Me and the Devil Blues (manga)

Me and the Devil Blues (Japanese: 俺と悪魔のブルーズ, Hepburn: Ore to Akuma no Burūzu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Hiramoto about the blues legend Robert Johnson. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon. The manga was licensed in North America by Del Rey Manga and in France by Kana. School Library Journal named Me and the Devil Blues as one of the best adult books for high school students in 2008. Me and the Devil Blues won the 2009 Glyph Comics Awards in the Best Reprint Publication category.

Me and the Devil Blues
Cover of the first English volume of Me and the Devil Blues as published by Del Rey Manga
俺と悪魔のブルーズ
(Ore to Akuma no Blues)
Genre
Manga
Written byAkira Hiramoto
Published byKodansha
English publisher
Magazine
  • Monthly Afternoon
  • (November 25, 2003–February 25, 2008)
  • Young Magazine the 3rd
  • (February 6, 2015–present)
DemographicSeinen
Original runNovember 25, 2003 – present
Volumes5

Manga

The manga takes its name from the title of the Robert Johnson song, "Me and the Devil Blues". It is written and illustrated by Akira Hiramoto. It was published in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon and was put on indefinite hiatus in 2008. The manga was transferred to Young Magazine the 3rd Magazine in 2014.[3] Kodansha has published the first five volumes between January 21, 2005, and July 6, 2015.[4][5]

In North America, Del Rey Manga released the first four volumes in a two-volumes-in-one format.[6][7] The first volume (containing volumes 1 and 2 of the Japanese editions) was published on July 29, 2008 and the second volume (containing volumes 2 and 4 of the Japanese editions) was published on December 30, 2008.[8][9] The manga is licensed in France by Kana.[10]

Volume list
No.TitleJapanese releaseEnglish release
1Cross Road Blues
Mayoigo no Jūjiro (迷い児の十字路)		January 21, 2005[4]
978-4-06-314365-2		July 29, 2008[8]
978-0-345-49926-4
  • "Hoodoo"
  • 1. "Cross Road Blues ①"
  • 2. "Cross Road Blues ②"
  • 3. "Cross Road Blues ③"
  • 4. "Cross Road Blues ④"
  • 5. "32-20 Blues ①"
232-20 Blues
San Jū Ni Kōkei o Migite ni (32口径を右手に)		August 23, 2005[11]
978-4-06-314388-1		July 29, 2008[8]
978-0-345-49926-4
  • 6. "32-20 Blues ②"
  • 7. "32-20 Blues ③"
  • 8. "32-20 Blues ④"
  • 9. "32-20 Blues ⑤"
  • 10. "32-20 Blues ⑥"
  • 11. "32-20 Blues ⑦"
  • 12. "32-20 Blues ⑧"
  • 13. "32-20 Blues ⑨"
3If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day
Kinshu no Machi (禁酒の町)		July 21, 2006[12]
978-4-06-314420-8		December 30, 2008[9]
978-0-345-50137-0
  • 14. "32-20 Blues ⑩"
  • 15. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ①"
  • 16. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ②"
  • 17. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ③"
  • 18. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ④"
  • 19. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ⑤"
  • 20. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ⑥"
4Hell Hound on My Trail
Jigoku no Ryōken ni Ogore (地獄の猟犬に奢れ)		September 21, 2007[13]
978-4-06-314467-3		December 30, 2008[9]
978-0-345-50137-0
  • 21. "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day ⑦"
  • 22. "Hell Hound on My Trail ①"
  • 23. "Hell Hound on My Trail ②"
  • 24. "Hell Hound on My Trail ③"
  • 25. "Hell Hound on My Trail ④"
  • 26. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑤"
  • 27. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑥"
  • 28. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑦"
5From Four Until Late
Yofuke no Hōkō (夜更けの彷徨)		July 6, 2015[5]
978-4-06-382572-5		—
  • 29. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑧"
  • 30. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑨"
  • 31. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑩"
  • 32. "Hell Hound on My Trail ⑪"
  • 33. "From Four Until Late ①"
  • 34. "From Four Until Late ②"

Reception

School Library Journal named Me and the Devil Blues as one of the best adult books for high school students in 2008.[14] The 2009 Glyph Comics Awards was awarded to Me and the Devil Blues for the Best Reprint Publication.[15] About.com's Deb Aoki lists Me and the Devil Blues as the best "underappreciated gem" of 2008 along with Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro.[16]

Anime News Network's Casey Brienza commends the manga for its "superb, historically accurate artwork and an intriguing, original story premise" but criticises the manga for its "painfully slow narrative pacing, silly plot points, and a whiff of unintentional bigotry".[17] About.com's Deb Aoki criticises the manga for its "lots of strong language, sex and graphic violence [which] makes this mostly an adult pleasure".[1] Mania.com's Nadia Oxford commends the manga for its "surreal mix of fantasy and reality" that portray what could have happened to Robert Johnson.[18] Comic Book Bin's Leroy Douresseaux commends the manga for its "stunning visuals, which Hiramoto composes using a variety of styles, techniques, and media".[19] Peter Gutiérrez from Graphic Novel Reporter comments on the manga's use of its "Faustian premise to work squarely in the Southern Gothic mode of the horror genre, Hiramoto then shifts the tempo and tone quite radically".[20] John Thomas from Comics Village commends Hiramoto for "his valiant attempt to bring a long-gone Southern bluesman's story to a modern Japanese audience".[21] Jason Thompson, in the online appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide, wrote "The passive protagonist and depressing narrative, coupled with a weak non-ending ... , make for a disappointing narrative, although the art is chilling and lovely and it has many fine page-turner sequences."[22]

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References
  1. Aoki, Deb. "Me and the Devil Blues Volume 1". About.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  2. Simonzi (February 10, 2018). "5 Reasons Seinen Fans Should Read 'Me and the Devil Blues'". GoBoiano. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  3. Nelkin, Sarah (August 9, 2014). "Young Magazine the 3rd Magazine's Line-Up Detailed". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  4. 俺と悪魔のブルーズ（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  5. 俺と悪魔のブルーズ（５） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  6. "Del Rey Confirms Manga, Novel, Fan Guide Licenses". Anime News Network. 2007-07-28. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  7. "Media Blasters, Del Rey Announce New Manga Licenses". Anime News Network. 2007-10-08. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  8. "Me and the Devil Blues 1: The Unreal Life of Robert Johnson". Amazon. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  9. "Me and the Devil Blues 2: The Unreal Life of Robert Johnson". Amazon. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  10. "Me and the Devil Blues" (in French). Kana. Archived from the original on May 8, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  11. 俺と悪魔のブルーズ（２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  12. 俺と悪魔のブルーズ（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  13. 俺と悪魔のブルーズ（４） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  14. "Me and the Devil Blues Wins School Library Journal's Award". Anime News Network. 2008-12-02. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  15. "Me and the Devil Blues Manga Wins Glyph Comic Award". Anime News Network. May 18, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  16. Aoki, Deb. "2008 Best New Manga". About.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  17. Brienza, Casey (September 1, 2008). "Me and the Devil Blues GN 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  18. Oxford, Nadia (July 18, 2008). "Manga Review: Me and the Devil Blues". Mania.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  19. Douresseaux, Leroy (July 31, 2008). "Me and the Devil Blues: The Unreal Life of Robert Johnson, Book One". Comic Book Bin. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  20. Gutiérrez, Peter. "Me and the Devil Blues 1 and 2". graphicnovelreporter.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  21. Thomas, John. "Me and the Devil Blues Volume 1". Comics Village. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  22. Thompson, Jason (August 3, 2010). "365 Days of Manga, Day 314: Me and the Devil Blues". Suvudu.com. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
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