Crying Freeman Review: An Artist Turned Assassin Who Weeps After Every Kill
by Kazuo Koike / Ryoichi Ikegami
*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Quick Take
- The defining assassin manga from one of Japan's great genre craftsmen — Koike's plotting is relentless and Ikegami's art is exceptional at human anatomy and action
- The Yo/Emu relationship gives the crime thriller more emotional grounding than the genre usually supports
- 6 omnibus volumes complete; essential classic crime manga
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want crime/assassin manga with genuine adult content and craft
- Anyone interested in Kazuo Koike's work (Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood) in a contemporary crime setting
- Fans of Ikegami's exceptional figure work applied to action
- Readers who want complete classic crime manga with Western-accessible storytelling
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: M (Mature) Content Warnings: Graphic assassination violence; sexual content throughout; crime organization politics including organized crime activity; content is adult throughout
M rating — all content warnings are real and consistent.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★★ |
| Character Development | ★★★★☆ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★☆ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★☆ |
Story Overview
Yo Hinomura was a potter. The 108 Dragons found him, brainwashed him, and created the perfect assassin. He cannot resist the kill order when it comes. But he retained his soul — and so he weeps after every killing, which is how he got his name.
Emu Hino witnesses one of his assassinations. By the syndicate's rules, she must die. But she told him she would rather die by his hands than anyone else's — and her acceptance of what he is, without flinching, changed something.
He doesn't kill her. Instead he brings her into his life in the 108 Dragons, which is not a safe life, and the series follows their relationship within the crime organization's politics, Yo's growing authority within the syndicate, and the international intrigue that surrounds it.
Characters
Yo Hinomura — The assassin protagonist whose retained humanity — the weeping — gives the crime thriller its emotional anchor; his love for Emu is the series' most genuine human content.
Emu Hino — A character whose acceptance of Yo's nature is total from the start; her strength within the crime world she enters because of him is the series' most consistent surprise.
Art Style
Ikegami's art represents the peak of realistic manga figure drawing — detailed human anatomy, faces that carry specific personality, action sequences that are both violent and precisely choreographed. The naturalistic style distinguishes Crying Freeman from most manga's stylized approaches.
Cultural Context
Crying Freeman ran from 1986 to 1988 in Big Comic Spirits, part of the adult-oriented manga that Big Comics specialized in. Koike's influence on crime manga is comparable to his influence on samurai manga through Lone Wolf and Cub — the psychological depth beneath genre plotting, the complex protagonists whose morality is complicated by their circumstances.
What I Love About It
The tears. The detail that a perfect assassin weeps after every killing — that he cannot suppress this involuntary expression of what he retains — is one of manga's most effective character concepts. The crime thriller could work without it, but the tears are what make Yo a person rather than a mechanism.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe Crying Freeman as one of the most cinematically effective manga available in English — specifically noted for Ikegami's art being among manga's best realistic figure work, for the Yo/Emu relationship having genuine romantic depth in a crime context, and for the plotting being relentlessly engaging. Essential for adult crime manga readers.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The scenes where Yo's authority within the 108 Dragons grows — and the tears that follow his kills become something the organization knows and expects — show the series' integration of the character concept into the genre plotting.
Similar Manga
- Lone Wolf and Cub — Koike at his greatest, samurai setting
- Lady Snowblood — Koike's revenge thriller with female protagonist
- Golgo 13 — Perfect assassin in episodic format, different approach
- Black Lagoon — Crime thriller with similarly adult content
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Yo's situation and his first encounter with Emu establish the premise immediately.
Official English Translation Status
Dark Horse published the complete English series in omnibus format. All 6 omnibus volumes available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Ikegami's art is exceptional
- Crime plotting is relentless and well-constructed
- Complete in 6 omnibus volumes
- The tears concept elevates the assassin premise
Cons
- M rating content is consistent and real
- 1980s sensibilities in some character dynamics
- Requires comfort with adult crime content
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Omnibus Volumes | Dark Horse; complete series in 6 vols |
| Digital | Limited availability |
Where to Buy
Get Crying Freeman Vol. 1 on Amazon →
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.