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Koroshiya Ichi
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First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
Hideo Yamamoto
174 books248 followers 山本英夫 Yamamoto Hideo , is a Japanese manga artist best known for the manga series "Ichi the Killer" (which was adapted into a live-action film in 2001) and the series, Homunculus (manga).
Recurring themes in his manga are crime, sexual deviations, and psychology.
Recurring themes in his manga are crime, sexual deviations, and psychology.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 4, 2012
If you think the movie version is sick and twisted, wait until you read the manga.
March 2, 2020
It was okay
June 1, 2020
the movie was better
March 13, 2023
gruesome and awesomeee😎
April 6, 2024
Shinjuku. Kabukicho, el barrio rojo. 1998. Mansión Sunrise, la mansión de los yakuza. El jefe de un clan yakuza desparece junto con el dinero de la caja fuerte. La única pista: un 1 (ichi) marcado con sangre debajo de la cama. ¿El líder se ha fugado con el dinero? ¿Lo han raptado? ¿O… lo han asesinado?
Horas antes, un par de matones: imbéciles, depravados y con un abuelo bajito como cabecilla, sacaban productos de limpieza de su furgoneta, se ponían unos buzos desechables (con gafas protectoras y mascarilla incluida) y se disponían a limpiar una escena de un crimen, donde el asesino no había tenido piedad, ni con las víctimas ni con los que iban a limpiar. Sangre, vísceras, sesos y unas gotas de semen eran solo algunas de las cosas que, en una hora, fueron limpiadas con eficacia. Aunque, al parecer, se dejaban un pequeño rastro debajo de la cama…
Un rato antes, de lo anterior contado, un joven, Ichi, recordaba a uno de los abusones que lo habían golpeado en la escuela por la mirada de un hombre que estaba frente a él en una habitación con una caja fuerte. Acaba perdiendo el control y con la cuchilla de su zapato izquierdo cortó parte de la cabeza del hombre. Finalmente, eyaculó, empezó a llorar y llamó a un abuelo bajito.
“Todo eso pasa en la ciudad que nunca duerme, Shinjuku. Risas, lágrimas, amor y comedia, sin inevitabilidad. Los calienta bancos sólo tienen que observar en silencio. Je je, lo disfrutaré hasta el clímax”. Y yo también tío Jijii, y yo también…
Así empieza la historia del mangaka Hideo Yamamoto, titulada Ichi the Killer, donde se desarrolla un mundo yakuza exagerado y extremado, en el cual el castigo de cortar dedos queda totalmente desfasado e infantil. Un mundo de cobardes, de niños, de prostitutas, de matones, de manipuladores, de violadores, de fuertes y de débiles, de enamorados de la violencia y del dolor, de misóginos, de esquizofrénicos, de traidores… todos forman parte de este rocambolesco y grotesco relato de horror. Aunque, ni las escenas de cuerpos despedazados, ni de torturas con punzones, ni de violaciones, ni de patadas de karate con la pierna izquierda, ni de subincisiones de miembros impiden que sea, también, una historia de amor, entre un masoquista, Kakihara y un sádico, Ichi.
Ichi, el asesino que permanece en la sombra, que mata a sangre fría y deja unas escenas de lo más sangrientas y desagradables, también es una macedonia de enfermedades: esquizofrenia paranoide, personalidad múltiple y ansiedad social. Este diagnóstico psicológico desemboca en una sexualidad sádica, una lucha entre una personalidad infantil y otra violenta y, una sonrisa poco natural que se gana nuestro corazón. Ichi sigue todos los consejos y ordenes de la única persona a la que conoce, el tío Jijii, quien es el cerebro que dirige, sin piedad ni compasión, los acontecimientos y el destino final de cada uno de los personajes. Además de ser el musculo que moldea, sin fuerza, la mente de aquellos más débiles.
Kakihara (también llamado “El Perforador”), un hombre más de metal que de carne y apasionado a dos acciones: torturar y que le torturen, disfrutando, mucho más, de la última. El dolor le abre las puertas al éxtasis y, la muerte de su jefe no solo lo lleva a convertirse en el líder del clan, sino que también lo lleva a un síndrome de abstinencia sexual ya que su anterior jefe era quien lo torturaba. En la búsqueda de la venganza, Kakihara observa que Ichi no es un sicario más, sino que en sus asesinatos grotescos se vislumbra una obra de arte pura y, sobretodo, sádica… El Perforador ya sabe que es la próxima victima de Ichi, ¿eso lo excitará o le atemorizará?
¿Nuestro papel en todo este drama, comedia y horror? Los lectores, al igual que el abuelo Jijii, debemos deleitarnos, observando des de lejos, ese sadismo, esa violencia que destruye a gran velocidad esos habitantes de Shinjuku que se creían intocables e indestructibles. ¿Nos convierte eso en masoquistas o solo en curiosos? Tal vez un poco… de las dos cosas. ;)
P.D.: Enciendo un incienso por el querido Suzuki que, además de sufrir en vano, se pasa toda la historia boca abajo.
Horas antes, un par de matones: imbéciles, depravados y con un abuelo bajito como cabecilla, sacaban productos de limpieza de su furgoneta, se ponían unos buzos desechables (con gafas protectoras y mascarilla incluida) y se disponían a limpiar una escena de un crimen, donde el asesino no había tenido piedad, ni con las víctimas ni con los que iban a limpiar. Sangre, vísceras, sesos y unas gotas de semen eran solo algunas de las cosas que, en una hora, fueron limpiadas con eficacia. Aunque, al parecer, se dejaban un pequeño rastro debajo de la cama…
Un rato antes, de lo anterior contado, un joven, Ichi, recordaba a uno de los abusones que lo habían golpeado en la escuela por la mirada de un hombre que estaba frente a él en una habitación con una caja fuerte. Acaba perdiendo el control y con la cuchilla de su zapato izquierdo cortó parte de la cabeza del hombre. Finalmente, eyaculó, empezó a llorar y llamó a un abuelo bajito.
“Todo eso pasa en la ciudad que nunca duerme, Shinjuku. Risas, lágrimas, amor y comedia, sin inevitabilidad. Los calienta bancos sólo tienen que observar en silencio. Je je, lo disfrutaré hasta el clímax”. Y yo también tío Jijii, y yo también…
Así empieza la historia del mangaka Hideo Yamamoto, titulada Ichi the Killer, donde se desarrolla un mundo yakuza exagerado y extremado, en el cual el castigo de cortar dedos queda totalmente desfasado e infantil. Un mundo de cobardes, de niños, de prostitutas, de matones, de manipuladores, de violadores, de fuertes y de débiles, de enamorados de la violencia y del dolor, de misóginos, de esquizofrénicos, de traidores… todos forman parte de este rocambolesco y grotesco relato de horror. Aunque, ni las escenas de cuerpos despedazados, ni de torturas con punzones, ni de violaciones, ni de patadas de karate con la pierna izquierda, ni de subincisiones de miembros impiden que sea, también, una historia de amor, entre un masoquista, Kakihara y un sádico, Ichi.
Ichi, el asesino que permanece en la sombra, que mata a sangre fría y deja unas escenas de lo más sangrientas y desagradables, también es una macedonia de enfermedades: esquizofrenia paranoide, personalidad múltiple y ansiedad social. Este diagnóstico psicológico desemboca en una sexualidad sádica, una lucha entre una personalidad infantil y otra violenta y, una sonrisa poco natural que se gana nuestro corazón. Ichi sigue todos los consejos y ordenes de la única persona a la que conoce, el tío Jijii, quien es el cerebro que dirige, sin piedad ni compasión, los acontecimientos y el destino final de cada uno de los personajes. Además de ser el musculo que moldea, sin fuerza, la mente de aquellos más débiles.
Kakihara (también llamado “El Perforador”), un hombre más de metal que de carne y apasionado a dos acciones: torturar y que le torturen, disfrutando, mucho más, de la última. El dolor le abre las puertas al éxtasis y, la muerte de su jefe no solo lo lleva a convertirse en el líder del clan, sino que también lo lleva a un síndrome de abstinencia sexual ya que su anterior jefe era quien lo torturaba. En la búsqueda de la venganza, Kakihara observa que Ichi no es un sicario más, sino que en sus asesinatos grotescos se vislumbra una obra de arte pura y, sobretodo, sádica… El Perforador ya sabe que es la próxima victima de Ichi, ¿eso lo excitará o le atemorizará?
¿Nuestro papel en todo este drama, comedia y horror? Los lectores, al igual que el abuelo Jijii, debemos deleitarnos, observando des de lejos, ese sadismo, esa violencia que destruye a gran velocidad esos habitantes de Shinjuku que se creían intocables e indestructibles. ¿Nos convierte eso en masoquistas o solo en curiosos? Tal vez un poco… de las dos cosas. ;)
P.D.: Enciendo un incienso por el querido Suzuki que, además de sufrir en vano, se pasa toda la historia boca abajo.
December 15, 2022
I adore this manga. Hideo Yamamoto is a genius. It’s in my top five manga series. I pray to every deity out there that it will one day get a gorgeous omnibus English release (and hopefully with Seven Seas releasing his other masterpiece Homunculus it will). However, the violence will more than likely turn off a lot of audiences. I love the conflict between Ichi and Kakihara, the ultimate battle between the masochist and the sadist. The backstory of Ichi and how he was manipulated by most people around him. The aspect of brainwashing, the glimpse into yakuza violence and retribution, a world that a dork like me would never even think about exploring. I can say endless great things about this manga but I wouldn’t recommend anyone normal read it, because it is really messed up. The part with the woman getting her… you know… things… cut off makes me squirm every time I think about it. And the movie made me gag when I saw it with real people. The sexual violence is pretty terrible too but it was for the most part vital to the story. I know a lot of people say that if you can’t write a story without sexual violence you shouldn’t be writing it at all, but I disagree. I want to read stuff that’s messed up. I want to read stuff that makes you squirm. I want to read things people hate. I want to read things that are controversial. That is what is so great about literature. I hope every day that Hideo Yamamoto will come out one day and make another beautiful masterpiece of a series like Homunculus and Ichi the Killer. Voyeurs was decent but not nearly as masterful as Homunculus and Ichi. One day I’ll write a whole thought out review on this series, but it’ll probably be way too long to even post here. If you like violence, if you like complex stories, if you like mafia and yakuza dramas, if you want something to really mess you up and make you think, read Ichi the Killer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2014
Oh man, where to start with this series. I have to say this, if you haven't read this or seen the OVA anime or watched the movie, be warned. It's pretty graphic, almost SAW or THOSE WHO KILL graphic.
The series revolves around Ichi, a.k.a Ichi the Killer, as he is abused and manipulated by his only 'friend' and boss to kill Kakihara, a masochistic yakuza boss who loves sharing his multitude ideas of 'pleasure' with his men as well as enemies.
This series was an interesting read into the psyci of a twisted as well as broken mind, though of course one shouldn't assume it's a 100% accurate. The fact that Kakihara is seeking his lover's murder though malicious means gives the story that harsh, gritty 'Russian mouth wash' after taste that reveals the brutality of the mob world as well as Ichi's story shows the dangers of being naive to the 'kindness' of strangers. His boss, who's name I can NEVER for the life of me remember, willingly uses and eliminates everyone in his employ in order to get Ichi to his target, twisting Ichi's already broken mind into believing that his enemies have always been just that since he was child.
The series is a great read, though it's good to take it in pieces at times goes really deep into the BDSM world's extreme fetishes at times, and while I pride myself on being pretty hard core with horror, I learned about a few fetishes and body modifications I honestly still wish I was ignorant to.
The series revolves around Ichi, a.k.a Ichi the Killer, as he is abused and manipulated by his only 'friend' and boss to kill Kakihara, a masochistic yakuza boss who loves sharing his multitude ideas of 'pleasure' with his men as well as enemies.
This series was an interesting read into the psyci of a twisted as well as broken mind, though of course one shouldn't assume it's a 100% accurate. The fact that Kakihara is seeking his lover's murder though malicious means gives the story that harsh, gritty 'Russian mouth wash' after taste that reveals the brutality of the mob world as well as Ichi's story shows the dangers of being naive to the 'kindness' of strangers. His boss, who's name I can NEVER for the life of me remember, willingly uses and eliminates everyone in his employ in order to get Ichi to his target, twisting Ichi's already broken mind into believing that his enemies have always been just that since he was child.
The series is a great read, though it's good to take it in pieces at times goes really deep into the BDSM world's extreme fetishes at times, and while I pride myself on being pretty hard core with horror, I learned about a few fetishes and body modifications I honestly still wish I was ignorant to.
February 16, 2017
Really good, but somewhat difficult to read and get through. It has gore yeah, but thats not uncommon in manga. Its that the gore reflects on the characters psychology in a very direct way, and it is a useful character building method for characters who are this insane. Thats why its kind of hard to read, I felt filthy and degenerate for continuing to read and get invested in characters for whom saodmasochism, rape, and violence are integral components to their psychology. Its a pretty good plot, although at around the halfway mark it switches to more of an action focus. The plot revolves around Yakuza internal politics, but given that several of the main characters are insane it quickly ceases to follow the normal logic of politics. The main character is pretty interesting insofar as he is a hitman, but he is a very childlike, clean cut, immature 22 year old who only knows how to fight because he was bullied too much as a kid. His fighting knowledge, and his delusional psychology is exploited by his "uncle," who makes him into a hitman. Whenever he kills he cries and trembles in fear. Its an unusual protagonist to say the least. Art and panelling is very good. Like top tier '90s stuff.
March 24, 2021
Read this many years back, it had huge impact on my younger mind at that times due to the amount of violent and gore, OMFG never had I nor since then have I seen that much amount of grisly and shocking details.
Passing that part, the art is great, the plot however I don't recall there was much point to the plot. What's left imbedded in my brain til this day was the violent details so I guess the plot was not that impressive.
Passing that part, the art is great, the plot however I don't recall there was much point to the plot. What's left imbedded in my brain til this day was the violent details so I guess the plot was not that impressive.
July 14, 2019
3-3.5 stars.
This is a prelude to Ichi The Killer. It was nice to revisit Ichi as a character again, but I wouldn’t say this manga was totally necessary to make. Nothing was really added in his origins that wasn’t covered more adequately in Ichi The Killer.
This is a prelude to Ichi The Killer. It was nice to revisit Ichi as a character again, but I wouldn’t say this manga was totally necessary to make. Nothing was really added in his origins that wasn’t covered more adequately in Ichi The Killer.
Read
October 29, 2019more twisted than joker movie
March 4, 2020
Pretty brutal. Hard to tell where the blood ends and the semen begins...
July 29, 2020
Pretty awesome and very gruesome Yakuza manga, good story and love the art and characters 😻😻💪😁
October 19, 2021
4.5/5 Stars.
Insanely violent and gore-filled, but still delivers with the character and story.
Insanely violent and gore-filled, but still delivers with the character and story.
November 23, 2021
It's dark and twisted in a good way. This manga is okay, good for entertainment
June 5, 2022
Absolutely perverted.
Stay away from this manga.
Stay away from this manga.
August 22, 2022
Not gonna lie IT WAS weird as hell but after finishing it I felt sad that it's over ...anyway I don't know what to comment first , but yes it was...super weird, guys
August 1, 2023
Absolutely depraved.
February 7, 2023
After giving the incredible Homunculus a re-read, I felt that I needed even more to quench my severe thirst for Yamamoto's excellent, macabre worlds. I had a feeling that revisiting Ichi The Killer would be a perfect fix and, much like Homunculus, the re-read offered an even greater and more profound appreciation for this absolutely batshit insane manga! Ichi is a masterpiece much like Homunculus, but in many different ways. Whereas Homunculus focuses primarily on more delicate and existential subject matter, such as the subtleties of identity and human connection, Ichi is an extravagant blow-out of extreme violence, gore, assault, necrophilia, masturbation, and just about everything remotely "nasty" under the sun! That is only the surface of Ichi, however, as Yamamoto utilizes this ultra-violent imagery to craft a gripping tale of betrayal, manipulation, persuasion, and possibly a critique of the hypermasculine tendencies of the Yakuza clans and the inevitable downfall of groups due to their own individual interests and desire for power. Flipping the concept of "Good vs. Evil" on its head, Yamamoto allows our anticipation to grow to massive levels in waiting for the unimaginable battle between the "Ultimate Sadist" and the "Ultimate Masochist," yet purposefully provides us with something entirely different than the spectacle that we expect, something much more absurd and frankly, perfect. Without giving too much away, and in keeping with the tone of the manga itself, it's similar to having the worst case of blue-balls you've ever experienced, and instead of getting that ultimate satisfaction you so deeply desire, someone instead just runs up and gives you a mean right hook to the dick. The film adaptation by Takashi Miike is nothing to turn your nose up to, certainly, as it is an excellent display of splatter that gets the vibe of Ichi across well, but the manga provides the reader with such a greater concept of the characters of Ichi, Kakihara, Jijii, and the many other members supporting the bloodshed and depravity. A definite must-read, if you can stomach it!
October 23, 2025
Capolavoro.
Sullo sfondo di una grande città si muovono personaggi tanto deviati quanto affascinanti.
Il killer "Ichi" ha subito un lavaggio del cervello tale da renderlo una perfetta arma omicida, scatenata contro un clan Yakuza locale. Ichi apparentemente è un sadico assoluto, una persona che trae estremo piacere dall'infliggere dolore ed uccidere gli altri. Tuttavia ha all'apparenza una mente naive e quasi bambinesca, si spegne e scoppia a piangere appena realizza la gravità delle azioni che commette, tanto da aver bisogno di continui "escamotage" per autoconvincersi ad eseguire i propri ordini.
Il capo Yakuza Kakihara è invece un masochista assoluto, una persona che vorrebbe essere torturata senza ritegno, delusa dalle persone che ci provano poiché incapaci di andare fino in fondo. Kakihara, che vista la sua esperienza si rivela essere un abile torturatore, farà di tutto per scoprire chi ha ucciso il suo capo (spoiler: è stato Ichi).
Kakihara desidera essere ucciso da Ichi ed Ichi desidera uccidere Kakihara, i due "si trovano", ciò anima la loro mutua ricerca e culmina con il loro confronto finale.
Un manga pieno di colpi di scena, che non lascia spazio al lettore per riprendere fiato prima di proporre un nuovo e disturbante elemento, pervaso dall'inizio all fine da una violenza inaudita, sia fisica che psicologica, ma soprattutto, mai giustificata: i personaggi semplicemente sono così.
Assolutamente raccomandato, con il caveat che potrebbe rivelarsi difficile da stomacare.
Sullo sfondo di una grande città si muovono personaggi tanto deviati quanto affascinanti.
Il killer "Ichi" ha subito un lavaggio del cervello tale da renderlo una perfetta arma omicida, scatenata contro un clan Yakuza locale. Ichi apparentemente è un sadico assoluto, una persona che trae estremo piacere dall'infliggere dolore ed uccidere gli altri. Tuttavia ha all'apparenza una mente naive e quasi bambinesca, si spegne e scoppia a piangere appena realizza la gravità delle azioni che commette, tanto da aver bisogno di continui "escamotage" per autoconvincersi ad eseguire i propri ordini.
Il capo Yakuza Kakihara è invece un masochista assoluto, una persona che vorrebbe essere torturata senza ritegno, delusa dalle persone che ci provano poiché incapaci di andare fino in fondo. Kakihara, che vista la sua esperienza si rivela essere un abile torturatore, farà di tutto per scoprire chi ha ucciso il suo capo (spoiler: è stato Ichi).
Kakihara desidera essere ucciso da Ichi ed Ichi desidera uccidere Kakihara, i due "si trovano", ciò anima la loro mutua ricerca e culmina con il loro confronto finale.
Un manga pieno di colpi di scena, che non lascia spazio al lettore per riprendere fiato prima di proporre un nuovo e disturbante elemento, pervaso dall'inizio all fine da una violenza inaudita, sia fisica che psicologica, ma soprattutto, mai giustificata: i personaggi semplicemente sono così.
Assolutamente raccomandato, con il caveat che potrebbe rivelarsi difficile da stomacare.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2024
A prequel to the Ichi the Killer manga/movie that shows the bizarre origins of deranged crybaby assassin Ichi during his teenage martial artist days where he was relentlessly bullied at school his whole life for his unnatural mannerisms, body language and sexual pleasure induced by violence. It shows how he finally snapped and killed for the first time before being recruited by grimy hitman squads.
Not nearly as dark and messed up as the main series, but still incredibly weird and unsettling. The storytelling is a bit all over the place, but the brutal combat, disturbed characters and macabre artistry on display is still an oddly thrilling experience. A strange origin story for an even stranger character.
Not nearly as dark and messed up as the main series, but still incredibly weird and unsettling. The storytelling is a bit all over the place, but the brutal combat, disturbed characters and macabre artistry on display is still an oddly thrilling experience. A strange origin story for an even stranger character.
January 19, 2020
Uma bonita história de amor.
Read
February 2, 2025Eh ben
March 13, 2023
Violento, schifoso, perverso.
Molto bello.
Molto bello.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews