From Volume 2, Chapter 10, in Fuyumi Soryo’s 2005 manga series Cesare, which makes extensive reference to the Divine Comedy.
Learn more about Cesare here.
posted on August 27, 2020 by
Underworld – Saint Seiya
“The Underworld (冥界, Meikai) or Inferno (地獄, Jigoku) is the realm of the dead where souls are placed after death. What area the souls reside in are determined by the Three Judges. It is the habitat of all Specters, including the god Hades (in classic myth, it is also the second residence of Hades’s wife, Persephone).
The Meikai Underworld was created by Hades to forever punish humans for their crimes. No life is possible in the Underworld without the Eighth Sense (or special devices), as all things in the Underworld normally fall under the control of Hades. Specters are unaffected, and may enter and leave at the discretion of Hades because they wear Surplices.
As depicted by Masami Kurumada, the Underworld is composed of eight prisons, with further subdivisions (the 7th prison is divided in three valleys, the 8th in ten pits, the 9th in four regions). All of the Prisons correspond to the nine Circles of Hell depicted in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, which itself borrows heavily from Greek myths. In addition, it also contains the passage to the Elysian Fields, where only those chosen by the gods can go.” —Seiyapedia, September 12, 2018
Learn more about the Saint Seiya series here.
posted on January 1, 2019 by
Refund High School (2018)
The fantasy webcomic Refund High School by South Korean artist LICO features an infernal spirit named Dante (see image). Here is the synopsis of the comic, provided on the site webtoons.com: “Do you want a refund on your life? Start earning karma at The Refund High School to reincarnate as an ideal version of yourself.”
Contributor Savannah Mikus notes, “The students take a field trip to hell, specifically in Chapter 53 they visit “Glutton’s Hell” where the spirits have an insatiable hunger.”
Contributed by Savannah Mikus (Florida State University BA ’20, MA ’22)
posted on October 31, 2018 by
Devilman Lady Vol. 16 Chapter 7 – Demon Lord Dante
“Ryo Utsugi makes another appearance in one of Go Nagai’s works, ‘Devilman Lady‘. This time, he is the reincarnation of Dante Alighieri, Mao Dante. He can be found in Hell where Devilman Lady must combat him.” — Contributor Savannah Mikus
Check out the full chapter here. Devilman Lady Vol.16 was originally published by Kodansha on July 21st, 2000.
Click here for another post about Go Nagai’s 1971 manga Mao Dante.
Contributed by Savannah Mikus (Florida State University BA ’20, MA ’22)
posted on October 3, 2018 by
Go Nagai’s Dante Shinkyoku
“Dante Shinkyoku is a manga adaptation of Dante’s Inferno by Go Nagai. Nagai is faithful to the text, as he includes snippets of the original poem (in the vernacular). Though he chooses not to include the entire poem word for word, he shortens main ideas for the sake of comic style dialogue and transitions. He also includes an intro introducing the Guelphs and their struggle.” — Contributor Savannah Mikus
The full Dante Shinkyoku series (originally released in 1994-1995) is available to read online here.
Click here for a discussion of Go Nagai’s work in relation to three other Dante-inspired graphic novelists (article in Italian).
Contributed by Savannah Mikus (Florida State University BA ’20, MA ’22)
posted on September 8, 2013 by
Go Nagai, Mao Dante (1971)
Considered one of the most important authors of Japanese manga, Go Nagai is creator of a Dante-inspired comic series called Mao Dante (also known as Demon Lord Dante in English). Nagai published the first series in 1971, and he has revisited these Dantesque themes, characters, and images in several series since (among them his 1972 anime series Devilman). Nagai’s illustrations were originally inspired by the dramatic 19th century lithographs Gustave Doré produced for the Divine Comedy. In 2017, it was announced that J-Pop would re-release Mao Dante (see here).
See also Dante Today‘s posts on Nagai’s Dante Shinkyoku and Devilman Lady.
Click here for a discussion of Go Nagai’s work in relation to three other Dante-inspired graphic novelists (article in Italian).
Contributed by Andrea Sartori
