Death Comes to Town: Vampire Hunter D manga vol 4-Hideyuki Kikuchi and Saiko Takaki

It seems pretty business as usual as the story opens, with D riding his horse across the desolate wasteland. Of course, if he just went wandering and never met anybody, there’d never be any stories. This time around, he encounters an odd looking motor home whose inhabitants are being slaughtered by a sand worm/dragon of epic proportions. Let me tell you, forget those things from back in the day when you watched Beetlejuice. Those things look like merely annoying garden slugs compared to this fearsome creature. D leaps in tor ender assistance, joined by a fellow traveller who happens along, one very brash biker dude with handle John M. Braselli Pluto VIII  (yes, really).The family’s daughter, Lori is the sole survivor, and she is very ill from radiation poisoning thanks to a leak in the family’s motor home from rather dicey equipment. Lori and her family had only just taken leave from the travelling city where they had lived all their lives, and it is to this place that Pluto and D take the ill Lori for treatment. While there, the mayor hires D, as it seems a vampire is hidden somewhere in the city, making the idyllically bucolic small town a place filled with fear.

But as usual, things are not quite what they seem. For when D kills the one vampire, he becomes aware that there are more. Only these don’t seem to be “normal” turned humans, nor are they Nobles. Added to this conundrum is the laboratory and its contents that D comes across in Lori’s former family home in the town. Seems daddy was trying to create something probably best left uninvented. If that’s not enough trouble, the floating city’s computers seem to have been hacked, sending the floating island city-state off its safely plotted course, directly towards some Noble ruins and what appears to be a graveyard of other former floating colonies. Just who is doing all this, and just what is awaiting the denizens of the city once they arrive at their unwanted destination? D struggles to solve the riddle, while townspeople turn against him and Pluto shows a rather surprising side to himself.

This edition is the manga adaptation of the light novel original, seen here.

It’s non-stop action and adventure in this instalment of D, and Kikuchi certainly has pulled out all the stops. We get vampires, zombies, mutant sand dwelling dragons, mad scientists, and a city of the evil dead all in one volume. It could so easily have become a disjointed, rambling mess, but Kikuchi is in top form here, weaving a complex tale that utilises many of the elements previously encountered in this twilight world. The narrative flows gracefully, unveiling suspenseful clues to the mystery that D must solve while maintaining the brooding, hunting atmosphere that fully realises the horror aspect of the tale. As always, we are reminded of both the beauty that is found in humanity, always marred by that which is ugly inside, most notably as we watch D deal with unwarranted bigotry and ignorance while he struggles to save the very oppressors from a certain living death of the worst kind. With unexpected twists and turns and the Catch-22 situation D finds himself in within the pressure cooker environment, the reader is hurled head first into an adventure that keeps the adrenalin pumping until the very last page.

Saiko Takaki’s artwork fairly bursts with raw vitality, with attention grabbing anatomical detail of monsters and human/dhampir beings alike. The lines and shadings lend atmosphere and a portray a sense of natural movement during action scenes, while maintaining an ethereal stillness that reflects the outer calm beauty that is D. Her renderings of an outwardly picture postcard perfect society in a world filled with decay are filled with realism, and display naturally the facial expressions and stances and gestures of the characters, revealing at a glance their outer appearance of almost pleasant normality as well as their soon to be exposed rotten inner selves. This matches up beautifully with Kikuchi’s prose, as we watch D and his companions struggle to salvage what they can of a peaceful utopian society whose own selfish machinations have led towards their own imminent destruction.

With a strong emphasis on morality and personal character, strong world building, and a tightly plotted action filled plot, Vampire Hunter D volume 4 delivers a tale filled with indelibly vivid imagery that is sure to please fans of dark gothic fantasy.

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I’d like to thank Digital Manga for providing me with this review copy. Please note that this manga is rated 16+ due to violence and mature themes. While volumes 1 and 2 of this manga series are available as Kindle editions or to rent via Emanga and  to purchase via other digital platforms, currently volumes 3 and 4 are only available as paperback editions.

Psychological Bio Warfare of the Demonic Kind Yashakiden Vol.2: The Demon Princess – Hideyuki Kikuchi

Chemotherapy essentially is a medicinal method whereby toxins are put into the body to hopefully kill off a greater danger (i.e., a cancer). In this case, Tokyo is the body, and it is the Shinjuku area that has a plague- a demonic plague. Following on from a tremendous earthquake, Shinjuku has crossed a line that most mortals fear: parts of it straddle another dimension, where demons and time itself seem to slip, sliding into our reality. Now known as Demon Shinjuku, it becomes a tourist attraction for seekers of the macabre and a haven for the supernatural beings who already inhabited our world. One entire housing block is home to vampires, who reside side by side with humans and the other inhabitants with ease, following a set of rules set out.

But rules are all too often broken, usually by creatures who creep across from the metaphysical chasm. Other times, the supernatural also fall prey to illness. Times like these, there are really only two people to call upon: the otherworldly Dr Mephisto and senbei (rice cracker) baker come private eye, Aki Setsura. These two are the chemo to thwart the cancers that invade their city, but at what price? It doesn’t matter, for when a ghostly koto plays its haunting melody, bringing forth a river carrying an ancient ship, everyone takes notice. This is no run of the mill demon encounter; this is something that forebodes something even worse. It is bad indeed, as an ancient sorceress and vampire 4000 years in the making has come to claim her throne, with the dust of the current Demon Shinjuku vampire leader and the bodies of all who oppose her beneath her feet. With people in key positions being added to her following of the undead, it is obvious something must be done, but is the treatment going to be effective, or have Setsura and Mephisto met their match?  Uncertain of their victory, the two team up with the leader of their peacefully resident vampires and a mysterious witch.

The tables seem to be turned, until they discover that even the ancient vampire ally is no match for this demonic vampire princess. Attacking Aki himself and leaving him in the shocking state of impending vampirism , the battle seems far from won. But when the koto music plays and portals into the other worldly realm the sorceress and  her minions reside in are discovered, things begin to look up. But just what will they find there? And just what motivations does everyone have for their part in the battle, and is Mephisto showing signs of being mesmerised to the demonic vampire sorceress’ will? the actions of the enemy show they are not just physically attacking, but employing psychological tactics as well. Is Shinjuku ever going to rest in its uneasy peace ever again?

Hideyuki Kikuchi returns us to his alternative vision of Tokyo set during our era, and what a visit it is too. Setsura Aki and Mephisto are just as intriguingly self motivated as they were in the first volume, with a deeply rooted but self protectively cautious camaraderie that defies the usual description for friendship. Their innate sense of justice is obvious, both by the words they parry at the enemies they face and with each other as they talk, bicker, and plan out their strategies. Their primary motivations may differ, and indeed, may be rather selfish upon closer inspection, if we knew precisely WHAT those were, but that is all part of the fun. Just as in his perhaps better known work, Vampire Hunter D, the inner thoughts and motivations are not readily apparent in the protagonists, but revealed layer by layer over the course of events and from the looks of it, over several novels. Like D, this is action packed with very little sedentary scenery along the way.

Kikuchi’s usual pell-mell style is somewhat retrained here though, with hidden inner plot layers making an appearance to stop the action and cause the characters to have a need to regroup and think. Indeed, while it is extremely graphic in nature with extreme violence and sexual imagery fully rendered in prose, this time Kikuchi himself seems to have regrouped and so it is all there only as it needs to be for plot purposes and not for shock value. While it is not a manga, it does contain scattered full page black and white illustrations by the original artist Jun Saemi. The stark imagery once again fits in beautifully with Kikuchi’s forthright, pulp fiction style. We also see the return of Eugene Woodbury, the translator of the first Yashakiden novel, and once more he renders the prose s that it is as if Kikuchi had written it in English to begin with.

Please note that once more, Play.com has refused to stock this title due to its content, but it is readily available from Amazon and the Book Depository as well as from manga specialists such as Forbidden Planet and the publisher’s own Akadot Retail.  Overall, another worthwhile, heart thumping read from Japan’s master of pulp horror, and certain to thrill fans of demons, vampires. With its extremely beautiful male protagonists and sexually deviant female antagonists, there is as much here for the ladies as there is the lads.

***I would like to thank DMP for kindly providing me with a review copy***

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Vampire Hunter D Vol.1 – Hideyuki Kikuchi – Review – Bringing Light To Those Who Fear the Dark

Mankind at last turns upon itself and unleashes weapons of unimaginable horror against themselves, despite knowing what the final outcome will be. The cities fall, towns collapse, and humanity is swept back into a Dark Age amidst ruins of past advanced civilisation. Mutants spawn in the fallout, and THEY appear. Creatures of ancient legend, they roam the darkness. Indescribably beautiful, powerful, ultra intelligent, thirsting for blood, they are vampires. Herding humanity under their care, they husband the last remnants of civilisation and advance the frontiers of science forward once more. For five thousand years they reign over the Earth, until their own base natures seem to envelop them, and their time, too, seems to come to an end. The children of mankind, having lived in the shadow of the Nobility and their own past human civilisation, expand on their own, trying to survive and grow in a world where monsters spew forth in unexpected places, rogue Nobles hunt in the dark, and their own frailties expose them to mortal danger. Amongst the humans though, occasionally one finds a useful mutation. Appearing human, they have an ability that sets them apart and makes them more akin to the demons stalking the world, perfect for becoming hunters. They work for a bounty, stalking the terrors that crawl and creep forth, and Nobles who come to take prey.

Amongst them is one so famed, his exploits precede him even to the furthest corners of the human frontier. His name is D, and his appearance often misleads people when they first lay eyes upon him. He is slender, and exceptionally beautiful in a way that turns the heads of men and women. He is solemn, dressed ready for his work as a  hunter, and riding upon a cyborg horse. He is just, but when people realise just WHAT he also is, they often shun him or try to send him away despite his contract. Vampires and mutants call him traitor. No matter, he is who he is, and he knows a lot more about the Origins than those who despise him can ever lay claim to. His name is D, and he is a dhampir. Half human like his mother, half vampire like his father. His father, an ancient vampire of legend, whose name is revered and worshipped amongst the Nobles: Dracula.

D keeps his lineage under tight wraps, which is just as well, for his enemies often make assumptions about his weaknesses by what they know about dhampirs in general. D however comes from the wellspring of vampire blood, and so possesses the very best of their strengths, and due to his human blood, is not so strongly affected by their weaknesses. With a demon of sorts as a symbiote in his left hand, which he keeps hidden from view, he has unusual tactical advantages. This being has supernatural powers of its own, used to aid D, and indeed is shown to be able to act independently as the need arises. The occasion when this is the case arises all too soon on this occasion. D is out riding along the frontier, currently jobless, when he encounters a woman blocking his path.

She challenges him after asking if he is a hunter, and the two fight. D defeats her and she proclaims herself satisfied, and asks him to come save her town from a Noble, revealing she has been bitten. Once bitten, she knows the Noble will return again and again until she joins the ranks of the undead. Wishing to avoid her fate, and to save all that she holds dear, she offers the only payment she has: a place to stay, food to eat, and if he so wishes, the use of her body. D agrees to the bounty, though shows no interest in the carnal offerings. He soon discovers that the woman Doris has troubles other than just a Noble out to make her his bride, however, as she is trying to run a farm with her brother, Dan, who is still a young boy, and fend off the unwelcome advances of the mayor’s loutish son. The farm is in need of maintenance, and with only Doris and Dan, much needs to be done to keep it going. D takes on the role of handyman, mending fences and whatnot, while keeping watch, observing, defending, and showing an unexpected tenderness towards children. The Noble Count Lee is not alone however; his daughter Larmica is about with her own ideas about what should be, and they have a team of mutant servants at their beck and call. When one of them, Rei Ginsei, manages to cut off D’s left hand and then stake him through the heart, it at first appears everything is over. But D and his hand have a couple of aces up their sleeve, and when they use them, the Nobles realise they have much to fear…

Part science fiction, part fantasy and horror, and part western, Vampire Hunter D is a landmark within the seinen manga genre. Author Hideyuki Kikuchi originally wrote the series as light novels, short prose novels with illustrated pages scattered throughout. The novels number 21 in total and are still ongoing, and two have been adapted into anime feature films. The cult popularity of the books and anime led to Digital Manga Publishing approaching Kikuchi about a collaboration that would turn his prose novels into graphic ones, of which this is the first volume. Kikuchi chose a self published manga artist and Vampire Hunter D fan, Saiko Takaki, to illustrate the manga versions. This works quite well, as Takaki is intimately familiar with the plotlines, characters, settings, the often occult like science, and fairly Lovecraftian mythos interwoven with folklore that make up the backbone of the series. Her illustrations with their dark and occasionally heavy lines married to the delicate sweep of the facial features and the beautifully expressive eyes fits in perfectly with Kikuchi’s prose. It leaves the reader with an experience that tastes the best of both worlds: the enthralling storytelling prowess of Kikuchi and the frame by frame imagery of this world previously only glimpsed at from the anime. This is D as you have you have never seen him before. Bewitching, beguiling, and deadly, a glance at only the very first page being enough to sweep you away.

****I would like to thank Digital Manga Publishing for providing the review copy. This title is available as a paperback from manga retailers, or as digital copies for the I phone and I pad (via the iTunes store), the Kindle book reader (via Amazon.com), or rented online at Emanga.com, as well as a version for the PSP via the Playstation store.****

Kindle edition

prose novel edition

Crying Freeman Vol.1- Kazuo Koike – Review – Tears of A Remorseful Hitman

Yo Hinomura has a problem. Well, it is more like a complication of the problem that plagues his daily life as it is. You see, he was sent to assassinate this guy, and he managed to complete the task, but an unexpected hitch came up. The target managed to escape the wooded copse and the hit was completed in front of a young woman painting a landscape. Needless to say she is startled, but instead of running, she is transfixed. For Yo, satisfied that his assigned hit has been accomplished, does not then turn his gun upon her, but wraps it in plastic explosives and tosses it away. All the while, his impassive face is coursing with tears from eyes filled with remorse and pain. She is enthralled as he accepts a handkerchief to dry his eyes, and tells him her name, Emu Hino. He replies he is Yo, then turns and disappears from sight. She knows that he will come back for her though. Regardless of why he was crying, and why he spared her then, she knows either he or another like him will appear to ensure she stays permanently silent.

But her artist’s heart is captured by the poignant beauty of his tearful face and the incongruity of the act he committed. She finds herself painting his portrait, and having it keep her silent company in her family’s home. Despite her silence, Yo is indeed sent to kill her, but not before a second chance encounter on the pavement outside of a police station has her witness another of his hits. Involuntarily, she says his name in surprise, and is overheard. Questioned, she admits nothing, but neither the police nor the yakuza whose boss was just killed are going to give up. She just has one request before she dies, that Yo love her at least once. Equally enthralled by her presence, he too reaches out, and before they know it, Yo and Emu find their destinies entwined as the yakuza seek revenge, the police to capture a feared assassin, and the Chinese mafia seek to not only make Yo their assassin, but the Dragon to lead them all, with Emu his Tiger…

This is the first time I have read a work by the legendary mangaka Kazuo Koike and it is also the first time I have encountered the art work of Ryoichi Ikegami. The storytelling alone is high calibre. With prose that flows like honey, Koike has the gift to know when to say absolutely nothing, instead allowing the art work to do the speaking, giving the manga an almost cinematic quality. Ikegami’s art is astounding in its scope. Filled with frame after frame of drawings that look more like pencilled stills of photographs and beautifully realised fine art landscape and portrait sketches one might see for sale at a gallery. Comic art? Make no mistake about it, this may be set into frames to tell a story pictorially, but this is as far from your typical graphic novel that you can get. This is obviously a serious attempt at presenting a novel aimed at a mature audience, both visually and contextually, and it succeeds beyond expectation.

Yo and Emu’s story is complex and is revealed to us as he shares himself with Emu. His past adds a depth and pending sense of foreboding as to what will happen next, tinted with the pathos of what has been and now he has all but lost. Iconic character types litter this work, from the agile, ninja like crone of the 108 Dragons who handles Yo, to the morally suspect police detective easily led astray by desires of the flesh, to the yakuza family members who seek their revenge. They fail to displease however, as each and every one of them is as fully fleshed out character wise in prose as they are in their extraordinarily detailed and emotive portraits that leap across the pages.

The situations themselves are as grittily realistic as the characters, filled with sex, blood, and deep emotion. The pages fairly ring aloud with anger, remorse, passion, and pathos that infects the reader. Each faction has a mission, and the inner workings behind each one is revealed naturally, as paths cross, and fates merge. It is a story filled with erotically charged darkness that doesn’t fail to enthral. Just as Yo cannot escape his fate of being psychologically programmed to kill all the while shedding his tears of deep remorse, I found it impossible to escape the 404 pages until I had turned the very last one.

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