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ドラゴンヘッド [Dragon Head] #8
Dragon Head, Volume 8
Clinging to the hope of one day returning to their homes, Teru and Ako have overcome obstacle after obstacle and survived the most painful experiences in their lives. But even as they come closer to their goal, more challenges await them as the cataclysmic after-effects of the massive disaster continue. Will they be able to reach Tokyo--alive?
232 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 1999
About the author
Minetarō Mochizuki
73 books69 followersMinetarō Mochizuki (望月峯太郎) is a manga artist. He is best known for his apocalyptic thriller series Dragon Head (ドラゴンヘッド Duragon Heddo), as well as the comedy series Mai Wai. Mochizuki has also written one-shot manga such as Zashiki Onna.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 18, 2022
Volume 8: Chapter 72-76
Arc 4: Discovery
This volume is sure depressing af! You've been left behind then you find out that your friends got into a crash. In the middle of nowhere, you must find them without knowing they are still alive or not. Damn! The catastrophe was very horrifying af; column of fire, tornado, flood. Tokyo has turned into hell!
Highlight:
• They landed on the mall's rooftop to search for supplies.
• They saw a huge column of fire from the direction of Tokyo.
• A powerful tornado approaching them.
• Ako, Nimura and Iwada managed to take off by the helicopter.
• Teru got left behind as the rooftop collapsed. He survived by hiding in the elevator.
• When Teru wakes up, he comes across the wreck of the helicopter.
• He found Iwada's grave while Ako and Nimura are nowhere to be found.
• There's a note by Ako which tells she and Nimura are heading to Tokyo.
• Teru set off to Tokyo to find them.
Arc 4: Discovery
This volume is sure depressing af! You've been left behind then you find out that your friends got into a crash. In the middle of nowhere, you must find them without knowing they are still alive or not. Damn! The catastrophe was very horrifying af; column of fire, tornado, flood. Tokyo has turned into hell!
Highlight:
• They landed on the mall's rooftop to search for supplies.
• They saw a huge column of fire from the direction of Tokyo.
• A powerful tornado approaching them.
• Ako, Nimura and Iwada managed to take off by the helicopter.
• Teru got left behind as the rooftop collapsed. He survived by hiding in the elevator.
• When Teru wakes up, he comes across the wreck of the helicopter.
• He found Iwada's grave while Ako and Nimura are nowhere to be found.
• There's a note by Ako which tells she and Nimura are heading to Tokyo.
• Teru set off to Tokyo to find them.
January 14, 2020
I think Dragon Head could have been cut down to about 6 or 7 volumes instead of the total 10, it would have made the story feel much tighter and enjoyable. The previous volume for example, the entire last half of the volume 7 was the group looking at the destruction the lava has caused. I understand that its important to the aspect of a survival manga to show destruction and hopelessness but it wasn't exactly exciting to read. Which is a shame because the first half of volume 7 was fantastic.
This volume doesn't really have a great first or second half, some noteworthy things occur but I can't help but feel like this story is being stretched out. Which makes many of the volumes feel long-winded and meandering. If it weren't for the likable characters I'd probably rush to the end. I just hope the last two volumes are a bit tighter and wrap the story up nicely.
This volume doesn't really have a great first or second half, some noteworthy things occur but I can't help but feel like this story is being stretched out. Which makes many of the volumes feel long-winded and meandering. If it weren't for the likable characters I'd probably rush to the end. I just hope the last two volumes are a bit tighter and wrap the story up nicely.
May 15, 2023
It all starts with a class trip on a subway train. All of a sudden the underground railroads collapse beneath the weight of an earthquake and all the students aboard the train are trapped underground where it’s hard to breathe and it’s excruciatingly humid. The few survivors must dig their way out from the labyrinthian tunnels to reach the surface, but the world above might not be as they remember it.
A great concept with a weak execution. The atmosphere is intense and the art is hauntingly bleak. Unfortunately, I found all of the main characters very unlikable. The dialogue is also pretty bad and doesn’t always make sense which could be the fault of a poor translation. The story also drags out way longer than necessary with repetitive drama and the unlikeable cast constantly bickering over dumb issues doesn’t do the plot or the stakes of the narrative any favors.
Not a terrible horror manga, but not nearly as good as it could’ve been. The few solid moments were underwhelming compared to the long periods of monotonous boredom, bland characters and uninteresting villains in between.
My rating: 2.3/5
A great concept with a weak execution. The atmosphere is intense and the art is hauntingly bleak. Unfortunately, I found all of the main characters very unlikable. The dialogue is also pretty bad and doesn’t always make sense which could be the fault of a poor translation. The story also drags out way longer than necessary with repetitive drama and the unlikeable cast constantly bickering over dumb issues doesn’t do the plot or the stakes of the narrative any favors.
Not a terrible horror manga, but not nearly as good as it could’ve been. The few solid moments were underwhelming compared to the long periods of monotonous boredom, bland characters and uninteresting villains in between.
My rating: 2.3/5
November 3, 2023
This volume has major events, but how the events happened are a mystery. The environment is harsh, as you don't get more post apocalyptic than this series. Characters die (apparently?) and the group is separated. Intense and suspenseful as always.
February 9, 2020
Pretty awesome Psychological Apocalyptic manga, really awesome artwork and story! 😁😻❤️❤️
October 22, 2020
Another good character gone whyyyy
June 20, 2024
I don’t know why they tryna get to Tokyo so bad. Like I get it but no.
January 3, 2025
He vuelto a mirar al abismo y he sentido miedo de su mirada
March 27, 2025
nah nah vaya currazo los fondos
April 21, 2025
"I WAS STILL A KID... I DIDN'T YET REALIZE WHAT LIFE REALLY IS...
I JUST IMAGINED DEATH AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT DARKNESS."
Volume 8 has a quiet weight to it. After all the chaos and violence, this one feels more reflective, even mournful. There’s a focus on memory, on childhood, on that moment when innocence gives way to the cold, disorienting reality of the world. The quote captures it perfectly. That sense of looking back, realizing too late that you never understood how fragile everything really was.
We follow Teru deeper into the unknown, but it’s not the world that’s shifting this time, it’s him. He’s haunted, and it shows. There are still moments of tension and danger, but they feel different now—less about survival, more about coping. About what happens after you’ve already seen too much.
There’s some solid character work here. A few interactions stand out, not because they’re explosive, but because they feel real. People trying to connect, to explain what can’t be explained. The story slows down again, but in a more intentional way this time. Like it's trying to give us a second to process the wreckage, both literal and emotional.
It’s not as gripping as the peak volumes, but it has its own kind of strength. A volume that lingers, not because of what happens, but because of what it makes you sit with. Still pretty good, and it earns that.
I JUST IMAGINED DEATH AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT DARKNESS."
Volume 8 has a quiet weight to it. After all the chaos and violence, this one feels more reflective, even mournful. There’s a focus on memory, on childhood, on that moment when innocence gives way to the cold, disorienting reality of the world. The quote captures it perfectly. That sense of looking back, realizing too late that you never understood how fragile everything really was.
We follow Teru deeper into the unknown, but it’s not the world that’s shifting this time, it’s him. He’s haunted, and it shows. There are still moments of tension and danger, but they feel different now—less about survival, more about coping. About what happens after you’ve already seen too much.
There’s some solid character work here. A few interactions stand out, not because they’re explosive, but because they feel real. People trying to connect, to explain what can’t be explained. The story slows down again, but in a more intentional way this time. Like it's trying to give us a second to process the wreckage, both literal and emotional.
It’s not as gripping as the peak volumes, but it has its own kind of strength. A volume that lingers, not because of what happens, but because of what it makes you sit with. Still pretty good, and it earns that.
May 7, 2023
🌸5th December 2021🌸
The horror continues as the survivors in a post apocalyptic Japan slowly make their way to Tokyo, fuelled by the diminishing hope that their home and families are still there as they are plagued by cataclysmic disaster after cataclysmic disaster. This series for eight volumes has been terrifying and gory. It’s still not been fully explained what has happened but it’s clear that the answers will be coming soon, with little hints here and there and only two volumes left. I really liked this series to begin with but it just drags on! The last few volumes have had very little plot progression and are basically interchangeable. I hate to admit that I’m getting a little bored. The ending of this volume suggests that things will pick up going forward and my God do I wish it will.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The horror continues as the survivors in a post apocalyptic Japan slowly make their way to Tokyo, fuelled by the diminishing hope that their home and families are still there as they are plagued by cataclysmic disaster after cataclysmic disaster. This series for eight volumes has been terrifying and gory. It’s still not been fully explained what has happened but it’s clear that the answers will be coming soon, with little hints here and there and only two volumes left. I really liked this series to begin with but it just drags on! The last few volumes have had very little plot progression and are basically interchangeable. I hate to admit that I’m getting a little bored. The ending of this volume suggests that things will pick up going forward and my God do I wish it will.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
January 27, 2010
Minetaro Mochizuki, Dragon Head, vol. 8 (Tokyopop, 1999)
The crew stopped their press towards Tokyo to grab some supplies from an abandoned shopping mall, but that turns out to not be the greatest of ideas; when another earthquake hits (along with another pillar of fire, this one from the direction of Tokyo), Iwada is forced to try and take off in the middle of an ash storm, and Teru gets left behind. This allows Mochizuki to get us back, in much of the final three-quarters of the volume, to the series' original existential claustrophobia. We're getting close to the end (I think the series runs ten volumes), and it's still of the same quality it was from day one. Good stuff. *** ½
The crew stopped their press towards Tokyo to grab some supplies from an abandoned shopping mall, but that turns out to not be the greatest of ideas; when another earthquake hits (along with another pillar of fire, this one from the direction of Tokyo), Iwada is forced to try and take off in the middle of an ash storm, and Teru gets left behind. This allows Mochizuki to get us back, in much of the final three-quarters of the volume, to the series' original existential claustrophobia. We're getting close to the end (I think the series runs ten volumes), and it's still of the same quality it was from day one. Good stuff. *** ½
August 19, 2010
Um manga fantástico, do princípio ao fim, num cenário apocalíptico, mas centrado nas suas ricas personagens.
April 14, 2019
(The first two volumes were included in the 2018 Halloween Terrors Humble Bundle)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews