Ajin: Demi-Human

## Ajin: Demi-Human *Ajin: Demi-Human* (*Ajin*) by Gamon Sakurai is a tense, cerebral action thriller about immortal humans — and the question of who gets to decide what counts as human. Serialized in *good! Afternoon* from 2012 to 2021, the 17-volume series is one of the most consistently gripping sci-fi thrillers in manga, with a spectacular anime adaptation by Polygon Pictures that brought it to international attention. In this world, roughly 46 humans are known to exist who cannot be killed — called "Ajin" (demi-humans), they regenerate completely from any wound and cannot die by any known means. Ajin have existed for decades, first appearing in African conflicts, and the world has largely decided how to treat them: they are captured, registered, and subjected to perpetual scientific research. Their ability to generate invisible Black Ghosts — powerful spectral entities that only Ajin can see — makes them dangerous, so governments worldwide handle them with clinical detachment. Kei Nagai is a first-year medical student who has never particularly thought about Ajin. Then he is hit by a truck and comes back to life in front of his classmates. Overnight, the Japanese government is hunting him, and the only people offering help are a shadowy group of radical Ajin led by the brilliant, terrifying Sato — a former soldier who has decided that if the world won't acknowledge Ajin as human, he will force the world to acknowledge Ajin as a threat. Kei must decide whether to fight with Sato, against him, or find a third option. The manga is particularly noted for its strategic, chess-like battles and Sato's chilling intelligence.