Godchild Volume 4 (Godchild): v. 4 [Paperback]

I love Godchild. I mean to me its up there with Mars and all my other favorite manga. The artwork is beautiful, the story dark and suspenseful and the characters interesting and well fleshed out. The only part that I don't like about volume four is the big blurb that says its explicit and the packaging on it. Why? Because although Godchild is violent and at times graphic its not that graphic.
But besides that I have to say that this series is great and I would highly reccomend it.

Kaori Yuki, The Cain Saga: Godchild, vol. 4 (ViZ, 2002)

Two stories in this one. "Little Miss Muffet" has Cain and Jizabel facing off over an extremely odd little girl named Mikaila, while "Bloody Maria" finds Cain going undercover to solve a string of disappearances of young blondheaded boys. Yuki has improved tremendously at working the larger storyline into the episodes that make up each volume, keeping the episodic feel without sacrificing the larger storyline. *** ½

Unfortunately from what I can tell by my comparison of the original Japanese edition, the first edition printing of the English release of volume 4 of Godchild is censored in both art and dialogue. Censored despite coming shrink wrapped with a "Parental Advisory for Explicit Content" graphic on the front cover as well as a "reader discretion is advised" content warning note on the inside table of contents page regarding "imagery and themes of a cultural and religious nature". It is the second story of volume 4 entitled "Bloody Maria", which makes up three chapters of the book, where such "imagery and themes" and the problems arise. (REVIEW HAS SOME SPOILERS from here, sorry.)

The story involves Cain disguising himself in order to gain entry into the wealthy Maria Stanford's home, who is also employing Dr. Disraeli. Madame Stanford is mourning her dead artist son, and endeavoring to finish a painting he left behind. The said painting is probably the most graphic aspect of this volume. However, four panels in which it is found have been censored by removing blood (though left on the painting in the panel on pg. 167) and further covering the picture with more paint than was originally present in the Japanese tankoubon. Also descriptions found throughout the book of the painting, and Cain's thoughts at revealing the true picture beneath it, have been either completely changed or forgo various references to the Holy Mother and Child (as well as the word "blood..." missing from the text about the brown color on the painting, pg. 154). Two other references in Scene 3, one to the Virgin Mary and the other "Madonna" are also missing from the text. Even a clear comparison of Madame Maria to her saintly namesake (as the Kanji used for Maria here mean the Virgin Mary) near the beginning of Scene 2 is reduced only to "She looks like... Her smile is so pious..." in the English translation.
Likewise, two panels found in Scene 1 on pg. 114 also have undergone censorship to the art by removing a headpiece resembling a crown of thrones placed on Dr. Disraeli during a DELILAH re-birthing rite. (The headpiece is present on the bench he kneels at on pg.118) And on pg. 159 a drawing of Michelangelo's famous sculpture the Pietà is absent from the top panel.

Obscuring Christian imagery in a publication for a Western audience is perhaps not surprising since VIZ has censored depictions of a religious nature in the past (as was done with a scene too reminiscent of the crucifixion in the Full Metal Alchemist manga.) However in the case of this volume of Godchild, the obfuscatory job done to the art and dialogue do very much damage to the impact of the hidden painting and understanding of the "Bloody Maria" story. Translation is always a bit more of an art itself, but this English version might also be called into question regarding faithfulness or adaptation by various choices in rendering words like Agápe simply as "love", Eden as "garden" and Bible as "sacred tales".
Even the title "Annunciation" of the painting by Orazio Gentleschi (which is shown on the wall behind Cain & Dr. Disraeli, and the subject of a long monologue by the former) is replaced by "In this picture..." in English (though I wonder if it would aesthetically fit the speech bubble as nicely).

All and all I am most disappointed in this volume from VIZ, especially since it is also a plot important one. Kaori Yuki has a particular brand of horror and beauty in her works, Godchild being no exception. Certainly there are disturbing elements to this volume but the Cain Series in itself is full of mature content such as murder, suicide, incest, blood and gore, as well as child abuse being a dominant theme. While a question of religious sensitivity was the obvious goal behind the manner in which volume 4 was released, it is that same question of sensitivity which publishers, retailers, and readers might also consider themselves when dealing with foreign ideas and works.