Title: Dorohedoro
Author: Q Hayashida
Demographic: Seinen
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Published: 2000 – 2018
English-translated Volumes: 23
MyAnimeList Rating: 8.68
Rating: 9/10
Allow me to welcome you to the Hole… a sorcerers’ playground where humans are trapped in a gritty and dark society to be used as guinea pigs. Sorcerers visit the Hole when they want to experiment and test their abilities on helpless humans. One day, a sorcerer makes a terrible decision to try out their magic on Caiman by turning him into our lizard-man of a main character. Now Caiman and his friend, Nikado, are determined to nullify the spell by hunting down the unfortunate sorcerer who picked on the wrong guy.
There’s just one small hiccup. Caiman and Nikado don’t know what this sorcerer looks like. The only thing they’ve got going for them is that a man now lives in Caiman’s throat who is able to identify the guilty sorcerer. Which leaves them with only one choice… to shove every sorcerer they can find into Caiman’s mouth, see what the throat man says, and then… permanently get rid of that sorcerer.
When you say all of that out loud you realize how crazy it sounds. But stick with me.
Killing sorcerers doesn’t exactly go unnoticed and Caiman and Nikado have developed quite the reputation in the sorcerer’s world. It doesn’t take long for a couple of targets to be painted on their backs and here’s where the story takes off. Now we’ve got a game of cat and mouse where Caiman and Nikado alternate between hunting and being hunted.
Pros:
Characters
So many of the characters have layers to their personalities that make them feel like real people. The author does a great job of incorporating character backstories in a unique and satisfying way that doesn’t feel forced or out of place.
With Caiman, he might be a tough guy who eats sorcerers for breakfast but gyoza is his true love and he’s terrified of ghosts. As the story progresses and he remembers more of his past, he becomes increasingly more complicated and complex. His go-to girl, Nikaido, runs a restaurant called the Hungry Bug and she is the furthest thing from a damsel in distress because this chick packs a punch. She is unfailingly supportive of our lizard but she’s got a dark past that haunts her every day.
As for the sorcerers hunting our dynamic duo, we’ve got some truly well crafted antagonists like En, who may look intimidating, wields a terrifying power, and has concerning personality traits, but he’s got a soft spot in his heart for his precious… pet? Then we’ve got Shin and Noi and they’ve got probably my favorite relationship in the series with some thoroughly entertaining conversations. They are En’s cleaners, better known as hit men. And their fights are epically brutal.
The World
During this game of cat and mouse with our main crew of characters, we are introduced to the sorcerers’ world and its disturbing inhabitants. Similar to the Sphere in Gachiakuta, the sorcerers’ world is split into the haves and have nots. Some sorcerers have been blessed with rare or useful specialties like healing, invisibility, or teleportation and if you fall into this category, then you’re living a pretty posh life. But more than likely, you’re a magical weakling with a random ability who’s struggling to get by. Living alongside our sorcerers are devils – a group of elite and invulnerable beings made up of rare and powerful sorcerers who traded their mortality for unlimited power.
Mysteries and Reveals
Right when you think you have an idea of what’s going on, some new piece of info is dropped on you that changes everything. There were multiple moments where I was picking my jaw up off of the ground in complete shock and awe. This is where Dorohedoro rises as a masterclass in the manga world.
Art
What I truly appreciate about Dorohedoro is the author’s addition of little details from amazing artwork and background details to character quirks that add depth to their personalities. This is the icing on the cake that really makes Dorohedoro stand out as one of the best manga series. See what you can spot throughout the story. For me, my favorites were a straw in a wine glass and a guy who’s into cross stitch. That’s the attention to detail that I love to see.
Cons:
The Ending…
For me, the ending was a bit chaotic and went off the rails. It wasn’t necessarily a bad ending… but it was absolute insanity that I struggled to keep up with. From random powers to evolving antagonists, it was a wild ride.
Overall…
If you haven’t already noticed, I highly recommend Dorohedoro. Give it 8 chapters and I promise you’ll be hooked.
Caroline’s Library 