View source for Baoh the Visitor

{{PTabs|base=Baoh the Visitor|Manga (1984)|width=7em|s=Baoh}}{{PTabs|base=Baoh the Visitor (OVA)|OVA (1989)|width=7em}}{{PTabs|base=Baoh the Visitor Original Soundtrack|Soundtrack|width=7em}}
{{Manga Infobox
|title           = ''Baoh the Visitor''
|image           = [[File:Baoh Volume 002.png|{{ImageSize}}]]
|ja_kanji        = バオー来訪者
|ja_romaji       = Baō Raihōsha
|altname         = Baoh the Caller<ref>[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0096891/?ref_=m_ttmi_tt Baoh the Caller - IMDb]</ref>
|author          = [[Hirohiko Araki]]
|genre           = {{W|Action fiction|Action}}, {{W|Horror fiction|Horror}}, {{W|Science fiction}}
|date            = October 9, 1984 – February 12, 1985
|chapters        = [[Baoh Chapter 1|1]] - [[Baoh Chapter 9|9]]<br />1 - 17 {{S|[[Weekly Shonen Jump|WSJ]]}}{{Ref-Note|Some chapters were fused together for volumization.}}
|volume          = 2
|publish         = {{Flag|Japan}} [[Shueisha]]<br />{{Flag|USA}} [[VIZ Media]]
|demo            = ''{{W|Shonen manga|Shonen}}''
|magazine        = [[Weekly Shonen Jump]]
|colors          = Baoh
}}
{{Quote|His touch signifies death! This is... '''Baoh'''!|{{Ch|Baoh Chapter 1}}}}
{{Nihongo|'''''Baoh the Visitor'''''|バオー来訪者|Baō Raihōsha}} is a manga written and illustrated by [[Hirohiko Araki]]. It was originally serialized in ''[[Weekly Shonen Jump]]'' with seventeen chapters from October 1984 to February 1985. In September 1985, it was compiled into two ''{{W|tankōbon}}'' volumes with nine chapters. It later released as one ''{{W|bunkoban}}'' volume on June 16, 2000.<ref>https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/荒木-飛呂彦/dp/4086174863</ref>

The manga was licensed in English and released in monthly chapter issues by [[VIZ Media]] in 1990. As it was financially unsuccessful, it was not until 1995 that it was re-released in a volume format.<ref name="ANN">[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2010-12-23 AnimeNewsNetwork]</ref> An [[Baoh (OVA)|OVA adaptation]] of the series by {{W|Pierrot (company)|Studio Pierrot}} released on September 16, 1989.

Seventeen-year-old [[Ikuro Hashizawa]] can transform into the parasitical bio-weapon, Baoh, gaining superhuman strength and other abilities such as emitting corrosive substances and discharging electricity. He escapes from the secret [[Dress Organization]] along with a young psychic girl, [[Sumire]], and the two must face various assassins sent by the organization to kill him.

==Summary==
===Prologue===
[[File:Baoh plot prologue.jpg|thumb|280px|The mysterious bioweapon "Baoh" appears]]
One day, the mangled corpse of a woman washes up on a northeastern shore of {{W|Rikuchū Province|Rikuchu}}, Japan. The dead woman is revealed to have been on a certain train several days earlier.

On said train, [[Dr. Kasuminome]] of the [[Dress Organization]], a covert government group responsible for creating secret weapons, escorts one of his latest creations, [[Ikuro Hashizawa|Baoh]], kept dormant in a tank. Meanwhile, a little psychic girl named [[Sumire]], who was kidnapped to be studied, escapes from her room. During her escape, she releases Baoh, revealed to be a young man with superhuman abilities. Baoh and Sumire subsequently escape the train, and Kasuminome fears that he may have unleashed a terrible weapon on the world before its prime.

===Ikuro on the Run===
[[File:Baoh plot on the run.jpg|280px|thumb|left|Ikuro battles various assassins and monsters]]
Kasuminome immediately calls for an assassin to kill Baoh. Later, the boy and Sumire try to bond with each other, but a knife wielding assassin named [[22nd Man]] stabs the former, forcing the duo to steal a motorbike and flee. The assassin reports his failure, and is ordered to gather more of his comrades to finish off Baoh before his power fully awakens. It is revealed that the boy, [[Ikuro Hashizawa]], doesn't remember how he obtained his uncanny strength and regeneration. 22nd Man soon attempts a second murder, slicing Ikuro's throat, but it only awakens Baoh, who dissolves the assassin before returning to human form.

Later, a death squad is already searching for Ikuro and Sumire, who are busy betting on horse races to acquire money. Meanwhile, Kasuminome explains to his sponsors the [[Baoh (Parasite)|Baoh parasite]], which grants supernatural strength and abilities to its host, growing in power the longer it stays within them. To demonstrate its potential, he pits a little [[Baoh Dog|Baoh dog]] against a tiger, a battle which the dog handily wins before being put down. If the parasite within Ikuro were to reach its imago stage, it would lay its eggs within his body and threaten to spread across the world. Meanwhile, Ikuro and Sumire have settled inside an abandoned building, Ikuro sensing that something inside of him is changing. The death squad attacks the duo, but Ikuro transforms again into Baoh, decimating the squad. Unbeknownst to him, he is observed by [[Martin's Master|another assassin]].

Baoh senses the assassin, who reveals himself as a beastmaster commanding a heavily modfied giant mandrill named [[Martin]]. Due to its strength and many weapons hidden inside his body, Martin is more than a match for Baoh. Sumire, having sensed that Ikuro's humanity is still intact inside of Baoh, tries to stop the assassin from controlling Martin, only to be hurt. Enraged, Baoh finally overpowers Martin and kills both the beast and his master, healing and turning back into Ikuro.

===Sumire Taken Hostage===
[[File:Baoh plot sumire hostage.jpg|280px|thumb|Sumire is taken hostage by Dress]]
Walking through the mountains, Ikuro explains to Sumire that after a deadly car collision, Ikuro and his parents were heavily injured and taken to the hospital six months ago. Unfortunately, the doctor was linked to Dress, looking for guinea pigs at the time. Kasuminome callously killed Ikuro's parents under his eyes and took him away to inject the Baoh parasite inside of him. Back to the present, an old couple living in the area gives Ikuro and Sumire shelter and food. But during a moment the old man, [[Rokusuke]], is isolated, Dress's [[Dordo|Lieutenant-Colonel Dordo]] hypnotizes the old man into shooting Ikuro in the head with his hunting rifle at the stroke of midnight.

Dordo watches the house until midnight strikes. Rokusuke wakes up and tries to shoot Ikuro, who transforms into Baoh but senses that the old man is not his true enemy. Jumping through the roof, Baoh confronts Dordo, who disables all of his sensory organs through chemicals released by a swarm of [[Aroma Bats]]. Thankfully, Rokusuke has come to his senses and, guided by Sumire, shoots down the bats despite taking a bullet. Baoh confronts Dordo and mortally wounds him, only to reveal his heavily-modified cyborg body. The unharmed Dordo kidnaps Sumire to use her as bait, and escapes with a delta plane to one of Dress's headquarters near Sanriku. Ikuro is determined to free Sumire, but risks unleashing the beast inside of him for good.

Going away on a motorcycle given by the couple, Ikuro deems it necessary to learn to control his power first to have a chance to save Sumire. Meanwhile, Kasuminome chastises Dordo for his perceived failure and the danger of giving Baoh time to grow stronger. Meanwhile, Ikuro is forced to save a [[Aya (Baoh)|trapped girl]] from a speeding train and is pushed into managing to activate his acid touch without fully transforming. Humiliated by his hierarchy, Dordo goes out to snipe Ikuro, but his attempt is foiled when Ikuro harnesses Baoh's super senses and strength to evade the bullets without transforming. Meanwhile, Sumire is experimented on, but the scientists cannot make her cooperate. Sumire is terrifed at the sight of a hulking Native American named [[Walken]], however—Walken's extraordinary psychic powers allow him to manipulate and destroy objects at a molecular level, making him one of the most dangerous men in the world.

===Ikuro vs. Walken===
[[File:LaserBeam.JPG|thumb|180px|Baoh with a laser weapon]]
Taken back to the headquarters, Dordo is executed by Walken for his failure, being atomized into dust. To lure Baoh, Kasuminome purposefully tortures Sumire, whose distress is detected by Ikuro. Transforming into Baoh once more, Ikuro scales the seaside cliff leading to a vulnerable side of the facility and rampages through the security staff and Kasuminome's deadly traps. He is soon confronted by Walken, who corners Baoh by trapping his arm within a wall. Nonetheless, Baoh manages to stab Walken's brain by slicing off his trapped arm and launching one of his arm blades, tearing the warrior's limiter headband in two in the process.

With Walken defeated, Baoh finally reaches Sumire, only to be welcomed by a flurry of laser beams targeted at Sumire. Baoh rescues Sumire, healing her wounds from the attack with his blood. Seeing that Baoh is cornered, Kasuminome sets the facility's self-destruct sequence in motion. As Kasuminome rushes to his escape pod, the other scientists encounter Walken during their escape, his power and thirst for revenge now beyond measure. As Sumire awakens, Walken finds her and Baoh, destroying the floor beneath them. All three of them, as well as Kasuminome within his escape pod, fall into the limestone cavern beneath the facility. After telling Sumire to flee, Baoh uses one of the lasers from her torture chamber to slice Walken in two, fatally wounding Kasuminome with a fallen stalactite in the process. The cavern then collapses as the facility self-destructs, putting an end to both Dress and its final creation.

Naturally, the explosion received little attention on the news, the cause being attributed to a pharmaceutical company's mishandling of materials. The Dress Organization was never mentioned. Some time later, an older Sumire has been taken in by the old couple and given a new, happier life. She senses that Ikuro is dormant, but alive, waiting at the bottom of the sea. When she turns seventeen, Sumire confidently predicts, he will reawaken and return to her.

==Characters==
{{CBox|Title=Characters from ''{{White2|Baoh the Visitor}}''|bg=Baoh3|bg2=Baoh2|
{{Char|Av=IkuroAv.png|Av2=IkurohAvOVA.png|Name=Ikuro Hashizawa|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Main Protagonist}} <!-- MAIN PROTAGONIST -->
{{Char|Av=Sumire Av.jpg|Av2=SumireAvOVA.png|Name=Sumire|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Ally}} <!-- MAIN TEAM -->
{{Char|Av=NozzoAv.jpg|Av2=NozzoAvOVA.png|Name=Sunny Stefen Nozzo|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Ally}}
{{Char|Av=KasuminomeAv.jpeg|Av2=KasuminoneAvOVA.png|Name=Dr. Kasuminome|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Main Antagonist}} <!-- MAIN ANTAGONIST -->
{{Char|Av=SophineAv.jpeg|Av2=SophineAvOVA.png|Name=Sophine|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}} <!-- ANTAGONISTS -->
{{Char|Av=No22Av.jpeg|Av2=22AvOVA.png|Name=22nd Man|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=MartinsmasterAv.jpeg|Name=Martin's Master|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=MartinAv.jpeg|Name=Martin|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=DordoAv.jpeg|Av2=DorudoAvOVA.png|Name=Dordo|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=AromaBatsAv.png|Name=Aroma Bats|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonists}}
{{Char|Av=BaohCainAv.jpeg|Av2=BaohCainAvOVA.png|Name=Cain and Bloody|SName=Cain|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=BoahBloodyAv.jpeg|Av2=BoahBloodyAvOVA.png|Name=Cain and Bloody|SName=Bloody|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=Walken Av.jpg|Av2=WalkenAvOVA.png|Name=Walken|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Antagonist}}
{{Char|Av=BaohOldmanAv.jpeg|Name=Rokusuke|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Ally}} <!-- OTHER ALLIES -->
{{Char|Av=BaohOldwomanAv.jpeg|Name=Rokusuke's Wife|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Ally}}
{{Char|Av=MaskedMenBaohAv.jpeg|Av2=BaohMaskedMenAvOVA.gif|Name=Masked Men|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Neutral}} <!-- OTHER CHARACTERS -->
{{Char|Av=BaohDogAv.png|Av2=BaohDogAvOVA.png|Name=Baoh Dog|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Neutral}}
{{Char|Av=BaohShirasawaAv.jpeg|Name=Shirasawa|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Neutral}}
{{Char|Av=BaohAyaAv.jpeg|Name=Aya (Baoh)|SName=Aya|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2|Status=Neutral}}
{{Char|Av=BaohMotherAv.jpeg|Av2=BaohMotherAvOVA.png|Name=Ikuro's Parents|SName=Ikuro's Mother|Status={{Flash}}|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BaohFatherAv.jpeg|Av2=BaohFatherAvOVA.png|Name=Ikuro's Parents|SName=Ikuro's Father|Status={{Flash}}|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
}}
{{CBox|Type=M|bg=Baoh3|bg2=Baoh2|
{{Char|Av=BaohSoldiersAv.jpeg|Av2=SoldierAvOVA.png|Name=Dress Soldiers|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BaohTobaccoVendorAv.jpeg|Name=Tobacco Vendor|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BaohMountaineersAv.gif|Name=Mountaineers|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BaohFishermenAv.jpeg|Name=Fishermen|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BaohGuardsAv.jpeg|Name=Dress Guards|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BaohSpiderAv.jpeg|Name=Sap Spiders|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
{{Char|Av=BoahDoctorAv.jpeg|Name=Dress Doctor|Status={{Flash}}|Color=Baoh|Color2=Baoh2}}
}}

{{Ed|Template:Misc Character Table}}

==Volumes==
{{Vol
|Part      = Baoh
|Vol       = 1
|Title     = Baoh, the Invincible Body
|JPTitle   = 無敵の肉体バオー
|Romaji    = Muteki no Nikutai Baō
|Date      = September 10, 1985<ref name="release">http://jinbei.s58.xrea.com/data_book_araki4.htm</ref>
|ISBN      = 978-4-08-851029-3
|Image     = [[File:Baoh_Volume_001.png|150px]]
|Image2    = [[File:Baoh_Volume 1 Back.jpg|150px]]
|Total     = 5
|Total2    = 8
|Tabs      = 2
|Start     = 1
|Start2    = 1
|Type1     = Revised
|Type2     = WSJ
|C1-1      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 1}}
|C1-2      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 2}}
|C1-3      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 3}}
|C1-4      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 4}}
|C1-5      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 5}}
|C2-1      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 1}}|最終兵器バオー|Saishū Heiki Baō}}
|C2-2      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 2}}|抹殺指令!|Massatsu Shirei!}}
|C2-3      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 3}}|バオー{{Ruby|犬|ドッグ}}|Baō Doggu}}
|C2-4      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 4|Baoh Chapter 3}}|無敵の肉体|Muteki no Nikutai}}
|C2-5      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 5|Baoh Chapter 3}}|殺意の{{Ruby|におい|、、、}}|Satsui no Nioi}}
|C2-6      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 6|Baoh Chapter 4}}|凶獣マーチン|Kyōjū Māchin}}
|C2-7      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 7|Baoh Chapter 4}}|人工進化|Jinkō Shinka}}
|C2-8      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 8|Baoh Chapter 5}}|六助じいさん|Rokusuke-jiisan}}
}}
{{Vol
|Part      = Baoh
|Vol       = 2
|Image     = [[File:Baoh Volume 002.png|150px]]
|Image2    = [[File:Baoh_Volume 2 Back.jpg|150px]]
|Title     = Demon Walken
|JPTitle   = 魔人ウォーケン
|Romaji    = Majin Wōken
|Date      = November 8, 1985<ref name="release" />
|ISBN      = 978-4-08-851030-9
|Total     = 4
|Total2    = 9
|Tabs      = 2
|Start     = 6
|Start2    = 9
|Type1     = Revised
|Type2     = WSJ
|C1-1      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 6}}
|C1-2      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 7}}
|C1-3      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 8}}
|C1-4      = {{Ch4|Baoh Chapter 9}}
|C2-1      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 9|Baoh Chapter 6}}|アロマ・バット|Aroma Batto}}
|C2-2      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 10|Baoh Chapter 6}}|サイボーグ・ドルド中佐|Saibōgu Dorudo-chūsa}}
|C2-3      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 11|Baoh Chapter 7}}|{{Ruby|怪物|バオー}}よ出でよ|Baō yo Ide yo}}
|C2-4      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 12|Baoh Chapter 8}}|魔人ウォーケン|Majin Wōken}}
|C2-5      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 13|Baoh Chapter 9}}|分子振動！|Bunshi Shindō!}}
|C2-6      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 14|Baoh Chapter 9}}|ネペンテスの罠|Nepentesu no Wana}}
|C2-7      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 15|Baoh Chapter 9}}|戦士の化粧|Senshi no Keshō}}
|C2-8      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 16|Baoh Chapter 9}}|最後の切り札|Saigo no Kirifuda}}
|C2-9      = {{Nihongo|{{MagCh2|Baoh Chapter 17|Baoh Chapter 9}}|闇に沈め！|Yami ni Shizume!}}
}}

==Adaptations==
===OVA===
{{Main|Baoh the Visitor (OVA)}}

The series was adapted into a single-episode original video animation (OVA) by Studio Pierrot in 1989; licensed for an English DVD release by AnimEigo in 2000, delayed until finally released in 2002.

==Author's Note==
===Volume 1===
{{#lsth:Baoh Volume 1|Author's Note}}
===Volume 2===
{{#lsth:Baoh Volume 2|Author's Note}}

==Afterword==
{{Note|Part=Baoh
|Name        = Baoh the Visitor [[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Paperback Edition)|Paperback Edition]] Afterword
|Transcript  = 本作品『バオー来訪者』執筆から、わたしは仕事場を故郷の仙台から東京に移した。それまでの作品は、故郷の自宅でひとりで描いていたわけだ。そして、現在のようにＦＡＸや性能のいいコピー機があって、新幹線で約2時間で編集部まで行かれてたなら、仕事場をもしかしたら東京に移していなかったかもしれない、とも思う。
でも『バオー』連載時の一九八四年当時は、やっと宅配便のシステムが出来た程度で、故郷で仕事するのは、時間的にもう限界に来ていた。夏、あついのはヤだし、土地は狭そうだし（現在でもけっこう慣れてない）上京するのはいやだったけれど、背中をドンと押されて上京したというわけだ。
そして今、思い返すと、上京して良かったと思う点しかあがらない。<br/><br/>まず、やっぱり人間だ。いろんな考えや情報を持った人と知りあえて、いろんな物の見方にショックを受けて、見たり聞いたり出来たので、勉強という点では最大にプラスになっている。見た事もない画家やデザイナーの本が売ってるし、食べた事もない料理に夢中になった。<br/><br/>フランク・フラゼッタとかエンキ・ビラル、アントニオ・ロペスといった画家は、本当に好きになった。ミッソーニとかヴェルサーチといったデザイナーの店の美しさやセンスのよさにビックリした。それと、ＭＴＶのテレビ番組も深夜やってて、マドンナとか黒人ラップとかも初めて見た。
わたしの前作『魔少年ビーティー』からの作品的な課題で「自分なりの絵をどう描くか？」それをひきずって上京したわたしは、研究したり勉強したり「やる事がいっぱいあるなあ」と思った。<br/><br/>『バオー来訪者』のアイデア自体は、仙台の時からあって、「魔少年ビーティー』で「知力」の闘いを描いたから、次作は「肉体」をテーマにして設定と主人公をつくってみようと思っていた。一九八四年当時{{Ruby|のし|・・}}て来た、クローンだとか遺伝子操作の科学技術で、生物兵器を作ってる話にしよう。主人公が使うワザは、ちゃんと生物学的に、誇張はしてても筋道が通ったモノでなくてはいけない。そして、それをロックのリズムでストーリーが展開していく様に描こう。そう思った。東京に来てから見たＭＴＶとかの{{Ruby|ノリ|・・}}の様にギャアーーンだとかバルバルバルだとかドッバァァァァンとかいった、生命感あふれるノリ。<br/><br/>そして連載が始まり、どんどん話をすすめていくと、描いているうちに「遺伝子」ってなんて不思議でスバらしいメカニズムであると同時に、なんか悲しいところもあるなあと感じるようになって来た。たぶん、運命のようなものが遺伝子の中に存在するからかもしれない。
よく『バオー来訪者』の続きは描かないのですか？と、完結後10年くらい言われた。でも、『バオー』のラストは、ここで「終わり」を保っとくのが一番いいと、自分では思っている。主人公の女の子が、希望をいだきながら成長していく。未来のことは希望の中にこそあると、自分は描いている途中で感じ、そしてこのラストは、生命の讃歌として、この２年後の作品『ジョジョの奇妙な冒険』が受け継いでいると自分では思う。<br/><br/>最後に「自分なりの絵をどう描ーか？」という『魔少年ビーティー』からの課題も、これからもずっと研究して修業していくのかな？　と希望の中に思っているというわけ。<br/><br/>
本書のロ絵の４色カラーは、（たぶん集英社のビル建て直しの時だと思う）原稿が紛失してしまって、どうしても見つからない。しかし、だからあえて発表当時のジャンプの表紙として載せる事にした。という事で、もう存在しないわけ…。
|Translation = When I started writing ''Baoh the Visitor'', I moved my workplace from my hometown of Sendai to Tokyo. Up until that point, I had been working alone, drawing at my own house. If I had a fax machine and an efficient photocopier like I do now, and could get to the editorial department in about two hours via bullet train, perhaps I wouldn’t have moved.

However, at the time ''Baoh'' began serialization in 1984, courier services had barely been established in Sendai, so my work schedule was already constrained. I didn't want to move to Tokyo in the summer because of the hot and humid weather, as well as the small size of the place (which I'm still not used to), but after some encouragement I took the plunge. And now, looking back, I can only remember the positives of coming to Tokyo.

Firstly, the people there were human, too. I got to know people with different ideas and information, and was shocked at the different ways of looking at things, and being able to see and hear new things was the biggest plus in terms of studying. There were books on sale by painters and designers I had never seen before, and I became obsessed with food I had never eaten before. I really admired the painters Frank Frazetta, Enki Bilal, and Antonio Lopez. I was surprised by the beauty and fashion sense of designer stores like Missoni and Versace. I also watched MTV shows late at night, and I got to see performances of Madonna and African American rap music for the first time. I brought the question I had been pondering since my previous work, ''[[Cool Shock B.T.]]'', with me to Tokyo: "How can I develop my own art style?" As I studied, I realized I had a lot of work to do.

The idea for ''Baoh the Visitor'' came to me while I was working in Sendai. Since I had depicted an "intellectual conflict" in ''Cool Shock B.T.'',  I thought about creating a setting and protagonist based on the theme of "the body" for my next work. I wanted to write a story about the topic of creating biological weapons using the cloning and genetic engineering techniques already available in 1984. The abilities used by the protagonist had to be sufficiently biological and logical, even if they were exaggerated. I also wanted to depict the story's progression with a similar rhythm to rock music. That's what it felt like to me, anyway. It had to be like the groove I'd seen on MTV since I came to Tokyo, full of the shrieks, the crescendos, the "Barubarubarubaru!" of life.

Once serialization began and the story progressed, I began to feel that, while genes could be a strange and wonderful concept, there's also something sad about them. Perhaps something like fate exists within one's own genes. For around ten years after its conclusion, I was often asked whether I would continue ''Baoh the Visitor''. However, I think it's best to keep the end of ''Baoh'' here. The heroine, a young girl, grows up with a sense of hope for the future. I drew the last chapter with the feeling that the future is driven by hope, and I believe this "ode to life" was inherited by a work I started two years later, ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]''. In regard to that art style challenge I had during my ''Cool Shock B.T.'' days, I wonder if I'll continue to study and hone my skills from here on? In that regard, I'm hopeful for the future.

I lost the manuscript for the full-color illustration of this book at some point, probably when the Shueisha building was being renovated, and I haven't been able to find it since. That's why I decided to use a magazine cover from the time of its publication. In other words, the original cover doesn't exist anymore...
}}

==Gallery==
{{Tabber
|Manga|
{{Tabber
|Japanese|
<gallery>
WSJ1984No45C.jpg|''[[Weekly Shonen Jump]]'' October 22, 1984
BaohJumpComics1.png|Volume 1, clean cover artwork
BaohJumpComics2.png|Volume 2, clean cover artwork
BaohSpineC.png|Baoh: The Visitor Spine Illustration
FanroadMay1986.jpg|Fanroad Magazine 1986
FanroadMay1986C.png|Fanroad Magazine 1986, clean cover artwork
BaohBunkoCover.png|Bunkoban Cover
</gallery>
|English|
<gallery>
Baoh Viz Issue 1.png|Issue #1 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 2.png|Issue #2 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 3.png|Issue #3 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 4.png|Issue #4 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 5.png|Issue #5 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 6.png|Issue #6 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 7.png|Issue #7 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 8.png|Issue #8 of VIZ Media's release of Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Manga English 1.jpg|Volume 1 Cover (US)
Baoh Manga English 2.jpg|Volume 2 Cover (US)
</gallery>
|Italian|
<gallery>
Baoh Manga Italy 1.jpg|Original Paperback Release Volume 1 Cover (IT)
Baoh Manga Italy 2.jpg|Original Paperback Release Volume 2 Cover (IT)
Baoh Manga Italy 3.jpg|Original Paperback Release Volume 3 Cover (IT)
Universe of Hirohiko Araki Italian.png|Bunkoban Re-Release through the "Bizarre Universe of Hirohiko Araki" Collection (IT)
Bunkoban Re-Release cover through the "Bizarre Universe of Hirohiko Araki" Collection (IT).jpeg|Bunkoban Re-Release cover through the "Bizarre Universe of Hirohiko Araki" Collection (IT)
</gallery>
|Spanish|
<gallery>
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 1.jpg|Issue #1 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 2.jpg|Issue #2 (1992-1993 Original Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 3.jpg|Issue #3 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 4.jpg|Issue #4 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 5.jpg|Issue #5 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 6.jpg|Issue #6 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 7.jpg|Issue #7 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spanish First Release 8.jpg|Issue #8 (1992-1993 Original SP Release)
Baoh Manga Spain.jpg|Volume 1 Cover of the newer 2019 SP Release
</gallery>
}}
|OVA|
{{Tabber
|Japanese|
<gallery>
BAOH Ova Image.jpg|VHS Tape Cover (JP)
BaohAnimeVideoPackage.png|Cover Artwork for Baoh Anime Video
BaohTheVisitor.jpg|DVD Cover (JP)
BaohTheVisitorLaserDisc.jpg|LaserDisc Cover (JP)
BaohOST.jpg|CD Soundtrack Jacket Cover
Baoh1989CDJacket.png|CD Soundtrack Jacket, Raw Cover
</gallery>
|English|
<gallery>
BaohVHS US.jpg|VHS Tape Cover (US)
BaohOVAdvd.jpg|DVD Cover (US)
BaohLaserDiscUS.png|LaserDisc Cover (US)
</gallery>
|Italian|
<gallery>
Baoh OVA Italy.jpg|Cover art of the Italian release of Baoh: The Visitor on DVD
BAOH OVA Italy 2.jpeg
</gallery>
}}
|Merchandise|
<gallery>
PIIT Baoh the Visitor Graphic 1.jpg|[[PIIT]] T-Shirt (Cyan)
PIIT Baoh the Visitor Graphic 2.jpg|PIIT T-Shirt (Gray)
PIITPromoSeries.jpg|PIIT Logo
</gallery>
|Other|
{{Tabber
|Japanese|
<gallery>
Baoh Promotional Poster.png|Laserdisc Promotional Print
BaohPostcard.png|VHS Postcard Illustration #1
BAOH postcard1.jpg|VHS Postcard Illustration #2
BAOH postcard2.jpg|VHS Postcard Illustration #3
JumpRemixBaohBT.png|Jump Remix Edition featuring Baoh and [[Cool Shock B.T.]]
</gallery>
|English|
<gallery>
Araki English Baoh Author's Note.png|Hirohiko Araki Biography Summary from the back of issue #1
Baoh Viz Issue 1 Back.png|Back of Issue #1 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 2 Back.png||Back of Issue #2 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 3 Back.png|Back of Issue #3 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 4 Back.png|Back of Issue #4 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 5 Back.png|Back of Issue #5 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 6 Back.png|Back of Issue #6 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 7 Back.png|Back of Issue #7 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Issue 8 Back.png|Back of Issue #8 of VIZ Media's Baoh: The Visitor
Baoh Viz Next Issue Extermination Order.png|Next Issue Advertisement found in the back of Issue #1
Baoh Fred Burke Essay.png|Short Essay by Fred Burke found in the back of Issue #5
Viz Baoh Send-off.png|VIZ Media's Send off in the final issue of Baoh: The Visitor
</gallery>
}}
}}

==Trivia==
*Baoh was [[Hirohiko Araki|Araki]]'s first successful manga series and allowed him to afford his first trip abroad, to England. However, Araki found the trip difficult as he didn't understand English and wasn't familiar with the food.
**The setting of England would, however, later be used for Araki's next successful manga series, ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]''.<ref>{{INT|Kappa Magazine (December 1996)}}</ref>
*According to Araki,  the name "Baoh" comes from the term "Bio" as in {{W|Biotechnology}}, which was a hot topic at the time of Baoh's publication.<ref>[[Interview Archive|Interview with Hirohiko Araki]] - [[JoJo 6251]], p.170</ref>
*VIZ planned to bring ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' to America in the early 1990s. They ran a blurb about it in their promo newsletter Viz-In under the name "The Strange Adventures of JoJo".<ref><sub>[[Baoh: The Visitor]] Issue #1 [[:File:Araki English Baoh Author's Note.png|English Author's Note]]<sub></ref> However, the plan collapsed when Baoh sold poorly in America.<ref name="ANN" />
*In June 1998, {{W|Akira Toriyama}} ranked ''Baoh the Visitor'' as his #2 ''[[Weekly Shonen Jump]]'' manga.<ref>''[[Weekly Shonen Jump]]'' 1998 No. 31, [[Shueisha]]. [[:File:WSJ 1998 31 Toriyama's Best 3 Jump Manga.jpg|Image]].</ref>{{Ref|url=https://twitter.com/jojo_wiki/status/1767385390556569737|title=Akira Toriyama's Best 3 Jump Manga (1998)|author=JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia|handle=jojo_wiki|platform=Twitter|date=March 11, 2024}}
*{{W|Hiroyuki Takei}}, the manga artist of {{W|Shaman King}}, said that ''Baoh the Visitor'' was one of his favorite series along with ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' in his youth.<ref>[https://www.manga-news.com/index.php/actus/2007/09/06/Interview-Hiroyuki-Takei Hiroyuki Takei Interview]</ref>

===Cameos===
*In [[Episode 10]] of ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Season)|JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'', [[Joseph Joestar|Joseph]] is seen in a flashback reading ''Baoh'' (the same scene in the manga used ''{{W|Superman}}''). The title, however, is written as "Baooh", with two O's.
*Baoh ([[Ikuro Hashizawa]]) appears as a DLC guest fighter in ''[[All-Star Battle]]'' and ''[[All-Star Battle R]]''.
*In [[SC Episode 1|Episode 1]] of ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders]]'', Baoh is on the cover of a [[Weekly Shonen Jump]] magazine that [[Jotaro Kujo]] reads in his jail cell.
*During the ending sequence of the ''[[Diamond is Unbreakable]]'' song, "[[I Want You]]", a copy of Baoh can be spotted on [[Rohan Kishibe]]'s bookshelf.
*Baoh appears in [[JoJo's Pitter-Patter Pop!]] as a decoration in the Comfortable Jail Series furniture.
<gallery>
Joseph Reading Baoh.png|Joseph reading Baoh
Jotaro Reading Baoh.png|Jotaro reading Baoh
I Want You-Rohan 2.jpg|Baoh on Rohan's bookshelf
BaohPPP.png|Baoh decoration in Pitter Patter Pop
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{Notes}}

==References==
{{References}}
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