Dr. Inugami

by Suehiro Maruo

Una terrorífica y deliciosa historia del maestro Maruo. Una densa trama de satanismo y sacrificios humanos y animales, con ingredientes tan espectaculares como una cabeza de perro, una secta con influencias de Aleister Crowley, un padre infiel a la búsqueda de su hijo desaparecido o una sanadora que pierde sus poderes.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1994

About the author

Suehiro Maruo ( 丸尾 末広) is a Japanese manga author and illustrator.
Maruo graduated from junior high school in March 1972 but dropped out of senior high school. At the age of 15 he moved to Tokyo and began working for a bookbinder. At 17, he made his first manga submission to Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it was considered by the editors to be too graphic for the magazine's format and was subsequently rejected. Maruo temporarily removed himself from manga until November 1980 when he made his official debut as a manga artist in Ribon no Kishi (リボンの騎士) at the age of 24. It was at this stage that the young artist was finally able to pursue his artistic vision without such stringent restrictions over the visual content of his work. Two years later, his first stand-alone anthology, Barairo no Kaibutsu (薔薇色の怪物; Rose Colored Monster) was published.

Maruo was a frequent contributor to the legendary underground manga magazine Garo (ガロ).

Like many manga artists, Maruo sometimes makes cameo appearances in his own stories. When photographed, he seldom appears without his trademark sunglasses.
Though most prominently known for his work as a manga artist, Maruo has also produced illustrations for concert posters, CD Jackets, magazines, novels, and various other media. Some of his characters have been made into figures as well.

Though relatively few of Maruo's manga have been published outside of Japan, his work enjoys a cult following abroad.
His book Shōjo Tsubaki (aka Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show) has been adapted into an animated film (Midori) by Hiroshi Harada with a soundtrack by J.A. Seazer, but it has received very little release.

Reviews

[Senka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the reason I didn`t like manga until now is that I haven`t found a story and drawing style that would intrigue me enough to read it or buy it.
However, when I took this book in my hands I became an instant fan of Mr.Suehiro!
I think this manga is brilliant, it`s so different from anything I`ve read before,
very unique, beautiful drawing style!
With a good dose of gore elements,just to make it more interesting.

[Lolo García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si hablamos de perturbados y enfermizos dentro del cómic de terror japonés, que ya es decir, en los puestos más altos situaría a Maruo y sin duda alguna, que buenas pesadillas y malos ratos me ha dado el buen señor.

Aquí se saca su propio investigador de lo sobrenatural, que es un personaje que siempre me gusta mucho, que lidia con lo más terrorífico de la mitología y supersticiones japonesas, como no podría ser de otra manera. La base está bien, da para buenos relatos (tampoco hay un nexo fuerte entre ellos más allá del protagonista) y algún que otro desmadre que fácilmente se pasa por alto entre la orgía de pesadillas que se pasean por sus páginas.

Igual da la sensación de que "no es para tanto", pero a este caballero le he leído cosas muy pero que muy perturbadoras y chungas, por lo que quizá me parece más digerible que al que se enfrente a este Maruo por primera vez, sea como fuere, recomendado queda.

[Daniel Andreu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otra vez Maruo mejorando con los años. Recuerdo que en su día me gustó, pero lo vi bastante menor en comparación con los demás, pero en esta revisión lo he apreciado mejor. Esta serie de historias de diferentes personajes en realación con el Dr. Inugami muestra una cara oscurísima del deseo de venganza a través de la magia más negra, que es algo que siempre me ha interesado. Dibujo exquisito, como siempre.

[Robin Burton · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars.

I’ve been itching to read a manga since this new year has started and Suehiro Maruo has usually been the place to start to fulfill my tastes.

Normally I love Aleister Crowley references, satanism and blood sacrifices in storylines, but I just felt bored reading this. While I continue to love his artwork, this story just didn’t captivate my interest and was too confusing at times.

[Nekochimachan (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Inugami also called Mister Inukai has the ability to control a shikigami at his own will and he defeats those who hurt or curse people. I like the idea from this manga and the illustrations are pleasing to look at despite the bits of gore/nudity. The ending just left a cliffhanger and I'm not sure if Dr. Inugami is alive or dead. That's all.

[Marcos · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Maruo's early stuff ages ago and found it pure edgelord bullshit.

This book is just more of the same. Fav art, simplistic storytelling with uninteresting gore and the vaguest hint of an underlying point sitting bored behind all the revenge porn and folklore trappings. Worse, every single story on the volume has the same plot and beats.

Rubbish, really.

[Von Ludwig · Rating 5 out of 5]

a pesar de lo fuerte que son las historias de Maruo disfruto leer sus mangas por la gran fluidez en el manejo del lenguaje del cómic

[mēloniee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite amusing to read maruo doing what amounts to an almost straight spin on a certain strain of japanese speculative fiction

[eusonruben · Rating 1 out of 5]

o debuxo é bo e representa moi ben todo o terror das historias, mais a maioría delas son aburridas.
a cohesión que lles dá a figura do Doutor Inugami non chega para facelas interesantes porque, dunha forma ou outra, todas teñen unha trama similar: unha presenza sobrenatural violente e a participación dun sacerdote ou meiga.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tercera incursió per a mi en l’obra de Suehiro Maruo, i segueixo captiva da per aquest dibuixant. En aquest cas es tracta d’històries curtes sobre conjurs d’una mena de dimonis anomenats inugamis, que s’encarreguen d’executar s venjances sobre persones que han provocat la mort d’éssers estimats. D’entre ells, existeix un en particular que seria una mena de “justicier” que es diu Inukai i que seria el protagonista, qui va apareixent al llarg de tots els relats. L’estil de dibuix és nou per a mi, suposo que ja es tracta d’un manga genuí. La narració gràfica manga, almenys en el cas de Maruo no desenvolupa les accions molt detalladament, sinó que ho fa de manera que el lector hagi de reconstruir de vinyeta en vinyeta el que passa entre elles. Això, per a un lector occidental com jo, té certa dificultat al principi, però és tota una manera nova de llegir molt interessant, i si a més els dibuixos i el traç són tan espectaculars com els d’aquest dibuixant, i amb tantes referències artístiques com les que s’entrecreuen, tot s’esdevé finalment en un gaudiment molt elevat.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suehiro Maruo's "Dr. Inugami" follows a mysterious investigator who has a propensity for the supernatural and the occult. Collected here seven unrelated stories involving satantic cults, Japanese folklore and nightmarish visions all centered around Inugami's quest for the arcane. And true to Maruo's tendencies, there is violence aplenty whether we're talking sexual violence or just the plain old gory kind. But Maruo's delicate linework creates a sense of beauty to it all, leaving the reader mostly perplexed as to why they can take in this level of violence and find it still mesmerizing.

[M. P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Maruo's works overall, his drawings are beautiful in a very classic way, and it's always a pleasure to take note of all the cinema and occult references he spreads about (such as the Aleister Crowley picture in one of the chapters in this) the pages of his comics. But, I must admit this isn't one of my favourite works by Maruo. The Japanese folklore and onmyoudou practices incorporated within the story are vastly interesting and even educational. But Inugami hakase seems to lack some of the absurdity and surrealism Maruo is so famous for - the only surrealism being provided by the reader's possible unfamiliarity with Japan's historical occult tradition. There were times I felt even a little bored by this particular comic! I would have been interested to see if it got any better later on, as the author had intended it to be a 300 page story overall. Yet, as it stands, we will never know.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quem se mete com ocultismos pesados... sofre destinos inomináveis. É a premissa deste Inugami Expert, série tipicamente decadente, escabrosa e violenta de Suehiro Maruo. Praticantes de magia negra sofrem destinos irónicos com a presença inexplicável de um especialista em ocultismo. Se o argumento não é particularmente interessante, é na ilustração com a visão tão peculiar e surreal deste autor nipónico que este manga se destaca.

[I.W.Toole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un cúmulo de disparates entretenidos y desagradables, cada vez que leo algo de Suehiro Maruo más pienso que debe hacerse mirar esa mente llena de ideas extrañas que mezclan la violencia real con fantasía llevada al extremo. La última historia de la secta me interesó más que el resto, esos guiños a religiones que existen y donde suelen participar algunos famosos me pareció realmente curioso.

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, Maruo...you so crazy!!
A little weirder, but if you think this is strange, you ain't seen nothin yet when it comes to Suehiro Maruo!

[Haruna · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the first book of maruo my own.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me aburrió bastante y no me dio nada de miedo. Hasta diría que no me dio nada de impresión, lo que en el caso de Maruo sería un gran fallo.

[Álvaro Ichiya]

Dicen que no es de lo mejor de Maruo pero ya veremos...