The Sword of Shibito volume 1

CPM Manga
Writer: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Art: Missile Kakurai
Translated by Akiko Yabuki

BW, 216 pgs w/ ads
$14.95 CAN / $9.99 US

Historical horror and martial arts
by Chad Boudreau

While movies based on the horror novels of Koji Suzuki are perhaps what North Americans most readily recognize as Japanese horror, true fans of the genre will not forget the contributions of novelist, manga-ka and screenwriter Hideyuki Kichuchi. Best known for his series of Vampire Hunter D fantasy / horror novels, which were spun into anime and manga, Kikuchi resurfaces at CPM manga with The Sword of Shibito volume 1, a collaboration with artist Missile Kakurai.

The setting is ancient Japan, amidst a terrible, bloody war that has the people terrified and the lands between cities a wasteland of old battlefields. Crossing one such area are three travelers: a renowned traveling actor, a pharmacist and a yojimbo hired for their protection. As the story opens, these three unlikely companions are traveling across Adachi Fields, a place littered with the bones of dead warriors where legend says a demon sleeps.

Right away you know you're in a Hideyuki Kikuchi manga. The air is thick with dread and death, a place where three people should not wander, even if one of them is a yojimbo. Kikuchi takes a moment to set the stage, getting his characters to talk about the war, the danger of traveling through this area, and the demon that is supposed to haunt the area. This is all brought to life by Missile Kakurai, who provided the art in this story.

Once the stage is set, Kikuchi brings in an odd assortment of characters, the type for which he is known by his fans. These are dangerous and deadly individuals, imbued with abilities beyond those of mortals. First we meet a doll maker named Ranken, a playful, devilish sort that antagonizes the three travelers. This individual is repelled, or perhaps simply grows bored, and is replaced by a beautiful woman in long flowing robes that is out for more than harassment. She decapitates the yojimbo, and slices up the actor, leaving only the pharmacist alive. He is taken by this mysterious, silent woman to an old castle, which is inhabited by the last surviving member of the Saezuki clan.

This man has a plan to bring his clan back into power. He will use ancient magic to put the soul of his dead son in a vessel created from bits and pieces of dead bodies, two of which are the yojimbo and the actor. The resurrected body will then be placed in a position of power amidst a powerful clan. When ready, the man’s reanimated son will kill his way to the top, thus ensuring the Saezuki clan is the power in the land. The pharmacist will accompany the son, called Shibito, on his journey, teaching him what he needs to know about being human.

It’s a good plan, but things start to unravel already here in this first issue. The doll maker makes an appearance once again, inexplicably arriving in the castle to wreak havoc. We don’t know much about this mysterious person on than he must have a greater roll to play in the story. The real threat, however, comes from a legendary samurai thought dead, a man whose mission it is to ensure the Saezuki clan does not return to power.

In this first volume, Hideyuki Kikuchi has created a cast of characters that are enjoyable and mysterious, and yet you don’t really want any of them to reach their goals. Having an undead swordsman as the leader of the land doesn’t sound like a good idea. The doll maker’s agenda has not been revealed but it seems sinister. Even the pharmacist, though caught in the middle of this struggle, isn’t an innocent. He was traveling through Adachi Fields because he will work for either warring clan, as long as there is something in it for him.

Missile Kakurai is a fine artist, though his work tends to fall apart in the action sequences. There are plenty of sword fights and use of magic in this first volume, but it’s difficult to follow the flow of the action at times. Small panels, odd perspective and a tight focus on weaponry make it hard to discern what is occurring. In the quieter moments, though, Kakurai shines with detailed settings and solid, individual character designs.

In general, The Sword of Shibito volume 1 is a strange historical horror / martial arts manga. The translation of Kikuchi’s script is wooden at times, but the writer’s sense of pace moves the story beyond this deficiency. Kakurai’s art is well executed, hampered only by less than stellar reproduction, which is, unfortunately, common in CPM Manga releases.

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