Kilico by Hirohiko Araki

Synopsis: Akira Yuusa is a though detective in Tokyo, he is renown for his brutal skills and rash thinking that always, somehow, solve the case. While walking down the street with his brother, his future changed. His brother got shot in plain daylight in the back of the head, his brains flew out in all and every possible direction, but Akira’s inner cop spot the culprit instantly, a female with dead looks and skills, and the chase begins. Will Akira be able to revenge his assassinated brother?.
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If you have been following my reviews through out the years you will know by now I like action, and if my action gets bloody, even better. But in this case Kilico offered me something more than that, and it delivered. It gave me thrills and goosebumps, it gave me cold hearted characters doing what they know best, kill. Some scenes had enough shocking power to just make you relax and laugh like a maniac and say: “Oh shit!”

The characters are very well rounded up, specially Kilico and Akira mainly because they are the primary characters, but some of the secondary characters need more attention since some of the question that rise during the story about the characters are never answered. Akira could use a little bit more of background but he works almost perfectly as he already is and Kilico is a true gem, with her past fully explained and future completely outlined. And the rivalry between Akira and Kilico is among one of the best, I think it is up there with the rivalry between Kakihara and Ichi from Koroshiya 1. Maybe it is not as violent but it sure doesn’t fall out short, it is right behind its heels. Rape scenes, stabbings, gunshots, mutilation, beheadings, heads exploding… You get the idea.

The art may throw you off at first but you will get quickly used to it and to its great action scenes as well as the camera that works for the best pretty much all the time. Character design is great too and really authentic basically because the battle scars remain through the amazing 4 volumes the series is composed of. There are times when it felt like I was reading something by Tsutomo Takahashi when in fact I was reading something by an unknown author to me: Koichi Kiba, who I must praise and thank for the great stuff here.

Kilico is one hell of a ride that everyone that likes to get their hands blood stained from the action should read. The story is solid, although it could have used a less rushed ending, the characters are cold, merciless yet full of life and desire and the art is unique and great for this kind of stories. If you don’t have anything to read right now, get it, if you are reading something right now, get it.