Naoki Urasawa

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Naoki Urasawa
Naoki Urasawa at the 2012 Japan Expo, Paris
Naoki Urasawa at the 2012 Japan Expo, Paris
BornNaoki Urasawa
浦沢 直樹
(1960-01-02) January 2, 1960 (age 64)
Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan
OccupationManga artist, musician
NationalityJapanese
EducationMeisei University
Period1981–present
SubjectSeinen manga
Notable works20th Century Boys
Monster
Pluto
Yawara!
Notable awardsShogakukan Manga Award (1989, 2000, 2002)
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (1999, 2005)

Naoki Urasawa (浦沢 直樹, Urasawa Naoki, born January 2, 1960 in Fuchū, Tokyo[1]) is a Japanese manga artist and occasional musician. He has been called one of the artists that changed the history of manga, and has received the Shogakukan Manga Award three times, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize twice, and the Kodansha Manga Award once.

Early life

Urasawa cited Osamu Tezuka as one of his heroes, being particularly fond of his work Phoenix.[2] "The Greatest Robot on Earth" and "The Artificial Sun" arcs of Tezuka's Astro Boy were his first experiences with manga at four or five years old.[3] Urasawa graduated from Meisei University[1] with a degree in economics. He made his professional manga debut with Return in 1981.[1]

Career

Three of his series have been adapted into anime: Yawara! (1986–1993), Master Keaton (1988–1994), and Monster (1994–2001). One of his more notable works, 20th Century Boys (1999–2007), was made into a three-part live-action movie series, which were released in 2008 and 2009.

In 2008, Urasawa took a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he taught "Modern Expression Course: Manga Classes" two to three times a year, although the class met every month.[4] Initially planned for only five students, Urasawa agreed to expand it to fifteen in an effort to create more "real artists."[4] Also in 2008, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Junot Diaz praised Monster, adding that "Urasawa is a national treasure in Japan."[5] Oricon held a poll on the Mangaka that Changed the History of Manga in 2010, mangaka being the Japanese word for a manga artist, and Urasawa came in tenth.[6]

As a guest at the 2012 Japan Expo in France, Urasawa talked about how he entered the manga industry, gave a live drawing demonstration, and performed two songs as a musician, and joined rock band Hemenway on stage the following day.[7] Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, whom he's previously worked with on Monster, Pluto and Billy Bat, began writing a sequel to Master Keaton in 2012 titled Master Keaton Remaster.[8] When asked why he went back to a series after so many years, Urasawa stated it was because with the original series he had a hard time making the story he wanted due to contractual obligation, and because people affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami said they had enjoyed the series, so he wanted to do something for them.[9] In August 2013, Urasawa created his first "monster manga" titled "Kaijū Ōkoku" ("Monster Kingdom"), a 41-page one-shot published in Big Comic.[10] Urasawa created a short manga about 1960s British rock band the Beatles time-traveling to 2016. Released in June 2016 on the website of Tokyo radio station InterFM897, it coincides with the TV program KKBOX Here comes The Beatles and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band's visit to Japan.[11]

Urasawa is the host of the NHK Educational TV documentary series Urasawa Naoki no Manben (浦沢直樹の漫勉, "Naoki Urasawa's Manga Exertions"), which focuses on a different manga artist each episode and explores their individual styles. It began as a one-off special in 2014, a first season was launched in September 2015, a second in March 2016,[12] a third in September 2016, and a fourth in March 2017.[13]

Style

Fusanosuke Natsume said that prior to entering university, Urasawa's style showed influence from Shinji Nagashima and Osamu Tezuka's 1970s work. But claimed that in 1979 it became aligned with that of Katsuhiro Otomo. Although Urasawa's works like Yawara! had light entertainment with cute young girls, Natsume says Urasawa developed his own personal style with Monster. Which he says is realistic, or directorially based, with cinematic panel layouts similar to Otomo and gekiga artists. Natsume also noted that many of his characters resemble famous movie stars.[14]

Urasawa has frequently collaborated with manga editor and author Takashi Nagasaki, to the point where Nagasaki is called his "producer". The two met when Nagasaki was made Urasawa's editor upon his debut. Although the two continue to collaborate even after Nagasaki became freelance, they rarely socialize outside of work.[15]

Music

Urasawa performing live at the 2012 Japan Expo.

As a hobby Urasawa is also the vocalist and guitarist of a rock band.[16] He started playing guitar in junior high school inspired by folk rock singer-songwriters Takuro Yoshida and Bob Dylan.[17]

Under the stage name "Bob Lennon", he wrote and performed the song "Kenji no Uta" ("Kenji's Song)" that was on a CD included in the 2002 first pressing of volume 11 of 20th Century Boys.[18] He released his debut single "Tsuki ga Tottemo..." (月がとっても…) on June 4, 2008,[18] and his debut album Hanseiki no Otoko (半世紀の男, "Half Century Man") in 2009. In 2012 he performed a Japanese cover of Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" and "Guta lala suda lala" from his series 20th Century Boys at the Japan Expo, and the following day he joined rock band Hemenway on stage.[7]

Urasawa 's second album, Mannon (漫音) which he wrote and produced himself, was released in 2016.[17]

Works

Serials

  • Pineapple Army (パイナップルARMY, 1985–1988) - written by Kazuya Kudou
  • Yawara! (1986–1993)
  • Master Keaton (MASTERキートン, 1988–1994) - written with Hokusei Katsushika and Takashi Nagasaki
  • Happy! (1993–1999)
  • Monster (1994–2001)
  • 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) / 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) (1999–2006, 2007)
  • Pluto (2003–2009) - written with Takashi Nagasaki, based on a work by Osamu Tezuka
  • Billy Bat (2008–2016) - written with Takashi Nagasaki
  • Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター, 2012–2014) - written with Takashi Nagasaki
  • Mujirushi: Le Signe des Rêves (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-, 2017–present)

Other manga

  • "Beta!!" (1983)
  • Dancing Policeman (踊る警官, 1984)
  • N・A・S・A (1988)
  • Jigoro! (1994)
  • Early Urasawa (初期のURASAWA, Shoki no Urasawa, 2000)
  • "Bob Dylan's Great Adventure" (ボブ・ディランの大冒険, Bobu Diran no Dai Bōken, 2007) - with Koji Wakui
  • "Monster Kingdom" (怪獣王国, Kaijū Ōkoku, 2013)
  • "Damiyan!" (2016)

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b c "Creator." Naoki Urasawa's Monster.
  2. ^ "Naoki Urasawa Talks about Manga and Professionalism". comipress.com. January 27, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  3. ^ Urasawa, Naoki (2009). Pluto, Volume 1. Viz Media. pp. 192–195. ISBN 978-1-4215-1918-0.
  4. ^ a b "Yawara, Monster's Naoki Urasawa to Teach Manga Classes". Anime News Network. March 16, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  5. ^ Pulitzer Winner Diaz Praises Monster Manga in Time Mag (Updated)
  6. ^ 『日本の漫画史を変えた作家』、“漫画の神様”手塚治虫が貫禄の1位. Oricon (in Japanese). July 16, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Naoki Urasawa in conference: very stylish". Japan Expo. August 7, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  8. ^ "Master Keaton Manga to Get Sequel After 18 Years". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  9. ^ "Interview: Naoki Urasawa". Anime News Network. August 20, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  10. ^ "20th Century Boys' Urasawa Draws 'Kaijū Ōkoku' Manga 1-Shot". Anime News Network. July 27, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  11. ^ "The Beatles Travel Through Time in Naoki Urasawa's Newest Manga Short". Anime News Network. June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  12. ^ "NHK Documentary Series Peeks at Process of Drawing Manga". Anime News Network. August 27, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  13. ^ "Naoki Urasawa Manga Documentary TV Series Returns for 4th Season". Anime News Network. February 27, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  14. ^ Urasawa, Naoki (2009). Pluto, Volume 3. Viz Media. pp. 198–199. ISBN 978-1-4215-1920-3.
  15. ^ "Naoki Urasawa Talks about Relationship between Mangaka and Editors". comipress.com. November 29, 2006. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  16. ^ Naoki Urasawa Music Web
  17. ^ a b "Veteran manga artist Urasawa releases 2nd music album". Asahi Shimbun. March 19, 2016. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ a b "Manga Creator Naoki Urasawa Debuts Music CD Single". Anime News Network. June 24, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  19. ^ a b c 小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
  20. ^ Joel Hahn. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  21. ^ "Guin Saga, Summer Wars, Pluto Win at Japan Sci-Fi Con". Anime News Network. August 7, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  22. ^ "Viz Media's Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys Wins 2011 Eisner Award". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  23. ^ "Urasawa, Tezuka's Pluto Wins at France's Angoulême". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  24. ^ "Urasawa's 20th Century Boys Wins 2nd Eisner Award". Anime News Network. September 20, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013.

Further reading

James Dorsey. "Urasawa Naoki's Twentieth Century Boys: Autobiographical Manga for Japan’s Children of the 60s,” in Michael A. Chaney, ed., Graphic Subjects: Critical Essays on Autobiography and Graphic Novels (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2011), pp.117~120.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naoki Urasawa.


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