Manga Monday: Vampire Hunter D Returns With Vol. 23: Iriya the Berserker

02/22/2016 4:16pm
After more than a year, Vampire Hunter D is back with a new novel, vol. 23: Iriya the Berserker. This long-running series isn’t exactly known for having a constant barrage of strong female characters—and admittedly it’s hard for anyone to compete with the glamor of D himself. To paraphrase Captain Bryant in Blade Runner (“He say you vampire hunter!”), talk about beauty and the beast—D’s both. 
On the other hand, in the vampire hunter’s travels, there’s almost always a young lovely crossing his path, as well as frequent sharp-tongued older villager women providing a counterpoint to the testosterone-laden battles within the stories. However, this twenty-third adventure in the series, Iriya the Berserker, is named for its guest star: a true female warrior who combines feminine looks (and totally sweet red armor) with the ferocity and dedication of a medieval knight.
And she’s a Hunter, too.
The lissome Iriya has a unique task for which she seeks D’s help: she must execute the vampires that have been made from her very own family. It’s a terrifying quest for anyone to undertake, but Iriya is possessed of an nearly-unshakeable calm and confidence, utterly convinced of her extraordinary fighting skills. I must say, however, that she can be shaken, particularly with rage induced by the crude and sexist comments that come from the “countenanced carbuncle” that resides on D’s left hand! But it’s not all sleazy jokes and lighthearted sojourning for Iriya; her traumatic memories sometimes arise and take on the vivid sheen of current reality—so vivid, in fact, that even D can see them!
Author Hideyuki Kikuchi himself confesses that, in the past, he did not think much of women in horror, seeing them mostly either as present for sex appeal, or to induce the male hero to take up arms against whatever monstrous peril poses a threat. However, with this novel, Kikuchi vowed to question and challenge himself to fight the barriers both society and himself had placed on the role of female characters.
Iriya the Berserker, he writes, “represents [his] greatest resistance to the concept of the subordinate heroine”—and in the opinion of this writer, he succeeds tremendously, creating a rousing and exciting Vampire Hunter D story and a solid, engaging, and well-rounded character in Iriya. We can only hope that Kikuchi decides that he liked how this book went, and how it was received…and creates even more fabulous female characters to accompany the elegant vampire hunter on his travels!
Jemiah Jefferson
Editor

After more than a year, Vampire Hunter D is back with a new novel, vol. 23: Iriya the Berserker. 
 
This long-running series isn’t exactly known for having a constant barrage of strong female characters—and admittedly it’s hard for anyone to compete with the glamor of D himself. To paraphrase Captain Bryant in Blade Runner (“He say you vampire hunter!”), talk about beauty and the beast—D’s both. 

On the other hand, in the vampire hunter’s travels, there’s almost always a young lovely crossing his path, as well as frequent sharp-tongued older villager women providing a counterpoint to the testosterone-laden battles within the stories. However, this twenty-third adventure in the series, Iriya the Berserker, is named for its guest star: a true female warrior who combines feminine looks (and totally sweet red armor) with the ferocity and dedication of a medieval knight.

And she’s a Hunter, too.

The lissome Iriya has a unique task for which she seeks D’s help: she must execute the vampires that have been made from her very own family. It’s a terrifying quest for anyone to undertake, but Iriya is possessed of an nearly-unshakeable calm and confidence, utterly convinced of her extraordinary fighting skills. I must say, however, that she can be shaken, particularly with rage induced by the crude and sexist comments that come from the “countenanced carbuncle” that resides on D’s left hand! But it’s not all sleazy jokes and lighthearted sojourning for Iriya; her traumatic memories sometimes arise and take on the vivid sheen of current reality—so vivid, in fact, that even D can see them!

Author Hideyuki Kikuchi himself confesses that, in the past, he did not think much of women in horror, seeing them mostly either as present for sex appeal, or to induce the male hero to take up arms against whatever monstrous peril poses a threat. However, with this novel, Kikuchi vowed to question and challenge himself to fight the barriers both society and himself had placed on the role of female characters.

Iriya the Berserker, he writes, “represents [his] greatest resistance to the concept of the subordinate heroine”—and in the opinion of this writer, he succeeds tremendously, creating a rousing and exciting Vampire Hunter D story and a solid, engaging, and well-rounded character in Iriya. We can only hope that Kikuchi decides that he liked how this book went, and how it was received…and creates even more fabulous female characters to accompany the elegant vampire hunter on his travels!

Jemiah Jefferson
Editor

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