About the manga

Crying Freeman is a seinen manga written by Koike Kazuo and drawn by Ikegami Ryoichi. The story delves deep into the pathos of Hinomura Yo's life, setting his compassionate heart against his nature as a consummate killer. It's a story told with extremes - extremes of violence, of sex, of personal honor. it's often a dark, morally complex manga. It's an enormous fantasy, for all that's it's set in the criminal underworld of modern Hong Kong.

It was originally serialized from 1986 to 1988 in Weekly Big Comic Spirits, a magazine published by Shogakukan and aimed at men between twenty and twenty-five.

A new translation of the manga is available from Dark Horse, printed right-to-left and published in five numbered volumes. It was previous published in seven flopped volumes from Viz Comics, but this edition is now out-of-print.

Manga-ka

Koike & Ikegami have also worked together on Aiueo Boy, Kizuoibito (Wounded Man), and Offered.

Koike's best known manga is probably Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), but some of his other works are Shura Yukihime (Lady Snowblood), Kubikiri Asa (Samurai Executioner), and Hanzo no Mon (Path of the Assassin).

Ikegami's other works include Sanctuary, Strain, Heat, and Mai the Psychic Girl.

Anime & movies

There is also a 5 volume OAV anime series available on DVD, competent but nowhere near the quality of the manga, as well as two live-action movies produced in Hong Kong and another French-Canadian production.