Baoh the Visitor
Template:Book Baoh(バオー来訪者 Baō Raihōsha?, lit. "Baoh: The Visitor") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1985, Baoh was later compiled into two tankōbon volumes. The series was adapted into a single-episode original video animation (OVA) by Studio Pierrot in 1989.
The manga was licensed in English and released in monthly chapters by VIZ Media a in 1990; sales were pitiful and it was not until 1995 that they released it in tankōbon format. The OVA was licensed for an English DVD release by AnimEigo in 2000, which was delayed but finally released in 2002.
Synopsis
Teenager Ikuro Hashizawa is kidnapped and turned into a Baoh, a bioweapon with super human strength and other abilities such as firing a corrosive substance, by the Judas Laboratory. He escapes with the help of Violet, a 10-year-old psychic girl who also was kept by the Judas group. Professor Hazyeye, head scientist at Judas, sends various assassins and monsters to try and kill Ikuro, in means of stopping the Baoh virus from spreading and infecting the world. One of the assassins, Dorudo, manages to kidnap Violet to lure Ikuro, but his unauthorized actions makes Judas have him executed by Walken, the giant psychic. In his attempt to save Violet, Ikuro destroys Walken's headgear, the only thing keeping his power under control, and the whole facility explodes, killing several scientists of Judas, Hazyeye and Walken. Ikuro is left dormant at the bottom of the sea, but Violet has a last vision: He's stil alive and will come back years later to meet her again.
Trivia
- Baoh was Araki's first series to display his signature amount of over-the-top gore. The characters Dio and Neo Dio from the video game series World Heroes are based on Baoh, bearing not only a strikingly similar appearance, but also have similar attacks in which they use in their various appearances in the World Heroes series, and Neo Geo Battle Coliseum.
- In episode 10 of the Anime, Joseph is seen in a flashback reading Baoh (the same scene in the manga used Superman).
- Baoh has been announced as a playable character for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle. Its unknown at the time of the trailer he was shown in if he's a hidden character or will be DLC for the game as he was shown near the very end of the 7th PV without being told if he would be unlockable or downloadable.
