Dragon Head

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So I finally managed to read this to the end, and I have to say ... WOW
From the start one of the biggest achievments of this manga is the characters. Without them, Dragon Head would loose many points.
They are REALISTIC! And that is saying a lot. You can actually feel for them. Their fear, their hope, their surprise, their disappointment, their sadeness. It's all there for you to experience as the story unveils.
And the story ... It's amazing!
After a while you start thinking, there's has to be something supernatural about this, but at the same time you have that imminent feeling of natural catastrophe. ... In the end, you still aren't very sure, but most questions are answered, in a way that leave you satisfied.
All in all, Dragon Head is one of those rare mangas that make your heart jump with every turn. It's truly a masterpiece.
I have to say the ending left me a bit empty inside, maybe hoping for a sequel, but truth is a sequel would probably only ruin it.
It ties up the loose knots, even though (like me) you might've wished for a different ending.
I believe that few people can deny this is an amazing manga.

Okay, if you are a fan of goofy shoujo manga, think twice b4 watching this. It's not something for the faint hearted. -- a night mare coming to life.
Ever heard of 2012? yes? well this manga is a naturalistic creation of the world ending tragedy. The artwork is horror itself- as i read the first three chapters, I was too shocked to move! It was like the images attacking my brain over and over, sending me to insanity. Eventually, the gore, the blood, the darkness, sweat, patience and hallucinations: all epic elements for a horrifying tragedy is in there.

I read all 10 volumes of Dragon Head in the span of one week. And I would have completed it even sooner if it wasn't for Christmas and finals. Interesting right? Now onto the review.

STORY: 8/10
If I had to sum it up in one word I would say "Thrilling". It's palm sweating, mind numbing, edge-of-your-seat excitement. Teru (the main character) finds himself trapped in a dark tunnel along with all his dead classmates. Dazed and confused, he lives on. Why is it so hot in the tunnel? Whats with all the earthquakes? Why have people gone crazy? Teru is faced with all of these questions ... and more as he slowly begins to realize what has become of the peaceful world he once knew. The world has become hellish for reasons unknown to everyone, including yourself. The mangaka doesn't hold your hand and spoon feed you answers. You have to piece together the information along side Teru.

The story is nearly perfect except for a couple of chapters leading up to the finale. It tries a bit too hard to be emotionally deep, and you get a ridiculously long speech about fear. If that tiny boring part didn't happen I would give the story a nine, but it did happen so the story gets an 8. And thats a darn good 8. Like 8.9 or something close like that.

I don't round.

ART: 10/10
OH MY GAWD. The deatil put into the backgrounds is almost too detailed. It's hard to descibe how vivid every thing is. From the subway system, to the ghost towns, to the trash-littered buildings, they all come together perfectly to create the apocalyptic world that is Dragon Head. For fear that the druel pouring from my mouth will short circuit my computer I will stop talking about the art. Simply amazing.

CHARACTER: 9/10
No shounen heroes here. Every character is constantly overwhelmed with fear. Sometimes they feed on that fear and are able to do miraculous things. They will somehow figure a way out of their situation and live to see another day. But more often than not they snap. Teru might stab somebody if he's too scared. Or maybe he'll set an inocent person's arm on fire. Ako will faint at the drop of a hat. Nobu hasn't un-snapped since the train crashed. One word to describe the characters? "Flawed".

ENJOYMENT: 9/10
If it hadn't been Christmas and if I didn't have finals I might have finished this in 1-2 days. I was hooked. I wanted to find out what became of the world along with Teru. I was on edge every page. It was seriously hard to put down from start to finish.

Well, I finished the manga yesterday and I need to say I'm a bit disappointed.
The beginning was awesome. I really couldn't stop from reading. It felt to me like some Horror survival games I used to play. When you go around some dark mystery place and search for things. Really similar atmosphere. but then its just got ruined. There was so many potential, really sad.
From something about vol 3 the story begins to drag and drag and there isn't such much of a development except for the characters.
There is also this feeling like the mangaka killed every character when he finished using them.
I Kinda made ... myself to finish reading it. very predictable.
One thing that was good is the character. I didn't really liked any of them but they felt real enough to feel the story and not only to read it.
The art was so beautiful and detailed. especially the backgrounds. I don't remember when was the last time I have seen in a manga such realistic beautiful art.
The ending was a real disaster. I was like wtf where is the sequel? this cant be the end.
And i think there should be more romance in this because it seems Ako and Teru really liked each other. what a shame nothing developed of this.

It wasn't really a waste of time, and i kinda enjoyed some parts of this. A very unique work. You won't really find something like this, But still there are better Mangas out there.

Dragon Head is a fascinating story that, while being reminiscent of something like Lord of the Flies, is incredibly unique with it's presentation and story. The main plot follows the premise that a group of high-school students who are on a school trip suddenly get caught in a mysterious and catastrophic event that causes them to be caught underground in a subway, and from here the real story begins. Exploring themes of the fragility of the human mind when faced with absolute fear, the unknown, and what boils down to essentially the apocalypse is presented incredibly through the hellish landscapes that Japan is turned into ... as well as the characters.

Characters are relatively simple, never reaching incredible levels of depth are written with an air of believability and feel real. Each member of the main cast is solid. Teru is a great stand in for the reader, asking the same questions any person would be placed while in his situation and the relationship he builds with Ako makes the hellish environment they are thrown into just barely a degree safer.


From that I'm lead into the general story and the presentation of the mystery: very good. The mysterious disaster that occurs at the very beginning isn't terribly shocking and isn't a twist when you actually figure it out but it's satisfying nonetheless. The side effects of such a monstrous disaster is really the main draw of this story and are executed/presented beautifully. Tying in directly to the art it's probably what does a lot of the heavy lifting of this manga (not to say that it's not great or poorly written, just that it's probably it's strongest suit.)

The art ranges from solid, to utterly haunting. Japan is turned from what was once a beautiful country to visions of hell. Sweeping landscapes of absolute destruction, pits of pure darkness, and waves of death plague the once stunning country and really sell the mystery and horror caused by the mysterious disaster.

The ending sequence is probably the only really weak part of the whole story as it introduces a regardably important group that doesn't get enough build up or screen time before the story ends, but that's really the only major flaw. The ending in and of itself is incredibly strong, displaying an overwhelming feeling of utter hopeless despair; but is juxtaposed with an absolute almost foolish degree of hope for the future.

All in all I had an incredible time with this manga. Well written, gripping, and a great time. Highly recommended.

Read and completed this in a couple of hours basically, it was quite a ride.

I would say this was definitely worth the read if you enjoy horror/seinen but if you abhor bad endings then this will fuck your emotions up because you'll just say "damn I read 89 chapters just for this garbage ending?" Either way, I'm still glad I read it but yeah wish that ending was adjusted.

Story: 10

I enjoy post-apocalyptic stories/settings because it delves into the topic of morality when it comes to humans being in life or death situations and how would they react in certain ways. Overall, the plot didn't ... really have any flaws except near the end when it reaches the Tokyo arc because it develops into quite a mind-fuck.

Art: 10

The art was very, very good - no complaints, no adjustments etc etc.

Characters: 9ish-10

The two main characters, Teru and Ako, were amazing and you could feel their relationship developing and how much they depending on each other as the story progresses. Other characters weren't really much of a hinderance to me, a lot of them were underaged either way, but I wouldn't say the characters were the biggest letdown of this series because the ending is just what ruined everything for me.

Enjoyment: 10

Like I said before, the story's post-apocalyptic setting accommodated my tastes and interests so I enjoyed this very much despite me wanting to get it over with once the last arc came along since there were some things that were just repeated (the theme of fear) which sort of made me jaded with the story as it concluded.

Overall: 9

This would've been a 10 if only the ending was proper and wasn't ambiguous. In all honesty, I read a review prior to finishing the manga and said that the ending was terrible (which I agree with). Once you get to like the last two arcs is when you start to realize some things are just constantly repeated and the concept of incorporating those self-mutilated people didn't really serve as a purpose for me - I guess it was just to still reiterate the theme of fear but at the same time it was redundant and I just wanted the story to just shut up about it. Anyway, the ending is pretty bittersweet and I wish it would've ended more better as in everything resolving itself but at least only one good thing happened even though that wasn't even progressed either since it literally ended with Teru just saying some words.

Take care and enjoy

Lemme just get straight to the point...

this very manga is REALLY a good read. It has a well written story, the art is fairly good, the characters are all very interesting as well as different in terms of goals, personalities, appearances, thinking etc. I had a thrill while reading this, always eager to see what comes next and each chapter has never cease to amaze me.

Although I'd like to point out that there are certain parts of the manga that are rather unrealistic and (how do I put this??)...odd?? but the good parts of the manga compensates for that.

I love how this manga gives ... out a raw picture of how the characters develop and carry things out, especially when most of them are in their teens, rather than mature and realistic adults. Throughout the manga, we get to see how these characters learn to adapt to the situation that they are placed and face things that even most adults could never face together.

But like most mangas with a similar story, we witness conflicts slowly arising and personal desires taking over the minds' of some of the characters, that's when the shit hits the fan and when things get REALLY heated. If the characters were adults, those desires would most likely be that of political standpoints, decision making etc etc but as I've said before, this whole ordeal is from the eyes of a bunch of teens and that is what makes everything so compelling.

Overall, this manga is definitely worth the read and if you're planning to give it a go, go ahead. :)

Purposeful and eerie post-apocalyptic manga with some insightful musing on fear and the human condition. The pacing for the ending could have been less abrupt. I don't mind that we only learn as much as the protagonists do and many plotlines are not tied up- it fits the setting and the author's attempt to genuinely depict the human condition, and I feel that hinting at many different aspects of what is going on is more effective than simply answering every question the reader might have. The abrupt ending, without resolution and somewhat without fanfare (if you've seen one gigantic pillar of fire in the sky, ... you've seen them all, and so the volcanic eruption is not necessarily notable) could be argued to also be true to life, but it still felt weirdly sudden. A compelling and artistically impressive read if you want to delve into something dark and sticky but ultimately hopeful.

I purposefully extended my reading pauses, just so I didn't go instantly through it. It's one of THE best horror manga out there.

Fear, part of humanity, part of every living being. The story explores an idea previously seen before, what happens if the world gets plunged into the unknown? No more rules, no more society, humans are open against a world that they don't control anymore. It's a harsh manga. It begins with the claustrophobic scenario of being buried alive in a sauna that doesn't stop heating up. Every subsequent place they escape to become increasingly worse, people they encounter turn less human by the ... day. It's all a question that's hard to answer, what happened to the world?

I'd say this is more of a character piece. Our main characters are impossibly realistic, erratic in front of this situation. They scream, want to die, think about death, about hurting, about hurting somebody, about life, about why, why would this happen to them? It's SO tragic, to the point I think they used the rare trope of Diabolus Ex Machina. Nobody comes out unscathed, and somehow, our characters manage to grow with each other, to change, some pushed to diverse sides of the moral coin. Perfect writing from the characters, even if sometimes they annoy me, they aren't perfect people, just people suffering. The art too, holy mother of god.

From the very beginning, the art manages to convey darkness. What's behind that curtain of blackness? Beyond what your flashlight can reach, or what your little torch can light. How does our main character react to it? It's an immersive experience that forces you to look at a panel, maybe there's something, anything, it turns you paranoid, there's gotta be something. Questions on top of questions, just from what can fit on a panel. Of course, not only the dark, but the unfathomable look of a destroyed earth. A catastrophe, the distant pillar of fire akin to a biblical prophecy. Art gives you just enough to fill in the blanks, while showing you enough to get the brain running. It's fantastic, and not only that, the author slowly gets better with character expressions, with the small details of an expression to define fear.

I could gush about it a lot. I loved it so much, and I have to get the physical version of it. It's an intense series that never lets go from the ride. Every episode obligates you to flip again and finish it instantly. Sometimes dialogue doesn't appear much, so many portions are all about looking at action that's still extremely engaging.

If I had to mention problems, it's just one arc, where it slows down and turns more into a thriller series, but I still enjoyed it a lot. People talk about the ending being unlikable. I believe the ending is perfect for this series, and only pacing problems, and some strange saves for the characters make this slightly below a 10. Read it, I tried not to spoil, just so you can experience this incredible series.

9.2/10, you won't believe how good this is.

This manga is just really different, at the first view it may seem like a manga about... I won't say what because it is still a slight spoiler but as you dig deeper into the manga you find your self just more and more confused, it is about a constant struggle of main characters the more you read more you realise that it was not what you were thinking before and after reading few more chapters you realise that 20 minutes ago you were even more wrong, you start building you theories because you are genuinely interesedted, manga makes you ask questions because you never ... know what to expect.
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO READ THIS BECAUSE OF THE ENDING: it was great. I really think that the ending of Dragon Head was one of the best endings I've ever read, when I found about this manga I was searching to buy it for months and after about half a year I got it and then I found out that everyone hated the ending, what was kinda sad hearing after spending so much time on it but after reading it I really felt something it reminded me of fight club and it was not really open I don't know why people say that every question that we had was answered so...I don't really know what's the deal with that

Story 9/10
It was great, it never stopped intriguing it always had a twist ready, and it kinda felt unique even though it is not something really special I don't know how to put it you will understand after reading.

Art 9/10
Panels from this manga look like just real photos. Character designs you may not enjoy but the main two look great their emotions are portrayed great and also.... just a quick story I was reading it in the forest and some random old guy sat next to me and asked what am I reading I showed it to him and after skipping through some pages of course he stumbled upon a page where Ako was naked:( I explained to him but I guess he thought I was reading somethinig....different

Characters 9/10
I know that is three nines in a row but, hear me out, two main characters are great, I know it may sound weird but, there are rarely good female characters in anime and manga, I don't mean anything bad but I have watched nearly hundred different animes and I can't really name well written females maybe a few: Eva from Monster,Ichinose from back when you called us devils (noone has read it I know) mmm... Kim Wexler from better call saul.... I know it isn't an anime but still maybe I haven't watched or read something with good female characters but Ako still was great and main guy Aoki was also:)

Enjoyment 9.5/10
Sorry about not being a nine but it was really easy to read, you were always intrigued, you genuinely wanted to know how the story would expand and it wasn't something you wanted to finish reading.

Overall 9.2/10
I don't know if math adds up to this number but that is how I rated it, definitely reccomend it is kinda known in horror manga media but still an unknown manga so that's unoftunate, don't stop yourself because of the ending I can't guarantee that you will enjoy it as much as me because there are a lot of people who hate it but still from start to finish it was great so yeah that's it:) thanks for reading:)

After finishing Dragon Head I just had to express my thoughts about it. Dragon Head is a thrilling artistic adventure. The characters are all quickly thrown into this mysterious phenomenon and have to learn to survive, keep their sanity and their morality. I found the art to be an aesthetic throwback to something like Kazuo Umezu. The detail of the landscape and weather conditions are amazing and the characters simple enough. The story is thrilling and interesting the whole time. I never once felt uninterested. The mysteries keep coming and with every chapter the reader inches closer to discovering a possible truth. It is easy ... to get attached to the cast and find yourself cheering them on or cringing at the possibility of their untimely demise. The story is sort of doing two things at once. We get a straightforward survival story, but we also get an underlying meaning. The story tries to focus on some importance of human fear and why we need it or not. I think the symbolism and dialogue on the fear talk can be a bit thrown into the story, however it certainly does not take away from the experience. The ending is a fine one, leaves much open to interpretation and that is alright. By the end, I was sort of hoping for more or perhaps expecting some more detail on the other plot points. Despite that the story still does a good job at winding it down and opening it up to an end. Dragon Head is definitely an enjoyable read with interesting plot developments, mystery, loss, beautiful art, and emotional appeal.