Not a fan. This is my least favorite of Maruo's works. Most of the stories just aren't really that good and you can absolutely tell that this is his early work because of how unpolished everything feels. Just kind of an unpleasant read. Liked the Dr. Caligari parody though. And this is where one of his better works, Shoujo Tsubaki, got it's start

Nice collection of weird, twisted and funny underground manga short stories. Nothing much else to say really. My favorites were "Planet of the Jap", "Bigger and Better" and "Cat Noodle Soup"

Okayish collection of Maruo's early works. Admittedly I do have a bit of distaste for some of his early stories because they just don't feel as polished and often almost feel too dependent on shock factor and nothing more

Lots to unpack with this one. When I initially checked out DEDEDEDEDE (back when it was still publishing) it became one of my favorite manga period. I developed a really strong bond with it's detailed, weird, funny yet emotionally driven world, narrative and characters. However I didn't actually get to finish it until much later (though I got close initially), specifically near the time of writing this. Revisiting this series both with the manga and the anime adaptation definitely rekindled that bond somewhat. Maybe it got rekindled even a little stronger now through my more mature and interpretive lens. I really like the way this series tackles some pretty serious societal issues, while obviously delivering a lot of that trademark Inio Asano commentary on the human condition. Even if I will admit that some of these topics aren't always tackled in the most nuanced way here, I'd say the charm and feel of the setting more than make up for it. I find these characters extremely engaging to follow, as they range from funny, to interesting, to just straight up troubled, or even down right psychotic. I genuinely got a good laugh out of this series many times, which definitely isn't something I can say for every Asano series. I absolutely love his style here as well, I really hope he does more of this Gegege No Kitaro type art in the future where the characters look super cartoony, almost like caricatures. Lastly there's the ending, which I'm kind of mixed on. I feel like I dig the idea behind it, but the execution could've been handled slightly better. I don't wanna say it felt rushed, but maybe just a bit more thought or nuance would've gone a long way? There's also some plot points which I've heard people criticize, though personally I don't see a lot of them as flaws myself necessarily, even if I can see how they'd be off-putting for some. Regardless of some shortcomings, I still consider this an absolute gem in Asano's catalog and I'm sure I'll probably visit it again in the future

Solid read. While not as polished as what would come next from Otomo with Akira, this is still a pretty enjoyable read with some really great artwork. Definitely recommend it if you're looking for a short and quick psychological manga to read

The themes of conformity and personal growth for the better really spoke to me in a major way. I want to write a full length review at some point as I consider this to be one of my absolute favorites and I do have a lot to say about it. This is a series that can be interpreted in so many different ways and just writing here would not to do it enough justice

One of the few Man Gatarou works to be translated fully in English, and it's fucking nuts. This is some of the most messed up, nasty ass satire that I've read in a while, yet I find myself extremely charmed by it. I love aesthetically ugly shit like this. And when I say "ugly" I don't mean that the art looks bad, quite the opposite. No, this is a manga that knows it's filthy and celebrates it. Is this "objectively" terrible? Maybe on some level, but I don't care, I find this type of stuff really amusing. It's the same reason why I love the work of guys like John Waters or R. Crumb (actually you could almost say Man Gatarou is literally just the Japanese equivalent of Crumb)

Finally got the chance to re-read this, and man. I always knew there was a reason why this manga was one of my favorites but having not read it in a few years made me forget just how deeply uncomfortable, horrifying and dreadful Homunculus could be. There's a sort of quiet somber atmosphere to the whole series, and when it gets intense it really doesn't hold back. Hideo Yamamoto's artwork perfectly represents these feelings shown in the pages, and not a single detail is missed, quite the opposite in fact. There's a lot to interpret, as per usual with a lot of series like this, which I appreciate. Nakoshi is one of the most interesting and thought provoking characters in any story that I've ever experienced, and the way we gradually learn more info about him is so effectively done. The story doesn't reveal too much too soon or too late, it feels well balanced. And the same could be said for the other characters in the series as well, like Ito. Who's more playful personality is a perfect contrast to Nakoshi's more "stoic" and often straightforward nature. The ending and ultimately the message of the manga is also very well delivered and feels like the right kind of end-note for a story like this. It's bleak, but it says something pretty truthful about the human condition. Overall, words can't express how much I love Homunculus. It's by far my favorite horror manga, and right up there with some of my absolute favorites in terms of any series

It's fine but nothing spectacular. Although this might be one of Maruo's more accessible works since it doesn't go quite as dark or heavy like a lot of his other stuff. Very cool artwork as usual

Rading about the author Hideshi Hino himself really enhanced this manga quite a bit for me. It was really interesting seeing him draw from personal experiences and putting them into a story in this way. Everything felt very manic. The artwork was really awesome, as usual for Hino

One of the stranger things Maruo's ever done (and that's saying a lot). This is basically his attempt at making a more typical shounen series but it's just not very interesting or specifically amazing in any aspect. There's some great artwork as usual but overall I just don't think this is Maruo's lane at all

One thing I've now noticed while checking out Hideshi Hino's works is that the man's story writing ability isn't the greatest. However he always more than makes up for it in the visual department, and this manga is no exception. Not only has he proven to be incredible with practical effects on things like the Guinea Pig films, he's overall just a great manga artist as well. His art style is really unique in the sense that it manages to be cartoony while still being able to express grotesque creatures and events. As a fan of horror manga it's also fascinating to just read some of the genre's earlier works

Felt bad for the pigs :(

By far one of the most fascinatingly strange series I've ever personally read. Aside from a few questionable chapters involving some pretty racist depictions (I'm still unsure whether it was satire on genuine) this was a fantastic trip. This is one of the closest things to a dream- or druglike experience that I've felt with reading a manga. It's a shame that more of the chapters haven't been translated, I'd happily read the rest if I could. I would also recommend reading a bit about the author herself, Nekojiru, as I feel it adds a certain extra level of atmosphere and melancholy to the contents of this series

While I did praise The Laughing Vampire as Suehiro Maruo's magnum opus as a horror mangaka, I think Panorama Island is his most beautifully crafted work. Unfortunately I can't comment on this as an adaptation as I have not read Edogawa Ranpo's original novella, but I can just assume from the way Maruo depicts this story that he has a deep love and passion for it. He has always shown his appreciation towards Ranpo of course but this feels like the ultimate love letter to his body of work. To me this is an incredibly gorgeous and surreal story about an individual who's life is consumed around dreams as well as ambition, and the conquest of doing anything to achieve them even if it means committing the most heinous of acts possible. In some ways it's kind of powerful to me, not in an inspiring sense though, rather just in the scope of a story like this. It's about humanity's obsession to be power hungry and fulfill those selfish ambitions without regard for anything else. The artwork here is superb, some of Maruo's best in fact. While I grew to love his depictions of horror, I think his depictions of pure surreal beauty are just as impressive and mind boggling, maybe even more so to some. Love this manga, love this mangaka

One of Maruo's best. Everything presented here is so interesting as well as intriguing in so many different ways, and the artwork is pure eye candy. Big fan

Despite the ending feeling kinda rushed and suffering from a bit too much exposition, Pluto still manages to be a very captivating series created from the minds of two legendary mangaka. The themes of war, prejudice and hatred are not lost, and the overall message (though very simple and not conveyed in the most nuanced way) still gets it self across

I initially didn't really care for this, but after reading it again with a new perspective, this might be one of my favorites. I absolutely love Seiichi Hayashi's artstyle and the way he's able to capture a surreal dreamlike atmosphere in an emotionally loaded manga like this. If you can relate to the feelings or experiences presented here, then this could potentially be a really heavy read

Liked this a little more than I initially thought. Overall nothing too amazing but nothing too terrible either. Just a neat little collection of stories ranging from creepy, to surreal, to even a little funny at times. Business as usual for Maruo

One of Maruo's first works that I would genuinely call great. I like the anime film even more but this is still very impactful for me personally. While I've heard many great interpretations of this work, I personally see it as sort of an exploration of the evils that plague a lot of entertainment industries

While not as polished as a lot of Asano's later works, I still managed to like this one quite a bit. Admittedly some parts aren't nearly as interesting as others, and at times it does feel a bit like it thinks that it's smarter than it actually is. However, a lot of the stylistic choices and themes, which Asano would become famous for, are still present here. The message is a good one, albeit delivered in not the most nuanced way. I think a lot of these same topics would go on to be tackled much better in works like Goodnight Punpun. While this is early Asano, and his art would improve a looot more, I still found the overall aesthetic pretty nice to look at. It very much felt like a 2000's manga, if that makes sense. Overall decent, but nowhere near some of the stuff that Asano would go onto write next

One of my personal favorites from Maruo. Especially Hoichi the Earless. Such great surrealistic brutality

Better on the second read. Though it still is a bit of a mixed bag. However the last story, Non-Resistance City, is one of Maruo's best works to date. Absolutely gruesome and devastating depiction of post-war depression

Maruo's magnum opus. In my opinion, Laughing Vampire shows all of his strengths as a horror mangaka. It's coated in brutal eroticism and violence, whilst also depicting a decaying chaotic society full of deranged maniacs all in such a unique, hauntingly beautiful artistic vision. Words alone can't express how much I love this man's style. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's definitely for me