Cyborg 009 Review: The Manga That Asked What It Means to Be Human Before It Was a Cliché
by Shotaro Ishinomori
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Quick Take
- Nine diverse international cyborgs — one of manga's first truly global casts
- Ishinomori's philosophical depth gives the action a weight that most superhero manga lacks
- A foundational work that influenced everything from Gundam to My Hero Academia
Who Is This Manga For?
Cyborg 009 is for readers who:
- Love classic manga with historical importance — this series helped define what manga could be
- Want action with philosophical weight — every arc asks serious questions about war, power, and humanity
- Enjoy ensemble casts — nine cyborgs means nine distinct personalities and perspectives
- Are curious about manga's influence — the DNA of this series is in dozens of superhero manga that followed
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Violence, war themes, existential themes about loss of humanity, death of significant characters
Not gratuitously dark but genuinely serious about consequences.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★★ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★☆ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★★ |
Story Overview
Black Ghost — a weapons-dealing organization that profits from world conflict — kidnaps nine people from across the world and transforms them into cyborg supersoldiers. They are designed to be the ultimate weapons to sell to the highest bidder.
They escape instead.
Joe Shimamura, designated Cyborg 009, becomes the emotional and tactical center of the group. His teammates span the world: France, China, Britain, Africa, Native America, Russia, and more. Each brings their own history, their own damage, their own reasons for fighting.
The series follows their battles against Black Ghost and, later, against larger threats — religious extremists, ancient beings, rogue governments. Through it all, Ishinomori asks the question that powers the whole series: if you were made into something by force, can you decide what that something becomes?
Characters
Joe Shimamura (009) — the heart of the team. His acceleration ability (the 00 cyborgs can move at incredible speed) is less interesting than his persistence — his refusal to accept that being made into a weapon means being only a weapon.
Albert Heinrich (004) — the German cyborg, half metal, who lost the person he loved during his transformation. His cold exterior and genuine grief make him the series' most tragic figure.
Françoise Arnoul (003) — the French cyborg with enhanced senses. Her relationship with Joe is the series' romantic thread, handled with more emotional intelligence than most action manga manages.
Great Britain (007) — the British actor-turned-cyborg with shape-changing abilities. The series' comic relief who gets genuine dramatic moments.
The full cast of nine is one of manga's great ensembles — each character is distinct and each has arcs that pay off over the series.
Art Style
Ishinomori's art is a product of the 1960s-70s manga tradition, which means it looks different from modern manga but is remarkable in its expressiveness and compositional intelligence. His backgrounds are detailed without being cluttered. His action sequences communicate kinetics that many modern artists don't achieve.
The cyborg designs are iconic — simple, clear, visually distinct. 009's white scarf against the dark suit is one of manga's most recognizable silhouettes.
Cultural Context
Cyborg 009 debuted in 1964 and ran intermittently until Ishinomori's death in 1998. It reflects the anxieties of post-war Japan and the Cold War world — a story about ordinary people from different countries who find common cause against the institutions that use conflict for profit.
The international cast was genuinely progressive for 1964. The portrayal of characters from Africa, the Americas, and across Asia reflected Ishinomori's genuine interest in depicting a human community rather than a Japanese one.
Ishinomori is one of manga's most important creators — he holds a Guinness record for most volumes by a single author and is also responsible for Kamen Rider and Super Sentai (the franchise behind Power Rangers). Cyborg 009 is his most personal work.
What I Love About It
I read Cyborg 009 when I was trying to understand where all the manga I loved came from. You trace back far enough in any superhero manga and you find Ishinomori.
What I didn't expect was how sad it is. Not in a manipulative way — in the honest way of a story that understands that becoming something extraordinary usually costs something irreplaceable. Albert lost the person he loved. Joe lost the ordinary life he never quite had. The manga never lets you forget the price.
But it also never lets you forget the team. That's what makes it worth everything.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Cyborg 009 is better known in the West through anime adaptations than through the manga, but readers who find the manga consistently describe it as superior. The philosophical depth, the character work, and the ambition of the final arcs give the manga a weight the anime couldn't always match.
Fans frequently compare it to X-Men as an ensemble story about people with extraordinary abilities navigating a world that fears and exploits them. The comparison holds.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The "conclusion" arc — which Ishinomori drew knowing he was dying — in which Joe and 009's final fate is deliberately left ambiguous. Whether it's an ending or a continuation, whether the sacrifice was final or not, is never resolved. Ishinomori died before he could complete it. The unfinished quality has become part of the manga's meaning — a story about people who never stop fighting, left permanently mid-motion.
Similar Manga
- Astro Boy — another Tezuka-era classic about artificial beings and humanity, essential companion reading
- Getter Robo — team robot manga influenced by Ishinomori's work
- My Hero Academia — the modern descendant of the superhero ensemble tradition Ishinomori helped establish
- Dororo — another Tezuka work about a person whose body parts were taken and what reclaiming them costs
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1. The series is episodic enough that the early arcs work as standalone introductions before the overarching narrative takes over.
Official English Translation Status
Multiple publishers have released Cyborg 009 in English over the years (Tokyopop, Digital Manga Publishing). Availability varies by edition. The complete run is accessible in various formats.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Foundational masterpiece of the superhero manga genre
- Ensemble cast is one of manga's best
- Philosophical depth that rewards rereading
- Complete story (with intentional ambiguity at the end)
Cons
- 1960s-70s art style requires adjustment for modern readers
- English editions vary in quality and availability depending on publisher
- Some early arcs are more episodic than modern readers may prefer
Format Comparison
| Format | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Digital | Most accessible format | Early volumes hard to find digitally |
| Paperback | Classic manga deserves physical reading | Print availability varies by publisher |
| Omnibus | Available in some formats | Not comprehensive |
Recommendation: Search for the complete available editions — the quality of the reading experience varies by which print run you find.
Where to Buy
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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.