Orochi (manga)

Orochi
First tankōbon volume cover
おろち
Genre
Manga
Written byKazuo Umezu
Published by
English publisher
ImprintAkita Sunday Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
Original runJune 15, 1969 – August 23, 1970
Volumes6
Live-action film
Directed byNorio Tsuruta
Written byHiroshi Takahashi
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2008 (2008-09-20)
Runtime107 minutes

Orochi (おろち) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuo Umezu. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from June 1969 to August 1970. It follows the story of Orochi, a woman with a young appearance and supernatural powers and how she observes people's lives and the consequences of their hidden actions. The story contains several varying elements such as paranormal and psychological themes.

In North America, it was licensed for an English language release by Viz Media.

Plot

Orochi, a mysterious, ageless woman with supernatural abilities wanders through human society. Orochi has the power to erase or alter memories, making it possible for her to integrate herself into the lives of strangers as an observer. Each story is self-contained, focusing on ordinary individuals, often families, children, or marginalized figures, whose seemingly normal lives are disrupted by hidden secrets, psychological trauma, and supernatural occurrences. Orochi frequently encounters these individuals during moments of crisis, and her curiosity or pity leads her to intervene, sometimes subtly and sometimes directly. Her interventions often reveal dark truths about the characters, exposing familial abuse, repressed guilt, societal hypocrisy, and the violent potential lurking beneath everyday appearances.

Development

Orochi was created during a prolific period in Kazuo Umezu's career following the success of Cat Eyed Boy (1967–68), which, like Orochi, used an anthology format connected through its observing protagonist. Scholar Akihiko Takahashi positioned Orochi within the evolution of Umezu's "horror manga" (恐怖マンガ, kyōfu manga), representing a shift toward more psychological terror and complex character studies in the late 1960s.[2]

Analysis and themes

Orochi is characterized by its focus on domestic horror, familial secrets, and the psychological underpinnings of fear. Critic Helen Chazan describes the series as exploring "the terror that the family could turn violent or be revealed as violent," with stories that frequently involve child abuse, parental cruelty, and the unraveling of domestic normalcy. Unlike the more monster-centric Cat Eyed Boy, Orochi often locates horror within the family itself, particularly along matrilineal lines. The opening stories, such as "Sisters" and "Bones," establish themes of hereditary tragedy, female rage, and resurrected patriarchal violence. The series explores Umezu's recurring idea that horror arises from the dissonance between idealized social roles (such as motherhood) and the brutal realities of human behavior.[3]

Akihiko Takahashi discusses Orochi within the context of Umezu's "perspectivism", where the nature of horror is relative to the character's position. Orochi's detached, sometimes ambiguous interventions highlight how the same events can be seen as tragic, horrific, or even darkly comedic depending on the viewer's standpoint.[2]

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Kazuo Umezu, Orochi was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from June 15, 1969,[4] to August 23, 1970.[5] Akita Shoten collected its chapters into six tankōbon volumes, released between April 23 and September 23, 1971.[6][7] In 2005, Shogakukan re-released the series into four-volume deluxe edition.[8][9]

In North America, the manga was licensed for English release by Viz Media.[10] Only one volume was published on September 5, 2002.[11] In July 2021, Viz Media announced that they would re-publish the series in print and digital formats.[12] The first volume was released on March 15, 2022.[1]

Live-action film

In 2008, It was adapted into a live action film.[13][14][15] The film features the following cast:

References

  1. ^ a b c "Orochi: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Takahashi, Akihiko (2005). 楳図かずおの恐怖概念(怪異をひらく-近代の時空へ). Japanese Literature Association (in Japanese). 54 (11): 69–80. doi:10.20620/nihonbungaku.54.11_69.
  3. ^ Chazan, Helen (August 31, 2022). ""I'm Sure Their Wounds Will Heal": Orochi, "Prodigy", Kazuo Umezz, and the Family". The Comics Journal. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  4. ^ 週刊少年サンデー1969年25 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  5. ^ 週刊少年サンデー1970年35 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  6. ^ おろち 第1巻 (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  7. ^ おろち 第6巻 (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  8. ^ おろち 1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  9. ^ おろち 4 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  10. ^ "Press Releases : October 2002 : Orochi Graphic Novel". Viz Media. August 21, 2002. Archived from the original on February 14, 2003. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  11. ^ Umezu, Kazuo. Orochi: Blood. Viz Media. ISBN 1569317879.
  12. ^ Mateo, Alex (July 9, 2021). "Viz to Release Demon Slayer Spinoff Manga, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, Alice in Borderland, More Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Liz Shackleton (February 8, 2008). "Japan's Toei lands in Berlin with Orochi: Blood". Screendaily.com. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  14. ^ おろち. eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  15. ^ Andrew Mack (November 20, 2007). "What? Another manga adaptation? Kazuo Umezu's 'Orochi: Blood'". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
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