PART 38 of 52 ONESHOTS in 52 WEEKS
融内水の『アスクレピオス』 “Asklepios” by TORU Uchimizu
Asklepios is a manga series by Uchimizu Toru, which takes inspiration from the Greek figure of Asclepius, the God of Medicine. The three-volume manga follows a physician named Buzz, who is deemed a fugitive and heretic by the church of the land, for his so-called ‘unorthodox’ methods of treatment.
With a historical European setting, and a focus on medical science and religion, Asklepios was quite distinctive within the pages of Weekly Shounen Jump. The series commenced in September 2008, featuring alongside the likes of Bakuman, To Love Ru, and Toriko, but debuted in the magazine a year and a half earlier as a 54-page oneshot.
The church rules with absolute power in medieval Europe, patrolling the streets with ‘Holy Knights’ who condemn dissenters to death. At the top of their wanted list (and with a large bounty on his head), is the travelling surgeon Buzz, who is branded a ‘slashing demon’ due to stories of his excisions. Holy Knight Luca makes it his mission to capture Buzz and claim the bounty, in order to pay for his sister’s expensive medicine.
Although hearsay paints Buzz as a deranged slasher, he is in actuality an accomplished medical doctor. The oneshot’s chief intrigue is in Buzz’s modern approach to medical science in contrast to the medieval traditions of Hippocratic medicine, which the church adheres as the one true doctrine. Although it isn’t short on fantasy elements and shounen archetypes, Asklepios borrows a lot from real-life history. While there are certain liberties taken, the medical basis is cleverly implemented.
Buzz is a distinctive character, with a fascinating power residing in his hand that enables him to monitor a persons vital signs. He’s somewhat a medical vigilante, with his assistant Rosalee bringing the brawn. They are an entertaining duo, in spite of some fairly rudimentary characterisation, with Buzz’s history divulged in a rather casual monologue. Adversary Luca is perhaps the most developed character; the solider who executes the church’s hard-line rules for money rather than faith at first seems impenitent and arrogant, but reveals some humanity in his care for his sister. The character is right for the setting and is executed well with a selective morality, although his latter quandary about capturing Buzz or allowing him to operate could have been a more defining or testing moment had the character not been so non-aligned or easily defeated.
Despite some messy panels, the oneshot is generally well illustrated and is comparable to the Asklepios manga in quality, although the longer narrative and larger action pieces in the serial allow the author to stage more lavish spreads. Some of the oneshots most dramatic panels are during the lengthy surgery sequence, which sketch light and shadow with an impressive flare. All-in-all Asklepios is well woven and fulfilling in its execution; although it did go on to become a serial manga, it is clear author Toru wrote this initial version with the shorter format in mind. Set-up, conflict and resolution are all handily established, allowing the oneshot to be enjoyed alongside the manga rather than as a strict part of it.
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Morning, Roo 