A manga-inspired soundtrack personally compiled and illustrated by Dorohedoro creator Q Hayashida, released four years before the television anime.
Release Date
15 June 2016
Format
2CD
Region
Japan
Label
MHz
Catalogue Number
MHZD-01
JAN
4582237834932
Edition
Original 2016 standard edition
Packaging
Oversized hardback jacket, approx. 34.5 × 20 cm
Original Price
¥4,800 + tax
Significance
Original manga-based soundtrack created with direct involvement from Q Hayashida, predating the anime adaptation
Summary
DOROHEDORO Original Soundtrack is a two-CD musical companion to Q Hayashida’s Dorohedoro manga. Rather than being produced for an anime or game adaptation, the project invited 14 artists from six countries to create original music inspired directly by the manga and its distinctive world.
The participating artists include Igorrr, Shackleton, Roly Porter, khost, VOODOOM, Dr Das, hanali and Ed Cox. Together, the two discs contain 14 tracks spanning experimental electronic, industrial, dub, breakcore and related underground styles.
Hayashida was directly involved in the project, compiling the album and creating its original cover illustration. Art direction and design were handled by Mechikuro of MHz, with Yuta Umegatani overseeing project management.
Release & Version Details
The original MHZD-01 edition was released by MHz on 15 June 2016 in an unusually large 34.5 × 20 cm hardback jacket, considerably larger than conventional CD packaging. The elaborate format gives Hayashida’s artwork a prominent role in the physical release.
Alongside the ¥4,800 standard edition, MHz offered a separate reservation-only special edition for ¥6,800. This added an original T-shirt and a serial-numbered card hand-signed by Q Hayashida; both versions used the oversized hardback 2CD presentation.
The soundtrack eventually sold out and remained unavailable until a substantially later 2023 reissue by Murder Channel and Sad Disco. Those editions made changes to the original programme and packaging, leaving MHZD-01 as the identifying catalogue number for the original 2016 release.
Why It’s Significant
The album occupies an unusual position within Dorohedoro history. It appeared while Hayashida’s manga was still being published and almost four years before the MAPPA television adaptation began broadcasting in 2020.
It is therefore not an anime soundtrack, despite sometimes being categorised as one by retailers. The music was specifically created as an interpretation of the original manga: participating musicians were asked to read Dorohedoro and compose new pieces around its characters, environments and atmosphere.
Hayashida’s involvement as compiler and illustrator further connects the physical release directly to the manga’s creator. Combined with its deliberately unconventional musical contributors and oversized physical design, MHZD-01 represents a particularly distinctive example of a manga extending into another medium without first passing through an animated adaptation.
Preservation Notes
The oversized hardback format is the defining physical characteristic of the original release. At approximately 34.5 cm tall, it requires substantially more storage space than a conventional CD and its exposed edges and corners should be protected from rubbing and compression.
Copies can be identified by catalogue number MHZD-01 and JAN 4582237834932. The original standard edition carries a retail price of ¥4,800 before tax.
Factory-sealed examples retain the original shrink wrap over the unusually large jacket and are particularly useful for documenting how the release was originally presented at retail.
Trivia & Interesting Facts
- Fourteen artists from six countries contributed to the soundtrack.
- The musicians were asked to read Dorohedoro before creating their tracks.
- Q Hayashida is officially credited as the album’s compiler and illustrator.
- The soundtrack contains eight tracks on Disc 1 and six on Disc 2.
- Igorrr contributed the track simply titled “Dorohedoro”.
- A reservation-only edition added a T-shirt and individually serial-numbered card signed by Hayashida.
- The original edition sold out and remained out of print until the soundtrack was revisited in 2023.
- Its 2016 release makes it a document of Dorohedoro’s pre-anime era, rather than merchandise derived from the later television series.
Watch our Dorohedoro review here:
About the Snows Mini Preservation Project
This item has been documented as part of the Snows Mini Preservation Project, an ongoing effort to preserve and catalogue physical media. Our aim is to record releases, variations and their historical significance for collectors and future enthusiasts. Most items featured in the project form part of our archive and may not be for sale.
Dorohedoro Original Soundtrack | Oversized 2CD | MHz | MHZD-01 | Japan Import
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Introduction: Original 2016 Dorohedoro soundtrack released by MHz and based on Q Hayashida’s manga. This pre-anime release features music by multiple artists, presented across two CDs in its distinctive oversized packaging.
Platform: 2CD soundtrack.
Publisher: MHz.
Region: Japan.
Contents: Original oversized 2CD edition. Catalogue number MHZD-01.
Collectibility notes: Original 2016 MHz release produced several years before the Dorohedoro anime adaptation. Its oversized presentation and direct connection to Q Hayashida’s original manga distinguish it from later Dorohedoro soundtrack releases.
Condition: New. Factory sealed and unused. Minor storage or shelf wear may be present, especially on older stock. Consistent with its age and may show some shelving or storage wear.
Please note: Any photographs showing an opened copy are provided for illustrative purposes only. The item supplied with this listing will be brand new and factory sealed.
Disclaimer: This item has not been tested and is sold as a collectible. Please message us before ordering if you have any questions.
This item is part of our preservation project – click here for details.
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