My Name Is Shingo
| My Name Is Shingo | |
 First tankōbon volume cover | |
| わたしは真悟 (Watashi wa Shingo) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kazuo Umezu |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Big Comic Spirits |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 1982 – 1986 |
| Volumes | 10 |
My Name Is Shingo (Japanese: わたしは真悟, Hepburn: Watashi wa Shingo) is a Japanese science fiction manga by Kazuo Umezu. It was serialized in Big Comic Spirits between 1982 and 1986,[1] with its chapters collected in 10 tankōbon volumes.[2] While best known for his horror manga, Umezu desired to minimize the horror and dedicate Shingo to exploring concepts of god, consciousness, and the metaphysical.
The manga is licensed in English by Viz Media.[3][4]
Summary[edit]
Satoru Kondō (近藤悟) is the 12-year-old son of a factory worker. Marin Yamamoto (山本真鈴) is the 12-year-old daughter of a diplomat. The two meet by chance during a field trip to the factory to see the new industrial robots, and they fall in love. They later sneak in to the factory to input various information into one of the robots, "Monroe".
However, Satoru's father loses his job and his family falls apart, while Marin's father is sent to the UK for work, ripping the two apart from each other. Fearing an end to their childhood and rejecting adulthood, the two decide to get married and have children. They ask the robot Monroe how to create children and are told to jump from the top of 333 (to whatever is there). They interpret this to be the 333-meter-tall Tokyo Tower. They leap and a miracle happens: a spark of consciousness is born within the robot Monroe. Satoru and Marin are separated after this without knowing about their child. Unable to forget Marin, Satoru inputs his feelings for her in Monroe before moving. As its conscious grows, in a search for its origins, the robot searches for Marin to convey Satoru's message.
The robot Monroe chooses a name for himself: Shingo (真悟)—a masculine name—taking one character each from his father and mother's names. Shingo continues to evolve and travels to Europe to find his mother. Marin is in the UK, where she has been deceived by a boy named Robin. Shingo saves his mother and receives a message from her about her feelings for Satoru.
Shingo seeks his father—now living in Niigata—to convey Marin's message. Undertaking much damage, Shingo slowly falls apart and begins to lose his memory. With his final energy, he at last meets his father with only one word left in his memory: "love".
Radio adaptation[edit]
The series was adapted for broadcast by NHK FM Broadcast in 15 parts between October 14, 1991, and November 1, 1991. It was later rebroadcast on October 5, 1992, through October 23, 1992, and October 11, 1993, through October 29, 1993.
Musical adaptation[edit]
A musical adaptation was produced by Kanagawa Arts Theatre (KAAT) and performed at the New National Theatre Tokyo between December 2016 and January 2017. The lead roles were played by Mitsuki Takahata and Mugi Kadowaki.
Art exhibit[edit]
An art exhibit titled "Kazuo Umezz The Great Art Exhibition" opened at Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills. Running from January 28 through March 25, 2022, it features a semi-continuation of the Shingo series. Titled Zoku-Shingo: Chiisa na Robotto Shingo Bijutsukan (Zoku-Shingo: 小さなロボット真悟美術館, "Shingo Sequel: Small Robot Shingo Gallery"), it consists of 101 paintings, each with a short description that forms another story. This is Umezu's first new work in 27 years since the completion of Fourteen, and 36 years since the completion of Shingo.[5]
Reception[edit]
In January 2018, Shingo won the Heritage Selection (LA SELECTION patrimoin) award at the 45th Angoulême International Comics Festival in Angoulême, France.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ わたしは真悟 (in Japanese). Umezz Art Project. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ わたしは真悟. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ Saabedra, Humberto (June 9, 2023). "One Piece: Ace's Story and More Announced in VIZ Media's Spring 2024 Slate". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 10, 2023). "Viz Reveals 18 New Releases for Spring 2024 Including Tokyo These Days, Gokurakugai, Snowball Earth Manga, More". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (November 30, 2021). "Kazuo Umezu's New Work is 101 Acrylic Paintings Serving as Sequel to My Name is Shingo Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Sherman, Jennifer (January 29, 2018). "Kazuo Umezu's My Name Is Shingo Manga Wins Award at France's Angoulême". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
External links[edit]
- Kazuo Umezz The Great Art Exhibition (in Japanese)
- Tokyo City View: Kazuo Umezz The Great Art Exhibition (in Japanese)
- My Name Is Shingo (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia