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Baoh
First issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump featuring Baoh.
バオー来訪者 (Baoh Raihōsha)
Genre	Action, Supernatural, Thriller
Manga
Author	Hirohiko Araki
Publisher	Shueisha
English publisher	Viz Media
Other publishers: Star Comics
Demographic	'Shōnen'
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run	1984 – 1985
Volumes	2
Original video animation
Director	Hiroyuki Yokoyama
Studio	Studio Pierrot
Released	1 November 1989
Runtime	48 minutes
Episodes	1
Anime and Manga Portal

Baoh, known in Japan as Baō Raihōsha (バオー来訪者, Baō Raihōsha ^?, Baoh: The Visitor) is a manga series and anime OVA created by Hirohiko Araki, most famous for his epic JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It is licensed in English by Viz Media.^[1] The manga lasted only two collected volumes and was adapted into a single-episode original video animation.

Plot

An innocent young man, Ikuro Hashizawa (橋沢育朗 Hashizawa Ikurō), has a parasite known as Baoh implanted in his brain by an evil organization, Doress. The parasite makes him nearly immortal and gives him the ability to transform into a beast with extraordinary power when he is in trouble. Doress intends to use him in some sort of ploy for world domination. But while they're moving him around a young psychic girl, Sumire (スミレ) (who is also being held by the organization), sets him free and the two escape together. Of course, Dr. Kasuminome (霞の目博士 Kasuminome-hakase) is the mad scientist behind the whole plot, and he is not about to let his test subject get away and he has everything from super powered lackeys to a small army at his disposal.

Abilities

• Superhuman strength, agility, and speed
• Superhuman healing: The more a BAOH host body is injured, the quicker the parasite heals the host and initiates defensive measures. In the anime Ikuro has his throat slit and a knife embedded in his heart. Even with the knife still in his chest Ikuro's heart continues to beat and pushes the blade out of his chest.
• Corrosive enzymes: Hands produce a corrosive substance that melts through flesh & metal.
• Armor: Hosts produce organic metal over their skin that serves as a protective shell.
• Bio-blades: Hosts produce organic blades from various parts of the body (depending on type of host).
• Stingers: Organic needles that burst into flame on contact with flesh are projected from the host. In Ikuroo's case, from his hair.
• Dark thunder: A devastating electrical blast. Produces enough power to charge a large scale laser (As shown in the anime).

Weakness

• According to the parasite's creator the only means of destroying a BAOH (once inserted in a host) is to put a bullet through the brain of the host, and then to completely burn the body (thus killing the host and parasite).
• The only way to keep an implanted host dormant is to submerge them in salt water.
• After 111 days of non-dormancy, the parasite will reproduce and its larvae will leave the host, killing it.

Trivia

• The character Neo Dio from the video game series World Heroes is based on Baoh, bearing not only a strikingly similar appearance, but also has similar attacks in which he uses in his various appearances in the World Heroes series, and Neo Geo Battle Coliseum.

References

External links

• BAOH (manga) (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• BAOH (OAV) (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Anime News Network BAOH (OAV) review
• Mania.com BAOH (OAV) review