Ghost Talker's Daydream, known in Japan as Vulgar Ghost Daydream (低俗霊DAYDREAM, Teizokurei Daydream?), is a shōnen manga written by Saki Okuse and illustrated by Sankichi Meguro, set in modern Japan. There are 10 volumes in total, and the series was also adapted as a four episode OVA. The English version released by Geneon changed the title to Ghost Talker's Daydream, which is not a direct translation of the formal manga title.
The protagonist is the virgin albino woman Saiki Misaki holding down three jobs, neither of which she finds herself particularly happy with, one as a dominatrix in a BDSM club and writer of a column for a porno magazine and the other as a civil servant in the employ of The Livelihood Preservation Group as a necromancer able to perceive and to communicate with ghosts, sometimes allowing them to speak through her with the living. Her government job usually entails exorcism. Misaki considers her shamanic civil service position even more tawdry and less respectable than her sex work.
Subplots, often of one or two chapters in length, include such as introduce important characters, and others to help develop motivations of leading characters.
There are three major characters, at least one of whom appears in every chapter with the exception of chapter 16 "Dead Man's Hand". In order of introduction they are: Saiki Misaki, Mitsuru and Souichirou. Various recurring and often important characters also populate the series.
Fan service, nudity and sexual themes are all integral to motivation and backstory, along with insight into Japanese suicide culture and sexual dysfunction with sexual and physical abuse, such carnal troubles of the soul from which even death may guarantee no release.
The Japanese title translates as teizoku = vulgar + rei = ghost. However there is a pun on the word rei, which can also refer to a companion. In other words it can be said either Vulgar Ghost or Vulgar Companion, for Misaki Saiki is indeed a vulgar companion in contending with vulgar apparitions.
Read more about Ghost Talker's Daydream: Characters, List of Volumes, Anime
Famous quotes containing the words ghost, talker and/or daydream:
“‘Dear Captain Smith,’ the ghost replied, ‘you’ve used me ungenteelly.
The crowner’s quest goes hard with me because I’ve acted frailly,
And Parson Biggs won’t bury me, though I am dead Miss Bailey.’”
—George Colman (1762–1836)
“A new talker will often call her caregiver “mommy,” which makes parents worry that the child is confused about who is who. She isn’t. This is a case of limited vocabulary rather than mixed-up identities. When a child has only one word for the female person who takes care of her, calling both of them “mommy” is understandable.”
—Amy Laura Dombro (20th century)
“A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of a can and swallow them down whole, absent-mindedly and with little relish.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)