Baoh The Visitor (Manga)

**Baoh or "Baoh The Visitor"** is a Japanese Manga, written and illustrated by **Hirohiko Araki**, Who is Most Famous for His Manga **Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventures**, It was Serialized In **Weekly Shonen Jump**, From 1984 to 1985, It was soon Complied into Two Manga Volumes, and was Adapted into a One OVA By **Studio Pierrot**, In 1989. *Baoh* is Araki's first series to display his signature amount of over-the-top **gore**.

## Plot

17-year-old Ikuro Hashizawa is kidnapped and turned into a Baoh, a **bio-weapon** with super human strength and other abilities, by the Doress Laboratory. He escapes with the help of Sumire, a 9-year-old psychic girl. Professor Kasuminome, head scientist at Doress, sends various assassins and monsters to try and kill Ikuro, in means of stopping the Baoh virus from spreading and infecting the world.

## Characters

### Main Characters

* **Ikuro Hashizawa:** The 17-year-old Ikuro initially knows very little of his past, waking up in the clutches of Doress and accompanying and protecting Sumire. He soon discovers that he has been transformed into a Baoh (standing for Biological Armament On Help), the result of Doress's evolution experimentations to produce a parasitic worm that buries itself into its host brain, slowly transforming it into a nigh-unstoppable killing machine. He later discovers that he was the victim of a traffic accident, with his survival beneficial to Doress's experimentations. When the host body is attacked (such as during Ikuro's near death at the hands of Number 22), it transforms by means of the Baoh Armed Phenomenon, covering its body in a protective armor that grants the body superhuman strength and healing, which he can also use to heal others. As a Baoh, Ikuro displays other abilities. Baoh Meltedin Palm Phenomenon allows him to secrete corrosive enzymes from his hands, melting through metal and human flesh. Baoh Reskiniharden Saber Phenomenon produces two blades coming out of his arms that can slice through nearly anything. Baoh Shooting Bees-Stingers Phenomenon turns Baoh's hair into needle-like projectiles that burst into flames upon contact. His most powerful ability is the Baoh Break-Dark-Thunder Phenomenon, where his body produces up to 60,000 volts of electrical energy, powerful enough to power a laser cannon. The only way to kill a Baoh is to kill the worm, by removing it from the brain by force and then burning it alive. A Baoh will also die after 111 days of the worm living in its brain, after which its larvae leave and kill the host, seeking out hosts of their own. A Baoh can also be put into dormancy by submerging the host in salt water.
* **Sumire:** A 9-year-old girl possessing psychic abilities, including automatic writing, table-turning, and precognition. She is also a captive of Doress, as they wish to exploit her psychic abilities. She keeps another of Doress's experiments, a brand new marsupial-like lifeform she has named Sonny-Steffan Nottsuo as a pet.

### Droess

The Secret Organization Doress created Baoh and seeks to kill Ikuro before the virus can spread.

* **Dr. Kasuminome:** Doress's main scientist who is responsible for the creation of the Baoh parasite. Perhaps the ultimate irony, which Professor Kasuminome himself voices near the end of the OVA, is that he succeeded far too well. His intent was to create the ultimate soldier, a weapon of such power no one could possibly defeat it, but in doing so he created Baoh--a weapon no one, including Doress or Kasuminome himself, could ever possibly control or contain. Hirohiko Araki named him after the Kasuminome neighborhood of Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai.
* **Sophine:** Kasuminome's assistant. She is first seen chasing Sumire when she escapes in the first chapter.
* **Number 22:** One of Doress's assassins sent to kill Ikuro Hashizawa and recapture Sumire. He unwittingly sparks Ikuro's Baoh Armed Phenomenon transformation and is killed.
* **Dordo:** Doress's top assassin, said to be able to blow someone's brains out with a single sniper shot. During the fight with Ikuro, it is revealed that Dordo is actually a cyborg
* **Walken**: A psychic assassin under Doress's pay, the last of a tribe of Native Americans known as the Skookum . He is the world's most powerful psychic, capable of melting objects with his psychokinesis using the Molecular Air Motion Wave and warp the ground with the Molecular Seismic Wave. He sees Baoh as a worthy opponent and carves a sigil into his chest, claiming that he will kill Baoh. Baoh, however, gains the upper hand by flinging his sabers off at him, removing his power dampening bandana, only for Walken to seek vengeance. Hirohiko Araki named Walken after American actor Christopher Walken.

## Licencing

The manga was licensed in English and released in monthly chapters by Viz Media in 1990; sales were pitiful, and it was not until 1995 that they released it in graphic novel format.

## Other Appearances

The series' main protagonist, Ikuro Hashizawa, was featured as a downloadable playable character in *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle* in his Baoh form, as part of the game's five waves of DLC characters and campaign modes.

## Videos

AH Baoh The Visitor 1984 Manga ReviewManga Review- Baoh - An early work of Hirohiko ArakiBaoh OVA & Manga Differences
## Gallery

Baoh Laser Beam attackIkuro Transforms into BaohManga Cover

## Trivia

* **Hiroyuki Takei** who is most famous for his manga ***Shaman King***, said it was one of his favorite series along with *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure* in his youth.