Shojo Tsubaki
This work is one of Suehiro Maruo’s signature pieces, based on the Showa-era street “kamishibai” story Shojo Tsubaki by Seiun Naniwa (21 volumes by All Gagekisha). The original tale, a standard at the time, depicted a poor girl who was separated from her parents and forced into a miserable life but eventually reunited with them and found happiness. Maruo transposed this plot to a freak show setting and added his signature “ero-guro” (erotic-grotesque) elements. The story was serialized in the erotic graphic magazine Manga Eros (by Tsukasa Books) from the August 1983 issue to the July 1984 issue. The decadent world created through Maruo’s astonishing artistic skill quickly became a topic of conversation within the alternative comics scene.
When the Shojo Tsubaki standalone volume was released by Seiringo in September 1984, it sold unusually well, causing a major stir in the underground scene. Its impact extended beyond the manga world, leading to adaptations such as an animated film Midori: The Girl in the Freakshow (directed by Etsuko Aki = Hiroshi Harada, 1992), the stage production Kaiten Hyakume Tenth Theater Performance Shojo Tsubaki (written and directed by Asuka Ishii, 2011), and the live-action film Shojo Tsubaki (directed by TORICO, 2016). It is well known that the protagonist of Shojo Tsubaki, Midori, influenced the character design of Rei Ayanami, the heroine of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The ero-guro, decadent, and retro world that Maruo depicts continues to attract young readers event today, with many being introduced to his work through Shojo Tsubaki. The work has been translated and published in countries such as France, Italy, and Taiwan, where it has garnered many dedicated fans. Maruo’s solo exhibitions in Japan are also packed with fans from overseas. The current edition of the book is available as Shojo Tsubaki: Revised Edition, published by Serindo.
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island
A comic adaptation of Edogawa Ranpo's masterpiece of the same name. While there have been many comic adaptations of Ranpo's works, The Strange Tale of Panorama Island had never been inked in manga form until this beautiful rendition of the unique and bizarre fantasy novel came to fruition. While staying faithful to the original work, the inclusion of Kogoro Akechi and other elements to delight Ranpo fans are sprinkled throughout. The depiction of the paradise of Panorama Island, crafted from fantasy and madness, is breathtakingly beautiful. Beneath that beauty lies a breath-stilling madness within the artificial structure, which unites and bursts forth in a rush of exhilaration, unfolding before your eyes as the ultimate visual spectacle. Suehiro Maruo's comic adaptation of The Strange Tale of Panorama Island, something no one had managed to do before, is a masterpiece that perfectly blends Ranpo's words, "The living world is a dream. The nocturnal dream is reality."
Began serialization in the July 2007 issue of Comic Beam. Published in book form in 2008 (KADOKAWA). In 2009, he was awarded the 13th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize New Artist Prize for his "richly decorative visualization of a world full of intoxication, madness, fantasy, and confusion, infusing it with a new charm. "
Putrid Night
Putrid Night (First published in Manga Hunter, April 1981)
Putrid Night: Oedipus' Black Bird (First published in Manga Piranha, December 1981)
Putrid Night: Chinkajyon (First published in Manga Kairaku, January 1982)
A trilogy published across different magazines between 1981 and 1982.
With a narrative backdrop influenced by Edogawa Ranpo's The Caterpillar and the works of Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, this series is an erotic-grotesque tale of forbidden love, rendered in breathtakingly detailed and beautiful brushstrokes reminiscent of Kasho Takabatake.
By intertwining deep-seated taboos of human nature with themes of indigenous sensuality and decadence, the works possess a hypnotic power—compelling the viewer to stare, even when they wish to look away.
Depicting the true nature of humanity as it emerges in the space between beauty and grotesquerie, these works have gained significant popularity overseas.
Alongside Shojo Tsubaki by Suehiro Maruo—an artist regarded as a leading figure in underground aestheticism comics that influenced the music and theater scenes of the time—this trilogy stands as an early, visually stunning yet highly controversial masterpiece.
Nonresistance City
Nonresistance City (First published in Monthly Manga Garo, May, June, November, and December 1993)
A mid-length work set in the black markets of postwar Tokyo. The opening reference to "the fair-skinned demon K, a serial rapist and murderer" alludes to the infamous death row inmate Yoshio Kodaira of the Kodaira Incident, who terrorized Japan at the time. His presence is mirrored in the enigmatic, deformed little man named Hirai, who persistently follows the protagonist, Setsuko. As she waits for a husband who never returned from the Guadalcanal campaign, Setsuko and her son struggle to survive in a world of starvation and despair. One day, Hirai suddenly appears, manipulating both her body and mind. Eventually, Setsuko unwittingly sells the flesh of her murdered son as skewered meat in the black market, unaware of its true nature. In a final devastating twist, she becomes pregnant with Hirai's child, descending into the depths of hell.
By portraying human figures against the backdrop of postwar misery and surreal horror, this mid-length work has been highly praised for its storytelling and is regarded as one of the artist's defining pieces from this period. Following this, the artist continued to create long-form narratives, including works based on original texts, demonstrating a growing ambition in storytelling.
Suehiro Maruo
Manga artist. Born in Nagasaki Prefecture in 1956. He began drawing on his own and debuted in 1980 with the short story Princess Knight. Since then, he has published numerous works in magazines such as Manga Eros and Garo, known for his unique style blending beauty with vulgar elements. His notable works include Shojo Tsubaki, The Strange Tale of Panorama Island, and Tomino no Jigoku (Tomino’s Hell). Maruo has won awards such as the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the Excellence Award from the Japan Cartoonists Association. His works have garnered a strong following not only in Japan but also worldwide, with many publications released in the U.S. and Europe.