Murcielago Volume 1

So, do you ever get the feeling that you like something that you usually wouldn't? Because that's the type of feeling I got when I first read Murcielago.

This review is for volume 1, which contains chapters 0 to 5, plus a bonus chapter.

Be warned, this manga has the “explicit content” label for a reason.

Murcielago is fairly recent, but it indulges in all of the things that were bad about comic books in the nineties. It has sex, violence, nudity, a violent protagonist, and all the other things that made the nineties anti-hero scene so hit-and-miss. Yet, I find it a lot more enjoyable than the works of that time, and I think it's because of the overall tone of the work. The manga does not pretend to be gritty or “realistic”, it is completely over-the-top, and it revels in it. It's tone is bombastic and outlandish, and it never tries to pretend otherwise. In short, it managed to make me enjoy something I would not normally enjoy.

Although, I could have done without the bonus chapter at the end of the first volume, which is a hair's breadth away from being pornography. However, other than that, I didn't mind any of the blood, sex, or violence all that much.

The main protagonist of this work is Kuroko Koumori, who is a serial killer, and when we meet her she is on death row for the murder of seven hundred and fifteen people. However, she is then approached by government officials, who offer her a choice; come work for them and kill who they want her to kill, or face her execution.

So, that is the basic premise, a serial killer employed by a national government too kill enemies of the state. If the premise sounds a bit daft, well it is; but again, it seems to work better due to the story not taking itself so seriously. For example, the first enemy our protagonist comes up against is a wrestler that got so hooked on an experimental steroid, that he became a super-strong rage monster similar to the Incredible Hulk.

Normally I would find a work with a protagonist a morally warped as Kuroko to be off-putting, but again, its outlandishness works in its favour here. There is definitely a sinister air about Kuroko, but also something strangely endearing about; she approaches everything with enthusiasm, and has a large lust for life. She may indulge in her baser instincts, but she also shows an odd loyalty to the people that she actually knows. I think it's fair to say that she isn't amoral, but that she had a warped morality that is different to a normal persons. Plus, she's entertaining in her insanity, in a way similar to Alucard from Hellsing.

She's also remarkably human, showing fear, exasperation, anger, and even concern. This is notable as most author's seem more concerned with portraying characters in this archetype as “badass”, often limiting their emotions to rage, and making them one-note. She is a fully fleshed-out character who, despite everything else about her, has her good points.

In essence the manga managed to make me care about Kuroko, despite that fact that she is a terrible person.

The other recurring character is Hinako Tozakura, who is Kuroko's sidekick/minder. She is the person assigned to keep watch over Kuroko by the government. Although obviously not as creepy as her charge, she is just as bombastic and strange in her own way. She's seems somewhat like you typical cowboy cop, often breaking the rules in pursuit of justice. Yet she also seems to be something of an adrenaline junkie, charging head-first into danger, and is oddly nonchalant about hanging around a known serial killer. She also does not even blink when she walks in on Kuroko having sex, or when Kuroko kills people in front of her.

The artwork in the manga is very good, even if there are some liberties taken with the human anatomy. However, for the most part these liberties are taken certain attributes of the characters. For example, Kuroko has limbs that are slightly too long, creating an unsettling image at times, and the first villain has grotesquely large muscles, to highlight his absurd physical strength, and how monstrous he has become.

The artwork is also clean and clear, meaning it is easy to discern what is what on any given page or panel. This works well for the the action scenes, as it allows every move to be seen clearly, so that the flow of events is clear.

The action itself is fun and creative. It follows the overall tone of the work, as it goes into improbable, sometimes impossible, territory. The action works more like an inventive action movie, rather than the type of drawn-out fights that people who started reading manga with the likes of Dragon Ball or Naruto will be used to. There is no magic, or supernatural martial arts involved in these fights.

In terms of other manga, I would compare this to a mix of Black Lagoon and Hellsing, in that it has the former's sense of “realism” (for a given value of realism), and the latter's theatricality.

In terms of western works, I think the closest comparisons I could find would be something like Deadpool, or the works of Quentin Tarantino; in fact, I'm pretty sure chapter three is a shout-out to the diner scene from Pulp Fiction. There is even a shout-out The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari in there, which I completely did not expect. The author of Murcielago clearly has made at least some study of cinema.

However, even these comparisons fall a little short, due to having to allow for differences in culture. Not that I am saying that Murcielago is better than Tarantino, or vice-versa; but that there are slight differences between the two.

Finally, it should be mentioned that Kuroko is a lesbian. I mention it only because it may be important to some people, one way or another. Some people may take issue with a psychotic lesbian aspect, but at the moment I think it's fine, as her psychosis is separate from her sexuality.

On the whole I would recommend Murcielago, for its over-the-top, fun-loving nature, and its sense of creativity. However, give it a miss if gore and sex put you off.

Until next time,

PhoenixAct.