Ichi the Killer (manga)

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Ichi the Killer
Cover of Koroshiya Ichi, vol. 1
殺し屋１ (Koroshiya Ichi)
Manga
Written by	Hideo Yamamoto
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Weekly Young Sunday
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	February 19, 1998 – April 5, 2001
Volumes	10 (List of volumes)
Original video animation
Ichi the Killer: Episode 0
Directed by	Shinji Ishihira
Produced by	Yoshinori Chiba
Written by	Sakichi Sato
Music by	Yui Takase
Studio	AIC
Licensed by	AUS Siren Visual
Released	September 27, 2002
Runtime	50 minutes
Related works
Ichi the Killer (2001 film) 1-Ichi (2003 film)
Anime and manga portal

Ichi the Killer (殺し屋1, Koroshiya Ichi) is a seinen manga series written and illustrated by Hideo Yamamoto. The series revolves around Ichi, a psychologically troubled killing machine, and his confrontation with the yakuza of Kabukichō, Shinjuku. The manga was serialized in the Shogakukan magazine Weekly Young Sunday from 1998 to 2001 and has been collected into ten tankōbon volumes in Japan.^[1][2]

In 2001, the manga was adapted into a live-action film directed by Takashi Miike. An anime original video animation (OVA) titled Ichi the Killer: Episode 0 (殺し屋1 The Animation Episode 0, Koroshiya Ichi The Animation Episode 0) was produced by AIC and released in Japan in 2002. The OVA has been licensed for release in North America and the United Kingdom by Central Park Media and in Australia and New Zealand by Siren Visual.^[3][4] A second live-action film, 1-Ichi, was directed by Masahito Tanno and released in Japan in 2003.

Plot[]

Using Ichi as a tool, Jii-san plots to kill Anjougumi's "Kumichou" (or "leader") and steal his money. With Anjou's death, his top yakuza, Kakihara, sets out to find his Kumichou's murderer. While Kakihara searches for Ichi, whilst the younger man effortlessly kills off the remaining Anjougumi members. This cycle of killing and searching leads the two closer together, revealing Ichi's psychological manipulation and Kakihara's obsession of pain and torture. When the two finally meet, they confront their deepest and most suppressed desires, resulting in Ichi's recovery and Kakihara's demise.

Characters[]

• Ichi (Shiroishi Hajime): The main protagonist of the series. He's psychologically and emotionally disturbed to the point where he acts as a child living in an adult's body. When faced with a confrontation, Ichi bursts into tears and breaks down emotionally. Even with his cowardly personality, Ichi has trained extensively in martial arts. With this training, a concealed blade in his left boot, and a psychological kill switch, Ichi turns into a ruthless killer; hunting down yakuza with a streak for sadism.
• Kakihara Masao: A yakuza boss and Ichi's archenemy. He's tired of everything in life and lives to inflict pain, both on those around him as well as himself. His most notable characteristics are the deep gashes on his cheeks which allow him to open his mouth to ridiculous levels, akin to that of a snake, and which are subsequently held together by piercings. He lives his life for sadomasochism.
• Jii-san (Old Geezer): The mastermind behind the unrest in the Anjougumi family as well as the puppet master forcing Ichi to kill. He claims to have gained his aged features through plastic surgery and to still be in his early 30's. He has an extremely muscular physique due to abusing steroids.
• Anjou Yoshio (Kumichou): The head of the Anjougumi yakuza family. His murder, which is first disguised as a disappearance, leads Kakihara to search for Ichi.
• Noboru: A member of Jii-san's group whose primary weapons are firearms.
• Inoue (Kanou): An excommunicated member of the Anjougumi and a current member of Jii-san's group, Inoue is also a heroin addict that has undergone plastic surgery to remain hidden in Shinjuku.
• Suzuki: A member of the Funaki yakuza family. He is accused of kidnapping Anjougumi's Kumichou. He is bedridden by the resulting torture and is convinced by Jii-san's group to employ them to eliminate Kakiharagumi.
• Kaneko: Anjougumi's hitman and one of Kakihara's closest henchmen. He exhibits a fear similar to Ichi's and desires to prove himself. He is also Takeshi's father.
• Norio: A young boy who goes to the same martial arts dojo as Ichi. He constantly gets beaten up and goes to Ichi for help.
• Seila: A prostitute that Ichi frequently visits. She has many bruises inflicted by her pimp, leading Ichi to have flashbacks of his past.
• Karen: A hostess and one of Kakihara's friends. She assists Kakihara in locating members of Jii-san's group.
• Tachibana: A girl from Ichi's first year in high school. When trying to save Ichi from bullies, she was ostracized and raped.
• Long: A Chinese member of Jii-san's group that works as a gigolo.
• The twins (Jirou and Saburou): Members of Kakihara's former Kumichou, Atougumi. They are as competitive as they are sadistic, often resulting in shows of one-upmanship fatal to others. Jirou has inhuman strength, while Saburou is good with a short knife.
• Takeshi: Kaneko's son, he witnesses Ichi crying after his murders. He is also Ichi's successor as the next "killing machine" manipulated by Jiji.

Media[]

Manga[]

The manga has been compiled into ten volumes by Shogakukan. There is also a prequel titled Ichi.

Films[]

The manga has been adapted into a film of the same name directed by Takashi Miike and the prequel into a film called 1-Ichi by Masato Tanno.

Anime[]

The manga has also been adapted into an OVA called Koroshiya 1: The Animation Episode 0.

Reception[]

Reviewing the OVA, Theron Martin from Anime News Network felt that the story is "perfectly believable" and "convince[s] the viewer that Ichi's lethal tendencies didn't come from nowhere" because it follows the "common elements you hear about in the backgrounds of true killers". He dismissed the "substandard animation" as problematic but praised the music of "heavy driving techno themes" that provide an "edgy mood and tone for the series".^[5]

References[]

External links[]

• Ichi the Killer (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia