Review by Frank Plowright

Orochi 2 continues the hardcover presentation of stories by Kazuo Umezz originally serialised in Japan during 1969 and 1970. Orochi is a perpetually young woman with unusual abilities, somehow distanced from humanity and keen to observe people. She’s well intentioned, but her lack of understanding can result in distressing circumstances. It’s a clever concept, not least for Orochi remaining a mystery throughout Orochi 1.

‘Prodigy’ is the first of three stories of roughly the same length. It begins with a stabbed baby and continues through obsessive and cruel parenting. On and off Orochi observes the baby’s childhood and how he’s unknowingly tormented. Unlike the out and out horror of the previous book there’s a level of social realism to ‘Prodigy’, showing how a tragic incident can transform lives, and it builds towards a clever revelation explaining obsessions used throughout.

Shoichi Sugiyama is the opening subject studied in ‘Home’. He’s relatively young when he leaves his idyllic life in a rural village despite his mother’s distress, and when he returns years later Oroichi accompanies him. She takes a more direct role here than in previous stories as the focus moves away from Shoichi to a terrifying child. Although not without precedent in 1970, it was nowhere near the common horror feature of today, and this child is capable of withstanding Orochi’s otherwise formidable capabilities. It’s a weird and meandering trip, reflecting the questioning nature of its era, but delivers the full horrific jolt.

It would be hoped other aspects throughout are also of their era. Umezz certainly has no qualms about showing parents hitting their children with undue force, and bullying behaviour features in each of these three stories. While Umezz has already proved himself a master of horror stylings, this volume also calls for frequent scenes of ordinary life, which are clearly and attractively drawn.

The focus of the third story is a young child so badly behaved he’s known as Liar around his estate. It’s titled ‘Key’ after the essential evidence endangering his life, but the story is that of the boy who cried wolf. Umezz even satirises it by having Hiroyuki tell his classmates a Lion has escaped from the zoo. When he does witness an appalling act, such is his reputation not even his mother believes him. While the original fable supplied horror, it pales besides Umezz’s efforts in which Liar has effectively dug his own grave. Orochi watches him, but witnessing his poor conduct, she’s equally convinced he’s lying. Umezz ramps up the tension toward a brilliantly conceived and extended chase sequence.

There’s some similarity to the horror stories Osamu Tezuka produced around the same time, although the humanity always interests Tezuka more than the horror. The injection of it here, though, results in a different form of horror from the first volume, but equally creative. Bring on Orochi 3.