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きりひと讃歌 [Kirihito Sanka] #3-4
Ode to Kirihito, Part 2
Kirihito Osanai is a young doctor who's just been introduced to the Monmow disease, which transforms humans into dog-like beasts and kills them within a month of the metamorphosis. While studying the pathology of the disease Kirihito himself becomes an unknowing guinea pig for his hospital's research into it. Under the auspices of research, Kirihito is sent to a remote village in the mountains, where he contracts the Monmow disease himself, and through a series of misfortunes, becomes estranged from his beautiful fiancee, Izumi Yoshinaga (the daughter of his hospital's Director and Chief Physician), and his close friend and rival, Urabe.
In a remote mountain village, Kirihito learns that the only way to avoid being killed with the disease is to behave humanely an not give in to the animal instincts of savagery and violence. The disease itself has little to do with humanity and animal instincts, as research in South Africa has proven that high concentrations of mineral deposits from mining runoff has been the cause of a similar outbreak in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, Urabe becomes subsumed into the human instincts of opportunism and blackmail, forcing those he loves into compromising situations.
In Kirihito's efforts to save his own life, he finds himself in different corners of the world, where he ends up caring for the diseased of all shapes and sizes. He leaves his village to share the truth, and quickly realizes that humanity as it is percieved is often superficial at best. With newly cemented beast-like looks, Kirihito now in a more populated city is quickly wrangled up and sold into slavery by Chinese human trafficers. Shipped to Taiwan as a gift to a traveling human circus, Kirihito is no longer seen as human. Instead he is treated like a bear or tiger but without fangs or claws. He has no rights and when his new owners no longer see a need for him, he along with another performer are taken by a local village in need of a witch-doctor. After performing his duties to save a village chiefton's life, Kirihito fights to escape to the West in hope of sharing word of the injustices of the medical community. However with his new face, no matter what is outlook in life may be, tragedy in the form of racism and bigotry will follow him and all those with Monmow's to the ends of the Earth and possibly beyond.
“A thoroughly original, wonderfully bizarre, and compulsively readable masterwork.Ode to Kirihito is a vital testament to Tezuka’s range as an artist, as well as an awe-inspiring example of the possibilities of the graphic novel.” —Adrian Tomine, writer/artist of Optic Nerve and Summer Blonde
“Tezuka was like a god for me. He shocked the manga world with the medical thriller genre, and the work he did it with was Ode to Kirihito—a monumental suspense masterpiece that shows off Tezuka’s two points of expertise—manga and medicine.” —Yoshihiro Tatsumi, author of The Push-Man and Abandon the Old in Tokyo
In a remote mountain village, Kirihito learns that the only way to avoid being killed with the disease is to behave humanely an not give in to the animal instincts of savagery and violence. The disease itself has little to do with humanity and animal instincts, as research in South Africa has proven that high concentrations of mineral deposits from mining runoff has been the cause of a similar outbreak in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, Urabe becomes subsumed into the human instincts of opportunism and blackmail, forcing those he loves into compromising situations.
In Kirihito's efforts to save his own life, he finds himself in different corners of the world, where he ends up caring for the diseased of all shapes and sizes. He leaves his village to share the truth, and quickly realizes that humanity as it is percieved is often superficial at best. With newly cemented beast-like looks, Kirihito now in a more populated city is quickly wrangled up and sold into slavery by Chinese human trafficers. Shipped to Taiwan as a gift to a traveling human circus, Kirihito is no longer seen as human. Instead he is treated like a bear or tiger but without fangs or claws. He has no rights and when his new owners no longer see a need for him, he along with another performer are taken by a local village in need of a witch-doctor. After performing his duties to save a village chiefton's life, Kirihito fights to escape to the West in hope of sharing word of the injustices of the medical community. However with his new face, no matter what is outlook in life may be, tragedy in the form of racism and bigotry will follow him and all those with Monmow's to the ends of the Earth and possibly beyond.
“A thoroughly original, wonderfully bizarre, and compulsively readable masterwork.Ode to Kirihito is a vital testament to Tezuka’s range as an artist, as well as an awe-inspiring example of the possibilities of the graphic novel.” —Adrian Tomine, writer/artist of Optic Nerve and Summer Blonde
“Tezuka was like a god for me. He shocked the manga world with the medical thriller genre, and the work he did it with was Ode to Kirihito—a monumental suspense masterpiece that shows off Tezuka’s two points of expertise—manga and medicine.” —Yoshihiro Tatsumi, author of The Push-Man and Abandon the Old in Tokyo
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 1977
3 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Osamu Tezuka
2,144 books1,278 followersDr. Osamu Tezuka (手塚治虫) was a Japanese manga artist, animator, producer and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. He is often credited as the "Father of Anime", and is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during his formative years. His prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the father of manga" and "the God of Manga."
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 1, 2023
Nog steeds een vreemd verhaal maar wel de moeite waard.
April 15, 2014
Because Tezuka had been trained to be a doctor before giving up that career to do what he wanted, to create graphic novels and comics, I presume this is the reason he lists Kirohito as his favorite work, as medical as it is, but it is one of the darkest, and in my opinion, though we see elements that reveal he is a storytelling master, this one doesn't interest me, and as we sometimes see in Tezuka, rape occurs in ways that is more than ordinarily disturbing ways.
August 12, 2017
3.5 stars, I guess.
July 2, 2018
Fino zaokružena priča o etici, čovječanstvu i ljubavi.
April 13, 2020
Another strange and wandering tale from Tezuka.
June 25, 2020
This was pretty cool!I'd recomend it.
December 27, 2022
Great graphic novel :)
Loved the Catholic aspect of Helen’s story ♡
Loved the Catholic aspect of Helen’s story ♡
June 26, 2024
Thrills thrills thrills...
March 31, 2025
Verhaal ontbolstert. Thema’s worden duidelijk. Strakke tekeningen, afgewisseld met creatieve uitspattingen.
October 3, 2016
„Oda Kirihitu“, prva manga koju je Osamu Tezuka namijenio starijoj publici, kompleksna je priča koju je autor iskoristio za eksperimentiranje. Kad mladi liječnik Kirihitu Osanai krene istraživati nepoznatu Monmowu bolest otići će u udaljeno mjesto gdje se ona pojavljuje. Bez slutnje da iza njegovog posjeta stoje nekakvi drugi motivi, Krihitu će nastojati ispuniti svoju dužnost. Bolest koja ljude degradira u primitivnije oblike života zanima ga i na profesionalnoj i na ljudskoj razini. Teorije oko njenog nastanka se razlikuju, a baš Kirihitu zastupa suprotno gledište od svog mentora, doktora Tatsugaure. Kad se, čudnim spletom okolnosti simptomi počnu pojavljivati kod Kirihita shvatit će da se iza čitave priče krije nešto više. No, hoće li drugačiji, obilježen kao „čovjek nalik na psa“ uspjeti saznati istinu? Sukob normalnog i nenormalnog u srži je „Ode Kirihitu“.
U umjetničkom smislu vidi se kako je Tezuka pod utjecajem filma pa su njegovi crteži često u krupnom planu, a ekspresije lica jasno daju do znanja detalje emocionalnih iskušenja kroz koje likovi prolaze. Misaoni procesi i način na koji ih Tezuka prikazuje jedan su od glavnih aduta ovog odličnog romana. „Oda Kirihitu“ je roman o likovima koji nemaju kontrolu nad svojim životom, kao ni situacijom u kojoj se nalaze. Taj se manjak kontrole vidi u medicinskom, ali i u filozofskom aspektu. Kako likovi romana prolaze kroz Južnu Afriku, Bliski istok, Tajvan pa na koncu i Japan tako će Tezuka izvanredno iskoristiti kršćanstvo kao simbol nošenja sa situacijom. Usporedbe Kristovih patnji pod križem i simbolike patnje koju prolazi sestra Helen Freisse, kao i osuđivanje apertheida (kroz onu poznatu kako bolest ne diskriminira) samo su neke od važnih podtekstualnih vrijednosti „Ode o Kirihitu“.
Sve u svemu, riječ je o odličnom i inspirativnom stripu koji vrijedi i pročitati i imati u kolekciji.
U umjetničkom smislu vidi se kako je Tezuka pod utjecajem filma pa su njegovi crteži često u krupnom planu, a ekspresije lica jasno daju do znanja detalje emocionalnih iskušenja kroz koje likovi prolaze. Misaoni procesi i način na koji ih Tezuka prikazuje jedan su od glavnih aduta ovog odličnog romana. „Oda Kirihitu“ je roman o likovima koji nemaju kontrolu nad svojim životom, kao ni situacijom u kojoj se nalaze. Taj se manjak kontrole vidi u medicinskom, ali i u filozofskom aspektu. Kako likovi romana prolaze kroz Južnu Afriku, Bliski istok, Tajvan pa na koncu i Japan tako će Tezuka izvanredno iskoristiti kršćanstvo kao simbol nošenja sa situacijom. Usporedbe Kristovih patnji pod križem i simbolike patnje koju prolazi sestra Helen Freisse, kao i osuđivanje apertheida (kroz onu poznatu kako bolest ne diskriminira) samo su neke od važnih podtekstualnih vrijednosti „Ode o Kirihitu“.
Sve u svemu, riječ je o odličnom i inspirativnom stripu koji vrijedi i pročitati i imati u kolekciji.
December 6, 2013
An absolute masterpiece by the master of manga Osamu Tezuka.
The main character is turned into an animal by a mysterious disease, or at least he looks like one. Yet he is more human than most people he meets. He is shunned, persecuted, abused as a freakshow and betrayed by his friends. His life is made into even more of a hell when the woman he loves, the only one that excepts him as he is, is killed. Kirihito's best friend is so plagued by his own psychosis that he commits suicide to prevent himself from raping more women then he already has.
Yet there is not just darkness, there is also light. He finds a friend in another outcast, a crazed sex-adicted young girl. There is also a nun that is turned into an animal as well and who dedicates her life to the suffering of other victims, even though there is no cure, she does not give up.
Osamu Tezuka's motto was: 'All life is sacred'. It shows. In a beautiful way.
The main character is turned into an animal by a mysterious disease, or at least he looks like one. Yet he is more human than most people he meets. He is shunned, persecuted, abused as a freakshow and betrayed by his friends. His life is made into even more of a hell when the woman he loves, the only one that excepts him as he is, is killed. Kirihito's best friend is so plagued by his own psychosis that he commits suicide to prevent himself from raping more women then he already has.
Yet there is not just darkness, there is also light. He finds a friend in another outcast, a crazed sex-adicted young girl. There is also a nun that is turned into an animal as well and who dedicates her life to the suffering of other victims, even though there is no cure, she does not give up.
Osamu Tezuka's motto was: 'All life is sacred'. It shows. In a beautiful way.
January 2, 2015
I liked this volume MUCH more than the first one. It was a bit more dramatic with a lot of crazy things happening. Once again, I really really appreciate the realness of this story and how it showcases true human emotion, both the bad and the good, without a filter. I suppose some of the topics in this manga could be considered touchy, probably especially at the time, but the intensity and the human reactions, I think, were spot on. I always respect truthful, in your face honesty, so I can really dig Tezuka-san's work here. Overall, it was very different from what I normally read, but I did enjoy it.
June 30, 2015
What a mix! Part Odyssey, part Island of Doctor Moreau, with a dash of House, we get this sci-fi manga about humans turning into dog-like creatures. Unexpected twists, quirky plots, and neurotic doctors. It's all good stuff.
April 15, 2012
Dark but good
September 7, 2015
second half of ode to kirihito. the language (translation?) is still sometimes stilted, and some of the plot elements still don't quite make sense. but it's a fun read.
August 20, 2016
Surreal experience
September 18, 2016
One of the best graphic novels I have ever read.
Want to read
May 28, 2017Primera edición en castellano, dividida en tres tomos. Ediciónes Otaku Manga Clásicos, "formato de lujo". Pack completo.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews