Dorohedoro, Vol. 7 by Q. Hayashida

Dorohedoro, Vol. 7 Reviews

• 
  Stacie

  4.5 stars
  
  Finally cracked the anime (season 1) threshold! The new developments look like they'll be exciting to flesh out. As always, this continues to be a fun & gory romp. I very much dig this.
• 
  Caro the Helmet Lady

  I can't believe that on this level of craziness it all actually makes sense.
• 
  Radwa

  I love the way the story progresses. A lot of gore, but also a lot of humor.
  Ebisu is honestly my spirit animal. XD
• 
  Baal Of

  I'm enjoying this series more as it goes, with the characters being filled out, and the story-lines being more solid. Hayashida's humor shines through in this volume, and I actually laughed out loud a couple times, in particular when Caiman became Pieman. The entire pie selling contest was the right level of absurd. Johnson had some great scenes, especially when he tore one of the enemies apart and started chewing on his guts. There are some other pretty fantastic gore scenes as well. Very nice cliffhanger at the end.
• 
  Jen - The Tolkien Gal

  I have all my review notes on my phone so I'll be posting that soon. It gets quite taxing to do semi in-depth reviews of manga, but I enjoy the challenge.
  
  
• 
  Iqra M.

  All of my Dorohedoro reviews are actually a summary of what I've read & some thoughts!
  I have the memory of a goldfish.
  ( I am currently re-reading the series, my review will be edited later! I enjoyed all of the volumes though! :D)
  
  [RE-READ] SEPTEMBER 2021
  TW: Strong language, blood & gore, graphic violence, body horror, nudity, transfiguration
  Rating: 5 stars
  
  Spoilers ahead!
  
  This volume is so fun to read. Now I know that the anime covers volume 1 until the first half of volume 7.
  
  In the first chapter, we see Caiman getting into En's mansion with the help of his boss, Tanba. He hopes to find Nikaido there. Since En is looking for food vendors to sell permanently in front of his mansion, Tanba and his employees set up a meat pie stall. Caiman disguised himself as 'Pieman', Tanba's newlywed wife. I love him as Pieman so much! He looks ridiculous but it's definitely priceless.
  
  They met with Tanba's ex-employee who also set up a pie stall. Apparently, Asuka used to have a crush on Tanba. She acts bitter towards Pieman. The two businesses compete for En's spot.
  
  Meanwhile, with Dr Kasukabe and his friends, we see the humans and sorcerers getting along well. Shin kept advising them to stay away from Caiman and keep their noses out of people's business.
  Kasukabe clapped back and said the reason why Shin is alive today is because of him sticking his nose in other people's business. (HAHAHA, true)
  
  Caiman looks grim after reading news coverage about Nikaido. He gradually accepted the fact that she is a sorcerer. At first, he hesitated in helping her as the sorcerer's realm is where she truly belonged.
  Then he saw her with En.
  
  As lunchtime draws closer, they prepare to open up shop. However, everyone lined up to get Asuka's apple pies instead. We later learn that Asuka was using magic to attract customers. Even the men in En's family was affected by this spell. It didn't work on Tanba because Asuka has used the gimmick on him many times so he's grown immune.
  
  Caiman sees Nikaido alone watching a juggler.
  Tanba insisted Caiman to help Nikaido. After all, Asu, whom they met in prison had advised him to do so. We see Noi and Ebisu buying meat pies at Tanba's stall. They loved them and proceeded to order some more. As Asuka's magic dies out, the spell breaks. We see Tanba serving a special mushroom pie to En. He immediately won the spot for the food stall as he had prepared a special mushroom pie just for En. Asuka and her team disappear.
  
  Caiman ran away with Nikaido in an attempt to escape with her. As her personality changed due to the contract with En, she opted to stay. She said that En's enemies are her enemies. The two fight for the very first time.
  
  We see Chota praying to satan for Nikaido's death at the church. Caiman was then seen pushed through the church's wall and fell. Chota witnesses the fight quietly. Caiman, still weak, falls once again through the church's floor. He is badly injured and could barely move his legs. We see a mysterious close-up of a cross-eyes member, a brain infused with a devil's tumour (only sorcerers have these. The devil tumour is the physical representation of a magic users lifeforce) and a bloodied knife.
  
  As the darkness descends as he crawls deeper into what seems like the basement of the church, he finds a mirror. Nikaido attempts to lure Caiman amidst the darkness.
  Caiman sees Risu instead of his reflection in the mirror. Risu asked if he was going to kill again? Kill a friend? A comrade? Are Caiman and Risu friends?
  
  In the darkness, we see Nikaido being stabbed in the back with a knife. Chota sees Nikaido laying in a pool of blood and is overjoyed by this. Asu appeared out of the blue, healed Nikaido and took out her contract with En. Nikaido mentioned to Asu that it wasn't Caiman who stabbed her.
  
  After the contract was removed from Nikaido's body, En faints. Unless
  1) En dies
  2) Chidaruma, the head of the devils invalidates the contract
  3) or the contract expires at Blue Night (in 4 years)
  the contract will still remain in effect despite it being taken out. If she sees En, the contract will automatically regenerate inside of her body.
  The contract also acts as a tracking device. En walks to the church to find Nikaido.
  
  Unable to move, Caiman passes out with a nightmare. We see a mysterious figure who is badly injured inside of the hospital. The person was visited by a Caiman-esque individual who claims that 'everything is going according to plan'. The person then picks up the phone and called someone to stop them from going to their house. Caiman also remembers meeting Nikaido and the day that he woke up in the hospital with a reptile head.
  
  Waking up from the dream, he didn't hesitate to chomp on Nikaido's head. She could've been the sorcerer who puts the spell on him. Nothing to lose, right? Nikaido finds out that the person inside of Caiman is actually Risu all along. Nikaido mentions this to Caiman but he still doesn't trust her.
  
  In Berith, Risu found someone with the same cross-eyes marks inside of a shop. He seems to know who Risu is. The person took him to the gang's hideout. No proper introduction has been made yet but this group of friends seems to know that Risu was dead. Risu shares that he was resurrected by Judas's Ear and wants answers about the person who murdered him. It seems like the gang has been living modestly & sustainably ( not turning on the lights when it's bright out, recycling resources, reusing tea bags and more). This further shows that the low-ranked sorcerers are poor compared to the high-ranked ones. Although they are magic folks, their living conditions are similar to humans in Hole. They are also being treated as such.
  
  Back at the church, Asu shares Risu's location. Chota silences Nikaido and Caiman (it's as if he knows they were gonna make a fuss) as En arrives. Asu conjures a portal door to an unknown location (a devil's door is significantly bigger than a sorcerer's, wow!) and forced the two to leave. Things are awkward between the two. Asu used his power to turn Chota into Nikaido to fool En and Chidaruma for a while. Asu thinks about his decision of sending Nikaido off with Caiman and also the person who stabbed Nikaido at the church. I'm honestly surprised that Chota decided to play along with this scheme. I know that he hesitated and wanted to ruin Nikaido's relationship with En but still!
  
  Now far away, Nikaido revealed that her magic caused the demise of a friend in the past. She also shared that she went to the Hole in hopes to become human. Caiman mentioned that since she doesn't use any magic, he doesn't consider her a sorcerer. The two patched things up and promised to become friends forever. How cute! :') This friendship will kill me. As the two hide in an abandoned building to avoid being seen by roaming devils, Caiman found blood on his knife. Was he the one who stabbed Nikaido at the church or did someone else use his knife while he blacked out?
  
  Back at Berith, as the lights are finally being turned on, we can now clearly see the faces of the cross-eyes gang at their hideout. Apparently, they are the Boss's inner circle. Somehow they all look innocent and not scary at all. At least, to me.
  
  Now at En's mansion, Shin and Noi and Prof Kasukabe and the gang is seen having dinner together. We see the humans and sorcerers getting along, yet again. Humans and sorcerers can co-exist, for sure! They're definitely enjoying each other's company. Shin and Noi have been nothing but accommodating. I love them both.
  As the two cleaners were summoned by En, the gang gave up on saving Nikaido, as per Shin's advice. However, now their goal is to find Caiman as he could be the only one that could save her. After all, he is immune to magic. Prof Kasukabe mentioned that he could have that message sent to Caiman by his wife. HIS WIFE. They escaped En's mansion with a van and left Shin and Noi a note.
  
  At the club, we see Nikaido *ehem, Chota* cuddling with En. The gang doesn't seem suspicious of this. They probably just assumed that En's power to keep people under his thumb is just that good. Fujita is still bitter towards Nikaido. Ebisu in the mermaid costume is adorable. Noi did mention to Shin that Nikaido is starting to sound a lot like Chota. Hahahaha. Little did they know...
  
  En revealed to the two that he heard a rumour about a powder factory located in an unknown forest. Shin and Noi set to find the person who almost killed them during the 'Deathscroom' incident. It could be the cross-eyes gang boss. They couldn't see the marks on the person's eyes that time as his face was covered in blood. They have a feeling that he is still alive.
  
  As the two arrived back at En's mansion, they found out that Prof Kasukabe and the gang has gone missing. It was revealed that Prof's wife is a sorcerer and that they are separated. Prof guided the gang, with Thirteen driving to Hydra forest, where his wife supposedly live.
  They eventually found the house. Johnson got stuck inside of the car and stayed. The interior of the house is scary but it does look like where a sorcerer would live.
  
  Thirteen got stabbed with a knife and got injured. Shin and Noi found Prof Kasukabe's note. Noi noticed Shin getting distracted and worried so she head out to Hydra Forest to bring them back (the two just understands each other without uttering a single word, don't they?). Her reasoning was to "burn energy" but I think it's more than that. We see a weird group of cross-eyes living in the house. Apparently they've all had some sort of brain surgery. All of their heads are stitched up. They look dangerous. Prof Kasukabe was able to summon Johnson just by calling his name (this dynamic is chef's kiss, I swear!). Johnson to the rescue, again! However, there's no way out because the front door was now blocked. Prof hid Dr Vaux and Thirteen inside of a cabinet and lures a cross-eyes member upstairs. He finds a broken frame with a picture of him and his wife, Haru. The cross-eyes member seems to be wearing her bracelet too. He asked if they had killed her and taken her home.
  
  Noi arrived at Hydra Forest and defended Johnson. Despite being low-ranked sorcerers, the members are able to outsmart Noi. It was revealed that they have been studying magical anatomy. Was it taught at the school where Risu and Aikawa used to attend? or was it taught by this so-called Boss of theirs? Shin found Noi and tried saving her. Unfortunately, he too was defeated by the pair of cross-eyes members. They assumed that he was dead and took Noi away.
  
  Although badly injured, Shin's violent streak ignited as he stood on both feet.
  He then seeks revenge.
  
  DON'T MESS WITH SHIN.
  DON'T TAKE NOI AWAY FROM SHIN.
  
  *The bonus chapter focuses on the daily life of Ebisu. So adorable.
  Always in her own world, this one. But I love her all the same. Also, peep Chota disguising as Nikaido. At least he is nice to our Ebisu!! :’)
• 
  Ignacio Vera

  Ya superó el anime, pero aún no avanza en la historia principal :(
• 
  maganda moonthem

  CHILLS QUEEN HAYASHIDA LOVE LIVE HA
• 
  Tar Buendía

  Una vez que se disuelve el impacto estético y de lo extraño lo mantienen genial los personajes.
• 
  Stacey

  The meat pie contest was funny and of course Chota was hilarious. Loved the day in the life of Ebisu at the end.
• 
  JCUZZ

  <3<3<3
• 
  Gavin McHugh

  Superb volume. Finally caught up to where the anime finishes so I'm breaking new ground here.
  All the main characters feel fully rounded, even if a few have mysterious backgrounds, and they all feel comfortable in that you know them and their motivations when they appear.
  As far as plot goes, we are continuing the search for the man in Caiman's mouth and to find out who Caiman is. Both strands are intriguing and eventful and this volume doesn't suffer at all for the fact that the awesome Caiman isn't in it very much. Much credit due for that.
• 
  Justin

  As is becoming par for the course, there's a LOT going on in this volume of Dorohedoro: painful reunions, unrequited love, subterfuge, more glimpses into characters' pasts, and the creepiest pie-baking competition ever! Volume 7 keeps up the surreal, visceral tone and pace that's made this series great so far, and really runs with it. I couldn't be happier with this story, as a whole.
• 
  Ghostcat

  The story gets wider and complex, but still fluid and we always want to know what comes next.
• 
  Aleksandra

  Dorohedoro is consistantly a wild fun ride with excellent characters dynamics and awesome art.
• 
  Chris Jarvis

  Still enjoying this.
• 
  Thomas Hale

  Everything comes to a head in the weird and wonderful climax of the first major arc. Good good stuff!
• 
  Paul Spence

  Volume 7 of Dorohedoro strikes an ideal balance between the series' many elements—it's got fighting action, personal drama, quirky humour, and science crossed with sorcery, with no particular aspect overshadowing any of the others. Best of all, it mostly avoids the bad habits that have plagued the series in the past: no long-winded detours, not too much emphasis on minor characters, and each chapter has a purpose in advancing the story line. The gritty, intense artwork also promises that this is, as always, a trip into a world unlike any other.
  
  What better way to prove the series' uniqueness than by beginning the trip with outright comedy? In the first two chapters, we get to see our lizard-man protagonist dress up as a burly woman, then compete in a pie-selling contest at En's mansion. Sure, it looks like random silliness on surface—but it also ties into the master plan to help Caiman rescue Nikaido. So even in moments when the fate of the main characters is at stake, the story deftly steps back and reminds everyone it's okay to have a little fun.
  
  Then come the middle two chapters where things start to get serious. Caiman comes face to face with Nikaido (currently under En's control), and a battle ensues: not just a physical one, with plenty of acrobatic maneuvers and collateral damage, but also a battle of wills, as Caiman tries to remind Nikaido which side she's on. However, the real highlight of this reunion is a flashback about how Caiman and Nikaido first met, followed by a moving reconciliation. Events like these prove that the series is about more than just dystopian action-adventure and battling evil Sorcerers—there's also plenty of heart, particularly in the bond between the two main characters.
  
  After this poignant resolution, however, the series lapses right back into action-adventure mode, and not in a good way. The latter part of the volume bounces awkwardly between different subplots: Professor Kasukabe and company trying to survive the Sorcerer realm and track down Caiman; mid-rank Sorcerers Shin and Noi hunting down magical drug manufacturers; and the most disparate story line of all, reanimated gangster Risu catching up with old pals. Although each subplot is related to Caiman's quest for revenge, they all seem to be drifting off in their own respective directions (aside from a violent incident where Kasukabe and Shin cross paths in the woods).
  
  Although the plot has trouble keeping itself together, the artwork stays much more unified in concept. Whether the action takes place in the Hole, within En's mansion, or in the wilderness of the Sorcerers' dimension, the scruffy line work (sometimes with pencil marks still faintly showing) and hand-drawn hatching give everything a raw-edged vitality. In the hands of a lesser artist, it might be considered a mess that needs to be cleaned up, but the level of precision and detail in some areas proves that the style is intentional. As expected, the violent fight scenes provide the greatest thrill, although all the flying debris and random clutter can make some scenes hard to follow. Fortunately, the straightforward rectangular panels result in smooth reading the rest of the time, and a few visual gags also add some light humour. (Caiman's cross-dress disguise is delightfully campy, and watch how Johnson the giant cockroach gets defeated later on.)
  
  Humour also comes in the form of the characters' dialogue, where sarcastic remarks and colloquial cursing add spice to the script. Compare this against other mature-themed sci-fi where everyone gets drowned in technobabble and melodramatic speeches, or the main character has the verbal range of a brick wall, and it's clear that Dorohedoro proudly walks its own path as far as writing is concerned. Even in translation, these moments of casual chatter bring out the characters' personalities. However, plot-heavy conversations—the ones where the speakers delve into matters of sorcery, or discuss the motives of other characters—can be tougher to understand. (One expects that vague details will become clearer as the story unfolds.) Sound effects have been edited from the original Japanese into English, but thankfully the altered text doesn't stand out too much—the artwork is busy enough that sound effects typically blend right into the scenery.
  
  Although it's been an inconsistent, up-and-down journey at times, Dorohedoro makes some solid progress in Volume 7. After all, what could be more important than the main characters clashing over the future of their friendship—and recalling a flashback of how they met in the first place? But that's not the only thing to enjoy in this volume: there are moments of unlikely comedy, blood-spilling fight scenes, and a little bit of exploration as side characters venture into parts unknown. What it all adds up to is a well-rounded volume, drawn in an intense, rough-but-vibrant style. The plot doesn't always hold itself together very neatly, and some parts of the story ought to explain themselves better, but a few missteps aren't so bad as long as the adventure looks like it's headed somewhere.
• 
  Dale Jones

  This volume had a lot of wonderful character moments, which might make it my favorite. There were also some interesting revelations as well. We meet Asuka, a former associate of President Tanba who ends up in a pie-eating contest with him. She is a Sorcerer who has connections with the devils.
  Nikaido and Caiman end up fighting, and it was sad and painful to watch, given she was under En's control and a Sorcerer. A mysterious person harms Nikaido, but we don't know who.
  
  We get the backstory of how Nikaido and Caiman met and how Caiman got his name. Risu, the man inside Caiman's mouth, somehow connects to Nikaido. They have a wonderful moment with Nikaido explaining why she doesn't use magic due to the death of her friend and why she ran to The Hole. She wants to be human. To me, this implies that the Sorcerers aren't seen as human. Caiman wants to know why she decided to latch on to him. She thought fighting Sorcerers who used people as test subjects would make her more human, and she believed they were friends.
  
  So, if she promises never to use magic, then those two will always be friends. "I don't care who you really are. We're friends forever." Their connection is one of the best reasons for reading the series.
  
  Risu meets the Cross-Eyes boss's inner circle in a small town, and I'm looking forward to seeing where his story goes. Professor Kasukabe has some moments to shine too. He's married to a Sorcerer. I'm interested to see where this ends up going. Shin and Noi continue to be great as consistently as they end up in danger. Noi ends up being kidnapped, and Shin is pissed off.
  
  "That's why I like you, Noi. You never try to talk me out of dangerous jobs." Ebisu ends up being the focus of the extra chapter at the end. Such a crazy weird lovable character. On to the next one.
• 
  Félix D'Jesús

  
  This Manga with a dark and violent atmosphere, began with a mystery that at least in the first chapters became more intriguing ... But the tension of the mystery has reached its point and the accumulated suspense has dissipated between the comedy out of place unfortunately so typical of anime and manga.
  
  Spanish:
  
  Este Manga con una atmósfera oscura y violenta, empezó con un misterio que al menos en los primeros capítulo se fue volviendo mas intrigante... Pero llegado ha este punto la tensión del misterio y el suspense acumulado se ha disipado entre la comedia fuera de lugar lamentablemente tan típica de animes y manga.
• 
  Zach Mendelson

  all dorohedoro's are 5's. re-reading right now for the final volume which was just released. i will write up a full review when i have finished the 23rd volume.
  
  my star system:
  1 star - this book must be forgotten by god and man
  2 star - i was not wild about this book
  3 star - other people will enjoy this more than i, but i see the appeal/enjoyed it/probably had some fun
  4 star - i love this book and wholeheartedly recommend it
  5 star - i am an absolute freak and this book was written specifically for me, your mileage may vary
• 
  Bella Azam

  TW: Violence, assault, nudity, blood, graphic violence, gore, disembowelment
  
  This volume is gritty, gory, grungy added with sprinkles of humor and some lighthearted moments that seems unexpected but entertained you in a way. How can you have two opposite vibes mesh so well? I applaud Hayashida for her brilliancy. I was so invested in the series. The anime was so good and the manga was even better! I love the raw and gritty art style she used, it gave thd manga a more cooler tone. I have never see this kind of art style before so thats what make the manga stands out.
  
  This series is so brutal and gory, the amount of blood and violence here almost got me squeamish and that proves how realistic the drawing were. This volume continues from the ending of the anim, the first half is where the ending was and the latter half is where we got to see Risu meet a grouo of Cross Eyes and Professor Kasukabe's group on a mission to meet someone. The ending where Shin is mad as hell makes me so hyped on the next volume. Always love Shin for his bravery and hot headed personality ♥️
• 
  Dani Wladdimiro

  Tomo ritmo la historia, bastante siento yo, de los volúmenes anteriores que sentía una historia de presentación de universo, sin mucha explicación, aquí ya van tratando de dar más luces a dónde quiere ir la historia. Kasukabe, por ahora, es el personaje que mayor fascinación me da: curioso, carismático, misterioso, me gusta bastante todo lo que tenga que ver con él. Por otra parte, la historia de Kaiman se volcó a su alterego, con ese misterio sobre quién y qué es lo que hizo con Nikaido, pero por no quita que va tomando más forma el rompecabezas.
• 
  Jucá

  Volume divertido e com ótimo pacing. Dorohedoro até o momento tem sido bem peculiar, não tem grandes momentos, mas os personagens são extremamente interessantes e cativantes.
  
  Gostei muito da cena da Nikaido com o Caiman, até procurei a luta no anime (e me decepcionei, infelizmente aquela animação 3d podre não me desceu)
• 
  Kai Joy

  finally past where the anime is! love pieman ofc and love the frugal cross eyes hideout. now that im past the anime Im much more attentive to the plot, Im rly excited to see where things go, love leaving off on angry >:) shin in the forest and I just love jonson so much, this just continues ofc to be a fun, chaotic romp. merry christmas.
• 
  India♡

  Caiman goes to sell meat pies with Tanba at En’s mansion so he can look for Nikaido. The volume was amazing per usual, my only problem is the unnecessary nudity with Noi and Nikaido. Other than that, onto volume 8!!
• 
  Kurtis Burkhardt

  Weird manga, It’s quite gory and has lots of blood which is always a plus but this manga has horrible art and like no story 😅📖🔪👌💕💕
• 
  Rolaka Pisarka

  Na serio, jest coraz lepiej. Body horror, walki, krwawo, akcja idzie do przodu... Coś niesamowitego!