Speed Grapher vol 1 by Tomozo - Manga Review

 

'The first volume in the hit GONZO anime of the same name, in the seedy underbelly of near future Tokyo, the famous Roppongi Club is shadowy hall of secrets. When photojournalist Saiga manages to infiltrate this elite association he discovers Kagura, a young girl whose touch bestows incredible and horrific powers. Now, anyone Saiga captures on film is doomed to die: the click of the shutter as sure as a trigger pull!'

Super powers are a staple of comic fiction, with the biggest comic book companies in the world making super powered heroes their main thing. And manga is often no exception to this, whether it's overt super powers, ki energy, chakra based ninja skills, or abilities bestowed by eating special fruit, super powers are a part of this medium across the world. The thing that often makes these powers different is how people get them, and origin stories are some of the most popular works in comics. Speed Grapher is a story all about people getting unusual powers, and this first volume makes for an interesting new twist on the formula.

Set in a near future Tokyo, the book follows photo journalist Saiga, a man who's willing to go up against organised crime and to put his life on the line to help get his story. When investigating a corrupt politician Saiga discovers a dead body, tortured and mutilated, and an inhuman killer responsible for the crime. Getting a tip about a mysterious club, Saiga manages to sneak his way inside, and discovers a building filled with bizarre sexual fetishes and twisted members. However, when he sees a ritual involving a teenage girl he steps in and gets caught; when the girl touches him, however, it bestows him with powers that allow him to cause destruction whenever he takes photographs, able to kill anyone in his viewfinder. Saiga takes the girl and goes on the run, but the powers behind the club will do whatever it takes to get her back, and end Saiga permanently.

From the very beginning it's clear that Speed Grapher is not not going to be your ordinary kind of super power story. If anything, the powers and the more outlandish elements are more garnish for the main dish, which is a psychosexual thriller. This is a much more mature story, one that features violence, horrible deaths, and lots of sex and fetish. Having gone into the book knowing nothing about it, I was somewhat shocked at the tone and the adult nature of the book. However, I'd since learned that the manga is based upon an anime series that was marketed towards adults.

Whilst the tone of the story was something of a surprise, it actually works very well, and created a reading experience that was different to other manga that I've read. It was darker, had more disturbing elements whilst avoiding going into the realms of outright horror, and it made some parts of the book uncomfortable to read. The main reason that it's uncomfortable at times is the second lead character, Kagura, the teenage girl who grants Saiga his powers. Kagura is only fifteen years old, but is incredibly sexualised throughout the book. 

In the early chapters she's having strange dreams about men in fetish wear, dreams that imply sexual acts were done to her. Once she's in the club she seems to be in a trance like state (something confirmed later in the book), wearing next to nothing. She makes mention of having vague memories of men 'doing things' to her later in the book. So we have a teenage rape victim, a young girl barely more than a child, and she's also being sexualised by wearing lingerie and being shown naked in the shower. It makes for an uncomfortable experience, especially as these scenes are balanced with others where she's very much just a kid, going to shops, playing with plushies. The result is that you feel connected to Kagura in a protective way, wanting Saiga desperately to keep her safe from the people who will return her to her sexual slavery.

The powers in the story are also a bit different and weird, and give Speed Grapher its own flavour. Kagura is able to grant people their deepest hearts desires, things that they themselves might not even be fully aware they want. Saiga, it transpires, wanted to capture a photo of someone in their moment of death, and as a result is able to cause death with his photography. There's another character who is able to turn their body into diamond (kind of a mix between Emma Frost and the T-1000) and becomes a beautiful but deadly killing machine. The fact that most of the people who have gained powers from Kagura are part of this twisted criminal underworld also guarantees that future volumes are going to include some very bizarre and monstrous foes for our lead duo.

Speed Grapher vol 1 is a great, fascinating introduction to this world. I actually read through the book twice before writing this review, something I don't normally do. I was entertained by the book the first time round, and was intrigued by the story it was creating. The second time round I found that I was understanding it more, that once I wasn't surprised by the content I was able to appreciate it more and found it to be even more interesting than I first thought. Because of this, I'm very much excited to read the second volume. 

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