Monmow disease, a life-threatening condition that transforms a person into a dog-like beast, is not the only villain in this brilliant medical thriller by manga god Osamu Tezuka. Said to have been a personal favourite of the artist, who held a degree in medicine and who was surprisingly attentive to Christian imagery, Ode to Kirihito demolishes naive notions about human nature, health and likely preconceptions about the comics master himself. Incorporating elements of the often lurid and adult-oriented |gekiga|, this work marks the beginning of Tezuka's late period.