Detroit Metal City

"Detroit Metal City" (Japanese: デトロイト・メタル・シティ, Hepburn: Detoroito Metaru Shiti) is a Japanese comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kiminori Wakasugi. It was serialized in Hakusensha's seinen manga magazine "Young Animal" from September 2005 to April 2010, and has been adapted into an anime OVA and a live-action film. The manga is known for its exaggerated dark humor and parody of heavy metal music. The story centers on Soichi Negishi, a shy young man who dreams of becoming a pop singer but ends up as the lead vocalist of the death metal band "Detroit Metal City," transforming into the violent "Johannes Krauser II" on stage. The manga humorously portrays Negishi's struggles with his dual identity and the comedic situations arising from it, while highlighting his inner desire for pop music and his distaste for death metal. The work has gained wide popularity for its unique style and absurd plot, winning multiple awards and achieving significant success in the manga, anime, and film realms. It is not only a parody of heavy metal music, but also explores the conflict between identity, personal dreams, and social expectations.