Ogre Slayer (Ogre Slayer)

Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: A very good Magna (japanese style graphic novel)About a boy who has no name, save that of his sword: Ogre Slayer.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Excellent, well-drawn manga story of an ogre and his quest. A long time ago, an ogre mother gave birth to an ogre in human form, who, instead of having a horn on his head, was born with his horn in his hand in the form of sword. The boy has no name, only going by the name of his sword, the "Onikirimaru," the Ogre Slayer. His quest, which ultimately is for acceptance, is to become human. At once sad, because of the seeming impossibility of his quest, but also profoundly hopeful, Ogre Slayer is the story of a boy and his dream of being human. A must read for anyone who enjoys good story-telling.

Rating:
Summary: Complex tales of the ogres in humans
Review: This book contains five short stories of horror with a mythological base. The fantastic elements are very well woven into realistic frames of everyday life, which makes it all even more spine chilling.

The ogres here are not evil things that lurk on innocent people, but they come from the people themselves. This can happen if a person is so overcome by anger and bitterness that she turns into an ogre, herself, like, for example, a constantly bullied high school student, a girl who is raped, or a mother whose child is killed. The stories are in no way black and white, and the complexity makes it all very interesting.

The artwork is excellent, with dramatic page layouts and contrasting blacks and whites (almost frank-milleresque at times, but much smoother). I've heard some people complain about Kusunoki's way of drawing noses, though.

After Akira and Domu, this book has been my main source of inspiration for blood splatter and speed lines. And there is a very nice scene with a policeman on page 88 ...