Dowman Sayman, probably my favorite mangaka of all time. His minimalist, cartoony art-style is instantly recognizable. His interesting, quirky story-telling through strange plots and small stories building the main, overarching story remains my favorite. And his dark humor never fails to crack a smile on my mug. The Voynich Hotel is a fantastic culmination of these traits, making it one of my all-time favorites.

Story

Taizou Kuzuki escapes to the Voynich Hotel, a rundown resort on a quaint island called Blefuscu in the South Pacific, after dealing with some troubles back in Japan. He quickly discovers the bizarre nature of his new home as he becomes acquainted with Voynich's staff and occupants. Soon, he finds himself entangled in everyone's bizarre affairs and discovers the island's secrets.

• Dowman tells the story from multiple perspectives, giving individual characters their own short stories. These short stories are very bizarre and unique, almost making the series feel like an anthology of individual stories. However, Dowman manages to smoothly connect them all with his wonderful use of recollection/referencing. For example, Snark is a central figure in the Detectives' and Sleuth's Brigade plot lines.
  Spoiler, click to view

  The detectives are investigating a string of murders caused by Snark and Snark is the older sister of one of the children. Eventually, the two stories converge as a result of their common point. Dowman connects various other plot-lines in the same fashion, slowly breaking the walls between the short stories to smelt them together.

• The series' selling point lies in its absurd comedy. Dowman has mastered the art of dark humor, effortlessly making murder, sex, suicide, and necrophilia jokes in a natural, light-hearted manner. Through the amusing dialogue and interactions between characters, we additionally find out more about the world in The Voynich Hotel. The absolute absurd and eccentric nature of the comedy compliments the bizarre stories seamlessly, making for a very entertaining read.

• Despite the story's general lighthearted tone, it does have its emotional, somber moments. Such as Snark's story.
  Spoiler, click to view

  She traded her soul with a demon, Demona, in exchange for three items. One, a Rabbit's Mask that allowed her extremely shy younger sister to freely talk. Two, claws that allow her to skillfully bake food for her bakery (and kill). Three, big honkers. She's depicted as self-centered and greedy with an unhealthy obsession of seducing men then killing them. However, during her last moments before going down to hell, Snark chooses to confide in and apologize to her younger sister.

Characters

The series' characters contribute tremendously to the series' absurdness, as they themselves are very quirky and eccentric. You have a former Mexican pro-wrestler hotel owner, a Japanese-otaku loli maid, two assassins-turned-ghosts, a pothead government undercover agent, etc. There's also an air of mystery around them, that dissipates as the story progresses and reveals more about their pasts. Their interactions and relationships are very entertaining to see unfold.

Art:

The cartoony, somewhat crude art-style compliments the series' ridiculous, wacky tone. It's certainly reminiscent of old-timey western cartoon comics, like Popeye. The character designs and facial expressions are rather cute, radiating an aura of "hey, have fun with this series!". The art is definitely not perfect, but it does what it's supposed and maintains the lighthearted tone of the series.

Enjoyment

The most entertaining series I've read by far. Dark humor done right, absurd gore, a lovable art-style and a very interesting story built on the foundation of multiple short stories. I've read this 5 times and its quality is still fresh as ever.

Final Words

The Voynich Hotel is a phenomenal comedy series with an interesting and enjoyable way of story-telling and cast of characters. The absurd nature is crafted very well, making it feel natural as you continue reading and find out more about the bizarre world and its inhabitants. It's certainly a unique series by a unique mangaka and hasn't lost its taste after multiple rereads.