Summary
Osamu Tezuka is beloved for many of the industry’s most iconic manga and anime franchises includingAstro Boy, Jungle Emperor Leo,and more. But his work onDororohas been increasingly popular among readers and viewers worldwide, between its 1969 anime adaptation, and the updated 2019 anime, among other adaptations. But one of the most striking works to spring forward from this seminal dark fantasy series isSearch & Destroy,a reimagined cyberpunk thrillerby Atsushi Kaneko,with volume #1 available on June 18, 2025.
Search & Destroywill be available to North American readers courtesy of Fantagraphics and MSX: Mangasplaining Extra. Many of the details ofSearch & Destroybear the DNA ofDororo, namely its protagonist, gender-swapped and renamed Hyaku, on a vengeful quest to take back what the world took from her, taking down robotic “creatures” and taking their organs.
But the commentary withinSearch & Destroy, alongside its homage toDororo,will resonate with readers in potentially unsettling ways,when the human elite and the creatures serving them are attacked, linking the young orphan Doro to Hyaku in unexpected ways.
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Previews Show a Thrilling Retro-Futuristic Take on Dororo
Cyberpunk and Even Atompunk Elements Are Present in Search & Destroy
Search & Destroyquickly asserts itself as a story where its protagonist’s rage propels them to ultraviolent acts, resulting in spectacular paneling benefiting immensely from a black-and-white manga presentation while still resembling the spirit ofDororo.This includes previews that detail one of the creatures guarding their employer from their cloaked assailant, Hyaku.The aesthetics smack of mid-twentieth-century visuals, including car designs and retrofuturistic weaponry, and glimpses of Doro wearing an ushanka, truly an alternate future post-Cold-War glimpse atDororo’sfeudal Japan.
“Kaneko-sensei populates a stunning, high-contrast setting that echoes postwar Cuba as much as Tokyo with an unforgettable cast of scrappy heroes and skin-crawling monsters on a nonstop ride full of action and suspense. This sly retelling updates the rebellious ’60s spirit of the original Dororo to the equally tumultuous 2020s to breathe new life into a timeless tale.”
-Eric Reynolds, Fantagraphics
The action and moody atmosphere only get more intense from there, though. Humans are seen almost as a delicacy for their organs, akin to rare or endangered animals. Atthe same time,Hyaku’s anger at her circumstances gives Doro reason to believe she still has humanity. Still, the premise ofDororobeing brought into an alternate Cold War setting with a practically unstoppable protagonist can potentially resonate with entirely new readers.
Atsushi Kaneko Brilliantly Reimagines Characters in Search & Destroy
Readers in the West Will Soon See Dororo in a New Light
The prospect of Hyakkimaru not only being reimagined as a female character but having prosthetics resembling a more modern take can resonate with readers in a meaningful way inSearch & Destroy. It showcasesa complicated and gritty look at humanity’s complicated relationship with machines. It is a running theme in Tezuka’s works, perhaps most notably in other series likeAstro Boy,which also got a modern reimagining withPluto.Recreations likeSearch & Destroyallow readers to examine the concepts introduced by Tezuka in a mindset that may engage even longtime fans in different ways from before.
“A mix of action, social commentary, and full-on rage, SEARCH & DESTROY is a timely and fresh take on Tezuka-sensei’s original manga that only Atsushi Kaneko could create. This is the story of a young woman, more machine than human, hunting and stealing body parts from some pretty deplorable beings.
-Christopher Butcher
Search & Destroyis set to be available just in time for San Diego Comic-Con, and its provocative themes, namely its presentation of the consequences of human conflict and those who choose to manipulate it, will strike a chord in the West. For readers craving more of a classicDororo, there’s the recent anime,one of the best adaptations of 2019, and 2018’sThe Legend of Dororo and Hyakkimaru, a more traditional remake. ButSearch & Destroyis a dark, atmospheric take onDororo, not losing sight of Tezuka’s vision while showcasing intense writing and brilliant artwork by Atsushi Kaneko.
Dororo
Cast
Dororo (2019) is a Japanese anime series based on Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga. Set in the Sengoku period, it follows the journey of Hyakkimaru, a young samurai whose body parts were sacrificed to demons by his father in exchange for power, and Dororo, a young thief. Together, they seek to recover Hyakkimaru’s stolen body parts by defeating the demons that possess them.
