Ukiyo-e painter Utamaro Kitagawa is convinced by an associate to accept a commision from The Crimson Tayuu of Tourian, a courtesan who is known far and wide for her incomparable beauty. Feeling that he has captured the courtesan’s beauty and soul in his painting, he declares the portrait of her his magnum opus. She is also enthralled by it, but the painting begins to take on an unsettling mind of its own, seemingly changing with every bad deed she commits. Is she imagining it, or has she been cursed by the painter’s brush?

In this story, Nagai gets his folklore on with every chapter containing a lot on Buddhist lore or Japanese folklore. The prologue introduces us to Heaven, Incorporated, a company with a particular staff that hunts down all sorts of supernatural monsters and protects humanity from them.

Plot revolves around high school freshman Shingo Susa as he is invited by his crush from middle school Sayuri Shiroyuki to the school’s supernatural club. Over the course of the series Susa begins to gain supernatural powers, something that prodigy Rei Uryu, attempts to awaken to bring out the psychic giant, Susano Oh to destroy humanity and establish a new world order.

Won the 4th Kodansha Manga Award for Shounen in 1980.