The art of Kwaidan, a graphic novel set in 12th- and 14th-century Japan, is absolutely gorgeous.

The story by Jung (also the artist) and Jee-Yun is epic in scale, packed with spirits and demons and evil machinations. It's also confusing, at least to my eye -- but ultimately I didn't mind all that much.

The story begins with two sisters. Orin is beautiful and in love, so Akane -- who loves the same man but perceives she has no chance to woo him -- throws a caustic liquid in her sister's face to disfigure her. Akane assumes the warrior Nanko will spurn Orin's ugliness, but he doesn't get the chance; before he even learns of the deed, she drowns herself in nearby Lake Amada. When Nanko returns home and discovers what has happened, he blinds himself and dies on the shore of that same lake.

But the lake traps both of their souls, and Akane uses its mystical waters to preserve her life for 200 years. Then, a child is born -- but, Orin attempts to inhabit its spirit, and Akane sends a ghost to prevent her. The mother dies and the child is born disfigured, like Orin. Setsuko grows into a tormented child, then a masked prostitute, before meeting the blind painter Seminaru, who senses the psychic connection between Orin and Setsuko. The pair sets out to free the trapped spirits against towering odds.

It's a muddled plot. It has improbable twists, such as Setsuko's inexplicable skill with a sword, Seminaru's apparent sight on several occasions, and the actions and motives of various ghosts and spirits throughout the tale. While reading it, I could sense an epic in the making, but I couldn't quite pin down the particulars. Perhaps the fault lies in me. Some reviewers have likened the story to impressionistic Japanese cinema, a genre with which I'm not familiar, so perhaps fans of the genre will be more impressed.

But I can rave unreservedly about the art, which is beautifully rendered, richly colored and printed on heavy stock. Jung lovingly bestows his characters with a great deal of expression and detail, and the action has a realistic flow.

Sometimes, a graphic novel emphasizes the novel, and at other times it stresses the graphic. This book falls in the latter category, and readers who enjoy art for art's sake will love this book.