Japanese distributor Media Do, Tezuka Production, and South Korean comic company Copin Communications have launched the Japanese-South Korean vertical-scrolling webcomic remake of Osamu Tezuka's classic Dororo manga.
The webcomic is titled Dororo Re:Verse, with Lee Do-gyung penning the script and storyboards.
The first 21 chapters of the webcomic are available in Japan via the Piccoma web manga service, and in South Korea on the kakaopage platform.
The manga has plans for a global release after the South Korean serialization concludes, specifically in North America, China, and Europe.
The comic moves the setting from feudal Japan to the modern day, where yōkai and criminals conspire with each other in the shadows to control a new form of magic called “science.”
The immortal Hakki, the main character, is Hyakkimaru from the original manga, still seeking lost parts of his body hundreds of years later. He has an encounter with Roro, a boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to his old traveling companion Dororo.
Vertical previously released Tezuka’s original 1967 Dororo manga in three volumes, and in a collected omnbius volume in 2012.
The story is as follows, Daigo Kagemitsu, who works for a Samurai general in Japan's Warring States period, promises to offer 48 body parts of his unborn baby to 48 devils in exchange for complete domination of the country.
When the baby boy is born, Daigo has him thrown into a river, hoping the boy will die. A kind sage, however, finds him and adopts him. The sage fits out his poor son with prosthetics.
Time goes by and the baby grows into a boy who calls himself Hyakkimaru. Everytime Hyakkimaru eliminates a devil, he retrieves one of his missing body parts.
Hyakkimaru meets a boy thief named Dororo and together they travel the countryside in search of the devils who possess Hyakkimaru's parts. Throughout their travels, they face monsters and ghosts.
The supernatural historical manga previously inspired a 26-episode black-and-white anime series in 1969 by Tezuka Productions. A new television anime premiered in January 2019. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime.
Satoshi Shiki is also penning a similar Dororo remake manga titled The Legend of Dororo and Hyakkimaru (Dororo to Hyakkimaru-den). Shiki launched the manga in Akita Shoten's Monthly Champion RED magazine in October 2018. Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing the manga.
