Yuma Yamaguchi composing the music. It aired from on July 6 to September 28, 2023, on Fuji TV's +Ultra programming block. The opening theme is "Crack-Crack-Crackle" by CLASS:y while the ending theme is "Reversal" by Anna. Crunchyroll streamed the series. Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific and streamed on the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel. In the anime adaptation, the security agent characters belong to Royce instead of Lloyd's.