Inuyashiki

Lore & Background

The manga's plot centers on Ichirō Inuyashiki, a 58-year-old man with no friends and a disrespectful family, who is struck by an extraterrestrial explosion in a park and transformed into a powerful mechanical body. He uses his abilities to heal the sick and fight crime. In contrast, teenager Hiro Shishigami, who was also present at the explosion, becomes a psychopath who murders people for amusement, including classmates and innocent families. The series follows their inevitable confrontation.

Characters include Naoyuki Andō, Hiro's childhood friend who teams up with Inuyashiki to stop Hiro; Mari Inuyashiki, Ichirō's daughter and a classmate of Hiro; and Shion Watanabe, a classmate who shelters Hiro. The production notes that Oku drew inspiration from Astro Boy for the story of a deceased man revived as a super robot, and he chose the title 'Inuyashiki' ('dog mansion') as a surname that does not exist in Japan.

Reader's Guide

Inuyashiki is significant for its exploration of humanity through the lens of superhuman power, contrasting altruism and nihilism. The manga received critical recognition, including Jury Selections at the 18th and 19th Japan Media Arts Festival (2014, 2015), the French Daruma d'or manga award at Japan Expo Awards 2016, and a nomination for Best Comic at the 44th Angoulême International Comics Festival (2017). It was also nominated for the Seiun Awards in 2018. By April 2018, the manga had over 3.1 million copies in circulation. The anime adaptation was nominated for Best CGI and its character Hiro Shishigami for Villain of the Year at the 2nd Crunchyroll Anime Awards (2018). The series was banned from distribution on two unspecified websites in Russia in February 2021, alongside Death Note and Tokyo Ghoul. Its legacy lies in its stark moral dichotomy and its success across multiple media formats.

Did You Know?

• The title 'Inuyashiki' means 'dog mansion' and is a surname that does not exist in Japan, chosen by Hiroya Oku to intrigue readers.
• Hiro Shishigami's standard method of killing is making a finger gun and saying 'Bang!', which works only on live video feeds from phones or computers, not television broadcasts.
• The manga was serialized in Kodansha's Evening magazine from January 2014 to July 2017, with 85 chapters collected in 10 volumes.
• The live-action film, released in April 2018, was directed by Shinsuke Sato, who had previously directed the live-action Gantz.