Ode to Kirihito

The protagonist, Dr. Tatsuo Osanai, contracts a fictional disease called Monmow's disease, which progressively transforms his body into a dog-like form while leaving his human mind intact. The disease is named after a village where it is said to be endemic.

Ode to Kirihito was written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka, often called the 'God of Manga' for his foundational contributions to Japanese comics. Serialized in 1970 in the magazine Big Comic, it is considered one of Tezuka's most ambitious mature works.

The manga explores medical ethics, the dehumanization of the sick, prejudice against the physically deformed, and the question of what makes someone human. Dr. Osanai's transformation forces those around him to confront their own morality and the limits of medical science.

Yes, Ode to Kirihito was published in English by Vertical Inc. in a single-volume edition. Vertical's translation made the work accessible to Western readers and helped cement Tezuka's reputation beyond his better-known works like Astro Boy and Black Jack.