Many different anime and manga have given their own takes on stories with superheroes and those with superpowers, and they typically don't develop in the same way as Western superhero comic books. One great example is Inuyashiki, a seinen series that turns an everyday nobody into a superpowered machine man.
Full of body horror and subversion, the relatively dark Inuyashiki has told its twisted and realistic "superhero" story across several different mediums. Its plot is in many ways an equivalent to the American film Chronicle, which itself was heavily inspired by the manga and anime film Akira. An excellent showcase of how subversive darker and more adult-oriented manga can be, here's a look at the story behind the series, as well as how to get into its many versions.
The Plot of Inuyashiki
Beginning in 2014 as a manga from Hiroya Oku, Inuyashiki gets its name from the titular protagonist, Inuyashiki Ichiro. As someone who looks even older than he is, Ichiro is a downtrodden and destitute family man who can't even find respect at home. However, his fortune arguably changes for the better when he's caught up in an explosion caused by aliens. This event turns him into a cyborg of incredible power, though his body is still outwardly human.
Wanting to finally matter and make a difference in the world, Ichiro uses his body's newfound abilities to fight criminals and even heal the sick. The mechanical man of miracles isn't the only one with this power, however, as a teenager named Shishigami Hiro was caught in the same explosion. Given similar abilities, Hiro instead embarks on a path of destruction and chaos, enforcing his will on all who get in his way. With the world's worst criminal boasting powers like his own, Ichiro becomes determined to stop him.
Where to Read the Inuyashiki Manga
After running from 2014-2017, the Inuyashiki manga was published by Kodansha in its magazine Evening before being compiled into 10 volumes. Kodansha USA handled the print localization in the West, while Crunchyroll does the same for the manga's digital version, making the latter option one of the easier ways to read the series.
Inuyashiki can also be read digitally through Comixology and on Kindle, as well as Azukim INKR, Mangamo and the Inkypen app on the Nintendo Switch. Online retailers such as Right Stuf Anime and Amazon carry the physical versions of the manga, as do brick-and-mortar stores like Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
Where to Watch the Inuyashiki Anime
Illustrious production studio MAPPA handled the anime adaptation of Inuyashiki, which ran for 11 episodes in 2017 (the same year the manga ended). Though some fans were ambivalent to some of the changes taken along the way, the crux of the Inuyashiki manga's story was adapted in the anime.
Inuyashiki was licensed by Prime Video, where members can stream the entire series for free. This is the only venue through which to watch the show in the West, however, as there aren't any localized DVD or Blu-ray collected editions at this time.
Where to Watch the Inuyashiki Live-Action Film
2018 saw the release of a live-action Inuyashiki movie, which is meant to be the first part in a planned trilogy of films. As such, it adapts a good third of the manga's story, showcasing Hiro and Ichiro's origins and their different ways of dealing with their newfound statuses. Though the CGI and effects are somewhat iffy at times, it's definitely interesting to see how such a dark and "realistic" science fiction anime transitioned into live-action.
Unfortunately, actually the live-action Inuyashiki is a fairly difficult task. Though it's available on the Japanese version of Netflix, no Western streaming service carries the movie, be it in dubbed or subbed form. Likewise, there have been no physical media localizations so far, which will likely stay the case for a while. There's been no word on further entries in the trilogy, but if more movies are indeed made, it might finally make the first more easily available in the West.
