King of Thorn

King of Thorn

Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, entertainment
Founded	October 2002 (2002-10)
Founder	Yuji Iwahara
Defunct	October 2005 (2005-10)
Area served	Japan, North America, Germany, Hungary, France, Italy, Spain
Products	Manga volumes (6 volumes)

is a Japanese fantastique manga series created by Yuji Iwahara. Serialized by Enterbrain in the seinen publication Monthly Comic Beam from October 2002 through October 2005, the narrative unfolds across six volumes. In North America, the series was licensed by Tokyopop, with the concluding volume released in November 2008. The plot centers on a group subjected to suspended animation as a refuge from a petrifying plague. Upon awakening, only seven survivors remain, including Japanese adolescent Kasumi Ishiki and British man Marco Owen. They confront a world dominated by dinosaur-like beasts and grotesque mutants. Although initially convinced that a lengthy period has elapsed, they soon discern their slumber was far too brief for such drastic changes, revealing an even more ominous danger.

An anime feature film adaptation produced by Sunrise and helmed by director Kazuyoshi Katayama debuted on May 1, 2010.

Plot

King of Thorn presents a science fiction survival drama. Following the global outbreak of the Medusa virus originating in Siberia, 160 individuals are selected by an organization called Venus Gate for experimental treatment. Among them is Kasumi, who enters cryogenic sleep without her twin sister Shizuku.

Two days later, some awaken to find their treatment facility engulfed by a dense jungle with thorn-covered vines displaying seemingly independent movement. The survivors encounter bizarre creatures and unnatural events, quickly realizing that the rapid environmental degradation defies natural laws and signals a far greater peril.

The Medusa Virus

At the heart of the narrative lies the Medusa virus, named after the mythological Gorgon whose gaze petrifies living beings. This virus invades cells, inducing seizures and effects resembling stone transformation.

Contrary to popular assumptions, Medusa is not a conventional virus but an alien entity that arrived on Earth via a meteor shower in Siberia, infecting a boy and his pet deer. The boy’s sister, Alice, uncovers Medusa’s true nature when an imaginary hybrid cat-boy emerges from her back. In an effort to contain it, she sets her home ablaze, inadvertently spreading the infection worldwide through the resulting smoke.

Venus Gate, a religious cult, subsequently recruits Alice, interpreting her capacity to manifest imagination as divine power. During their experiments involving Alice and Medusa, they employ Zeus, a hacker who creates technology capable of imposing artificial dream realities on hosts. His ambition is to orchestrate a primal survival game that alters reality for his own amusement.

Characters

Kasumi serves as the story’s central figure and is among the 160 individuals chosen as candidates for Medusa virus cures. She leaves behind her twin sister Shizuku, who is also infected but excluded from treatment trials; Shizuku encourages Kasumi to seize this chance for healing. Kasumi is the first survivor to awaken and discover the devastated facility. Reserved and gentle in nature, she uniquely supports the resilient Marco and develops romantic feelings despite others’ warnings. Flashbacks reveal her deep attachment to Shizuku and suicidal struggles after coping with life without her sister. Ultimately, it is disclosed that Kasumi died early in the storyline; the Kasumi present is actually a Medusa-generated entity born from Shizuku’s desperate wish to keep her sister alive at any cost. In the film adaptation, Kasumi survives alongside Tim and vows to assist him in reuniting with his parents.

Marco is a muscular hacker adorned with tattoos who previously infiltrated CIA and Venus Gate systems, resulting in prolonged imprisonment. The NSA offers him parole conditioned upon aiding efforts against Medusa by embedding him undercover among infected individuals at Venus Gate facilities. Despite suspicion due to his criminal record and uninfected status, he rises as the group’s leader until pursuing vengeance against Zeus. Marco encounters Alice’s spectral form and grows distrustful of Kasumi after witnessing footage of Shizuku’s monstrous rampage. He perishes battling Zeus’s forces but is resurrected through Alice’s sacrifice, enabling him to hack into Zeus’s systems and eliminate him permanently. Their ultimate fate remains uncertain though mutual affection is implied. In the film version, Marco dies after securing Kasumi’s promise to value life.

Katherine stands as the most severely infected survivor who assumes a maternal role toward Tim. Formerly an alcoholic who lost custody of her son Michael, she seeks redemption through caring for Tim. As Medusa advances within her during attacks, she transforms into a harpy-like creature embodying an idealized mother figure while remaining protective of Tim despite her monstrous appearance. Captured by Zeus’s forces but later freed, Katherine ultimately succumbs to the virus following a helicopter crash in the film adaptation.

Peter is an engineer and physician responsible for developing the cold sleep capsules used by Venus Gate patients but lost support amid an electronics market downturn before being hired by Venus Gate again. Though successful in refining capsules and accessing laboratories, he was dismissed when Level 4 assumed control of operations. Obsessed with reclaiming his original capsule and uncovering Level 4 secrets, he was captured and infected with Medusa. Initially betraying survivors under Zeus’s influence, Peter dies when his laboratory collapses but returns as an insect-infested entity before being killed by Zeus. In the film version, he is decapitated by a creature after assisting Kasumi.

(The Senator)

Alexandro is an elderly politician who secured his place among cure trial candidates through purchase. Cowardly and self-serving, he first identifies Marco as threatening due to his tattoos, inciting conflict quelled by others. He meets his end devoured by giant eels in the manga and beheaded by one of Tim’s imagined creatures in the film.

(Tim)

Tim is a resilient young German boy infected with Medusa who forms a close bond with Katherine, whom he regards as a mother figure despite calling her "auntie." Though minor in role, Tim occasionally guides survivors under Alice’s control. He survives alongside Kasumi and begins searching for his parents after the crisis concludes. The film reveals his parents are embroiled in a contentious custody dispute.

Ron is a strong American police officer among survivors who initially exhibits fatalism but later commits to protecting others after reuniting with Kasumi and Tim. He refuses entry into Level 4 due to injury and fear but survives multiple dangers including witnessing Peter's monstrous transformation. Captured alongside Tim for conversion into beast soldiers, Ron is rescued by Marco but partially mutated with pink hair. In the film adaptation, he dies holding off creatures to enable others’ escape.

Alice is a Russian girl whose family fell victim to Medusa following a Siberian meteor shower. Abused during childhood and suffering from dissociative identity disorder with an imaginary cat-boy companion named Laloo, she unintentionally births Laloo from her body during infection spread caused by fire she set to contain it. Taken by Karol Vega for experiments involving cold capsules, Alice becomes a ghostly projection maintained by medical devices within Level 4 laboratories guarded by an automaton white rabbit inspired by her imagination. After escaping during Zeus’s assault on her lab at great personal risk, she sacrifices herself to resurrect Marco.

Shizuku is Kasumi’s cheerful twin sister infected with Medusa but excluded from cure trials. Initially supportive of Kasumi, their relationship strains after Kasumi's suicide attempt and eventual death—triggering Shizuku's full Medusa awakening. Within Level 4, Shizuku creates abominations that devastate laboratories and staff; under Zeus's mind control program these mutate into various monstrous creatures inhabiting the island. The colossal behemoth encountered early on is revealed as Shizuku herself in armored form concealing her true identity. Most appearances are mental projections or hallucinations until her peaceful demise coinciding with Zeus's defeat dissolves her monstrous form.

Zeus serves as the world’s foremost hacker and principal antagonist who framed Marco for CIA system breaches before disappearing. Recruited as security chief at Venus Gate labs including Level 4, he covertly manipulates Medusa carriers like Shizuku to assemble an army of beastmen for chaotic domination as entertainment. His mind control influences survivor behavior to protect Kasumi as leverage over Shizuku. Reduced to data integrated within Shizuku's monstrous form after losing his physical body, Zeus proclaims himself “a god” before ultimately being erased through Marco’s hacking efforts. Zeus does not appear in the film adaptation.

Ivan Coral Vega founded the Venus Gate cult which regarded Medusa powers as divine gifts and sheltered Alice following the Siberian infection outbreak. Although potentially responsible for Alice's suffering through fanaticism, Vega was horrified by Zeus's brutality and secluded himself inside his study during Level 4 chaos where he documented Medusa's origins before committing suicide via shotgun. His remains are later discovered by survivors. In the film version, Vega attempts suicide but dies when the floor collapses beneath him after intervention by Kasumi.

Manga

King of Thorn was serialized by Enterbrain in the pages of Monthly Comic Beam from October 2002 through October 2005, collected into six volumes. Its North American release is handled by Tokyopop, while Tokyopop Germany distributes it in Germany and Hungary. The French edition is published by Soleil, Italy’s version by Flashbook, and in Spain, it is available through Glénat.

In Japan, the fourth volume was issued as a special edition (ISBN 4-7577-1988-4), which included a limited Kasumi figurine. This addition enhanced its appeal to collectors and broadened Enterbrain’s merchandising range.

Film

The anime film adaptation, produced by Kadokawa Pictures, debuted at the Sitges Film Festival in October 2009 and saw its theatrical release in Japan on May 1, 2010. It became accessible on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan starting October 27, 2010, with a global release following in November 2010. Directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama, who collaborated with Hiroshi Yamaguchi on the screenplay, the movie showcases character designs by Hidenori Matsubara and monster concepts created by Kenji Andou.

While maintaining the original characters from the manga, the film introduces significant changes to the storyline and character backgrounds. Notably absent is Zeus, a key antagonist in the manga narrative. The film features Alice, a young Russian girl who is deceased during the film’s current timeline. Monster portrayals were performed via CGI suits by Terry Notary for the English version and voiced by Toru Nara in Japanese. The movie concludes with an ending distinct from that of the manga.

The closing theme song is "Edge of This World" performed by Misia.

Distribution rights for the anime film are held by Funimation Entertainment in North America, Manga Entertainment in the United Kingdom, and Madman Entertainment across Australia and New Zealand.

Reception

The English-language edition of King of Thorn earned a spot among the Young Adult Library Services Association’s top ten graphic novels for teenagers in 2008. Publishers Weekly described the first volume as "a compelling entry into violent survivor manga," praising Iwahara’s artwork for effectively evoking claustrophobic tension without causing reader confusion. Theron Martin from Anime News Network lauded both the narrative and visuals for their ability to build suspense and danger; he noted that although early portions borrowed familiar elements, the series later delivers fascinating sci-fi and horror innovations. Iwahara’s dynamic action sequences received particular commendation. The film adaptation was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 4th Asia Pacific Screen Award.