Daijiro Morohoshi

Daijiro Morohoshi
Born Morohoshi Daijirō
諸星 大二郎
(1949-07-06) July 6, 1949
Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Nationality Japanese
Other names Morohoshi Yoshikage
諸星 義影
Occupation Manga artist, illustrator, writer
Years active 1970–present
Known for Yōkai Hunter, Saiyū Yōenden
Awards Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (2000)

Daijiro Morohoshi (諸星 大二郎, Morohoshi Daijirō, born July 6, 1949 in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He grew up in Adachi-ku, Tokyo. He is well known for SF comics, allegorical comics and horror/mystery comics based on pseudohistory and folklore. The indirect influence by Cthulhu Mythos also appears here and there in his works.

Biography

After graduating from high school, Morohoshi worked for the Tokyo metropolitan government for three years.

In 1970, Morohoshi made his professional debut with his short story "Junko Kyōkatsu" (ジュン子・恐喝, Junko, blackmail) in COM.

In 1974, his short story "Seibutsu Toshi" (生物都市, Bio City) was selected in the 7th Tezuka Award. He published Yōkai Hunter (妖怪ハンター, Demon Hunter) series in Weekly Shōnen Jump and he entered the comics industry in earnest. He published Ankoku Shinwa (暗黒神話, Dark Myth), Kōshi Ankokuden (孔子暗黒伝, Dark Biography of Confucius) in the same magazine afterwards.

In 1979, he published the Mud Men series in Monthly Shōnen Champion Zōkan.

In 1983, he published Saiyū Yōenden (西遊妖猿伝, Journey to the West: Monster monkey's Commentary) (The Monkey King and other Chinese Legends) based on "Journey to the West" in Super Action. This work won the grand prize of the fourth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2000.

Legacy

Because Morohoshi's style of painting was too unique, his assistants said that they didn't know how to assist him, or Osamu Tezuka said that he could not imitate Morohoshi's painting.

Morohoshi's Mud men triggered Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra, and Hosono wrote "The Madmen" for the album Service. Hosono said that his production company misspelled "Mudmen" with "Madmen". Hayao Miyazaki told that he was strongly influenced by Morohoshi in various media.

When Kentaro Takekuma interviewed Miyazaki, he said that he actually wanted Morohoshi to draw Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.[1]

According to Toshio Okada, who was a former representative director of Gainax, Hideaki Anno always said that he wanted to apply the scene where a giant appeared in "Kage no Machi" (影の街, Shadow Town) to his work, and his hope was realized in Neon Genesis Evangelion.[2]

Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
1974 "Seibutsu Toshi" The 7th Tezuka Award Nominated
1992 Boku to Furio to Kōtei de The excellence prize of The 21st Japan Cartoonists Association Award Won
Ikairoku The excellence prize of The 21st Japan Cartoonists Association Award Won
2000 Saiyū Yōenden The grand prize of the 4th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Won
2008 Shiori to Shimiko Excellent prize of the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga section Won
2014 Uriko-Hime no Yoru, Cinderella no Asa Award for the Media Arts division at the 64th Annual MEXT Art Encouragement Prizes[3] Won

Major Works

Manga

  • Yōkai Hunter series
  • Ankoku Shinwa (The Dark Myth)
  • Saiyū Yōenden (The Monkey King and other Chinese Legends)
  • Mud Men series
  • Kōshi Ankokuden
  • Boku to Furio to Kōtei de (僕とフリオと校庭で, Me and Furio in the schoolyard)[4]
  • Ikairoku (異界録, Another World Record)
  • Shiori to Shimiko (栞と紙魚子, Shiori and Shimiko)
  • Uriko-Hime no Yoru, Cinderella no Asa (瓜子姫の夜・シンデレラの朝)

Novels

  • Kyōko no Kyō wa Kyōfu no Kyō (2004)
  • Kumo no Ito wa Kanarazu Kireru (2007)

Illustrations for books

Movies

  • Hiruko the Goblin (1991, Film Director: Shinya Tsukamoto)
  • Kidan (2005, Film Director: Takashi Komatsu)
  • Kabeotoko (British title: The Wall Man) (2007, Film Director: Wataru Hayakawa)

TV drama

  • Fukushū Club (1991, Fuji Television, in Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari)
  • Shiro (1992, Fuji Television, in Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari)
  • Shiori to Shimiko no Kaiki Jikenbo (2008, Nippon Television)

Radio drama

  • Saiyū Yōenden (1989)
  • Zoku Saiyū Yōenden (1990)
  • Yumemiru Kikai (2000)

OVA

  • Ankoku Shinwa (The Dark Myth) Chapter 1/Chapter 2 (1990)

Video games

  • Ankoku Shinwa: Yamatotakeru Densetsu (1988)

References

  1. ↑ pages 135 at the March 2008 issue of Eureka
  2. ↑ January 10, 1997, NHK-BS Manga Yawa featured Boku to Furio to Kōtei de
  3. ↑ "Japanese Government Honors Ghibli's Suzuki, Voice Actress Nana Mizuki". Anime News Network. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  4. ↑ This title was inspired from "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard".
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