Aterui II Sei

Aterui II Sei(阿弖流為II世, Aterui Nisei) is a science-fiction manga drawn by Tetsuo Hara (原哲夫), written by novelist Katsuhiko Takahashi (高橋克彦), serialized in 2000 in the Comic GOTTA magazine published by Shogakukan. Contained in a single volume, this story blends archaeology, reincarnation and visitors from outer space, in a register far removed from the action shônen that made Hara famous.

Synopsis

In the mountains of Iwate Prefecture, archaeologist Kogami Ryuichi unearths a legendary sword, the "Dragon." But his discovery touches upon a state secret of the utmost importance; no sooner has he informed his fiancee Miyuki than he is murdered by men in black, and the site is razed to erase all traces.

The sword then begins to glow. Across twelve centuries, an ancient hero is reborn in Ryuichi's body: Aterui, a guardian once entrusted with protecting the "Dragon" from a destructive god. For those whom antiquity took to be gods were in truth visitors from outer space, divided between those who wished to coexist with humans and those who dreamed of enslaving them. Over twelve centuries, the descendants of the destructive gods blended in among the powerful of this world, politicians and men of influence, and are now preparing the final phase of their plan. Resurrected, Aterui heads to Tokyo to confront them.

A collaboration between two worlds

Aterui II Sei was born from the encounter between Tetsuo Hara and Katsuhiko Takahashi, a renowned novelist known in particular for his stories drawing on the history of northern Japan. The manga borrows its name and several figures from a real episode in that history, the resistance of chief Aterui against general Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, freely reinventing them within a purely science-fiction plot. Published in 2000 in Shogakukan's Comic GOTTA, the work marks Hara's foray outside his usual publishers, on a short and singular project.

A legendary saga with hidden depths

The ambition of Aterui II Sei goes beyond a simple action story. Katsuhiko Takahashi's script builds an alternate history where a single object of power, the "Dragon," would connect humanity's great myths: the Jomon civilization of northern Japan, Sumerian and Babylonian artifacts, or the legend of the Yamata no Orochi, the eight-headed serpent of the Kojiki. But the work also cultivates an offbeat humor, slipping in references to Japanese current events of the year 2000 right in the middle of solemn scenes, such as when the freshly reincarnated warrior god savors a carton of milk, an ironic allusion to a health scandal that was making headlines at the time. This balancing act between myth and satire, carried by Hara's very serious art style, gives the work its distinctive tone.