This Monster Wants to Eat Me

This Monster Wants to Eat Me (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Sai Naekawa. It has been serialized in ASCII Media Works Dengeki Maoh magazine since August 2020, and is licensed in English by Yen Press. The series follows Hinako, a regular girl, and Shiori, a mermaid who wishes to one day eat her.

Synopsis
One day, a mermaid girl named Shiori appears before Hinako, a normal girl who lost her family in an accident in the past and spends her days with a dark shadow over her heart. Shiori tells Hinako that her flesh and blood are especially delicious to youkai and that she has come to protect Hinako from them until she reaches maturity, when she will be the one to eat her. Hinako, who has vaguely wished to die since the accident, accepts this and waits for the day she will be eaten.

Publication
Written and illustrated by Sai Naekawa, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, has been serialized in ASCII Media Works Dengeki Maoh magazine since August 27, 2020. The series has been collected in eight volumes as of February 2024.

The series is licensed for an English release in North America by Yen Press.

Reception
Erica Friedman of Yuricon gave the first volume an overall positive review, noting that while she is not normally one to enjoy horror, that the end of volume 1 "contains a scene so creepy and violent that I ought to have been both startled and a little grossed out, but both art and story work so beautifully that it was merely a breathtakingly excellent scene."

Adam Symchuk of Asian Movie Pulse wrote of the series that it was a "perfect companion piece to the acclaimed BL horror title The Summer Hikaru Died. and that due to their close release date it may be difficult for readers not to draw comparison between the two. He further expanded that This Monster Wants to Eat Me "is a prime example of how timing can completely change the perspective of a creative work. If the manga were released before The Summer Hikaru Died, the comparison would either not come up or favor Sai Naekawa in predating one of the most beloved horror titles of 2023/24, with their similar themes and approach. Still, even a slightly less profound and visually striking version will be a welcome treat for many still salivating for more terror twisted with romance."