Two cyborgs, one explosion, and the divergent paths of human morality
In short: When an extraterrestrial explosion strikes a public park, two people are reborn as powerful machines. One uses his mechanical strength to heal the sick and fight crime, while the other becomes a ruthless psychopath. This psychological struggle defines Hiroya Oku's acclaimed manga series, exploring how superhuman power tests the limits of humanity.
Serialized in Kodansha's Evening magazine from January 28, 2014, to July 25, 2017, Inuyashiki follows two characters transformed by a mysterious extraterrestrial event. Ichiro Inuyashiki, a 58-year-old man struggling with loneliness and family neglect, finds himself in a mechanical body. Seeking to preserve his humanity, he dedicates his life to helping others, such as healing those with incurable diseases. The story's protagonist, Ichiro, is a friendless man who relies solely on his dog, Hanako, for companionship. This transformation occurs during a fateful evening in a nearly empty public park.
In stark contrast, the teenager Shishigami Hiro experiences the same transformation but descends into psychopathy. Hiro uses his abilities to murder for amusement, employing lethal gestures like a finger gun that can kill anyone watching, even via a television screen. This fundamental divergence in moral choice serves as the series' central conflict, as the two characters' paths inevitably clash. His violent tendencies have made him a highly sought-after criminal throughout the country. This behaviour has drawn significant attention from law enforcement officials who find themselves unable to stop him.
Author Hiroya Oku developed the concept with significant creative freedom after moving from Shueisha to Kodansha. He drew inspiration from the film Astro Boy, specifically the theme of a deceased person revived as a super robot. To create an intriguing title, Oku chose 'Inuyashiki'—meaning 'dog mansion'—a surname that does not actually exist in Japan, unlike the similar 'Nekoyashiki' or 'cat mansion'. The series was a Jury Selection at the Japan Media Arts Festival during 2014 and 2015. Additionally, the manga won the Daruma d'or manga award at the 2016 Japan Expo Awards.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Inuyashiki
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