Me and the Devil Blues - Akira Hiramoto
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Me and the Devil Blues plunges the reader into 1920s America, deep in the segregated South. Akira Hiramoto weaves a fictional tale inspired by the legend of bluesman Robert Johnson, exploring the depths of the human soul through a dark and hypnotic narrative.
The protagonist, RJ, is a young Black sharecropper who dreams of becoming a great musician. Clumsy with his guitar, he hears a legend: at the crossroads, the Devil offers unmatched talent in exchange for one’s soul. After a mysterious encounter, RJ returns transformed—playing blues with eerie mastery. But the gift comes at a cost: the loss of his family, disturbing hallucinations, and a hand that grows extra fingers—symbols of his damnation.
Hiramoto skillfully blends historical reality with supernatural elements. The story addresses racial segregation, poverty, and the search for identity, while integrating historical figures like Clyde Barrow, offering a unique perspective on the era. The artwork, rich in contrast and detail, captures the heavy, haunting atmosphere of the American South, deepening the reader’s immersion.
Initially serialized in Monthly Afternoon from 2003 to 2008, the manga went on hiatus before resuming in 2015 in Young Magazine the 3rd. Though the series ended abruptly in 2017, it was widely praised for its originality and depth, earning the Glyph Comics Award for Best Reprint in 2009.