I Am a Hero Koushiki Comic Anthology: 8 Tales of the ZQN

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: She is a Slow Walker

Japanese: アイアムアヒーロー公式アンソロジーコミック 8 TALES OF THE ZQN

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 1

Chapters: 8

Status: Finished

Published: Feb 15, 2016 to Apr 4, 2016

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Big Comic Spirits

Authors: Itou, Junji (Story & Art), Ishiguro, Masakazu (Story & Art), Ojiro, Makoto (Story & Art), Nogizaka, Tarou (Story & Art), Mizusawa, Etsuko (Story & Art), Yokoyari, Mengo (Story & Art), Yoshimoto, Kouji (Story & Art), Torikai, Akane (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 6.13¹ (scored by 1,668 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #19358²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #5380

Members: 4,051

Favorites: 4

6.13

Ranked #19358Popularity #5380Members 4,051

MangaBig Comic SpiritsItou, Junji (Story & Art), Ishiguro, Masakazu (Story & Art), Ojiro, Makoto (Story & Art), Nogizaka, Tarou (Story & Art), Mizusawa, Etsuko (Story & Art), Yokoyari, Mengo (Story & Art), Yoshimoto, Kouji (Story & Art), Torikai, Akane (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /1

Chapters: /8

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Synopsis

An anthology comic of I Am a Hero by various mangaka.

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Background

I Am a Hero Koushiki Comic Anthology: 8 Tales of the ZQN has been licensed in Spanish by Norma Editorial.

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Reviews

Oct 5, 2021

Pande91

Recommended

This anthology offers us 7 stories by 7 different mangaka in the universe of "I am a Hero" (IAAH), plus a making-of documentary that peeks into the life of mangaka Kengo Hanazawa before and during the serialization of IAAH. What this means is that you should expect varying levels of quality and shifts in mood between chapters, which might come across as unpleasant if you jump into this right after finishing IAAH.

1. Even If I Become a ZQN (Mizusawa Etsuko) - a short chapter that takes place around the climax of IAAH, following a couple who fret over their sex life as Hideo is doing ... his own thing. The art style is on the moe side and the mood is light and fluffy; if zombies weren't brought up, you'd think this wasn't about them at all.

2. Ghost of a Smile (Yokoyari Mengo) - a look into the relationship between Hiromi of IAAH and her supposed best friend Sae. Doesn't offer much that we haven't already seen; taken as a standalone work, it has nothing to do with zombies. Neat art. This and chapter 1 (very briefly) are the only chapters that directly relate to IAAH.

3. The Place Where the Zombies are (Ishiguro Masakazu) - a mostly satirical chapter on how the society of the living is addressing their zombie problem — some more..."affectionately" than others. The shift between the two stories is abrupt and I wouldn't have figured out that the girl is the common element if someone hadn't pointed it out. Art is OK.

4. Adolescence of the Dead (Ojiro Makoto) - probably the closest in tone and writing to IAAH, this oneshot follows two acquaintances stuck together taking shelter in a van during the outbreak. The art is among the best in this volume and I liked the dynamic of the two characters.

5. She is a Slow Walker (Ito Junji) - a classic Junji Ito story that, true to his style, combines horror with silliness and absurdity. The outcome is somewhat expected if you've read his works before, but it's still a fun chapter rife with references to other zombie media (especially old Italian zombie flicks) that Ito is such a big fan of. The art is his usual fare, including characters that look like pretty much every Ito man and woman does.

6. Mister Ogre, Over Here (Torikai Akane) - quite possibly the most intriguing story of the bunch. Can be interpreted as: a zombie story within the universe of IAAH; a metaphor for jealousy and regret leading to losing one's self; or (if taken as a standalone story) a story about a woman resorting to the services of a witch to gain what she wants. Excellent art.

7. I Am Not a Hero (Nogizaka Taro) - considering how it starts, I wasn't expecting much from this story, but it turns out surprisingly good in the end. Nogizaka's art syle is very distinct and I instantly recognized it from "Yuureitou". The last page features a neat callback to the title/main theme of IAAH.

8. I Am a Hero Untold Creation Story (Yoshimoto Kouji) - a look into how IAAH came to be, from Kengo Hanazawa's years in school to his career as a mangaka. Doesn't shy away from stating more "unsavory" details about IAAH's mangaka, such as him telling dirty jokes a lot, liking porn, and being awkward around women (an addition which is appreciated, considering that most notes about authors only feature nice or neutral stuff). The art style is reminiscent of early Disney in terms of proportions and facial expressions. Worth a read if you're interested in the backstory of IAAH and want to find out more about its mangaka. Incidentally, this is also the longest chapter in the manga.

All in all, if I were to categorize the chapters, it'd be so:
Excellent: 5 (She is a Slow Walker), 6 (Mister Ogre, Over Here)
Good: 4 (Adolescence of the Dead), 7 (I Am Not a Hero), 8 (I Am a Hero Untold Creation Story)
Decent: 1 (Even If I Become a ZQN)
Meh: 2 (Ghost of a Smile), 3 (The Place Where the Zombies are)

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Feb 13, 2025

Boozarda

Recommended

This series of short stories is based in the world of I AM A HERO, and therefore I would not recommend it unless you have actually finished that manga.

But for those of you who liked I AM A HERO, or just fans of the zombie genre in general, This is 100% recommended.

Not only do these short stories help make the world of I AM A HERO bigger, but they also take away from the usually action-heavy main plot and into some more casual and relatable stories.

Take for example, Ito Junji's short story about a couple who are really into zombie movies and ...

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Oct 24, 2019

Cloneable

Mixed Feelings

This is connected to "I am a Hero" in-name only. The stories are not set in the same fictional universe, and the work is more centred around the idea of zombies thematically, and uses the "I am a Hero" brand to draw in people who would otherwise pass over it. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think fans of IAAH should go in with their expectations appropriately tempered

It is in general a pretty mediocre group of stories. Several of them dont even include zombies. Chapter 1 for instance is basically just softcore porn, with only the barest hint of connection to a ...

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Poll: 8 Tales of the ZQN Chapter 8 Discussion ichii_1 - Oct 4, 2016	5 replies	by Pande91 »» Oct 5, 2021 2:24 AM
Poll: 8 Tales of the ZQN Chapter 7 Discussion ichii_1 - Oct 4, 2016	3 replies	by Pande91 »» Oct 5, 2021 2:03 AM
Poll: 8 Tales of the ZQN Chapter 6 Discussion ichii_1 - Sep 10, 2016	4 replies	by Pande91 »» Oct 5, 2021 1:41 AM
Poll: 8 Tales of the ZQN Chapter 5 Discussion Horrorreader91 - Aug 15, 2016	7 replies	by Pande91 »» Oct 5, 2021 1:24 AM
Poll: 8 Tales of the ZQN Chapter 4 Discussion ichii_1 - Sep 2, 2016	4 replies	by Pande91 »» Oct 5, 2021 1:02 AM

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