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Ultra Heaven #1
Ultraheaven vol. 1
In a world where all feeling is artificial and where everyone is a potential drug addict, nothing has really changed: the excess is near at hand and very few substances are considered dangerous and put under a strict control by a hygiene office, which has full power on the drug addicts, who are in extreme conditions.
The main character is Kabu, a little peddler and heavy addicted. Used to any kind of hallucinogenic trip, he is able to feel the happiness through the ecstasy of the drug, while on the same time hypocritically hating those who gave birth to that society which has forced him to the excess. After an overdose caused by mixing two incompatible drugs, he spends his days looking for stimulants until he encounters an enigmatic man who offers him a new kind of illegal substance: Ultra Heaven. From that moment his incredible journey begins, where dream and reality are fused in an undivided world, causing him hysterical or joyful reactions and unrestrained pains.
The main character is Kabu, a little peddler and heavy addicted. Used to any kind of hallucinogenic trip, he is able to feel the happiness through the ecstasy of the drug, while on the same time hypocritically hating those who gave birth to that society which has forced him to the excess. After an overdose caused by mixing two incompatible drugs, he spends his days looking for stimulants until he encounters an enigmatic man who offers him a new kind of illegal substance: Ultra Heaven. From that moment his incredible journey begins, where dream and reality are fused in an undivided world, causing him hysterical or joyful reactions and unrestrained pains.
Paperback
First published February 25, 2002
About the author
Keiichi Koike
16 books36 followersKeiichi Koike (in Japanese, 小池 桂一) is a Japanese manga artist.
Born in Tokyo in 1960, Koike won the prestigious Tezuka Award in 1976, when he was 16.
His style, similar to Katsuhiro Otomo and Moebius, is marked by vivid representations of psychedelic experiences.
Drugs are an important part of his inspiration: "Except peyotl, I have tried almost everything: hashish, heroin, cocain, acid, magic mushrooms... From a strictly graphical point of view, however, LSD is most important by far..." He is best known as the author of manga Heaven's Door and Ultra Heaven.
His work was first presented to English audiences in 2016.
Born in Tokyo in 1960, Koike won the prestigious Tezuka Award in 1976, when he was 16.
His style, similar to Katsuhiro Otomo and Moebius, is marked by vivid representations of psychedelic experiences.
Drugs are an important part of his inspiration: "Except peyotl, I have tried almost everything: hashish, heroin, cocain, acid, magic mushrooms... From a strictly graphical point of view, however, LSD is most important by far..." He is best known as the author of manga Heaven's Door and Ultra Heaven.
His work was first presented to English audiences in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 12, 2022
Legendary Jean Giraud – Moebius — calls Koike "a magnificent ronin, a warrior without a master, one of the rare authors who resist the cynical formatting of the current manga industry." And no doubt, there are influences of Otomo and Moebius and drugs, something he himself admitted to his publisher: "Except peyotl, I have tried almost everything: hashish, heroin, cocain, acid, magic mushrooms... But from a strictly graphical point of view, LSD is far ahead ... "
He works as a lone artist which is laudable, and an antithesis needed to all the demoralizing AI art dialogue going around. The staggering amount of meticulous care he puts into these pages make them more than just psychedelic relics. Here is a guy who loves, loves, loves what he does. You'll find a perfected organic style, developed range in perspectives and anatomy, his absolute will over them and a flow of narrative that never lets up, never lets you take a breath with the drugged sway in the panels, one page to the next, suck and go whirlpool of lines, ceaselessly mounting imagery, awash with surrealism and absurdity, on and on, pretty much like this sentence, a mixture of drowning and bottomless free fall.
Storytelling structures are chosen with altered perception in mind. A scene transition doesn't consist of cut and change but a motif-based continuity: a droplet is a sweat rope is a lake swim is a zoned out bath. It's trying to mimic the nature of a junkie's mind.
“I want to describe the moment when the boundaries between dream and reality blur. Very particular states of consciousness to which certain substances allow rapid access. All the difficulty then is to realize it. The words, the common vocabulary, the usual narrative logic are inappropriate. We have to invent other frameworks. That's why my stories aren't realistic, they're more trips . . . " which explains why in three volumes of all the dream cream, we've only gotten scattered tidbits of Kabu's past. He has suicidal tendencies, and is much of a cliché addict. You'd think what an overused trope! Nope, not at all. Think of it like this, in Koike's attempt to materialize hallucinations, readers may need a familiar, well-trodden road so as to not lose the way. To an extent, coherence remains intact.
Since in this futuristic world everything is artificial, experiences can be loaned in small pumps or patches of drug doses. So everyone is a potential addict. Kabu adores one called Peter Pan. It gives — ah, you guessed it — childlike elation. When he runs out of it, a shady dealer finds him offering a freebie. The withdrawal makes it impossible to resist. Turns out, it's not Peter Pan but a superior "more real than life itself" trip inducing substance. Dreams within dreams. Paranoia imploding total self-worth. Triggered rubble of memories playing off each other. And I wouldn't want to give away too much. There are plot points and set pieces that appear to be created with something in mind. If so, we haven't seen what. Yes, you read correctly, in three volumes, it's not the whole story. It hasn't been officially discontinued either. I wish I could put a quote from Koike about it but I wasn't able to find one. The future of Ultra Heaven hangs in an uncertain limbo.
Yet, this is one of those rare instances where how a tale is told hypnotically envelopes what is being told. If you're a sucker for those, you'll love it.
He works as a lone artist which is laudable, and an antithesis needed to all the demoralizing AI art dialogue going around. The staggering amount of meticulous care he puts into these pages make them more than just psychedelic relics. Here is a guy who loves, loves, loves what he does. You'll find a perfected organic style, developed range in perspectives and anatomy, his absolute will over them and a flow of narrative that never lets up, never lets you take a breath with the drugged sway in the panels, one page to the next, suck and go whirlpool of lines, ceaselessly mounting imagery, awash with surrealism and absurdity, on and on, pretty much like this sentence, a mixture of drowning and bottomless free fall.
Storytelling structures are chosen with altered perception in mind. A scene transition doesn't consist of cut and change but a motif-based continuity: a droplet is a sweat rope is a lake swim is a zoned out bath. It's trying to mimic the nature of a junkie's mind.
“I want to describe the moment when the boundaries between dream and reality blur. Very particular states of consciousness to which certain substances allow rapid access. All the difficulty then is to realize it. The words, the common vocabulary, the usual narrative logic are inappropriate. We have to invent other frameworks. That's why my stories aren't realistic, they're more trips . . . " which explains why in three volumes of all the dream cream, we've only gotten scattered tidbits of Kabu's past. He has suicidal tendencies, and is much of a cliché addict. You'd think what an overused trope! Nope, not at all. Think of it like this, in Koike's attempt to materialize hallucinations, readers may need a familiar, well-trodden road so as to not lose the way. To an extent, coherence remains intact.
Since in this futuristic world everything is artificial, experiences can be loaned in small pumps or patches of drug doses. So everyone is a potential addict. Kabu adores one called Peter Pan. It gives — ah, you guessed it — childlike elation. When he runs out of it, a shady dealer finds him offering a freebie. The withdrawal makes it impossible to resist. Turns out, it's not Peter Pan but a superior "more real than life itself" trip inducing substance. Dreams within dreams. Paranoia imploding total self-worth. Triggered rubble of memories playing off each other. And I wouldn't want to give away too much. There are plot points and set pieces that appear to be created with something in mind. If so, we haven't seen what. Yes, you read correctly, in three volumes, it's not the whole story. It hasn't been officially discontinued either. I wish I could put a quote from Koike about it but I wasn't able to find one. The future of Ultra Heaven hangs in an uncertain limbo.
Yet, this is one of those rare instances where how a tale is told hypnotically envelopes what is being told. If you're a sucker for those, you'll love it.
August 7, 2021
DMT in manga form.
March 3, 2022
Set in a world where drugs are easily available, Kabu, the protagonist goes on a ‘trip’ as he takes a journey in search for his next hit.
The drawing style is so fine, detailed, visually appealing (dare I say, disturbing?) and well done. The whole concept of addiction through the lens of an addict and his world while being on the borderline of reality and hallucination is depicted carefully. I especially enjoy when they mix sci fi with psychological trauma so this is a treat for me.
Genre: Thriller, Psychological thriller, Substance abuse, Sci Fi, Crime
The drawing style is so fine, detailed, visually appealing (dare I say, disturbing?) and well done. The whole concept of addiction through the lens of an addict and his world while being on the borderline of reality and hallucination is depicted carefully. I especially enjoy when they mix sci fi with psychological trauma so this is a treat for me.
Genre: Thriller, Psychological thriller, Substance abuse, Sci Fi, Crime
March 14, 2025
Imagine the bizarro horror of Junji Ito mixed with the elaborate psychedelia of Jim Woodring; this manga was absolutely stunning. I couldn't get over how meticulously detailed each page was.
May 17, 2025
JAAAA!!!!!!!!
August 1, 2026
What a trip
May 27, 2026
it felt like i was on drugs myself
April 21, 2026
Ultimately, Ultra Heaven by Keiichi Koike accomplishes what it sets out. A not so distant future where instead of drugs and alcohol, the common “man” washes themselves away with artificial pumps capable of injecting any kind of mood or vibe you’re looking for.
All things considered, I liked the story albeit a little aimless at times. Otherwise, the artwork does a great job illustrating what these “pumps” might actually do to you. I thought that this was a rather interesting take on the sci-fi genre, but there is definitely room to grow.
All things considered, I liked the story albeit a little aimless at times. Otherwise, the artwork does a great job illustrating what these “pumps” might actually do to you. I thought that this was a rather interesting take on the sci-fi genre, but there is definitely room to grow.
November 1, 2016
Un manga alucinante, que podría ser analizado incluso desde la perspectiva de lo real lacaniano, como la percepción liberada que rompe con todo plano simbólico y deja desprendida la experiencia a si misma, a su propia reproducción inconstante y perenne. Por otra parte, para los lectores argentinos que incurrimos en Keichi Koike, ciertas situaciones pueden remitirnos al cuento el Aleph, de Borges- el individuo se disgrega en una serie de visiones imposibles y continuas, que rompen con la trama e incluso solo pueden ser descriptas mediante una ruptura de la forma, de la viñeta, de los modos en el que la imagen narra lo plural y lo simultáneo.
Utilizando como excusa el universo de las drogas, plasmando la narración en un mundo futurista donde fármacos increibles son utilizados para provocar cualquier emoción, donde sin estos la vida se convierte en una especie de automatismo tedioso e insoportable, Keichi Koike explora no solo la percepción de sus personajes, sino la del lector, unciendo y deconstruyendo los mismos modos narrativos, dividiendo y desglosando la viñeta en combinaciones cada vez mas arriesgadas e impactantes. Por otra parte, posee un estilo que no teme al grotesco, al delineado oscuro y tajante de sus personajes, de la metonimia feroz y cruel, pero aun así estéticamente impecable.
Recomendado para todos aquellos que gusten de la experimentación con la forma y el contenido, con su contaminación mutua, con su crecimiento simbiótico.
Utilizando como excusa el universo de las drogas, plasmando la narración en un mundo futurista donde fármacos increibles son utilizados para provocar cualquier emoción, donde sin estos la vida se convierte en una especie de automatismo tedioso e insoportable, Keichi Koike explora no solo la percepción de sus personajes, sino la del lector, unciendo y deconstruyendo los mismos modos narrativos, dividiendo y desglosando la viñeta en combinaciones cada vez mas arriesgadas e impactantes. Por otra parte, posee un estilo que no teme al grotesco, al delineado oscuro y tajante de sus personajes, de la metonimia feroz y cruel, pero aun así estéticamente impecable.
Recomendado para todos aquellos que gusten de la experimentación con la forma y el contenido, con su contaminación mutua, con su crecimiento simbiótico.
July 19, 2025
Reads like an explosive extension of Tetsuo's psychic hallucinations, with a dash of Huxley's Brave New World and PKD's paranoia. (In fact, I almost thought this was going to turn into A Scanner Darkly. Maybe it will still happen?)
The artwork is beautifully surreal and meticulous, matched in equal measure by the feverishly cascading story structure. But while we're given plenty of visuals to feast our eyes on, the characters are relatively weak, and the writing leaves a lot of specifics in the dark. It's permissible for now since the manga is stunning, but I do hope there will be some answers in the next two volumes.
The artwork is beautifully surreal and meticulous, matched in equal measure by the feverishly cascading story structure. But while we're given plenty of visuals to feast our eyes on, the characters are relatively weak, and the writing leaves a lot of specifics in the dark. It's permissible for now since the manga is stunning, but I do hope there will be some answers in the next two volumes.
February 13, 2025
Was surprised by how much I enjoyed, I tend to be critical of manga clearly influenced by Otomo and Moebius from this period, but this was truly and originally psychedelic. Also a strange sideways view of drug abuse and alienation through the lens of very optically-enhanced artwork. Looking forward to more.
July 23, 2014
Set in a present day dystopia where any kind of drug can be obtained legally, dreams/nightmares can become more real than life itself.
June 10, 2016
Easily one of the most memorable mangas I have ever read.
One of the most effective visual distillations of delirium I've seen in all my life. An amazing accomplishment.
One of the most effective visual distillations of delirium I've seen in all my life. An amazing accomplishment.
August 15, 2026
**This review is for the entire series**
In an alternate future Japan the use of drugs, alongside use of novel virtual reality devices called "amps", have become commonplace since the discovery that these practices may unlock latent mental abilities. These activities have become nationalized to boot, pharmaceuticals administered as made-to-order cocktails by state licensed doctor "pump bar" operators with "amps" sold and distributed alongside mental stimulation services at their headquarters and school called the Drome. While a chosen few citizens use drugs and this novel tech to transcend their current mental state, the vast majority of citizens indulge as means for self medication and escapism. Our main character Cub is one of the latter, wanting nothing more than to get as high as possible on another dose of Peter Pan or whatever strong psychedelic pump he can get his hands on. After a series of experimental narcotics bring Cub to a new benchmark of intoxication, he discovers he may indeed possess mental powers as he begins inadvertently looping through time and space. Well, that or he's just really high.
This has to have some of the best trippy, drug fueled visuals in comics. Winding, fragmented layouts and evolving, distorted compositions deliver a stimulating sense of disoriention, amplified by the depictions of the main character's tenuous grip on time and place. This visual flair is further bolstered by Koike's incredibly precise and technical line work which is simultaneously clean, dense, and creative. Visual insanity is given time to breath, interspersed between still impressive traditionally panelled scenes of more relatable imagery just long enough to make the next bout of psychedelia feel fresh.
Narratively, the series was considerably less satisfying even though I did enjoy much of the metaphysical hijinks and conceptual techno-futurism. The first pair of volumes carry the bulk of the series atmosphere by constructing drug-fueled time loops that see Cub revisiting events through different / additional perspectives, playfully ambiguous as to whether he has developed transcendent powers or is just really, really high. Sadly, the compelling tension between these two conflicting narrative readings is destroyed by a third volume that simply confirms one route and goes in another direction before abruptly ending. While this third book still provides a satisfying canvas for psychedelic imagery, it loses any real narrative intrigue outside of some remaining metaphysical and world building wrinkles. Ultra Heaven is overall still a really fun time thanks to some absolutely stellar visuals and atmosphere, but landed just a hair below great to me given what feels like a rather slapped on third act.
In an alternate future Japan the use of drugs, alongside use of novel virtual reality devices called "amps", have become commonplace since the discovery that these practices may unlock latent mental abilities. These activities have become nationalized to boot, pharmaceuticals administered as made-to-order cocktails by state licensed doctor "pump bar" operators with "amps" sold and distributed alongside mental stimulation services at their headquarters and school called the Drome. While a chosen few citizens use drugs and this novel tech to transcend their current mental state, the vast majority of citizens indulge as means for self medication and escapism. Our main character Cub is one of the latter, wanting nothing more than to get as high as possible on another dose of Peter Pan or whatever strong psychedelic pump he can get his hands on. After a series of experimental narcotics bring Cub to a new benchmark of intoxication, he discovers he may indeed possess mental powers as he begins inadvertently looping through time and space. Well, that or he's just really high.
This has to have some of the best trippy, drug fueled visuals in comics. Winding, fragmented layouts and evolving, distorted compositions deliver a stimulating sense of disoriention, amplified by the depictions of the main character's tenuous grip on time and place. This visual flair is further bolstered by Koike's incredibly precise and technical line work which is simultaneously clean, dense, and creative. Visual insanity is given time to breath, interspersed between still impressive traditionally panelled scenes of more relatable imagery just long enough to make the next bout of psychedelia feel fresh.
Narratively, the series was considerably less satisfying even though I did enjoy much of the metaphysical hijinks and conceptual techno-futurism. The first pair of volumes carry the bulk of the series atmosphere by constructing drug-fueled time loops that see Cub revisiting events through different / additional perspectives, playfully ambiguous as to whether he has developed transcendent powers or is just really, really high. Sadly, the compelling tension between these two conflicting narrative readings is destroyed by a third volume that simply confirms one route and goes in another direction before abruptly ending. While this third book still provides a satisfying canvas for psychedelic imagery, it loses any real narrative intrigue outside of some remaining metaphysical and world building wrinkles. Ultra Heaven is overall still a really fun time thanks to some absolutely stellar visuals and atmosphere, but landed just a hair below great to me given what feels like a rather slapped on third act.
January 15, 2024
I like the general idea of this manga but I found it so confusing. I don't think I will continue reading the other volumes either, but it is an interesting take on drugs and sanity for sure.
It does well to portray the whole "druggie vs everyone else" thing, how they are villainized as crackheads on the street and yet the story makes you realize and question why + the systematic failures of society and the government that lead to these craze in drugs. Getting rid of druggies seems to be an act of heroism and goodwill, there is no regard to a crackheads life or livelihood.
A nice play on the issue of legalization of drugs and its pros and cons.
I did not finish this an ended up just watching a summary video on it, albeit, the video was one hour long so LOL.
This isn't a typical manga at all, there is a lot of symbolism and you have to think and process a lot of info while reading this, looking at details and weird psychedelics trying to understand what is going on, it is not an easy read, the idea is good, I am just not a fan of the execution
It does well to portray the whole "druggie vs everyone else" thing, how they are villainized as crackheads on the street and yet the story makes you realize and question why + the systematic failures of society and the government that lead to these craze in drugs. Getting rid of druggies seems to be an act of heroism and goodwill, there is no regard to a crackheads life or livelihood.
A nice play on the issue of legalization of drugs and its pros and cons.
I did not finish this an ended up just watching a summary video on it, albeit, the video was one hour long so LOL.
This isn't a typical manga at all, there is a lot of symbolism and you have to think and process a lot of info while reading this, looking at details and weird psychedelics trying to understand what is going on, it is not an easy read, the idea is good, I am just not a fan of the execution
December 10, 2025
Ultraheaven Vol. 1 is a trip! This is like DMT in book form. Am I sure of what really happened? Nope! But I did find the story engaging, and the art was next level. The art was so meticulously detailed & felt similar to some trips I’ve taken back in the day. This book walks the line of what’s true or not true in the story, and I need someone I know to read this and let me know what they think happened. Also I loved the setting and the aspect of theoretically what happens when drugs are legalized — I found it super interesting and hadn’t really read much with the concept before.
Overall I recommend and am definitely interested in picking up volume 2! I just hope the story becomes a bit more clear by the end of the third book (which unfortunately appears to be the last one made)
Overall I recommend and am definitely interested in picking up volume 2! I just hope the story becomes a bit more clear by the end of the third book (which unfortunately appears to be the last one made)
March 16, 2026
2.5, and I know I'm going against the majority here, but this manga that revolves around drugs, in every way possible, from the story to the art, was a bit too psychedelic for my taste.
Till the point it is not easy to know what is real, and what part of the trip... even though I think the end of this first volume kind of clarifies that till a point.
In any case, really in the fence with this one. I might read volume 2 to see how things go from here, but it didn't really grab my interest that much.
I guess I have never been one for drugs.
Till the point it is not easy to know what is real, and what part of the trip... even though I think the end of this first volume kind of clarifies that till a point.
In any case, really in the fence with this one. I might read volume 2 to see how things go from here, but it didn't really grab my interest that much.
I guess I have never been one for drugs.
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February 4, 2025Reread in Feb 2025
And remember, kids, don't take drugs from shady men in parks who offer you a "special trip" for free.
Last Gasp did a fantastic job with the official English release. It's huge, which lets you appreciate Koike's art in full, hallucinogenic detail.
I was a bit thrown by Kabu being called Cub (which, yeah, in US pronunciation amounds to the same), but that aside, the translation reads well.
And remember, kids, don't take drugs from shady men in parks who offer you a "special trip" for free.
Last Gasp did a fantastic job with the official English release. It's huge, which lets you appreciate Koike's art in full, hallucinogenic detail.
I was a bit thrown by Kabu being called Cub (which, yeah, in US pronunciation amounds to the same), but that aside, the translation reads well.
February 15, 2026
I usually don't rate graphic stuff on here but this was amazing. Felt so real that stepping away from the book felt exactly like Kabu waking from a dream. Second was almost as good, but the third was just too much.
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July 24, 2026Some of the best art I’ve seen in manga: dynamic & trippy. Even though the concept of dream vs. reality is a bit over used these days, the style is the substance. The jumping between dream worlds & reality allows the artist to show off his talent—giving an insight into his creative mind.
July 1, 2020
Tripped out loser boy returns to the womb to find only greater trauma in the form of an eternal return of ejection/projection.
November 17, 2020
very good 3 chapter manga with 200 pages each
March 1, 2021
so incredibly beautiful and also so ominous
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December 10, 2022story is the weakest aspect but insane paneling literally best i've ever seen and art is sooooo good, vol3 was weakest one imo and it hasnt ended but i enjoyed this a LOT
December 21, 2022
Just read it.
Absolutely amazing
Absolutely amazing
January 5, 2023
One of the few pieces of media to really exemplify how time feels when on drugs. I won’t be doing heroin because of this
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews