Type: Manga
Chapters: 144, 20 volumes
Status: Ongoing
Published: Dec 30, 2000 to ?
Genres: Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Horror, Seinen
Author: Q Hayashida
Magazine: HiBaNa
In a city so dismal it’s known only as “the Hole,” a clan of sorcerers have been plucking people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious “experiments” in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Kaiman, a man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, they’re hunting and killing the sorcerers of the Hole, hoping that eventually they’ll kill the right one. But when En, the head sorcerer, gets word of a lizard–man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of “cleaners” into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.
| Story |
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This is perhaps one of the most original, trippiest, creepiest, and imaginative things I've ever read. The world is very well thought-out. It is primarily divided into the Hole, a place populated by humans, and the Magic Users' world, populated by human-looking beings with extraordinar[ily weird] abilities. These abilities range from your standard healers, to devastating mushroom attacks, and everything in between. Magic in Dorohedoro is nor shining nor sparkling, but rather the complete opposite and that is what makes it so interesting to me. The humans and the magic users don't like each other. ![[Image: 4g7GsBq.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/4g7GsBq.jpg) The plot is a lot harder to describe. I mean, saying "well it's about an amnesiac guy with a lizard head named Kaiman who wants his real face back so he's biting people faces so that the guy inside his mouth can identify the person who may have did this to him" doesn't really cut it. There's A LOT more to it than that, but you have no idea what's going on until volume 7+, when it gets much darker and the real story of Kaiman's memories and identity starts coming together. That's okay, though, because the series is very entertaining throughout with its hyperviolence and dark humor, and you really do need such a long introduction to get used to this world and its, err, "colorful" cast of characters. That's not to say that the first few volumes are irrelevant for plot progression. Pieces of the plot are sprinkled everywhere but you might not realize it at first. To fully appreciate this it's best to go back once you know all that you will later on, which makes for a lot of re-read value! |
| Art |
 Filtered through the twisted mind of creator Q Hayashida, Dorohedoro becomes unforgettable. While she (yes, she) draws her human characters conventionally, she renders everything else with scratchy, violent lines that give the world a creepy, post-apocalyptic milieu - with its fetish masks, ruined buildings, and lizard heads.  It might take a bit of getting used to, it's a somewhat unusual style, and it might not be for everyone. Yet, it fits the overall mood and setting of Dorohedoro, so after you read some chapters and understand what this series is about you wouldn't want it drawn any different. |
| Characters |
The characters are great, and really hold the whole thing together. Despite Kaiman and his friend Nikaido ostensibly being the protagonists, the series spends about equal time with all of the important characters on the various different sides of the central conflicts. They're all well-developed and lovable, and you'll likely find yourself not quite knowing who to root for during the battles.![[Image: 3b9FFis.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/3b9FFis.jpg) The characters are pretty much all lovable. They're pretty much all anti-heroes, but almost everyone has a good/adorable side to them. There's no real mopey angsty types or bad-ass murderers whose only thought is murderification. The creator describes it as "a song with really dark lyrics, but a melody that's so happy that you want to dance to it," and I can't really put it better. |
Overall Dorohedoro is definitely one of my favorite manga series. If you like unusual worlds with cool art and an interesting story, definitely check it out. Apparently it's ending fairly soon as well, so that's something to keep in mind.