![]()
The Skull Man is more than just an adaptation. It adapts the story of the original manga, weaving in themes and characters from Ishinomori's greatest works from Kikaider, to Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider, Robot Detective K, the Flying Phantom Ship and many more. When I first saw the Skull Man I was curious and intrigued by its dark subject matter and mystery elements. When I learned of its connection to Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009 I began digging into the works of Shotaro Ishinomori. The more I dug the more I loved this series and I can confidently say that Yutaka Izubuchi and the staff at Bones deeply understand the soul of Ishinomori. Moral ambiguity is a key theme of many of Ishinimori's works and the Skull Man embodies these ideas. Someone with a nature for good but falls for dark temptations or someone who does evil in the name of justice is a cornerstone of Ishinomori's works. I'm reminded of Joe's final fight with the Black Ghost, the Black Ghost brains says that Black Ghost can never be destroyed because evil resides in the heart of all humans. Joe says that this is true because even he has darkness and malice in him, but like him, there are still men who will choose good over evil, and they will always fight against those consumed by the dark. This idea of the never-ending war between those who choose good and those who choose evil is captured perfectly by the White Bell Society whose action are an extension of the atrocities of the Pacific War, an ECHO if you will.
Anyway, I don't usually write reviews, but I thought this page was lacking and it's one of my favorite anime, so I figured I'd say a few nice things. I think people get a little lost because there are so many characters but watching it a second time especially after reading several Ishinomori manga where we get to meet those characters its because very straight forward and you'll appreciate all the littler reference and easters used to conveys Ishinomori's themes and ideas. 10/10.
