I’ve never read Akira, I must admit. I saw the movie, loved it, but I never actually finished reading Katsuhiro Otomo’s comic book. My bad. However, I was lucky enough to come across an imported edition of Domu, by the same author, in a bookstore in São Paulo. The edition that caught my eye was the English translation published by Dark Horse in 1996, with a cover price of $17.95. At the time, the exchange rate was favorable for us Brazilians, and “Domu” was quite reasonably priced in reais. I bought it to no regrets—what a story!
In “Domu” Katsuhiro Otomo explores the theme of psychic battles involving people with supernatural powers, an experiment that would reach its peak in the acclaimed “Akira,” made a few years later. The story takes place entirely in a middle-class apartment complex where strange, supposed suicides have been occurring for several years. The apartment complex is the standout feature of the artwork, a character in its own right. Otomo masterfully portrays the oppressive and decaying architecture of the place, and how this reflects on the lives of its residents. Another theme is the supposed innocence of the children who live there. Innocent? You have to look closer, Otomo is trying to tell us. In the end, it is the children who are the protagonists of the brilliant final sequence of “Domu.”
“Domu” wasn’t just a stepping stone to “Akira”; it’s a science fiction work in its own right. “Domu” and “Akira” have certainly influenced other works of fiction that deal with psychic powers. For example, the excellent Norwegian horror film “The Innocents” was heavily inspired by “Domu,” as its director Eskil Vogt has stated. The climax of “The Innocents” is practically a recreation of the final sequence of “Domu”.
I don’t think “Domu” was ever published in Brazil or reprinted in English. That Dark Horse comic with cover price of $17.95 in 1996? Today it goes for no less than $100 on Amazon!
Lucky me!
