Al Barcenas of Deremoe posted this I Am a Hero manga review from 2013, says it has one of the best story-telling in the industry.
The Deremoe Archive exists on this website to give tribute to the brand which led me to get deep into the anime community – and along the way, get introduced to the events industry, which is where I’m working now.
On this post, I am sharing a Deremoe review of “I Am a Hero” by Kengo Hanzawa. This zombie manga will then be adapted into a movie released commercially in 2016. This review is done by my good friend Al who at that time leads the tech side of Deremoe while I act as its frontrunner.
A lot of time has passed, and lessons are learned along the way, but this manga review alone is quoted by distributor Dark Horse in its press release for the manga. Without further ado, here is the review, which I have edited now, keeping in mind the thought Al put for this.
Ok… where do I start? Imagine The Walking Dead is set in Japan, and has a fat dude with a shotgun surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, with the melodrama toned down. That’s what I Am a Hero is in a nutshell: A story of a guy surviving the zombie apocalypse together with the people around him.
While High School of the Dead also delves into the same genre as this series, this one is more down to earth, and has a meticulously crafted plot to make it endearing. It is also nominated for the Manga Taisho in 2011 and 2012; and is published on Big Comic Spirits, which published works for the adult audience. Another series in Big Comic Spirits I find notable is Rainbow, which I talked about 3 years ago.
I Am a Hero shows a 180-degree turn of once-peaceful life
The story focuses on the adventures of Hideo Suzuki, who happens to be at the right place at the right time. The Manga starts with our main character going through his normal life as your average mangaka, having a well-off career with a girlfriend and hobbies.
While the story is focused mainly on the mundane life of our main character, the author also painted the backdrop for the impending apocalypse behind him.
While the series’ charm is the Zombie Apocalypse like The Walking Dead, the focus is mainly about the ordinary characters, adapting to the 180-degree turn of their once-peaceful life.
Much of the happenings that surrounds the outbreak are entirely brushed in passing – just as what you would be expecting if you are pulled into the scenario, trying to survive while piecing together what happened to the world in general.
Much of the series during the first moments of the outbreak are about our character trying to escape the city. It also shows no stops to its characters. It kills characters without you expecting, just like in real-life – or like (the U.S. TV series) Dexter, characters can die for the sake of the story.
Accepting their new lives
Once the outbreak passes, survivors come to meet the terms of their new life. The story now shifts on the adventures of our main character and whoever companions and pals he meets.
The series also takes a break and shifts to other characters in the story. One arc is focused on Taiwan in the first moments of the outbreak. The recent chapter breaks to a shut-in finding the society that shunned him disappearing, akin to having a clean blank slate. The author clearly knows what he is doing. Managing the expectations of the reader is something that you don’t easily achieve.
Another remarkable thing about the series is the level of detail in just about everything. The title above best describes it. It is one of the best-drawn manga out there. It has a complex perspective that you wouldn’t normally see, even in Anime. Those scenes are also used in a way that made a drastic impact on the story.
There is a scene where the main character shoots zombies, and we are pushed into a first-person perspective. Not only that, he is also wearing a mask. You can see the details of the mask.
You literally see how hindered the Main Character is with a mask on his face as zombies try to eat him. The scene is designed to heighten the tension of that plot. The author pushed the limits of the medium in so many levels. I can’t believe he can keep up on a weekly publication.
I Am a Hero’s story-telling: One of the best
Finally, if you love zombie apocalypse, or simply a fan of The Walking Dead who is also an anime enthusiast, I Am a Hero is a must read. It’s shocking that an Anime adaptation hasn’t been green-lit yet. The level of story-telling put here is one of the best in the industry, well-done and just far ahead from the rest.
Congratulations for reaching the end of this I Am a Hero manga review. You can find the book on Amazon.
Truth be told, I still have an archive of text content from the old Deremoe website, so if there’s something nostalgic and relevant at the same time, I may be able to post it again on this space.
Preview images taken from Dark Horse manga website