This review is based on the first three volumes since that is all which is scanlated as of now.
If you didn’t know, this manga is based on an original story from 1967 (which I’ll call “original manga” here). In 2019, an anime told the story of Dororo and Hyakkimaru in a new way. All three mediums share essentially the same story with the same characters but differ from each other A LOT.
So, in this review, I’ll compare the manga to the anime a lot and maybe sometimes to the original manga as well (of which I read only one volume though).
The story is about the kid Dororo who follows the young man Hyakkimaru. Hyakkimaru’s father Daigo offered his newborn’s body to 48 demons (12 in the anime) in exchange for power and might. Now Hyakkimaru, with a body and limbs made from wood, is on a journey to get his missing body parts back by killing those demons.
First, let's start with the characters’ age. It’s difficult to find out exact numbers, but originally there’s a five-year difference between Hyakkimaru and Dororo. Hyakkimaru looks very grown-up and I’d guess he’s around 20, while in the anime he’s only 16. While Dororo is still a kid in both the anime and the original manga, in this manga he is already around 11-14. Because of that, the manga feels more like the coming-of-age story that the original author intended to create. I was surprised by what normal and coming-of-age problems Dororo faces and could relate to him well. Therefore, this manga feels more like a story with Dororo as the main character unlike the anime, in which Hyakkimaru is the main lead.
Now to the side characters. I found many characters in the manga quite unlikable. Be it Tahomaru, Daigo or even Mio. It’s sad because in the anime, one was more concerned about the fate of the side characters. In this manga it’s more like “Oh boy, why exactly are you sad? There’s no reason for that. Just kill him.”
Tahomaru looks very grim, but I think it’s intended by the mangaka. I wish the way he acted towards Dororo would’ve been a bit more affectionate, because the way he looked at him the first time they met suggested that. But maybe that might be the case in later volumes, I don’t know. I’m not even sure if Tahomaru plays an important role as he does in the anime.
And Mio: In the original manga (her appearance was very short though) and in the anime (followed the original mangas story but more in-depth) she is a nice, kind-hearted woman. Without telling too much, in this manga her story was way more twisted. But because of that, I couldn’t sympathize with her as much. Mio had a deep impact on Hyakkimaru in the anime. In this manga not really. She’s just another side character on his journey which is long forgotten when reaching the next village.
Let’s talk about Hyakkimaru next. There’s a big difference between the mangas and the anime here, so let me tell you what each one is like separately.
- Original Manga: Even though Hyakkimaru is missing 48 body parts, he is no different from a normal human being. He can somehow see as if he had normal eyes and he can talk (via telepathy, but it’s no different to normal talking in the end).
- Anime: Until Hyakkimaru meets Dororo, he is not able to see, hear, speak, feel much etc. He’s basically like what you would imagine if someone were missing all those things. He can see the “flame” of people and things though, thanks to which he is able to walk through the world just fine and fight monsters. Still, he is very awkward at the beginning and slowly grows stronger.
- This manga: The story starts after Hyakkimaru has gained back some body parts already. Though not being able to speak at birth, by the time he meets Dororo, he is already able to. His sight seems to be the same as in the anime, but it is not conveyed as problematic. This Hyakkimaru feels more like the original manga where he is not that much different from a normal human being.
I personally liked the Hyakkimaru from the anime most. Even though it’s fantasy anyway, his behavior felt more realistic. In the anime, Hyakkimaru becomes a little bit stronger when gaining back body parts. In this manga, it’s the opposite: He becomes weaker. Which is supposed to show that he’s becoming more human, but seriously: He has limbs made from wood. It makes more sense to become stronger when gaining real limbs.
The art is gorgeous. It’s very detailed and every character looks individual.
But the relationships between the characters are somehow not conveyed to me. It feels like some emotions are missing.
What I liked about the anime is that it puts you into an emotional struggle. If you were Daigo, the ruler over your country – what would you do? Sacrifice your son to rescue your country or not? This problem makes Daigo and also Tahomaru a bit more relatable. It’s missing in the manga, though. Daigo is the ultimate evil. There’s only black and white, good and evil. This premise isn’t bad in itself; however, it lacks something and erases the emotional dilemma.
I think you noticed already, but I prefer the anime over this manga – which is rare for me. If more chapters were scanlated, I would continue to read this anyway simply because I like the story itself and Dororo and Hyakkimaru. If I wanted to, I could also buy physical copies to continue reading. However, for me I don’t feel like it’s worth the money. That being said, it seems that the scanlation group who picked this manga up isn’t active anymore and I doubt someone will pick up a licensed manga.
The great art makes it pleasant to read anyways and I really like this older Dororo. But sadly, it can’t compete with the anime. Neither the main characters nor the side characters are as good. If you’re not into anime at all, it’s an ok to good read. Otherwise, you’d be better off watching the anime, even though it sounds like a strange thing to say on a manga platform.
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