I Am a Hero by HANAZAWA Kengo

[Kaiten]

I Am a Hero
By: HANAZAWA Kengo
Genre: Psychological
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Mangaupdates

Hideo Suzuki is a thirty-five year old mangaka assistant struggling to be the hero in his own life by breaking back into the lime light with a new serial all the while juggling his relationship with his girlfriend and his own delusions.

However, as hard as Hideo may try, the world seems to have a different set of plans for him; sinister and dark machinations that completely overturn his reality as he knows it.

[Tulkas]

Hm, what should i say.

First Volume was a little bit boring. First Chapter was brilliant with the last sentence:
'Because i am a Hero'
But after all Suzuki is too normal in my opinion. He has a Girlfriend, a Job and his obsessions aren't that special.

Second Volume is way better and im looking forward how Suzuki is dealing with the situation to be alone.

[MattC302]

I just finished the third volume of this manga and I really like it. The first volume was a little slow, but I feel like it was essential and you really get to know Hideo. I am hooked now. I can't wait for more.

[Kaiten]

I stalled at volume 1. I kind of got a hint of whats to come but haven't had a chance to read volume 2 and 3 but am starting to think I should read those before I start anything new.

[conn-man]

Just read vol 1 today and I thought it was fantastic. Everything in that volume made the intensity of the final scene at the end just so amazing.

Suzuki is a good main character, fun quirks, imaginary friend interaction is really entertaining. I'm really excited to see his transformation as the situation gets bad.


Edit: I just got caught up. I'm not sure how to say it but this manga is intense, genuinely horrifying. The first story to really rattle me, almost everything about it but especially the transformation process. The way they start with uncontrollable hysteria and extreme impulse to kill. It seems like based on what they say once they are transformed shows that they retain some kind of original part of themselves while being locked in an ever increasing state of ferocious insanity. Its a really scary and tragic concept.

While this sounds like I'm saying its bad but I still see it as genius that the author though of and brought this concept to life.

[Kaiten]

The end of volume 1 was absolutely insane. I had read the early translations of the first volume, released sporadically. It seemed to be a slow, boring series. Those boring parts made the ending an even bigger shock. If it had been action packed from the start, the actual plot would have been less of a shock and a lot less interesting.

Suzuki is epic. Has there ever been a more cowering, cowardly, unheroic hero in manga history? I bet if there were a zombie invasion most of us would act more like him than the kids from High School of the Dead. I loved the scene where he finally pulled out the shot gun, cocked it, planted his feet and was shown to only be fantasizing

I'm dying for volume 4 to come out ^^

[naruto-niichan]

Suzuki is epic. Has there ever been a more cowering, cowardly, unheroic hero in manga history? I bet if there were a zombie invasion most of us would act more like him than the kids from High School of the Dead. I loved the scene where he finally pulled out the shot gun, cocked it, planted his feet and was shown to only be fantasizing

I'm dying for volume 4 to come out ^^

No that's one of the big strong points in the manga, it's really refreshing.
I completely agree about the slow start, it made the impact a lot more intense. I was nearly wetting my pants when

Zombie-Tekko was running at Hideo

Any info when the 4th volume will be released in english?

[Roflkopt3r]

I really need to start with this series, it sounds just too good. Gonna read it right after Adolf!

[saladesu]

You do need to read it Rofl! I'm surprised you hadn't already

I thought it was pretty awesome! I mean, it starts out really slow, and the only thing keeping me going honestly was Kaiten telling me it was awesome. Anyway, by the end of volume 1 you will probably see why

I'm still a little confused as to whether those zombie thingies are just in his head, or if they are real things. There are scenes where it seems like no-one else can see it. Does it mean no-one cares? Or that only he can see it? As it is it appears his gun is just in his head. I loved the scene (Kaiten mentioned it too!) where he cocks his gun, and the next page we see he actually has no gun! That was brilliant!

[Kaiten]

You should Rofl! You'd really like it.

Still hard to tell. Hiro is such a nut it is entirely possible that he made up the zombie invasion. Or hallucinated it. I think the Hanazawa is trying to be ambiguous at this point, either way is entirely possible.

---

No that's one of the big strong points in the manga, it's really refreshing.
I completely agree about the slow start, it made the impact a lot more intense. I was nearly wetting my pants when

Zombie-Tekko was running at Hideo

Any info when the 4th volume will be released in english?

Those first scenes of Tekko nearly launched me out of my seat! Completely blindsided me. The other part that really shocked me was when she started chewing on the door. It was awesome when he realized that she was using the last of her free will to make sure she does not turn him into a zombie. Assuming it's really happening.

I'm not sure when more will be scanlated.I Haven't really heard anything.

[saladesu]

I would kinda hate if it was just a hallucination, though. I remember back in elementary school when we had to write compositions, teachers always told us never to end with, "I woke up and realized it was just a dream" I think I would feel kinda cheated if it turned out to be just Hiro hallucinating. Of course, with how awesome this has been so far, Hanazawa-sensei may well have something planned that will just blow us away, maybe turn that whole "it was just a hallucination" thing on its head or make it awesome somehow.

[naruto-niichan]

Volume 4 is finally scanlated!! (available at JCafe) Thanks Gottheim for the translation and Gantz Waiting Room for the scanlation

About the Volume: The story's progressing a bit slow but I still enjoyed it. There were some awesome shots as well, like Hideo hiding behind the tree. And we finally got a name for the infection: ASPD sounds fitting but I can't believe that the government is thinking about a name instead of rushing in the infected areas and save those who can be saved (but I guess Hideo hallucinating is now entirely impossible)

I really like the idea of them being not completely mindless. The man just wanting to see the picture of his family(?) was kind of touching Didn't see that coming, I was sure he would attack the girl. Still the infected are getting more and more creepy... and damn fast, being able to catch those two guys in a driving car
I hope Volume 5 and 6 won't take that long to be scanlated, can't wait to see what happens next.

[MattC302]

That was kind of a crazy volume. Those zombies are pretty scarey. They reminded me of Silent Hill a little bit. Hideo got bit by Hayakari in the same place that his girlfriend bit him. I bet he is eventually going to get bit for real, but die in a heroic way.

The zombies not being completely mindless is kind of different from what I am used to. It kind of makes things more disturbing when they actually have to be killed. Hideo is obviously still haunted by having to "kill" his girlfriend and wondering "are they dead or not?" probably makes things that much harder.

[Gottheim]

About the Volume: The story's progressing a bit slow but I still enjoyed it. There were some awesome shots as well, like Hideo hiding behind the tree. And we finally got a name for the infection: ASPD sounds fitting but I can't believe that the government is thinking about a name instead of rushing in the infected areas and save those who can be saved (but I guess Hideo hallucinating is now entirely impossible)

Just for info: Multiple Organ Dysfunction and ASPD are real life afflictions, the latter being commonly associated with sociopathy. So not only are they more concerned about finding a name for the disease rather than fighting it, they're coming up with something thoroughly mundane, and blatantly off the mark. Now you have something to : about.

I really like the idea of them being not completely mindless. The man just wanting to see the picture of his family(?) was kind of touching Didn't see that coming, I was sure he would attack the girl. Still the infected are getting more and more creepy... and damn fast, being able to catch those two guys in a driving car

They probably weren't driving that fast just yet. IMO, the zombies were relatively close by, probably attracted by the stationed car's noise (plus they were already in pursuit). When the thugs drove away, they attracted the zombies to themselves, effectively deflecting their attention from the protagonists. Otherwise, it makes no sense for Hideo and Hiromi to have escaped the zombies for so long.

The zombies not being completely mindless is kind of different from what I am used to. It kind of makes things more disturbing when they actually have to be killed. Hideo is obviously still haunted by having to "kill" his girlfriend and wondering "are they dead or not?" probably makes things that much harder.

That's surely an interesting twist from the usual Zombie Apocalypse scenario. The real question is not about them being dead or not, but whether there's a cure. Their minds still being present in some vestigial way is no definite proof, but it does point towards that direction.

[saladesu]

Yeah, I really liked the part with the man who just wanted to see the picture of his family again. It was touching, though I wonder if the other zombies do also have their minds still present. Could he have just been one of those in whom the disease had yet to progress as far yet? Earlier, Hideo's girlfriend (forgot her name now) pulled out her teeth to prevent herself from infecting Hideo if she bit him, but later wasn't able to control herself from attacking him. Perhaps as the disease progresses, the infected person loses more and more of their minds until they become mindless in the end.

The three double spreads where the zombies attacked the car were really well-done! It was almost like a flip-book animation with the zombies appearing at the window, grabbing them and all that.