Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho
| Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho | |
| 男一匹ガキ大将 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action, coming-of-age |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Hiroshi Motomiya |
| Published by | |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | December 26, 1968 – July 31, 1973 |
| Volumes | 20 |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Tadao Wakabayashi |
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Kinpei Azusa |
| Studio | Nippon Television Network |
| Released | September 29, 1969 – March 28, 1970 |
Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho (男一匹ガキ大将, lit. "The Ideal Boy's Gang Leader") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroshi Motomiya. The manga was one of the first to be serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in 1968. Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, the series is generally considered the biggest hit of the magazine's early era and helped establish the magazine as the major hit it would later become..[1]. The series itself inspired other young creators like Masami Kurumada[2] to get into creating manga and help the magazine reach new levels of popularity in subsequent decades (both Kurumada and Tetsuo Hara would later serialize their own tribute series to this one in Weekly Shonen Jump, though neither were successful in comparison to their better-known serials).
Alongside Harenchi Gakuen and Chichi no Tamashii, it was one of the debut series that launched the Jump Comics line of tankobons in late 1969 (a brand that has gone on to produce many of the best-selling manga of all time). By virtue of outlasting those two series, when it ended at twenty volumes in 1973, it was the longest Jump Comics series until it was surpassed in 1975 by Dokonjō Gaeru [3]. It was the debut serial of Hiroshi Motomiya, who was only in his early 20's, and had previously worked a few years in the rental manga industry. Notably, because the series was so popular and significant to the young magazine, it lasted longer than the author had wanted and he was forced by editorial to continue beyond his intended ending [4]
Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho has been the very first Shonen Jump series to be adaptated into an anime television series, in 1969. Thanks to this series, Shonen Jump was able to get 1 million readers in 1970[5]. In the context of the magazine itself, in 1970 and 1971, it was common for Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho to get the front cover three or four issues in a row. Though it never sold as much as many of the better-known series from Shonen Jump's Golden Age (where circulation peaked at over 6 million), it still has a legacy as an early classic and has been promoted in later decades of the magazine, such as on covers in honor of the 40th and 50th anniversaries[6]
Plot[edit]
The plot of the series revolves around Mankichi Togawa, who at the start of the series is a single delinquent student with one dedicated follower (Rappa) who blows a trumpet to kick off the fights Mankichi gets into. Like many later iconic shonen protagonists, Mankichi's power is his ability to appeal to the others around him who join his cause (sometimes only after first losing to him in a fight). Through the series his followers grow to eventually become such a huge amount they become a literal army of thousands that performs impressive feats of strength and engage in all-out war. While Rappa is too young to properly take part in much of the action in the series, Mankichi's most prominent and consistent follower is Ginji Kubo (a young delinquent with an eyepatch).
The villains of the series are at times other delinquents but also include much larger enemies in the form of big business or an arc where Mankichi was sent to a juvenile delinquent rehabilitation facility (which had the atmosphere and harshness of a prison). Some of Mankichi's closest friends die along the way (with one former enemy who became his follower heroically dying to save him) and Mankichi himself completely loses his way at times (with his friends trying to revitalize his spirit). The series also included romance in the form of Mankichi's first love Tomoko and him briefly leaving her for another girl (Ayumi) while she waited for him to return to her (which he eventually did).
Characters[edit]
- Mankichi Togawa
- Voiced by: Kei Tomiyama
- The main character of the story. He lost his father in a storm in the sea when he was little. He's very impulsive and reckless, fast to join a fight, but he has a noble heart and a big aura.
- Ginji Kubo
- Voiced by: Makio Inoue
- Mankichi most loyal follower. He wears an eyepatch.
- Mito Masae
- Voiced by: Kaneta Kimotsuki
- The main antagonist in the series.
- Rappa
- Voiced by: Masako Nozawa
- Mankichi first follower. He always wears a trumpet with him.
- Tomoko Okano
- Voiced by: Reiko Mutoh
- Mankichi love interest.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary TV Special (video)".
- ↑ "Masami Kurumada describes how he created his manga Saint Seiya (Spanish)".
- ↑ "The Bronze Age of Jump Part 1: Breaking the Rules & Setting Standards".
- ↑ "Hiroshi Motomiya".
- ↑ "Jump: the Golden Time of manga (French)".
- ↑ "Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho".
External links[edit]
- Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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