December 2004 Bishounen:

Ugly unicorn print on his beautiful robe. Got it done at the mall for $9.99

Name: Referred to as "Count D". Real name unknown.
Series: Petshop of Horrors
Age: Early to mid twenties.
Eye color: One yellow, one violet. Why, we don't know. When that happens in dogs, it's usually because of inbreeding. And that's all I'll say about that.
Likes: Animals and sweets--the sweets to eat, not the animals. D is a strict vegetarian.
Dislikes: People in general. He find he has more in common with animals and often does not understand the hows and whys of human nature. Though he seems to make an exception for Leon and Chris. Chris is just too adorable and sweet to dislike and Leon is just too fun to tease.

Petshop of Horrors was one of my early favorite animes. I purchased the first volume on a whim and immediately fell in love with the art style and the storytelling and quickly bought the second volume. Sadly, that's all that was made. Luckily, TokyoPop bought the rights to the manga in which we get to see far more stories than what the anime showed us.

Petshop of Horrors is about a petshop in New York's china town which is owned by the infamous Count D. The young man we see running the store, however, is not him. Though he is referred to as Count D throughout the story, he insists that is not his name. The real Count D is supposedly his grandfather and is out traveling while he minds the store. As of volume 9 of the manga, we have yet to see who the real Count D is. (Petshop has only 10 volumes. The last one comes out in January. I can't wait!)

Most of this series consists of short, stand alone stories about customers who come to the petshop. Most leave very surprised at what the count sends home with them. The petshop promises dreams and happiness for those who abide by the terms set for them. Those who ignore Cound D's guidelines often meet very tragic and, sometimes, gruesome fates.
Thus, D's petshop has become the focal point of detective Leon Orcot who is convinced that just about every unexplained death that has happened recently in his city is the fault of whatever creatures D keeps in his shop. And he may just be right. The only problem is, he can't prove it. Butterflies--to keep Kim away
Thus, a small game of cat and mouse plays out between the two as the different stories unfold. Leon tries to catch D in the act of doing anything from stealing eggs to selling people flesh eating rabbits. But Count D seems to always be one step ahead of him. In the beginning, Leon is dead set on hauling D's skinny butt to jail, but as the story goes on, he seems to start accepting the fact that it's not going to happen and just starts hanging around the petshop and even lets D watch his little brother, Chris.

This cute little guy is Q-Chan. He is often seen at the petshop, especially hanging around Count D. Even though the count runs a petshop, I highly doubt he really thinks of any of the animals as pets. Most likely, they're more like friends to him. And Q-Chan would most likely be one of his closest. Q-Chan looks something like a baby rabbit merged with a bat. He also has duck feet and horns. He's a bit odd looking, but he is very smart. He helps D out a lot and even helped Leon once or twice as well. If you're curious about what else you might find at the petshop, click on Q-Chan's picture to read about some of the regulars.

Why I chose Count D: Well, pretty much, I just wanted a chance to promote this series. Count D isn't exactly near the top of my bishounen favorites list; but the series itself is one I have always enjoyed. I do still like both characters D and Leon very much. It was the stories, however, that made me fall in love with this series. I've always liked stories that are dark or strange or bittersweet. Petshop of Horrors has it all. Some endings are happy, some are sad, and some are just downright strange. But each one of them leaves you hungry for more.
~Ty-Chou







No-chan: Count D is um.. unique. I like him, definitely. He likes animals! What is there not to like about a man who likes animals.. just cuz his animals are really weird enchanted animals that can look like people sometimes.. But he is pretty, in his own unique way.

Nie-chan: Yay Count D!! I think he's awesome! And I really want to know more about him... I hope they tell us some info in the last volume... or they may leave him to be a mystery. Because women just love mysterious men, right? And I don't think his two different color eyes have anything to do with inbreeding... lol, I've met a person that had two different color eyes. She had one brown and one blue - it was really cool and pretty.

Pan-Pan: Heh, Count D is way cool. He's got that whole, "I know some stuff, but I ain't tellin'" aura around him. Plus he likes sweets. I love sweets... Sugary goodness... I would come for tea at his shop everyday just for that... and of course to look at all the pretty animals... I want my very own T-chan! ^_^ Oh please Count D, I'll take such good care of him!! heh, but yeah, D is really cool. Probably not my kind of guy, but definitely someone who'd be tons of fun to hang out with! I could spend hours exploring that awesome pet shop! ^.^

Kime: Woohoo!! Count D is sweet! He is so much fun and I love how he torments Detective Orcott all the time. Sometimes they really do seem like a married couple. I really like how elegant and well mannered he is. I definitely wouldn't mind having tea with him sometime. I'd make sure to bring him soething sweet to munch on . . . *wink wink nudge nudge*

Next Month's pic: No-Chan