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ドロヘドロ [Dorohedoro] #1
ドロヘドロ 1
▼第1話/カイマン▼第2話/ハングリーバグ▼第3話/悪夢の中のアイツ▼第4話/袋の中▼第5話/食事中はお静かに▼第6話/隣の町の魔法使い●主な登場人物/カイマン(魔法で爬虫類の頭に変えられた男。かけられた魔法を解こうとしている)、ニカイドウ(カイマンの友達で、食堂を経営している。武術の心得もある女)、藤田(相方とホールに魔法の練習に来て、カイマンに襲われる)、煙(藤田の上役。部下がカイマンに殺されたのが気に入らず、復讐を決意)●あらすじ/自分を醜い姿に変えた、憎むべき「魔法使い」を頭からバックリ!! 口の中にもう一人の人間を住まわせた謎の異形の男・カイマン。魔法使いたちに姿を変えられた時に記憶を失い、いまはただ連中を狩る日々を過ごしている。「口の中の男」が犯人を言い当て、元の姿に還れるその日まで…(第1話)。●本巻の特徴/ドアによって隔てられた2つの世界。「魔法使い」の世界の住人たちは、自らの魔法でドアを作り出して、もう一つの世界「ホール」にやって来た…!! 魔法使いによって、頭を爬虫類の醜い姿に変えられた男・カイマンが本来の姿を取り戻すため、友達のニカイドウと共に、魔法使い狩りに立ち上がる。対する魔法使いたちも反撃を企て…。スリルと混沌に期待が高まる第1集!●その他の登場人物/恵比寿(爬虫類の魔法を使う女。カイマンに顔を傷つけられた)、心(煙の雇った殺し屋。先輩格。何でもバラす)、能井(煙の雇った殺し屋。後輩格。こちらは何でも直す)
170 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2002
275 people are currently reading
5663 people want to read
About the author
Q. Hayashida
81 books596 followersQ Hayashida (林田球, Hayashida Kyu) is a manga author from Tokyo.
Hayashida studied oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts. She has discussed her childhood and artistic inspirations in interviews but maintains a high level of privacy about her personal life, to the point that her true name and face are unknown.
Hayashida's first major manga was Maken X Another (1999-2001), a comic book adaptation of a video game.
Her most famous work is the 23-volumes long Dorohedoro (2000-2018). It was originally serialised in the alternative manga magazine 'Monthly Ikki', but it was later moved to 'Hibana' when Ikki ceased publication, and finally transferred to 'Monthly Shōnen Sunday'. Dorohedoro has been partially adapted into an anime on Netflix in 2018.
Hayashida's most recent manga series Dai Dark began serialisation in 2019 in the pages of Monthly Shōnen Sunday.
Hayashida studied oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts. She has discussed her childhood and artistic inspirations in interviews but maintains a high level of privacy about her personal life, to the point that her true name and face are unknown.
Hayashida's first major manga was Maken X Another (1999-2001), a comic book adaptation of a video game.
Her most famous work is the 23-volumes long Dorohedoro (2000-2018). It was originally serialised in the alternative manga magazine 'Monthly Ikki', but it was later moved to 'Hibana' when Ikki ceased publication, and finally transferred to 'Monthly Shōnen Sunday'. Dorohedoro has been partially adapted into an anime on Netflix in 2018.
Hayashida's most recent manga series Dai Dark began serialisation in 2019 in the pages of Monthly Shōnen Sunday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 642 reviews
July 13, 2021
On the other side of the door lies the world of the “magic users”. It is by using their special abilities that they reveal these passages which connect their world to “The Hole”, the city where they live. They come here regularly to test their powers.
I can say with an absolute grin of approval that Dorohedoro is unlike anything I’ve read before, manga or otherwise – and I’ve read a rather sizeable amount in my 23 years. Dorohedoro takes place in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. Humans are pushed into an impoverished region aptly named “The Hole” while sorcerers enjoy the luxury of being magically domineering over others, going so far as to use humans as guinea pigs to practise their magic, often disfiguring and even killing them in the process.
Dorohedoro follows the story of several groups of characters, the main group of which consists of Nikaido, the owner of a restaurant and a sweet but spunky woman who doesn’t take any shit while her best friend, Caiman is an eccentric, lizard-faced chaotic neutral man who eats all of Nikaido’s food by scaring away other customers.
Caiman woke up one day without his name or original face and is taken in by Nikaido. Together they plan to find out just who left him for dead, but more importantly, who changed his face. Dorohedoro has a dark fever-dream quality where the person who changed your face is more important to kill than the one who left you for dead. It’s probably the closest I’ve ever seen someone simulate what a mushroom trip feels like.
The other main group of characters are the sorcerers who work for En, the most powerful sorcerer in this world, who can turn anything he touches into mushrooms using his magic. His most beloved subordinates are Noi and Shin who can cut people apart without letting them die and heal any wounds, illnesses or injuries, respectively. Their dynamic is incredibly fun since they’ve known each other since childhood. It’s quite obvious that they’ve always been romantically fond of each other.
The sidekick-coded Fujita and Ebisu are teenage sorcerers who want to make it big in En’s world. Fujita is typically bumbling and awkward while Ebisu is absolutely dim-witted, excitable and quite literally half dead most of the time. Being teenagers doesn’t make them immune from being at the receiving end of violence at all.
It doesn’t look like it, but Dorohedoro is basically a dark romantic comedy with three couples and a crazy mushroom-making man who loves his cat more than the world and has tried to (and failed) to make it big as a musician while also trying his luck at an autobiographical movie.
I love little details,like how Caiman gets his spike stuck to his pillow, or how. Shin and Noi have a competition about who kills the most people. It makes them endearing, if not a little sociopathic.
Now you would expect that En and his subjects are the antagonists, but in the world of Dorohedoro, no character is really in the right. One could even argue that everyone is pretty much chaotic neutral and completely amoral.
And I absolutely love this concept.
By being so violent and gore-filled with amoral characters, you’re forced to view how much you like the characters based on their character instead of their moral compass. I think it’s rather refreshing since here senseless violence is used to a humorous effect instead of portraying a bleak outlook. In the world of sorcerers, it’s kill or be killed and everyone is rather accepting of this and never seems to question it, which makes it funnier.
Lastly, the style really makes this manga for me. It’s dark, gritty and even a little out of proportion, but so detailed, busy and unique despite its dark themes. The mangaka, Q. Hayashida, is a woman, which makes for an even better read since she knows that women’s bodies come in more shapes than just a stick with boobs and she focuses on the character of the women in Dorohedoro instead of their importance as love interests.
I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves deliciously senseless and violent series, but needs a bit of a positive twist to things. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but try it if you can.
I can say with an absolute grin of approval that Dorohedoro is unlike anything I’ve read before, manga or otherwise – and I’ve read a rather sizeable amount in my 23 years. Dorohedoro takes place in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. Humans are pushed into an impoverished region aptly named “The Hole” while sorcerers enjoy the luxury of being magically domineering over others, going so far as to use humans as guinea pigs to practise their magic, often disfiguring and even killing them in the process.
Dorohedoro follows the story of several groups of characters, the main group of which consists of Nikaido, the owner of a restaurant and a sweet but spunky woman who doesn’t take any shit while her best friend, Caiman is an eccentric, lizard-faced chaotic neutral man who eats all of Nikaido’s food by scaring away other customers.
Caiman woke up one day without his name or original face and is taken in by Nikaido. Together they plan to find out just who left him for dead, but more importantly, who changed his face. Dorohedoro has a dark fever-dream quality where the person who changed your face is more important to kill than the one who left you for dead. It’s probably the closest I’ve ever seen someone simulate what a mushroom trip feels like.
The other main group of characters are the sorcerers who work for En, the most powerful sorcerer in this world, who can turn anything he touches into mushrooms using his magic. His most beloved subordinates are Noi and Shin who can cut people apart without letting them die and heal any wounds, illnesses or injuries, respectively. Their dynamic is incredibly fun since they’ve known each other since childhood. It’s quite obvious that they’ve always been romantically fond of each other.
The sidekick-coded Fujita and Ebisu are teenage sorcerers who want to make it big in En’s world. Fujita is typically bumbling and awkward while Ebisu is absolutely dim-witted, excitable and quite literally half dead most of the time. Being teenagers doesn’t make them immune from being at the receiving end of violence at all.
It doesn’t look like it, but Dorohedoro is basically a dark romantic comedy with three couples and a crazy mushroom-making man who loves his cat more than the world and has tried to (and failed) to make it big as a musician while also trying his luck at an autobiographical movie.
I love little details,like how Caiman gets his spike stuck to his pillow, or how. Shin and Noi have a competition about who kills the most people. It makes them endearing, if not a little sociopathic.
Now you would expect that En and his subjects are the antagonists, but in the world of Dorohedoro, no character is really in the right. One could even argue that everyone is pretty much chaotic neutral and completely amoral.
And I absolutely love this concept.
By being so violent and gore-filled with amoral characters, you’re forced to view how much you like the characters based on their character instead of their moral compass. I think it’s rather refreshing since here senseless violence is used to a humorous effect instead of portraying a bleak outlook. In the world of sorcerers, it’s kill or be killed and everyone is rather accepting of this and never seems to question it, which makes it funnier.
Lastly, the style really makes this manga for me. It’s dark, gritty and even a little out of proportion, but so detailed, busy and unique despite its dark themes. The mangaka, Q. Hayashida, is a woman, which makes for an even better read since she knows that women’s bodies come in more shapes than just a stick with boobs and she focuses on the character of the women in Dorohedoro instead of their importance as love interests.
I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves deliciously senseless and violent series, but needs a bit of a positive twist to things. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but try it if you can.
March 14, 2024
It was a little hard to see on my phone (and impossible to read on kindle lol) but this has a fun start! I’ve got the next two volumes and will probably start them soon.
A man has a lizard head and someone inside him with no knowledge of his past, set in a derelict town called The Hole where sorcerers experiment on the populace and raise hell. Very graphic and a bit corny, but again just kinda hard to see on my phone lol
A man has a lizard head and someone inside him with no knowledge of his past, set in a derelict town called The Hole where sorcerers experiment on the populace and raise hell. Very graphic and a bit corny, but again just kinda hard to see on my phone lol
March 13, 2016
Potentially interesting ideas that need a better storyteller. I would not be surprised at all if someone told me the overall series is worth reading, but the first volume doesn't do too much to compel me to continue.
Though I do have Volume 2 in front of me, so I might see how it goes.
Though I do have Volume 2 in front of me, so I might see how it goes.
December 26, 2021
I'm not a fan of ultraviolence generally, but this was well-executed, and I'm intrigued by a number of elements. This starts in medias res and I admit I was hoping that a few non-long-plot elements would become clearer, especially why is Nikaido putting so much effort into helping Caiman (whom as far as I can tell she started helping as soon as they met) when otherwise the Hole seems to be an everyone for themselves, life-is-cheap type place. Maybe it will be revealed in book 2.
March 31, 2021
A friend told me this manga was crazy. He was wrong.
This manga is absolutely crazy. Like totally. The craziness shows in many ways here - in the art, which is to me only comparable to Blame!, Vol. 1 (I loved it btw) with its messy bio architecture structures, but Dorohedoro is probably even more messy and full of visual noise; the story itself, which is something like psychedelic Pulp Fiction high on shrooms (also full of shrooms) in the world of Harry Potter (sorts of) and, finally, the many colourful characters (which deserve a separate review, but maybe sometime later).
The world - or rather two parallel worlds, The Hole and the World of magicians (yes, somewhat like in HP but just more evil and openly devil worshiping) are in more or less active but constant war with each other, because Magicians feel at home in the Hole to casually cause pain, death and destruction by exercising their magic on Holers. That's why Holers are always ready to kill magicians in acts of self-defense. Or just in case. It's easy to spot them - they wear really impressive sort of Halloween masks. All year round. Which are given to them by Devil himself. Herself. I don't know, I'm not sure yet. Right now I'm on volume 5, but many things are still not clear and... I'm loving it.
Because even if the story in the beginning is sort of a regular noir-like mission to find out person's past, later it becomes something entirely different. And there's so many deliciously weird details in this manga - stuff you simply don't understand first, like weird wardrobes, masks, rituals, places, people or even monsters, etc, etc, which for sure will be explained later - that you're attracted into this madness in an addictive way.
I must mark that this manga is also very brutal at times - I did mention Pulp Fiction, right? So if you can't stand the idea of someone being killed with a hammer blows you shouldn't probably read it... But it's also very funny quite often. Well, if you could laugh at Pulp Fiction you'll appreciated Caiman's sense of humour too. Next time I'll maybe tell you about Caiman.
I'm nor sure where this story is taking me but I'm pretty positive it's places.
This manga is absolutely crazy. Like totally. The craziness shows in many ways here - in the art, which is to me only comparable to Blame!, Vol. 1 (I loved it btw) with its messy bio architecture structures, but Dorohedoro is probably even more messy and full of visual noise; the story itself, which is something like psychedelic Pulp Fiction high on shrooms (also full of shrooms) in the world of Harry Potter (sorts of) and, finally, the many colourful characters (which deserve a separate review, but maybe sometime later).
The world - or rather two parallel worlds, The Hole and the World of magicians (yes, somewhat like in HP but just more evil and openly devil worshiping) are in more or less active but constant war with each other, because Magicians feel at home in the Hole to casually cause pain, death and destruction by exercising their magic on Holers. That's why Holers are always ready to kill magicians in acts of self-defense. Or just in case. It's easy to spot them - they wear really impressive sort of Halloween masks. All year round. Which are given to them by Devil himself. Herself. I don't know, I'm not sure yet. Right now I'm on volume 5, but many things are still not clear and... I'm loving it.
Because even if the story in the beginning is sort of a regular noir-like mission to find out person's past, later it becomes something entirely different. And there's so many deliciously weird details in this manga - stuff you simply don't understand first, like weird wardrobes, masks, rituals, places, people or even monsters, etc, etc, which for sure will be explained later - that you're attracted into this madness in an addictive way.
I must mark that this manga is also very brutal at times - I did mention Pulp Fiction, right? So if you can't stand the idea of someone being killed with a hammer blows you shouldn't probably read it... But it's also very funny quite often. Well, if you could laugh at Pulp Fiction you'll appreciated Caiman's sense of humour too. Next time I'll maybe tell you about Caiman.
I'm nor sure where this story is taking me but I'm pretty positive it's places.
June 22, 2022
There’s just something about women who write graphic violence. ♥️
April 9, 2016
At first impression it is a one bloody-and-gore manga. Well, it is not entirely wrong, but there are more than that. On this first volume, after early bloody chapters, the last two chapters are pretty humorous. Okay, dark humor, not so funny for some people.
The magic system of this series is not revealed much yet on this volume.
The magic system of this series is not revealed much yet on this volume.
August 19, 2020
Wildly creative narrative with healthy doses of violence and oddball characters. Love the art style as well!
October 25, 2021
З манґою «Дорохедоро» Кю Хаяшіди взагалі досить смішна ситуація. Це вже стало «місцевим телеґрамним» мемом щодо порад прочитати цю манґу чи, хоча б, глянути аніме. Думаю, якщо б мені не подарували перший том, то ще б довго не глянув у сторону манґи, хоча навіть аніме глянув кілька серій і планував дивитися далі.
У манзі розповідається про жахливе, брудне й жорстоке місто, яке називають Дірою. Це одна частина світу, у який приходить клан Чаклунів, з якого викрадає людей із вулиць, забираючи у свій світ. Вони використовують ці жертви для своїх жорстоких експериментів. На одній такій забутій вулиці ми знайомимося із дівчиною Нікайдо та Кайманом, людиною із головою рептилії. Але, що найдивніше, чи навіть краще сказати найогидніше, всередині нього сидить якась особистість. Тобто, якщо заглянути усередину в пащеку Каймана, то побачиш це жахливе видиво. Наскільки відомо — це результат певного зачарування.
У Каймана важкий випадок амнезії, тому він шукає чаклуна, який перетворив його у теперішній стан. Якби ж він міг пригадати, хто це зробив — було б простіше. Тому коли він зустрічає чаклунів, він запихає їхню голову в рот, і далі відбувається щось дуже дивне. З’являється обличчя з глибини горла Каймана й говорить із чаклуном. Потім Кайман відпускає голову чаклуна й запитує кожного з них, що сказала ця загадкова особа в середыі нього. Незалежно від їхньої відповіді — результат один. Смерть.
Я не знаю чи вартує далі щось говорити, про що ж манґа, бо цього думаю цілком достатньо, щоби зрозуміти — сетинґ і герої тут не пересічні. Ну, єдине, що можна ще згадати, Кайман просто обожнює їсти ґьодзе. Тому в манзі їх буде багато й дуууужжжееееее смачних!
Діра — це жорстоке болото. І, щоби дати вам більше уявлення про те, яка дивна, майже сюрреалістична, історія відбувається на вулицях цього міста, скажу, що це такий собі «Лютер Строуд», але чорно-білий і геть іншою атмосферою. Просто з першого беремо моменти кривавого насильства, жорстокості й гидоти, далі це все заправляємо світом, який придумала Кю Хаяшіда, і вуаля — вийшло «Дорохедоро». Але, звісно, що читати історію, яка складається лише з насильства і крові — не так цікаво. Тому для себе я виділив дві важливі речі: гумор і персонажі. Кайман та Нікайдо виглядають переконливими й реальними. У них є щось таке, що змушує мене із цікавістю стежити за їх дивними пригодами.
Ще обов’язково хочу згадати про малюнок. За десяток перегорнутих сторінок розумієш, що стиль художниці, привертає увагу своїми грубими, подряпинами лініями, деталізацією і брудною штриховкою. Її темний та суворий стиль добре підходить до історії, додаючи загальній атмосфері й підкреслюючи той бруд, що ллється в цьому світі. Але цей грубий і брудний стиль мене постійно вибивав із колії. Я постійно зупинявся, щоби розібратися, що ж взагалі відбувається в кадрах. Особливо це було помітно на динамічних сценах. Але я не кажу, що стиль не підходить оповіді. Навпаки, у розрізі антуражу, навіть дуже підходить. Просто ось це постійне збивання ритму дратувало. Можливо, банально потрібно призвичаїтися до малюнку… Але мені цього не вдалося після прочитання першого тому.
Як ви, напевно, зрозуміли манґа «Дорохедоро» Кю Хаяшіди — точно не для всіх. Але через свою неординарність і божевілля вона мені сподобалася, хоча й були проблеми із малюнком. Тепер ось буду думати, як читати ті всі два десятки томів 😅
У манзі розповідається про жахливе, брудне й жорстоке місто, яке називають Дірою. Це одна частина світу, у який приходить клан Чаклунів, з якого викрадає людей із вулиць, забираючи у свій світ. Вони використовують ці жертви для своїх жорстоких експериментів. На одній такій забутій вулиці ми знайомимося із дівчиною Нікайдо та Кайманом, людиною із головою рептилії. Але, що найдивніше, чи навіть краще сказати найогидніше, всередині нього сидить якась особистість. Тобто, якщо заглянути усередину в пащеку Каймана, то побачиш це жахливе видиво. Наскільки відомо — це результат певного зачарування.
У Каймана важкий випадок амнезії, тому він шукає чаклуна, який перетворив його у теперішній стан. Якби ж він міг пригадати, хто це зробив — було б простіше. Тому коли він зустрічає чаклунів, він запихає їхню голову в рот, і далі відбувається щось дуже дивне. З’являється обличчя з глибини горла Каймана й говорить із чаклуном. Потім Кайман відпускає голову чаклуна й запитує кожного з них, що сказала ця загадкова особа в середыі нього. Незалежно від їхньої відповіді — результат один. Смерть.
Я не знаю чи вартує далі щось говорити, про що ж манґа, бо цього думаю цілком достатньо, щоби зрозуміти — сетинґ і герої тут не пересічні. Ну, єдине, що можна ще згадати, Кайман просто обожнює їсти ґьодзе. Тому в манзі їх буде багато й дуууужжжееееее смачних!
Діра — це жорстоке болото. І, щоби дати вам більше уявлення про те, яка дивна, майже сюрреалістична, історія відбувається на вулицях цього міста, скажу, що це такий собі «Лютер Строуд», але чорно-білий і геть іншою атмосферою. Просто з першого беремо моменти кривавого насильства, жорстокості й гидоти, далі це все заправляємо світом, який придумала Кю Хаяшіда, і вуаля — вийшло «Дорохедоро». Але, звісно, що читати історію, яка складається лише з насильства і крові — не так цікаво. Тому для себе я виділив дві важливі речі: гумор і персонажі. Кайман та Нікайдо виглядають переконливими й реальними. У них є щось таке, що змушує мене із цікавістю стежити за їх дивними пригодами.
Ще обов’язково хочу згадати про малюнок. За десяток перегорнутих сторінок розумієш, що стиль художниці, привертає увагу своїми грубими, подряпинами лініями, деталізацією і брудною штриховкою. Її темний та суворий стиль добре підходить до історії, додаючи загальній атмосфері й підкреслюючи той бруд, що ллється в цьому світі. Але цей грубий і брудний стиль мене постійно вибивав із колії. Я постійно зупинявся, щоби розібратися, що ж взагалі відбувається в кадрах. Особливо це було помітно на динамічних сценах. Але я не кажу, що стиль не підходить оповіді. Навпаки, у розрізі антуражу, навіть дуже підходить. Просто ось це постійне збивання ритму дратувало. Можливо, банально потрібно призвичаїтися до малюнку… Але мені цього не вдалося після прочитання першого тому.
Як ви, напевно, зрозуміли манґа «Дорохедоро» Кю Хаяшіди — точно не для всіх. Але через свою неординарність і божевілля вона мені сподобалася, хоча й були проблеми із малюнком. Тепер ось буду думати, як читати ті всі два десятки томів 😅
March 7, 2023
No tengo quejas, cumplió todas mis expectativas. Me encantan los brujos y los demonios y la violencia gratuita.
June 7, 2022
RAD AND BAD! Yea, they rhyme, so what?
Caiman's head was transformed into a lizard by a sorcerer in a mysterious alley. Because of this unfortunate encounter, he goes in search of magical doors and sorcerers, biting their heads on a chance confrontation, so the man inside of him can track down his culprit. But sometimes he wonders, what if the sorcerer he's hellbent on searching for is the man inside of him? Or is it the real him?
It is a very interesting premise and wildly, fiendishly (or like a Slipknot member, yea!) drawn characters, with Caiman's catchphrase, "What did the man inside say?" and if the other person said something like it wasn't me then Caiman's got to kill him as if crossing out a name from a list and thinning out the herd to catch the wolf disguised as a sheep.
This is like eating a x4 Samyang ramen, that's how violence-charged this series is. But I wonder why I'm not averting my eyes even in one of the extremely vomit-worthy panels. I guess I'm turning into a gore addict.
Caiman and Nikaido's platonic friendship is a killer, nonetheless, I still ship the two. And, Ebisu's puzzle dress sparked an interest within me. Lol, I'd like to wear a dress like that, of course, the one with no hanging tit or exposed butt!
Caiman's head was transformed into a lizard by a sorcerer in a mysterious alley. Because of this unfortunate encounter, he goes in search of magical doors and sorcerers, biting their heads on a chance confrontation, so the man inside of him can track down his culprit. But sometimes he wonders, what if the sorcerer he's hellbent on searching for is the man inside of him? Or is it the real him?
It is a very interesting premise and wildly, fiendishly (or like a Slipknot member, yea!) drawn characters, with Caiman's catchphrase, "What did the man inside say?" and if the other person said something like it wasn't me then Caiman's got to kill him as if crossing out a name from a list and thinning out the herd to catch the wolf disguised as a sheep.
This is like eating a x4 Samyang ramen, that's how violence-charged this series is. But I wonder why I'm not averting my eyes even in one of the extremely vomit-worthy panels. I guess I'm turning into a gore addict.
Caiman and Nikaido's platonic friendship is a killer, nonetheless, I still ship the two. And, Ebisu's puzzle dress sparked an interest within me. Lol, I'd like to wear a dress like that, of course, the one with no hanging tit or exposed butt!
September 2, 2015
Dorohedoro feels like what you'd get if you took Battle Angel Alita and replaced the cyborgs with sorcerers. Filthy dystopian city as a main setting? Check. A powerful, outside ruling class, that exploits the lower rungs of society, and actively works to keep them from advancing? Check. Interesting and likable characters? Check. And while it hasn't reached the levels of unbridled awesomeness of Battle Angel Alita yet, volume one of Dorohedoro is still really damn good.
The bizarre situation that Caiman finds himself in (transformed into a lizard man, with someone who may or may not be his true self trapped inside of him), is an immediate attention-getter, and quickly sets up the theme: Sorcerers are not good people, and just this once, they may have messed with the wrong guy. What follows is a dark, unabashedly violent quest for vengeance, which does lose a little steam due to the simple fact that Caiman and his partner Nikaido, don't really know where to look. They've just taken to shaking down every sorcerer they come across, but it's not like there are magic-users camped out on every street corner. This isn't inherently bad, as it lets the reader see a bit of Caiman's & Nikaido's day to day lives, and get a feel for them as people rather merely blood-fueled instruments of justice.
That said, there are times when Caiman comes across as a little too flippant for my taste, but I can roll with it. Nikaido on the other hand is a straight-up badass, and serves as a nice straight-man (straight-woman?) counterpoint to Caiman's laid-back, joking personality. The villains present a nice range of personalities, too. From the truly unsettling En, to the sad-sack demeanor of Fujita, to the cool and calculating duo of Shin and Noi, they all bring something unique to the table. Quite an enjoyable cast, all around.
The art is rough, without being unrefined, and really fits the story well. Character's faces have a lot of emotion, the overall character design is great, and the environments do feel run-down and ramshackle. My only complaints are that sometimes during fight scenes, some panels are zoomed in a little too close to be able to easily tell what's going on, and the fact that every once in awhile, someone's head will look like it's been drawn a little too small.
But yeah, this volume of Dorohedoro is a great setup, and I look forward to seeing where Q Hayashida goes with this.
The bizarre situation that Caiman finds himself in (transformed into a lizard man, with someone who may or may not be his true self trapped inside of him), is an immediate attention-getter, and quickly sets up the theme: Sorcerers are not good people, and just this once, they may have messed with the wrong guy. What follows is a dark, unabashedly violent quest for vengeance, which does lose a little steam due to the simple fact that Caiman and his partner Nikaido, don't really know where to look. They've just taken to shaking down every sorcerer they come across, but it's not like there are magic-users camped out on every street corner. This isn't inherently bad, as it lets the reader see a bit of Caiman's & Nikaido's day to day lives, and get a feel for them as people rather merely blood-fueled instruments of justice.
That said, there are times when Caiman comes across as a little too flippant for my taste, but I can roll with it. Nikaido on the other hand is a straight-up badass, and serves as a nice straight-man (straight-woman?) counterpoint to Caiman's laid-back, joking personality. The villains present a nice range of personalities, too. From the truly unsettling En, to the sad-sack demeanor of Fujita, to the cool and calculating duo of Shin and Noi, they all bring something unique to the table. Quite an enjoyable cast, all around.
The art is rough, without being unrefined, and really fits the story well. Character's faces have a lot of emotion, the overall character design is great, and the environments do feel run-down and ramshackle. My only complaints are that sometimes during fight scenes, some panels are zoomed in a little too close to be able to easily tell what's going on, and the fact that every once in awhile, someone's head will look like it's been drawn a little too small.
But yeah, this volume of Dorohedoro is a great setup, and I look forward to seeing where Q Hayashida goes with this.
March 5, 2020
Well, this is just plain weird. Caiman was (maybe) experimented on by a sorcerer from another dimension, leaving him with a lizard head. So he goes around with his female butt-kicking sidekick Nikaido looking for sorcerers so he can chomp his giant mouth around their heads so a mysterious man in his throat can look them in the eye and judge if they are the one. If they are not the one -- and Caiman can only find out by asking the sorcerer what the man inside said since he cannot hear the man himself -- Caiman kills them and goes looking for the next. That's only the first half dozen pages, but it gets repeated a lot. And for some reason, I find it pretty funny.
When he's not doing that, Caiman is an idiot loser bopping around a crappy town called The Hole.
Meanwhile, in their home dimension, a group of sorcerers bands together to 1) avenge the death of a friend at Caiman's hands and 2) figure out which sorcerer made this dummy so powerful so they can rip the off and use the magic themselves.
The majority of the pages are filled with gonzo violence, gore, and nudity. This could go south quickly, but right now I'm enjoying the crazy, anything-can-happen ride.
When he's not doing that, Caiman is an idiot loser bopping around a crappy town called The Hole.
Meanwhile, in their home dimension, a group of sorcerers bands together to 1) avenge the death of a friend at Caiman's hands and 2) figure out which sorcerer made this dummy so powerful so they can rip the off and use the magic themselves.
The majority of the pages are filled with gonzo violence, gore, and nudity. This could go south quickly, but right now I'm enjoying the crazy, anything-can-happen ride.
June 3, 2023
i put off reading the manga for awhile, which is odd considering i started watching the anime the day it aired. got tired of waiting for the anime adaptation that is (probably) never happening. as of right now it's been three years without any sort of announcement or confirmation and i'm giving up hope. i will never see dokuga animated besides those two frames that were at the end of the last episode.
the art for this manga is genuinely insane, especially the gore. it's dark and gritty, but perfectly done. the author is crazy and i support her wrongs. there's just something about women drawing violence.
i love shin and noi so much. (that's an understatement i'm trying to be normal). imagine being shin and having a 6'10" woman as your partner and NOT folding. he's so much stronger than me.
the art for this manga is genuinely insane, especially the gore. it's dark and gritty, but perfectly done. the author is crazy and i support her wrongs. there's just something about women drawing violence.
i love shin and noi so much. (that's an understatement i'm trying to be normal). imagine being shin and having a 6'10" woman as your partner and NOT folding. he's so much stronger than me.
July 25, 2022
7/10
A series mixing a vile post-apocalyptic urban setting, cyberpunk aesthetics and fantasy. Although there is an overarching narrative from the very beginning, each episode is 24 pages long square and tries to be satisfying on its own. The two protagonists are lovable enough, and even the characters so far presented as 'the bad guys' are easy to empathise with. It's overall a solid mainstream manga, that does its job.
Q Hayashida is a great artist. Her inking style is characterised by a tempest of lines, that make feel everything unstable and dirty, coherently to the setting of the story. Body figure out of proportion is another peculiarity of the art style. Which is cool, but in a couple of panels the heads were a bit too small.
I will keep reading this series.
A series mixing a vile post-apocalyptic urban setting, cyberpunk aesthetics and fantasy. Although there is an overarching narrative from the very beginning, each episode is 24 pages long square and tries to be satisfying on its own. The two protagonists are lovable enough, and even the characters so far presented as 'the bad guys' are easy to empathise with. It's overall a solid mainstream manga, that does its job.
Q Hayashida is a great artist. Her inking style is characterised by a tempest of lines, that make feel everything unstable and dirty, coherently to the setting of the story. Body figure out of proportion is another peculiarity of the art style. Which is cool, but in a couple of panels the heads were a bit too small.
I will keep reading this series.
May 19, 2010
Sometimes I click with a book instantly. Sometimes I click just as instantly into knowing that a book's style and premise means it's just not going to work out between us, at all. Sorry, Dorohedoro. It's not you, it's me. Although it's probably you.
June 23, 2013
There should be no reason for me not to like a book in which a guy with an alligator for a head eats another dude's head on the first page. And yet, blech. Not a fun book at all. Grim and senselessly unpleasant, like reading a Slipknot album. I would write more but I think I'm done here.
January 24, 2020
Sorcerers and a dude that eats their faces with his crocodile head that he got from a sorcerer experiment? That’s pretty much the plot of the book. Gritty sci fi. Ridiculous absurdity and gratuitous violence. Not bad but certainly not anything exceptional. 7/10
April 20, 2011
Violence filled fun, I haven't read anything else quite like this. But I loved the dark humor it has going alongside all the gorey material.
March 7, 2021
Los que gusten del bizarro tienen aquí su tebeo ideal, una sucesión de momentos wtf? que arranca con una memorable viñeta a toda página de un tío con cabeza de caimán mordiéndole el cráneo a otro tipo en primer y detallado plano y de ahí hacia arriba. Humor negro chorra en una historia enfermiza ambientada en un entorno chunguísimo que va muy en serio, pero como Hayashida está todo el rato de cachondeo pues crea un efecto rarísimo y atractivo, mezcla de Hellraiser y Dr. Slump, unos personajes colgadísimos, unos diseños como de bondage cyberpunk, absurdeces sin tino. Bien.
En lo gráfico, no he podido encontrar información para corroborarlo, pero Hayashida parece una fan de Ted McKeever (Eddy Current, Plastic Forks, Industrial Gothic...) pero con los elementos típicos del manga en rostros y narrativa. En las páginas a color el dibujo es clavado al del norteamericano. Desde luego el estilo grotesco de McKeever se ajusta como un guante a esta historia, pero, lamentablemente, Hayashida no posee la depurada habilidad del autor norteamericano y no puede ocultar sus carencias en cuanto a anatomía, perspectiva y narrativa y tampoco resulta coherente en su estilo, a veces intenta ser más realista, acercándose a Nihei (autor del que Hayashida fue ayudante) en las escenas de acción, pero en alguna ocasión no le sale y la cosa da el cante muy gravemente. Es una pena porque su grafismo resulta interesante.
En lo gráfico, no he podido encontrar información para corroborarlo, pero Hayashida parece una fan de Ted McKeever (Eddy Current, Plastic Forks, Industrial Gothic...) pero con los elementos típicos del manga en rostros y narrativa. En las páginas a color el dibujo es clavado al del norteamericano. Desde luego el estilo grotesco de McKeever se ajusta como un guante a esta historia, pero, lamentablemente, Hayashida no posee la depurada habilidad del autor norteamericano y no puede ocultar sus carencias en cuanto a anatomía, perspectiva y narrativa y tampoco resulta coherente en su estilo, a veces intenta ser más realista, acercándose a Nihei (autor del que Hayashida fue ayudante) en las escenas de acción, pero en alguna ocasión no le sale y la cosa da el cante muy gravemente. Es una pena porque su grafismo resulta interesante.
August 29, 2025
Pretty solid introduction to this dark and bloody world, not devoid of humour. While it's slow in getting the story going, we end on a note that starts to feel intriguing!
Dorohedoro is the first volume of a tale about Caiman — a man with a reptile's head and no memory of who he is. Alongside his friend Nikaido, he navigates a world of magic and strange creatures in order to find the sorcerers who cursed him.
The world is grim and grotesque, the character design vivid and creative. It's what ultimately drew me to this. It takes less than a dozen pages to see the first body parts chopped off, but in a world that is introduced to us as dangerous and violent, we find a lot of interesting characters who all look weird, but interesting. There's no doubt that this is a seinen manga (manga targeted at men), because the amount of boobs we get to see verges on ridiculous, but if you're willing to go on that ride, you're also rewarded with moments of warmth between Caiman and Nikaido, for example, and the display of a loyal and trusting friendship.
It took me a while to figure out what magic is in this world. The chaotic world is split between two realms: there's the Hole, a lawless city full of humans, and the world the sorcerers inhabit, which is full of magic mainly used to exploit humans. No wonder humans are not the biggest fans of said sorcerers, and most of the tension arises from those factions wanting opposing things. What wasn't quite clear to me was in what forms magic manifests and who gets to use it. You get a sense of the world-building being there; it's just not directly conveyed to you.
The pacing can be frustrating if you care about the main storyline. As with a lot of manga with a chapter-based story structure, there's an overarching plot (the quest of finding out more about Caiman's past and identity) embedded into a ton of little side-quests. Since the art style is so detailed and brimming with ideas, it's always entertaining, but can feel slow despite there constantly being stuff happening on the surface level. I'm not entirely sure if this is just a problem at the beginning, since the last manga in this collection definitely picks up the pace and the focus, but there were parts in here that I more or less waded through.
In total, I'd say this is a successful prelude if it's generally the vibe you're looking for and if you enjoy the blending of horror and humour.
Dorohedoro is the first volume of a tale about Caiman — a man with a reptile's head and no memory of who he is. Alongside his friend Nikaido, he navigates a world of magic and strange creatures in order to find the sorcerers who cursed him.
The world is grim and grotesque, the character design vivid and creative. It's what ultimately drew me to this. It takes less than a dozen pages to see the first body parts chopped off, but in a world that is introduced to us as dangerous and violent, we find a lot of interesting characters who all look weird, but interesting. There's no doubt that this is a seinen manga (manga targeted at men), because the amount of boobs we get to see verges on ridiculous, but if you're willing to go on that ride, you're also rewarded with moments of warmth between Caiman and Nikaido, for example, and the display of a loyal and trusting friendship.
It took me a while to figure out what magic is in this world. The chaotic world is split between two realms: there's the Hole, a lawless city full of humans, and the world the sorcerers inhabit, which is full of magic mainly used to exploit humans. No wonder humans are not the biggest fans of said sorcerers, and most of the tension arises from those factions wanting opposing things. What wasn't quite clear to me was in what forms magic manifests and who gets to use it. You get a sense of the world-building being there; it's just not directly conveyed to you.
The pacing can be frustrating if you care about the main storyline. As with a lot of manga with a chapter-based story structure, there's an overarching plot (the quest of finding out more about Caiman's past and identity) embedded into a ton of little side-quests. Since the art style is so detailed and brimming with ideas, it's always entertaining, but can feel slow despite there constantly being stuff happening on the surface level. I'm not entirely sure if this is just a problem at the beginning, since the last manga in this collection definitely picks up the pace and the focus, but there were parts in here that I more or less waded through.
In total, I'd say this is a successful prelude if it's generally the vibe you're looking for and if you enjoy the blending of horror and humour.
November 21, 2023
Me pillé los tres primeros tomos en la biblioteca, pero no le acabo de ver la gracia y no sé si seguir 🤔
April 28, 2022
Dieses wunderbare "grim urban"-Setting hat mich bereits im Anime zu Dorohedoro begeistert. Düstere apokalyptische Welten - in der einen leben die Magier, in der anderen (die "das Loch" genannt wird) hausen alle 'gewöhnlichen' Gestalten, die allerdings von den Magiern zu Experimenten missbraucht werden.
Die Hauptfigur Caiman sucht den Zauberer, der ihm einen Reptilienkopf verpasst hat und hat Nikaido an seiner Seite, die ihm kämpfend und mit ihren Kochkünsten aushilft. Caimans stetiger Hunger und seine Ungeduld tragen natürlich einiges zum komödiantischen Potential bei. ;) Passte für mich aber vom Humor her. Die Magier sind zwar talentiert, aber auch schlimm verplant und etwas dusselig.
Trotz häufiger Kämpfe und Blutbäder macht dieser Band einfach Spaß. Aber man muss das gewalttätige Setting mögen und diese völlig abgedrehte halbmagische Welt dazu.
Die Optik des Bandes ist wunderbar gewählt, hat eine schuppenartige Prägung bekommen und ist für einen 3in1-Band vom Preis her sehr sehr gut. Thx 4 that MangaCult. ♥
Die Hauptfigur Caiman sucht den Zauberer, der ihm einen Reptilienkopf verpasst hat und hat Nikaido an seiner Seite, die ihm kämpfend und mit ihren Kochkünsten aushilft. Caimans stetiger Hunger und seine Ungeduld tragen natürlich einiges zum komödiantischen Potential bei. ;) Passte für mich aber vom Humor her. Die Magier sind zwar talentiert, aber auch schlimm verplant und etwas dusselig.
Trotz häufiger Kämpfe und Blutbäder macht dieser Band einfach Spaß. Aber man muss das gewalttätige Setting mögen und diese völlig abgedrehte halbmagische Welt dazu.
Die Optik des Bandes ist wunderbar gewählt, hat eine schuppenartige Prägung bekommen und ist für einen 3in1-Band vom Preis her sehr sehr gut. Thx 4 that MangaCult. ♥
May 11, 2022
The start of a new series I neevr thought I'd like, I don't think I've read much if any horror manga, but this has some comedy in it as well, that makes it intriguing.
We follow Caiman, a man with the face of a lizard who hunts magic userss after losing his memories to know who did that to him, and his sidekick, more like, his "chef", Nikiado, and she's a tough character.
We get introduced to what I assume would be the main villains by the end of the volume, though I'm not sure who are the villains and who are the good guys in a story like this. They all kill each other needlessly, so it's got quite a moral dillemma as well.
I'm interested to keep on with this series.
We follow Caiman, a man with the face of a lizard who hunts magic userss after losing his memories to know who did that to him, and his sidekick, more like, his "chef", Nikiado, and she's a tough character.
We get introduced to what I assume would be the main villains by the end of the volume, though I'm not sure who are the villains and who are the good guys in a story like this. They all kill each other needlessly, so it's got quite a moral dillemma as well.
I'm interested to keep on with this series.
February 25, 2021
Most importantly, this book is pure concentrated magic, and a window into another world that is not always so easily captured. I love it, and am extremely curious about the rest of the world. I also have to say though, I'm actually pretty glad I tackled the anime first. This world is strange and confusing, and Q doesn't always hit the mark on keeping the reader grounded and generally aware of what's happening. But the show for it's immersive qualities, really fills in the gaps.
Anyway, it's super weird and violent and rad.
Anyway, it's super weird and violent and rad.
October 22, 2019
5 stars for creativity and guts alone.
The art is whoa.
rtc maybe
The art is whoa.
rtc maybe
October 4, 2022
If George Miller wrote manga I imagine it would be just like this 💀💀💀
April 16, 2023
4/5
I'm actually enjoying this more than I expected, so far. The art style is unique, raw and bizarre, a bit rough and gritty but it suits the world so well, which is apocalyptic with grimy set up. The violence is very explicit and gory, with squashed eyeballs and brains flying, but in a very comical way. From what I've seen so far, the setting is quite original, a bit darker in some ways but the comedy is very present. Actually, I'm liking the humor so much. The comedy is not trying hard, it just comes naturally.
I'm looking forward to my reading experience with this series. I really hope I'll enjoy this because this first volume is very solid.
I'm actually enjoying this more than I expected, so far. The art style is unique, raw and bizarre, a bit rough and gritty but it suits the world so well, which is apocalyptic with grimy set up. The violence is very explicit and gory, with squashed eyeballs and brains flying, but in a very comical way. From what I've seen so far, the setting is quite original, a bit darker in some ways but the comedy is very present. Actually, I'm liking the humor so much. The comedy is not trying hard, it just comes naturally.
I'm looking forward to my reading experience with this series. I really hope I'll enjoy this because this first volume is very solid.
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