Did You Throw a Fork? Most People Would've Gone for the Knife: An Analysis of Dorohedoro

About five years ago I was reading some manga on the Internet when I came across a strange image on a discussion board. This was that image:

Upon doing some research, I discovered the image was from a manga entitled Dorohedoro. After reading a brief summary and some reviews of the manga, I remember writing on a sticky note: "Must read Dorohedoro." Well...turns out I never got around to reading it and completely forget about this until five years later when I recently moved into my new house. While moving all my stuff from one house to another, some of my old stuff fell out of one of the files from my desk. Sure enough, one thing that managed to fall out was that same sticky note I wrote five years ago. Upon seeing it, I ended up finally reading Dorohedoro a week later. I'm so glad I did as I can safely that: Dorohedoro has become my personal #1 favorite manga of all time. As such, I intend to write about it more in the future. Let's dive into this brilliant hidden gem of a manga! 

*Warning: I intend to talk about Dorohedoro's plot. Spoilers ahead*

Introduction:

Q Hayashida (the female mangaka of this series) is the ex-assistant of famous mangaka Tsutomu Nihei. Nihei is famous for his dark/sci-fi mangas, some of which include:Blame!, NOiSE, Biomega, and Sidonia no Kishi.

Bearing this in mind, it's not too far fetched to claim that she derived a lot of influence from her time working under Nihei. Reflective in its dark, thematic story and art, Dorohedoro's plot could very well fit into Nihei's list of publications if one didn't know who made it. That's not too say that Hayashida's work is not able to stand by itself as its own original masterpiece; you would be horribly mistaken. Dorohedoro is quite possibly the most (if not, one of the most) original story I have ever read. It tells a riveting, violent, gory, and comedic narrative that devolves into one of the most intriguing and complicated mysteries I have ever been privileged to read. It was the first story I've ever read that effectively combined the genres of horror and comedy. For once, gore was actually funny! So let's take a look at some of its key components. 

Setting: The Hole and The World of the Magic Users:

Dorohedoro's universe showcases a world that is split into two realms. The first is know as The Hole. Hole is the home of normal human beings whom are preyed and experimented on by the magic users. As such, deformities and almost creature-like humanoids are commonplace and numerous amongst Hole's inhabitants. Because magical smoke seeps into Hole, strange occurrences such as "The Night of the Living Dead" that occurs every month, in which zombies roam the streets for an entire night devouring anyone they can get their hands on, are very common. The strange occurrences in Hole have been interwoven into its culture. The city/realm itself is very well aware that it plays victim to an entirely separate world of powerful and privileged individuals, and this is something I find quite interesting. The inhabitants seem to accept that their home is poverty stricken and loitered in filth, becoming the very definition of "unideal living conditions." Yet, they carry on with their lives in the hopes that they can live in a simple manner, peacefully; albeit the few inhabitants who are vehement enough to fight and strike back at the Magic users that prey on them, such as our protagonist. 

The other world in Dorohedoro is that of the Magic User's realm. As its name implies, this realm plays host to a higher end society encumbered solely of powerful beings both sorcerer and demonic. Everyone with the ability to utilize magic resides here and live a more comfortable life when compared to the inhabitants of Hole. Overlooking all magic users, are the all powerful devils whom have made a home in The Magic User's realm. Devils are powerful beings whose abilities, power, and magic far exceeds that of any magic user. A lot of Dorohedoro's story takes place in both Hole and the Magic User's realm. Thus, readers get to see just how each one directly impacts each other and that is something that is cool. It's also worth mentioning that while normal citizens of Hole can't travel (normally) to The Magic User's realm, the magic users themselves have the means to  seemingly traverse from their homes to Hole whenever they please. This imbalance also creates a unique dynamic in this dual-setting story. 

Q Hayashida has proven to be a master of world-building, as she expertly fleshes out this dualistic narrative abiding by the rules of two worlds. 

Magic:

Magic is something that is handled in both unique and serious ways in this manga. It's certainly my favorite version of magic that I have seen in all of anime, manga, and films. In Dorohedoro's universe, you're either born with the ability to utilize magic or not (it's a biological thing). There are key components to bear in mind when looking at how magic functions in this story

-Every single magic user's particular magic is unique to the individual. Everyone has a unique ability that belongs to them alone. 

-Magic takes the form of smoke in this manga. Magic users contain smoke running through their veins along with their blood. It is this smoke that causes the different magical effects to occur in this series. Once the smoke blows over a target, the unique magical effect will take place. 

-The source of a magic user's abilities/generation of smoke through the body is a tumor in the brain of a magic user that is shaped like a devil (literally). 

- The smoke comes out of an individual through small ducts at the tips of an individual's fingers. Through the fingers, magic users are able to blow out their smoke to use their magic. However, it is possible to obtain an expensive surgery that will allow an individual to also blow out magical smoke from their moths as well. As such, if you were to cut off a person's fingers or damage them in any way, you would stop a magic user from being able to properly utilize their magic. 

-Magical smoke can be bottled and sold to people to utilize another person's magic in small bursts. Healing magic is popular in this regard. 

-Lastly, magic users offer gifts to devils (who govern the magic user's realm) in order to receive masks which amplify a magic user's magical abilities. As such, the majority of magic users wear these masks. 

-It should be noted that magic users are also unable to use their magic when it rains. Rain weakens  magic users to the point of uselessness. Thus it never rains in the Magic User's realm, only in Hole. 

Characters:

Dorohedoro's characters are some of the coolest characters in manga if only for how complicated and fleshed out they are. I'm going to talk about a few that stand out: 

Kaiman/Aikawa/Ai/ Kai

I'm going to try my best to describe the complexity behind our main protagonist. At the beginning of the manga we are introduced to Kaiman (the main character). He is a man who has the head of a lizard/reptile while maintaining a normal human body. He also has a head/face inside of his mouth of which he has no idea how it got there or what it is. Weird stuff ey.......? 

Kaiman has lost his memories and was found by his friend Nikaido lying near an apartment complex in Hole. Kaiman is depicted as a violent and constantly hungry man, who seems to genuinely respect few. While he has a strong personality, he does seem to get sheepish only around his friend Nikaido. Yet at his core, buried beneath his rigid personality, lies a kind man who genuinely longs to live a normal life and to exist peacefully (it just takes a little while to come to this conclusion lol).

In trying to remember whom he once was, he embarks on a mission with Nikaido to hunt down magic users in Hole in order to find out who turned his head into that of a lizard/reptile's. As such, the beginning of the manga sees Kaiman's usual routine play out: 

-Kaiman finds a magic user

-Kaiman literally forces that magic user's head into his mouth in order for the head inside of his mouth to see the magic user.

-The head inside of his mouth will pass judgement on the magic user (usually stating: "No, you aren't the one").

-Kaiman will take the magic user out of his mouth and ask, "What did the man inside my head say?"

-Upon learning that the  magic user wasn't the one who cursed him, Kaiman will kill that magic user.

-Rinse and repeat

-It's also worth mentioning that Q Hayashida takes this ritualistic process seriously and does not abide by any form of magical realism. Kaiman biting down on someone's head causes visible damage (sometimes even brain damage) to the person he is "examining." They're getting bit by a bloody reptile! Little details such as this tend to be ignored in anime/manga and I really appreciate Hayashida's realistic approach. 

As strange as this may seem, this is honestly the most interesting, albeit goriest take on the traditional detective narrative I've ever seen. Elements such as this, lend to Dorohedoro's strange, dark flavor of humor that will either resonate with readers or turn them off. 

Anyways, as the plot progresses we learn just how complicated of a character or "characters" Kaiman really is. Although not all of the details behind his true identity have been revealed, I'm going to try my best to explain the nature of his condition from what Hayshida has given to readers thus far. 

-Kaiman has nine heads inside of his neck. When one head is decapitated, a new head regenerates. Not all of the heads share the same set of memories. Exemplified by the two Kaiman heads (reptile) we've seen so far whom have different memories of the events transpiring in the manga.

-Kaiman seems to also have three other personalities: Aikawa, Kai, and Ai. Aikawa is a man who attended a magic school with his friend Risu, whom is very similar to Kaiman, minus the lizard's head. He is a violent, always hungry human with a laid back personality. I believe Aikawa is a manifestation of what Ai could have been had he not went down the path of achieving power. Speaking of Ai... 

-Ai Coleman was a boy in Hole (many years ago) who met with Dr. Kasukbe (a bit on on him later) who wanted to become a magic user (despite being born a normal human). Upon his death via exposure to highly toxic materials in Hole, he asked Dr. Kasukabe as his final wish to perform an experimental surgery on his body, utilizing the corpses of magic users to turn his body into that of a magic user's. Not only did the surgery work, but it warped Ai in a way that would transform him forever. Ascendance into magic is what lays the frameworks for the different personalities of Kaiman as well as the plot's complexity. 

-Lastly, Kai is another of Ai's personalities that became the boss of the Crosseyes gang. He is an evil, sinister being whom is obsessed with power. Vehement in his goals, he kills magic users in order to obtain their power and their bodies to utilize them towards his sinister plot. 

With this, I can't stress enough just how deeply complex of a character Kaiman really is. The mystery behind his true identity and the multiple roles that he has played in impacting the world of Dorohedoro is vastly interesting. To this effect, he is uniquely both the protagonist and main antagonist of this series. Hayashida has created a new depth to the idea of a multi-dimensional character! Hopefully we will get to find out the very nature of Kaiman's true identity in the final volume of this series being currently written. 

Nikaido 

Nikaido is my personal favorite character in this manga. Not only is she really cute, amongst a cast of hideous looking fiends; she is a good example of a strong female character. Hayashida allows both men and women to be on equal footing when it comes to who's powerful and who really gets to kick ass. That is something I can appreciate. Dorohedoro is a story about portraying a world in which gender roles are equal as much as it is a story about comedic gore. 

Moving right along, I think it's also very touching that the relationship Kaiman and Nikaido share is strictly platonic (but more on this later). Nikaido is a true friend to Kaiman and goes to great lengths to both ease his sufferings as well as go out of her way to save him from the complexity that is his strange design; if only at times with her superb cooking skills (She runs a restaurant!) 

Nikaido's magic is also an important element to her character. Initially hiding the fact that she is a magic user from Kaiman (fearing what he may think of her), we come to learn that Nikaido bears the rare ability to manipulate time. This ability alone makes her highly sought after by the other magic users in order for her to be utilized in unique ways. Nikaido suffered greatly in the past when she accidentally erased her childhood friend from existence not understanding the nature of her magic. In this regard, it was really cool to see her later accept her magic and really come to understand its use. Nikaido is a great character that Hayashida has set up for really any reader to adore in her dark, gritty world. 

Shin 

-His magic allows him to cut up people limb from limb while still keeping them alive. They could have their heads cut off, but still be breathing and speaking. 

-He is the only character so far who has been revealed to be half human/half magic user.

-Has a traumatic past in which both his parents were killed and he was hunted. Thus, propelling him to enjoying fighting and killing. 

-Oddly, one of the most reasonable/level-headed characters in the manga for how violent he can be. 

-A cleaner for the En family.

-He fights with a bloody hammer!

Noi

-Her magic allows her to heal any physical injuries (which is used quite often btw)

-Interestingly enough in her past, she was about to become a devil but due to certain circumstances, ended up staying as a magic user. 

-She is Shin's partner. She really adores him! She's also taller than him. 

-Another cleaner for the En family.

-She's a badass! 

En

-Kind of the mafia boss character of the series. He's not really a traditional villain character per say, as he isn't depicted as such technically. 

-His magic allows him to transform anything his smoke touches into mushrooms.

-He REALLY likes mushrooms lol.

-He drives the story in interesting directions.

-Has a business selling "broomsticks," which in the magic user's realm is the equivalent of a car (albeit a giant, mechanized broom that can fly). 

Ebisu

-The manga likes to make use of her to drive some of the dark comedy. This is exemplified by her mutilation and brain damage that is constantly portrayed throughout the manga. 

-She is one the youngest characters in this story at 13.

-Member of the En family.

-He magic allows her to turn people or herself into reptiles.

The Crosseyes Gang

-A gang of normal humans who hunt down magic users and try to establish the view that magic users are not superior to humans.

-Make use of an illegal substance known as "black powder" that amplifies or bestow magical abilities to whom who utilize it. Though it is highly addictive.

-They are masters at handling knives. 

-They serve under Kai unquestionably, not realizing the extent of his evil plans.

Platonic Relationships

Another aspect of this story that I have to talk about is the idea of platonic relationships. This manga is riddled with many male/female pairings in which both people are very close but never succumb to sexual desire and/or love. There is an absolute absence of sexuality and romance (although romance is implied/poked at ever so slightly in maybe two or three instances) beyond Dr. Kasukabe's relationship with his wife Haru (and even then their sexuality which is only "hinted at" is completely off screen). Pairings such as the genuine/true friendship of Kaiman and Nikaido and Shin x Noi is something that either will fly with readers of the manga or completely piss them off. On one hand, romance and sexuality are natural emotions that are typically called upon in a lot of manga. As such, the very absence of these elements amongst the characters in Dorohedoro can be something jarring and frustrating. However, I abide by the view that this story would simply not be the same if the focus was Kaiman falling in love with Nikaido or Shin (an already morally fucked up character) giving into random lust for Noi. Q Hayashida's already unique story is bolstered even higher as a manga that stands out beyond the rest with this idea of strictly platonic relationships. She doesn't need love or sex to draw readers in. Instead she vies for a dark, humorous, and riveting narrative that makes use of a lovable cast of characters to bring in the masses.

^ this is relevant

Art Style

If I haven't already convinced you that the artwork is unique and eerily dark, based on all the pictures in this post already...well then I don't know what to say... Hayashida's art is the type of art that one will either love/appreciate (that's me) or simply hate. Her rough sketched, dark shaded style approach to art plays direct homage to her days as Tsutomu Nihei's assistant. Yet, her art is able to stand apart from Nihei's as uniquely her own. I personally love the clearly hand-drawn nature of her art. I feel it directly lends to how successful her story translates to readers. The amount of detailing in her backgrounds is stellar to say the least. When she wants you to get a good look and feel of a particular situation, she will go out of her way to flesh out every ounce of detail. I love the art of Dorohedoro, but I understand it is not one that will resonate with all. 

Conclusion:

Dorohedoro has without a doubt become my personal second favorite manga of all time. I can't stress how unique this story really is. It is the most original thing I've been privileged to read in quite a while. If any of you have disregarded spoilers and have found any of what I've said here interesting: please do yourself the favor and read this fantastic series. As of  right now, new chapters are going to begin to appear a little more frequently now that Hayshida has successfully transferred the series to a new magazine for serialization. She is also currently on the final volume of the series so we may finally see a proper conclusion very soon. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post and as always have a wonderful day!

-Nights Off

My Top 10 Favorite Stands from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Today I thought I'd do a fun, little post on my personal favorite stands that appear all throughout the arcs from Hirohiko Araki's brilliant manga series, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. With the many stands that exist, it was really hard to narrow it down to a list of 10. But I think this list is the closest I'm going to get.

*Spoiler Alert: For those of you whom are currently watching the JoJo anime series, this may act as spoilers for future events in the Jojo series. You have been warned*

So first off I'd like to list some honorable mentions. I love all these stands but they weren't quite awesome enough to make it onto my personal top 10. Still they are awesome in their own rights:

Honorable Mentions:
-Mandom

-User: Ringo Roadagain (Arc 7)

-It can reverse time for 6 seconds, basically giving people a second chance. However, everyone loses their memory of what happens during those 6 seconds. 

-It's user Ringo was my personal favorite antagonist from Steel Ball Run. 

-Cream 

-User: Vanilla Ice (Arc 3)

-It's named after the British band Cream

-It has the cool ability to effectively devour its user and itself to enter a state in which it's able to devour everything it comes in contact with. It's also able to move around quickly through it's own set of alternate dimensions. 

-Sex Pistols 

-User: Guido Mista (Arc 5)

-Named after the English band of the same name. 

-It's like having 6 mini stands that can each be fired out of a gun. 

-It's also really funny when they all start arguing amongst themselves. 

-Soft and Wet

-User: Josuke Higashikata (JoJolion) (Part 8)

-Named after a song by Prince (who is one of my all time favorite musical artists).

-I'm a big fan of its design,

-Its ability allows it to steal the attributes and/or properties of virtually anything and make it a part of its own. Ex: It can steal the friction from the floor, or the dryness of a desert, or a person's sight, etc. 

-Silver Chariot

-User: Jean Pierre Polneraff (Arc 3)

-It's a stand with a bloody sword! 

-Polneraff is an epic badass.

-Bohemian Rhapsody

-User: Ungulo (Arc 6)

-Named after the hit song by Queen. 

-It could quite possibly be one of the most powerful stands of all time.

-It's ability allows it to bring to life literally any fictional character of all time. I'll let that resonate in your head for a bit...Can you say Goku?

*And now onto the actual Top 10! 

10) Heaven's Door

-User: Rohan Kishibe (Arc 4)

-Named after a song by Bob Dylan

-Its ability allows you to open up an opponent like a book and peer into every single aspect/characteristic about that individual (their memories, their abilities, thoughts, desires, etc.). In doing so, this stand is also able to write in certain commands into the individual that they would be forced to obey without question/resistance (such as killing themselves). It's also able to remove certain memories from the individual as well as adding in new ones. It's the ultimate mind controlling stand in the series for all intensive purposes. 

-It also happens to be Hirohiko Araki's personal favorite stand. 

9) Star Platinum

-User: Jotaro Kujo (Arc 3)

-Its abilities include super strength, super speed, super precision, and the ability to...STOP TIME (for a period of 5 seconds). It's simply a badass stand. 

-It's bathed in manliness and the iconic "ORA ORA ORA" is legendary!

8) The World / Scary Monsters

-User: Dio Brando (Arc 3) / Diego Brando (Arc 7)

-The World's abilities mirror Star Platinum's with its enhanced strength, speed, etc. and the ability to also stop time for a few seconds. 

-The World has become one of the most memorable stands, belonging to arguably the most memorable antagonist in the entire Jojo series. 

-Scary Monsters is all about dinosaurs! It can turn its user into a raptor. It can make other people more like a raptor. Raptors and dinosaurs are cool! 

7) Crazy Diamond

-User: Josuke Higasikata (Arc 4)

-Named after a song by Pink Floyd

-It has the strength and speed to match up to Start Platinum while also possessing the unique ability to heal/restore something to it's original condition/state at any point of its history.

-Josuke is one of my all time favorite characters from JoJo's 

6) Purple Haze

-User: Piannacotta Fugo (Arc 5)

-Named after a song by Jimi Hendrix

-It was so powerful that Araki himself didn't know how to deal with it. So he simply had to have its user leave halfway through the arc. 

-It's one of the coolest looking stands in the entire series.

-Its ability makes it that if you are hit by its fist, one of the three bubbles on its knuckles will burst, releasing a flesh eating virus that will kill anything (friend or foe) in a matter of seconds. 

5.) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

-User: Funny Valentine (Arc 7)

-Named after a song and album by AC/DC

-I'm a big fan of its design.

-It has the ability to traverse into other dimensions. In doing so, if it brings back an object, person, animal, etc. that is the carbon copy of the same thing from another universe, the two things will quite literally annihilate each other from existence. That means you would disintegrate if you were to meet yourself from another dimension.

4.) King Crimson

-User: Diavolo (Arc 5)

-Diavolo was a really cool villain.

-This stand allows Diavolo to erase portions of time (up to 10 seconds), allowing only Diavolo to retain memory of what occurred during the time that was erased. As such, this stand effectively allows Diavolo to see 10 seconds into the future. 

3.) Gold Experience/Gold Experience Requiem

-User: Giorno Giovanna (Arc 5)

-Named after a Prince album

-One of the best designs of all the stands in the series

-Quite possibly the most overpowered stand belonging to a Jojo.

-It has the ability to give life to inanimate objects in its normal forms. However, in it's Requiem form it has the ability to literally reduce anything (including an opponents attacks and willpower) to the state of "zero" or it's origin. Effectively making everything around it useless. This is OP!!!

-Also Giorno is one of my all time favorite Jojos. 

2.) Whitesnake, C-Moon, Made in Heaven

-User: Enrico Pucci (Arc 6)

-By far the most powerful/overpowered stand in the entire Jojo universe.

-In it's base form: Whitsnake, it has the ability to steal a person's memories or his/her stand and turn them into a disc. That same disc can be placed into other people, allowing them either to read memories or utilize the stands that were placed in them. As such, Whitensnake can create a shit ton of stand users and is powerful enough to defeat the majority of the Jojo protagonists. 

-In it's second form: C-Moon, it has the ability to manipulate gravity. It can either make you fall away from itself or literally turn you inside-out upon touch. 

-In it's final form: Made in Heaven, it becomes the most powerful stand in all of Jojo (Dio himself states that this stand is the "ultimate stand"). Its first ability allows it to increase the speed or rate of the flow of time, because of its ability to control the gravitational force of THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. It is also able to speed up the flow of time while preventing any living being from ever being able to catch up to it. That means that its opponents would see Father Pucci as constantly moving even if he's actually just standing still. 

1.) Killer Queen

-User: Yoshikage Kira (Arc 4) 

-Yoshikage Kira is by far one of my all time favorite villains in all of manga. 

-It is my favorite stand design of all the stands in the series (It's classy yet menacing).

-Fun Fact: It's actually Araki's favorite stand to draw.

-Named after an awesome song by Queen.

-It's main ability is to create bombs; anything it touches can explode on command by Kira. This ability is strong enough to allow Kira to fight Jotaro and Josuke at the same time. It's second ability, appropriately named "Another One Bites the Dust," (another Queen song) produces an explosion so violent that is can reset time and put things into an infinite loop!

-And there you have it folks my top 10 favorite stands. Hope you all enjoyed it! Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a manga series that I hold dear. I really hope that they keep adapting each arc of the manga into anime! Have a wonderful day.

-Nights Off

Run Away from the Dog: An Analysis of Kohske's Gangsta

One of the manga series that I read while on my 4 month hiatus was a little series that caught my eye one day at a Barnes and Nobles simply entitled, "Gangsta." The art style on the cover looked cool and stood out enough that I felt compelled to pick it up and give it a peruse. Well....I ended up reading the first two volumes that same day in the same Barnes and Nobles. Upon completion, I quickly rushed home to catch up to the latest chapter. Boy was I pleasantly surprised about what I managed to stumble into. My fellow readers, today I'd like to do a manga analysis on a series that I feel has immense amounts of potential. Let's take a look at Kohske's (mangaka) "Gangsta."

*Warning: I intend to analyze the entirety of this manga, so if you came here wanting to know my overall opinions of the manga: Read it! It's bloody fantastic! Only 34 chapters are out right now (6 volumes). So catch up and if you feel compelled, come back and check out this post! Spoiler alert ahead for the plot of Gangsta*

So why is that I like this manga so much? Is it because it's written by a female mangaka? It it because of its cool characters? Or does it have something to do with gangsters? 

I'd like to start this analysis off by making a bold statement: If this manga continues to get the same amount of quality implemented in its future chapters/volumes, I truly believe that Gangsta is a series that will completely succeed and triumph over Rei Hiroe's popular manga/anime, Black Lagoon. Now before you come at me with pitchforks and torches, allow me to explain a bit....

I feel comparing Gangsta to Black Lagoon is an acceptable comparison as both of these pieces of work share A LOT in common. Both star a cast of gritty protagonists whom run a company/business (Benriya vs the Lagoon Company) that tend to delve into crime and illegal transactions. Both of these works also contain extremely similar settings and very similar themes. Lastly, both works contain a narrative that simply does not care about the reader's/viewer's moral stances on particular matters. They are fully aware of what they are trying to convey and they each try to have fun with it. What I'm getting at here...is that both pieces delve into chaos, crime, and the darker, more cynical aspects of humanity. 

Setting: (Just to entertain the argument a little)

                                                            

                                                             Gangsta's Ergastulum

Black Lagoon's Roanapur

Black Lagoon's Roanapur shares a lot in common with Gangsta's Ergastulum. Both serve, as the primary setting of the main events of each work respectively. Both places are also encumbered and convoluted with crime, gangsters, mafias, drug lords, prostitutes, and essentially all things that society commonly views in a negative light. Both settings also play host to several major factions that dominate over each setting as a whole collectively. Where Roanapur houses the Rip-off Church, the Triad, Hotel Moscow, the Verrocchio, the CIA, etc. Ergastulum plays host to major factions such as the police, the Monroe family, the Christiano family, the Paul Klee Guild, and the Corsica family. 

While each setting shares a slue of commonalities, it is within my honest opinion that Ergastulum triumphs as a stronger backdrop to Gangsta's plot. Roanapur is simply less fleshed out overall as a setting compared to Ergastulum. In Black Lagoon, we come to understand that Roanapur, thirty five years prior to the beginning of the series was a dying port town. After the Vietnam War, deserting soldiers and prostitutes invigorated the town as it slowly devolved  into a crime-ridden, chaotic, hellhole. As such, Black Lagoon's main cast of characters reside in Roanapur most of the time, as it functions as a way to flesh out the character of Rock (primarily) as a man whose morals and ideals slowly become akin to those of the hooligans whom reside here. Beyond hosting most of the plot and being provided with brief background, Roanapur as a setting is just not fleshed out enough to make it an interesting and memorable one when compared to others in anime and manga, in my opinion. While it certainly serves as a successful setting for the kind of story that Black Lagoon tells, it almost feels too convenient that we are introduced to a cast of criminals, only to then believe that their story will take place in a setting that houses an entire town of criminals. While this is minor, I can't help but feel that Roanapur would've been better suited having been introduced at the very get go of Lagoon while placing a better effort to showcase many characters' moral break downs over time instead of only Rock's. This isn't to say that other characters in Lagoon do not receive development, I just feel that most of it was spent on a singular character. 

Ergastulum on the other hand, is much more developed and interesting as a setting already into a manga series that currently holds only 34 chapters. Through flashbacks of Worick Arcangelo's past and the dialogue of other characters, we come to learn that Ergastulum was founded in the wake of a great war known as the War of Unification in 1913. It was originally intended to function as a quarantine zone for users of Celebre, whose children would later become the Twilights. However in 1926, due to overcrowding in prisons, Ergastulum became a place where criminals (both humans and twilights) could reside apart from the world. Ergastulum holds a large population of refugees whom were either too poor to sustain themselves or lost their countries/homes to war. With this setup, Ergastulum becomes the center stage for the discrimination and intolerance that arises from humans towards the twilights. Yet, we later learn that in 1934, the Pualklee Guild "successfully" managed to raise the social status of twilights via organizing them into a guild of mercenaries for hire. 

Ergastlum plays center stage to the same debauchery that occurs in Roanapur while being better written and simply containing an extra layer of complication taking the form of the unrest humanity holds towards the twilights (leading to protests, homicides, and at times massacre). I can't help but feel that this layer of unique portrayals of discrimination created by Kohske really allows for quite frankly, one of the more unique and memorable settings I have encountered in manga and anime. 

Characters:

I want to take this time to now analyze many of the major characters in Gangsta and stray away from the "Gangsta is better than Black Lagoon" idea a bit. I like both series guys! 

Worick Arcangelo

 

Worick is the most outgoing member of the trio that makes up Benriya. He is a man who hides his pain and more serious nature under an easy going, smooth talking, comedy-filled, and charming persona. This is fleshed out with the fact that he is well respected by the majority of the inhabitants of Ergastulum and also works as a gigolo on the side. Yet, Worick's upbringings spout some very interesting elements. We come to learn that Worick was originally named Wallace and was the second son of the vastly wealthy and influential Aracangelo family (though some of his maids gossiped that he may have actually been an illegitimate son). It is in his youth that he first encounters a young Nicolas Brown, a twilight who will become his best friend and close partner in crime. Despite a background of privilege, young Wallace seems to detest his position in his family and always fails to live up to his father's wishes (resulting to domestic violence from his father). It is only until he becomes closer to Nicolas, that he really learns to cherish and value another person (indicative of how worried he got when Nicolas would go on dangerous missions with his father's mercenary group). It's also heart-warming to see that Worick was the one that taught Nicolas how to read and communicate via sigh language, upon learning of Nic's disability. 

At a later point, Nicolas offers to kill Wallace's family upon observing Wallace's depression and hardships under his father's abuse (primarily after Wallace's father burns out his eye with a cigarette). While we do not necessarily know if Wallace consented to his family's murder or if it was Nicolas acting on his own accord, the story thus far has hinted that this very act has created a strange kink in Nic and Worick's relationship. While Worick seems to view Nic in a brotherly way, I can't help but feel that he may harbor a conflicted view wavering in the back of his mind as to what he really feels towards his best friend for murdering his family. Whether or not this is in play to set up a potential, future plot element is yet to be known, but may prove interesting if touched on. Lastly, I think a very interesting element behind Worick's character is how seemingly normal he is power/strength-wise compared to the other characters in the manga. He is just an ordinary human who is experienced and crafty with whatever he seeks to accomplish. Yet, his one unique gift creates an interesting dynamic for his character. Readers come to learn that Worick has an incredible memory, being able to recall any face, name, and detail he has ever encountered/observed. Coined, "hyperthymesia" by Dr. Theo, Worick's ability has been described as a dangerous asset that could be used to a vastly influential effect in the wrong hands. This skill alone makes him highly valuable to his allies. With that being said, I find it interesting that a man with only one functional eye to view the world around him possesses such a useful talent as this. At the end of the day, Worick drives a lot of the humor and light hearted moments sprinkled throughout the manga. 

Nicolas Brown

Nicolas Brown is the quietest of the trio that makes up Benriya. He's an extremely complicated and well thought out character whom has easily become one of my favorite characters in all of manga/anime. To start things off, Nic's upbringings are some of the saddest portions of this manga's story. Wanting to have his own twilight in his mercenary group and not willing to pay for one, West Gate Mercenary Commander Gaston Brown knocked up a unnamed "tagged" prostitute to bear a twilight son. Upon giving birth to Nic, Gaston killed Nic's mother and took the child to raise as his tool. As such, we come to learn the severity of the circumstances behind Nic's birth from a biological perspective. Kohske goes to great lengths to flesh out what it means to be a twilight in her manga; thus this particular detail adds immense depth to Nic's character: 

-Most twilights only live to the age of 30. However, this is mostly for those whom have both a twilight mother and father. Half twilights (such as Nic) are known as "Hagure" and can live a little longer than normal twilights (some have been know to live to the age of 49). However, in return for their abilities, they are born with mental and physical disorders (in Nic's case he was born deaf). These disorders are commonly known as "Compensation." Compensation is hereditary, and the most severe cases of it occur among those who have twilight mothers than those who have twilight fathers-

Nic was brought into the world for the sole purpose of being a tool for his father whom would inevitably suffer some form of disability (due to the biological nature of his birth). Yet, Nic's father eventually abandons him and leaves him with Worick to die without celebre. The scene where Nic watches his father leave him in the rain at the Arcangelo mansion was truly powerful, as it was one of the very few times that Nic's face seemed to reflect genuine sadness in the manga. 

Another cool aspect of Nic's character is that his inability to hear allows for him to be portrayed in interesting ways socially. I like the approach Kohske took with his character in making him primarily communicate through sign language and only speaking during moments of irritation or in a few instances when others simply can't understand his singing. However, this does not occur often as he is simply not willing to accommodate for most people, lending to more of the dark-humored facet of his personality. Most of what Nic is thinking can be observed through his expressive face alongside the few times Kohske actually shows us what he's thinking. 

The last thing I'd like to mention about Nic's character is the fact that while he and Worick are the protagonists of this series, readers come to understand that they are some of the weaker people in this story. Nic is a twilight that is officially ranked as an A/0, yet through Galahad we learn that Nic is at his most powerful only when he overdoses on celebre uppers. He has cheated the system and is actually a B/5 at best. I find this aspect fascinating as most anime/manga tend to create narratives in which their protagonists are usually powerful members of their worlds, if not the most powerful. Kohske's approach is well received, allowing for Nic and Worick to pale in comparison (power-wise) to a lot of the main cast of characters in her story. How this will affect future plot elements in the story, greatly interests me. 

Alex Bennedetto 

Alex is the third and final member of Benriya whom up until recently was working as a prostitute in order to survive in Ergastulum. While some readers may come to see her as subscribing to the "damsel in distress" trope, she greatly exceeds expectations. Alex suffers from the side effects of a horrible drug that pimps make use of in order to control their prostitutes. However, the drug has horrible side effects of which include vivid hallucinations and even suicidal/self-destructive behavior. Despite that Alex's previous owner Barry was killed by Worick, she still sees him alive via hallucinations that depict him as a man covered in blood. As such, while adapting to a new life where she is respected and cared for by Benriya, she struggles to shake off the hallucinations that haunt her as well as the possibility that she may try to kill herself at some point. These set of circumstances alone make her an interesting character. 

*Side Note: As the manga unfolds, it really is heart warming for readers to see her go from a field of work in which she is used solely for physical pleasure to being a singer at a brothel. 

Another interesting aspect of her character is the fact that it is heavily implied that her mother was killed by a twilight. Yet, based on how her character has been portrayed so far, she seems to harbor no hatred or discrimination towards the twilights unlike a lot of the other "normals" in the manga. Learning this, I couldn't help but like her character all the more as she seems to truly care for and respect Nicolas who already gets enough hatred towards him being a twilight.  

Kohske's female lead by no means subscribes to the weak, female protagonist trope. She conquers and saves herself from the horrible side effects of drugs (with the help of Dr. Theo) and quickly learns how to adapt and survive in a world of chaos. I personally cannot wait to see how things will go down when she finally meets her brother again and realizes that he is now a member of the Destroyers. 

Some honorable mentions of characters that really stood out and their importance: 

-Dr. Theo

-He is the only doctor in all of Ergastulum whom is actively caring for twilights and providing them with celebre in order for them to survive (for free). 

-He has a strong personality but ultimately cares for those in need, allowing him to wane from being an effective doctor to a stone cold killer when appropriate. 

-The manga has set up an important future plot element in Volume 6, with a drug he created and is testing. The drug may allow for the effects of a celebre overdose that only serves to make the user's strengths and senses stronger (albeit lasting only 10 minutes). Although the first test run was a failure. 

-Loretta Christiano Amodio

-The current head of the Christiano family at the young age of 14.

-Runs a brothel named "Pussy," that allows for Kohske to drive the idea that both female and men have an equal role in the typical gangster story.

-Awesome character whom displays fantastic leaderships skills and firm independence. She's a badass!

-Marco Adriano

-High ranking member of the Christiano family.

-I'm a big fan of his design: with the deep cut on the right side of his face that extends all the way into his torn right ear. 

-Has a past as a member of the Destroyers (important for the current arc).

-His relationship with Constance is serving as an entertaining side plot that is getting more and more intense by the chapters.

-Chad Adkins

-Head of the police.

-Has a strong relationship with Worick and Nic (knowing them for years).

-Serves as an interesting portrayal of cops as he is willing to bend the law and mold situations in ways that allow for justice (even if  may not be the "nice way"). 

-Galahad Woehor

-He's awesome.

-Gina Paulklee

-Head of the Paulklee guild (seemingly composed entirely of militarized twilights)

-Her father Adolph, was said to be only S/0 ranked twilight.

-Can't wait to see more of her character in future chapters.

-Ginger

-Member of the Paulklee guild

-Ranked as an S/5 twilight (the highest ranking we've seen amongst the twilights so far)

-I have a crush on her....

Art Style:

Gangsta's art style actually reminds me a lot of Hiromu Arakawa's style in how expressive and detailed it can really be. However, Kohsek's art is fantastic and distinct enough to stand on it's own when compared to others. I can't stress enough how many pages seem to flow so naturally as if though you were watching an anime. This is something I rarely experience with manga art (the first time being with Takehiko Inou's Vagabond) that I feel really lends itself to the success of why this manga is so great. Most times, readers can really immerse themselves in her world as her art style translates that well off the page. The dark shadows, sunken-in eyes, and rough edges she employs allows for an interesting alignment between art and theme. She even makes use of interesting elements such as carefully placed segments of foreshadowing within her art that by no means come across as cliche or awkward. 

*One cool thing worth mentioning is that in Chapter 19 there is a scene where Worick and Nic are fighting a group of anti-twilight terrorists. In the entire scene there is no dialogue and the only thing playing in the background is Ben E. King's song "Stand By Me." This was really cool as I can recall very few scenes in manga in which popular music is implemented. I really can't wait to see this scene play out in the upcoming anime adaptation. 

Final Thoughts:

Black Lagoon simply lacks the racial, social, and political themes that are nonexistent in its over the top, action-oriented story. While this may not necessarily make Gangsta an objectively better piece overall, I really feel it only makes Gangsta's narrative look all the stronger when compared. Kohske has created a story where complicated relationships and themes drive a wonderful version of the gangster story that has seen many different renditions over the years. She has created a world in which both males and females play an equal role in chaos and corruption. This is a refreshing notion, as the gangster narrative is typically convoluted with male-oriented/driven plots that tend to leave females on the sidelines. 

Twiligths suffer overwhelming oppression and discrimination; they are not even considered humans. I feel this plot device truly resonates strongly with readers. I can't recommend this manga enough and acknowledge for the millionth time: It's only just begun and it already has IMMENSE potential. It's truly sad though that Kohske herself suffers sickness and spends a lot of time in the hospital. Thus, chapters as of recently have ceased until further notice. But Kohske is determined to see her manga completed!

Anyways, I hope to review future chapters of Gangsta as they release so stay tuned for that. Thank you so much for reading and as always have a wonderful day. 

*An anime adaptation has been announced for this summer so look forward to that by the way! You can read the article here.

-Nights Off