I don't read manga particularly often. My interest in them outside of the horror genre isn't that strong. The weirdness of many horror genres keeps me engaged in the events, having me constantly want to turn pages to uncover truths; to further surround myself by the uncomfortable natures of the stories.
I Am a Hero (アイアムアヒーロー) by Kengo Hanazawa remains one of my favourite horror manga that I've had the pleasure of reading. I found its story engrossing, but its choice of protagonist far more interesting: Hideo Suzuki.
As the world around him goes south due to a sudden outbreak of infection that turns people into a zombie-like state, Hideo's pathetic nature sticks with him; he's a weak protagonist that abides by the rules of society, never stepping in to be the hero without a cloud of doubts following him.
With the narrative's quality dropping drastically towards the end leaves a bit of a bad taste, the majority of I Am a Hero doesn't fail to leave a meaningful expression behind. Hideo is thrown out of a world where he has no control, into one that he has full control over; having lived a boring life up to this point, filled with failed ambitions and failed relationships, he struggles to accept and adapt without the authority of society lingering.
After all, Hideo has never been a hero, but he must become one in order to survive the various hurdles placed before him in a world that is no longer bound by rules that he previously lived by. Looking back, it'll certainly be remembered by its lackluster, questionable ending, but to me, I remember its moments where it displayed a trapped character. A character surrounded by everything he isn't, nor does he want to be. It shows a person being forced out of their comfort zone and made to think not only for themselves, but those they encounter along the way. We slowly watch Hideo grow, but never change.
If you're just searching for a thrilling zombie experience, I Am a Hero, for the most part, still stands out. Its narrative is no ordinary zombie infection outbreak; there's a plethora of obscure events that are never fully explored, and leave a lot to the reader to conclude alone. We see the outbreak occurring in different cities across the world, each displaying some of the strange things that suggest something greater is in control here.
While Hideo aims to use his gun respectfully and only when necessary, it invokes a much-needed sense that the characters are more aware of their weapons and amount of ammunition available. The story takes their lack of resources seriously, and even uses it as a danger to them in moments. Survival isn't easy, and it shows the hardships of loss and fear during an event that clearly results in your life forever changing. It's refreshing to see a more unique spin on a genre that, at the time, was heavily congested with half-assed attempts.
Overall, I Am a Hero holds meaning to it. It reflects the ways in which a person's mind can affect their actions for the worst; how fear and weakness can play a huge part in the direction life takes you in. How society can craft you into someone you're not.