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Reviewed by James Hanrahan "Dororo" is the story of two boys, one an older teen and one a little kid, making their way in a feudal Japan between wars. The older boy is Hyakkimaru, cursed by his father, 48 of his body parts bargained away to 48 demons, in exchange for his father's rise to prominence. Hyakkimaru is abandoned as a crippled freak, limbless, sightless, and deaf, but still he lives because of demon magic. He is found and raised well, nurtured in the use of his powerful telepathy, which compensates for his inability to see, hear and speak. He is taught to appreciate the world and the people in it by an old doctor who is truly a miracle worker, giving Hyakkimaru special prosthetics to make his way in the world. Inside his arms and a leg, Hyakkimaru has hidden blades and a sort of gun. He is named Hyakkimaru, "A Hundred Demons," because the doctor figures he is plagued by demons. Hyakkimaru learns to use his blades well and is told by a ghostly voice about his cursed body and what his father brought upon him. The titular character, Dororo, is a child thief; the orphaned son of bandits who were only bandits to get back what cruel, bullying samurai took from common people. He's a smart-aleck, and arrogant, but it only hides his pain and mistrust of others. He and Hyakkimaru travel the country in search of the 48 demons, to slay them and recover Hyakkimaru's lost body parts, helping others along the way. This may not be Osamu Tezuka doing what he felt was an important work like "Buddha", "Phoenix" or "Crime and Punishment", but you can see he is a master storyteller. This might be a story about a guy with swords in his arms slicing through demons and monsters, but it is still full of human drama. The back-stories of the main characters are chilling and heart-wrenching. Tezuka always mixes in hard truths about the way people behave no matter what the setting. On that, Tezuka never skimps. Tezuka is still telling a story and making it the best one he can tell. My only criticism really is that the use of self-reflexive humor, anachronistic speech, and humorous asides in this book kind of takes one out of the story. I realize it is done so the reader will not forget that it is only a story, it helps keep a reader grounded, but it really does disrupt the rhythm of the story for a character to give a shout-out to another manga-ka. On the format, I have to say that I really appreciate Vertical getting older works like this and treating them with respect. Even though it's a slightly higher price point, for the works of Osamu Tezuka and Moto Hagio, I WANT that. I also appreciate that there are little cultural and translation notes just slipped in where they do not distract, but also where I do not have to flip to the back of the book in the middle of reading. What can I say? I love Osamu Tezuka's work and have since I was first exposed to it when I was 7 years old, reading "Black Jack" in my older cousin's issues of Shonen Champion. This is the master; this guy is the beginning of manga. If someone really likes manga or likes comics, readers should do themselves a favor and pick this or any Tezuka manga up. Get them cheap or used or whatever. Just check them out and don't let the cartoon-like artwork bother you. Give it a chance. Comment on this review of Dororo v1 on the Manga Life Forums. |
1 July 2009
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