Manga of the Month- March

I have taken an interest in a certain sci-fi-ish manga called 'Heads'. As both a medical scientist and Neuroscientist I took this manga with a huge pinch of salt. It is about a young man who undergoes a partial brain transplant after being shot at a bank robbery. Okay, so when I first read the blurb I was like O..M..G... this was because just a few weeks earlier I got into a heated conversation about how impossible a brain transplant is with a fellow neuroscientist student (Mr. Exam Superhero) who has a stubborn belief that brain transplants will, someday, be possible.

There's just too many issues that accompanies the remote idea of a brain transplant, among the physiological problems such as connecting the white matter tracts, invading the skull without breaking it in order to fit in a brain, connecting the blood vessels, preventing a stroke, preventing tissue rejection and autoimmune encephalitis, matching tissue types, preserving the brain structure, preventing tissue damage or necrosis in transit and finally: maintaing the memory, personality, talents and capabilities of the patient.

That's beside the numerous ethical issues, like whose brain will be donated, is it okay to use cadaveric brain, rejuvenating a dead man's brain (sounds like something from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) and entering preternatural boundaries (issues of the soul, life and death).

Brain transplants are not just a fictional thing, there have been previous studies done on embryonic tissue and stem cells in order to transplant them, some with success. The therapeutic possibilities are endless! Dementia (Fronto-temporal dementia, Pick's Disease, schizophrenia and others), neurodegeneration (Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinsonism, ALS, Huntington's, TSE and others) and neurological function (such as attention, cognition, intellectual capacity, executive function, co-ordination and many others) could be treated and restored.

A load of bull perhaps? Maybe, I personally believe that brain transplants are impossible purely on religious belief, it is impossible to bring someone back after they have died, that is, when their soul has left their body, not simply their hart stopping. It would be playing god which simply is not possible. Even if a brain transplant were to be successful in term of grafting, I doubt it would ever be successful in terms of bringing the personality back.

The only thing worse than dying is living forever.

Back to 'Heads', it brings about a lot of these issues and also considers the public eye. But it is still very early for me to give a blow by blow analysis of the story. All I can say is that it holds a vast amount of promise and I look forward to seeing how it develops. I can see a glimmer of multiple personality disorder coming out from the initial drawings; this sinister feeling that there are two people in one mind, which could damn well actually happen in a brain transplant, that's IF there could ever be a brain transplant.

The drawing style tends to realism, so you could tell just by glancing that it's not some teen rubbish, there is plenty of detail and is certainly worth a look, but this manga cannot be held in esteem for it's drawings, I have seen better talent. But still, the drawing is good.

I'm rather worried as it is the first Horror manga I've attempted, nothing gruesome has come yet, but I know my stomach and it's pretty weak when it comes to horror and suspense. But I'll be brave and stake it out for the sake of medical insight!
Dessa rating: 7/10 but definitely worth a read.