25 Iwaaki Hitoshi $@4dL@(B $@6Q(B
Description
This article is from the Manga FAQ, by Steve Pearl starbuck@cybercomm.net with numerous contributions by others.
25 Iwaaki Hitoshi $@4dL@(B $@6Q(B
A seinen-manga horror artist. Iwaaki's art is simple, powerful and sensitive,
going against the 90s trend towards flashy pictures and vapid plots. He cites
Tezuka as his main influence.
(born 1959?)
------------------------
Kiseiju $@4s@8=C(B [lit. Parasite Beasts] - serialized on Afternoon,
1990-present, 8 volumes @ Y500.
One day, mysterious spores float down to Earth, their origin unknown. They
invade animal and human hosts, assimilating their brains, and controlling
their nervous systems. One attempts to invade 17-year-old Shinichi via his
arm, but Shinichi blocks it off, and it assimilates his right arm instead.
It learns Japanese overnight by reading books, and Shinichi christens him
`Miggy' [`Righty'], and as they both struggle to survive, a strange
symbiotic relationship develops. A story loosely in the tradition of Day
of the Triffids and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Kiseiju became a runaway success, winning Kodansha's 1993 award for best
manga. Despite its occasional horrific gore, it has a compelling,
suspenseful atmosphere. Unlike many recent SF mangas, it does not insult
the reader's intelligence. The treatment of human relationships is quite
moving, and has even been compared to shojo manga. It ended abruptly with
the words, "Leaning on something...until the end of a life...". Director
James Cameron has apparently acquired the film rights.
Fuko no Iru Mise $@Iw;R$N$$$kE9(B - serialized on Morning 1987-8, 4 volumes @
Y480.
Hone no Oto $B9|$N2;(B [The sound of bone] - published by Kodansha, 1990,
Y500.
A selection of short stories. The title comes from the ending of one
story, where two lovers decide to throw themselves under a train.
(Apparently, reading this manga helps to understand the ending of
Kiseiju..)
Continue to:
My Books
