The worlds crafted by Taiyo Matsumoto are huge and past examine. From post-apocalyptic desert wastelands by means of gentrified slums-turned-amusement-parks, to world famend artwork museums and quiet orphanages – these are however a handful of the properties to some of manga’s best characters and tales.
Born in Tokyo 56 years in the past on October 25, Taiyo Matsumoto’s profession has caused a pantheon of beloved manga, movies, and anime with not only a distinctive visible model, however a form of storytelling hardly ever seen in the medium. Regardless of the material — be it a former superhero on the run, children preventing off yakuza businessmen, or the melancholy of the highschool desk tennis circuit — the topic of Matsumoto’s storytelling often circles again to the plain significance of discovering these to name your loved ones, and all the heart-warming and heart-breaking feelings that associate with it.
Influenced by an array of artists the world over — Katsuhiro Otomo, Enki Bilal, and Mœbius, to call just a few — Matsumoto boasts an simply recognizable model that stands out amongst different manga. Once an aspiring soccer nice, Matsuomoto’s win at the Comics Open contest led to a tour of France in the mid-Nineteen Eighties that will change the course of his life endlessly.
Since that journey, Matsumoto has gone on to create not just some of manga’s most beloved classics, however some of the most impressed comics to ever have been inked. His manga has earned him a range of awards, together with the Japan Cartoonists Association Award, Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize, Japan Media Arts Festival Award, and even an Eisner Award.
To say I wouldn’t be the particular person I’m immediately — in issues private and artistic — with out having skilled Matsumoto’s manga could be an understatement. At each probability I get, I like to recommend his work. I recall a pilgrimage to all the nice comedian shops and bookshops of London just a few years in the past. On our approach again to the practice, we stopped at a Foyles (a UK chain of bookstores). As I browsed for any excuse to spend cash, I observed a person choose up Viz’s all-in-one version of Tekkonkinkreet.
I’m not one to speak to strangers. Frankly, I keep away from it fully. But I might see him wading between whether or not or to not purchase it whereas he thumbed by means of the pages. I stepped in and advised him to purchase it. “Trust me. I don’t know what you usually read, but you’ll love that.” That appeared to be sufficient to tip the scales, as he thanked me, walked over to the counter post-haste, purchased it, and disappeared into the drizzly London streets. I’ll by no means know if he loved it, however I’ve to consider he did.
For those that have by no means learn his manga, or have solely learn a pair, take a second to think about your self in a bookstore. It’s a cold day. Your stomach is warmed by a comfortable sweater and scorching chocolate. You’re minding your individual enterprise. Suddenly, some bearded fellow (with whom you didn’t point out an curiosity in talking with) is piling guide after guide into your arms. Recommending, or reasonably, demanding you learn every of the manga he lists beneath.
Tekkonkinkreet (Black and White)
Set in the fictional crumbling metropolis of Treasure Town, Tekkonkinkreet follows orphaned road urchins Black and White as they struggle off the native yakuza, overseas builders, superhuman hitmen, different stray children, and minotaurs born from inside darkness — all in the pursuit of retaining their beloved dwelling from altering round them.
Whether you expertise this one by means of Michael Arias and Studio 4°C’s anime adaptation, or by means of the manga itself, that is (for my part) one of the most essential manga to ever have been created, and one which has held a spot in my coronary heart in a approach phrases can’t adequately categorical. Luckily, for those who’ve not learn the manga, Viz is popping out with a model new thirtieth Anniversary Edition of Tekkonkinkreet that’s hardcover and in its unique format.* You can preorder this at your native comedian retailer or bookshop!
Little enjoyable truth: do you know Tekkonkinkreet is the purpose Louise in Bob’s Burgers wears her signature rabbit hat? Now you do!
*Initial releases of Tekkonkinkreet had been ‘flipped’, studying left-to-right as an alternative of the conventional manga right-to-left
Ping Pong
High faculty generally is a robust time for a lot of, fraught with all the melancholy of rising up, hormones, budding romances, and exams. For childhood associates Smile and Peco nevertheless, their greatest fear is how far they’ll go of their highschool’s ping pong workforce and the numerous championships they enter.
Ping Pong is one of Matsumoto’s best manga to dive into. At its coronary heart, it’s your typical sports activities manga. There’s exhaustive coaching, self-doubt, all-star gamers, over-zealous coaches. But at it’s core, it drills down on the significance of friendship and being a component of a workforce. For a sport that’s not as enjoyable to look at as it’s to play, Matsumoto attracts every ping pong match with such an power you could hear the ball thwack towards the paddle and whizz by your head.
Viz just lately launched two omnibus editions that comprise the total collection. There’s additionally a implausible live-action film (which Viz surprisingly licensed nicely earlier than the manga) and an even-more-fantastic anime adaptation from Madhouse and Masaaki Yuaasa.
Blue Spring
This quick story assortment follows the lives of highschool delinquents as they desperately wait for college to finish and summer time to reach. There’s crime, violence, lethal rooftop video games, and all the bravado and machismo you can anticipate from teenage robust guys, with every story diving into their very own rebellions and frustrations with life.
Blue Spring is the earliest of Matsumoto’s manga obtainable in English, initially launched in Japan in 1993. While now horribly out of print (severely, don’t ask how a lot I needed to pay for mine…), it’s attention-grabbing to see the earlier aspect of his work. Nowadays, his manga appears rooted in telling extra quieter, human-driven tales, whereas his earlier work was full of motion, fantasy, and violence.
Blue Spring additionally incorporates one thing of a mini-prequel to Tekkonkinkreet with a brief story displaying how a then-student Kimura got here to work for Suzuki and his yakuza household.
No. 5
The world’s now a desert, and the solely factor retaining it at peace are the superheroes in the Rainbow Council of the Peace Corps. Only they’ve a disaster on their fingers: No. 5 — their high marksman — has dropped off the face of the earth. While sustaining the picture of peace, the different guardians now have to trace down No. 5 and his unusual companion — a lady referred to as Matryoshka — to seek out out simply what brought about him to go rogue.
No. 5 is an acid journey of a manga, and that’s placing it frivolously. If you’ve ever wanted an instance of the place Matsumoto’s stylistic inspirations come from, it’s No. 5. It’s packed full of imagery impressed by BD (bande dessinée) greats like Moebius and Enki Bilal whereas nonetheless touting the distinctive appeal of manga. Many pages seize what a hallucination having a fever dream may appear like. Honestly, you may want just a few read-throughs of this one simply to take all of it in.
Viz launched No. 5 in 4 volumes, every with a canopy topped with a foil brand. Fun truth: this truly isn’t the first time Viz launched No. 5. They launched it again in 2002 hoping to trip off the cult hit that was Tekkonkinkreet. Unfortunately, the two volumes they put out offered fairly poorly, solely promoting lower than 1000 copies between them. Thankfully we’re now in an age the place manga (and Taiyo Matsumoto) is extra appreciated, so this story may be loved in full!
Sunny
The Star Kids house is a gaggle dwelling and orphanage that homes a quantity of kids of various ages. Each youngster has their very own difficult emotions about being there – some discover it troublesome to grasp, others settle for it for what it’s. Fortunately, the play yard homes a busted-up Nissan Sunny which may take the kids anyplace they will think about.
Sunny isn’t precisely autobiographical, however attracts on many of Matsumoto’s childhood experiences of residing in a foster dwelling. The story itself is a testomony to childhood energy and spirit. The kids on this manga undergo a lot, at no fault of their very own, however at all times discover it in them to smile, snigger, and be proud of what they’ve. I’ll be the first to confess: there have been fairly just a few factors all through this collection that utterly broke me. Just diminished me to a blubbering, snot-covered child.
Viz launched all 6 volumes of Sunny between 2013 and 2016. While the bodily volumes are out of print, you possibly can nonetheless choose this collection up digitally. It’s a disgrace they’re out of print although. They’re attractive books with these actually glossy canvas covers. Definitely choose them up second-hand if potential!
Cats of the Louvre
The Louvre — one of the world’s foremost artwork museums situated in Paris — is dwelling to some of artwork’s most revered items. The Mona Lisa. The Venus de Milo. The Raft of the Medusa. But when the lights exit, it turns into a dreamlike dwelling to a small household of cats (who flicker between lovely creatures and a better-looking model of the solid of Cats) residing secretly in the museum. Especially to at least one of its smallest members – an lovely white cat named Snowbebe, who can seemingly leap out and in of work.
It’s simple to see why Cats of the Louvre received an Eisner Award. It’s a hauntingly poignant story that really nails the significance of artwork. Art does greater than seize our creativeness or pique our curiosity. It can function a approach to deal with troublesome feelings like loss or grief, because it does on this manga. It can encourage us in methods we might by no means think about. It may be that escape we typically desperately want. The message is easy: whether or not you’re a human or a cat, artwork is a necessity in life.
Viz launched this in a single omnibus in 2019 with a cleverly designed canvas cowl. If you’re utterly new to Taiyo Matsumoto’s manga, that is the excellent leaping off level. It has every little thing: thriller, city fantasy, artwork, and cats. What extra might you want? (Fair warning to animal lovers although: some of the cats do get injured and even die.)
GoGo Monster
Third-grader Yuki claims to have a particular means: he’s the just one who can see the mysterious creatures on the different aspect of this world. While this results in him changing into ridiculed by each his classmates and his academics, he desperately goals of a day he can reside on the different aspect, even when his connection to it appears to be slowly dwindling with every passing day.
GoGo Monster is filled with some extremely vivid imagery rivalling that of Yuki’s overactive creativeness. It completely captures what being a lonely child in grade faculty is like. Having to fill in the gaps with imaginary associates, and wishing to be whisked away to a world the place you’d really feel regular. If it’s one thing you skilled rising up, it may be just a little painful to revisit, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a beautiful story that genuinely sticks with you.
This was initially launched in English by Viz in 2003, and got here with a pleasant little slipcase and a hanging crimson fore-edge portray. This was one other of his manga that was so horribly out of print, I needed to pay out the nostril to get it second-hand. Luckily, Viz is putting out a second edition reprint in 2024!
Unreleased works in English
While the bulk of Taiyo Matsumoto’s library has made it throughout the ocean, there are various tales of his nonetheless solely obtainable in Japanese. Even earlier than Blue Spring, he already had three quick sports activities collection revealed between 1989 and 1992. While there are such a lot of quick tales, quick books, and one-shots of his out in the world, listed below are some of his unreleased works in English that really deserve a learn.
Straight was his first serialized manga, revealed in Morning and picked up in 2 volumes, that adopted two rookie pro-baseball gamers with reverse personalities. Two associates with reverse personalities is nearly a staple of Matsumoto manga. It’s attention-grabbing to see how far again that goes.
Zero was a boxing manga that adopted the listlessness and tedium of a boxer so nice and profitable that nobody might defeat him. This led him to hunt out a Mexican boxer rumoured to be so highly effective, he’s killed in the ring earlier than.
Hana Otoko follows Shigeo, a younger boy who solely desires to do nicely in class, and despises his estranged father for his carefree nature and obsession with baseball. After Shigeo is distributed to spend the summer time along with his father, his father hopes to show him that there’s extra to life than finding out.
Takemitsu Zamurai (seen in the picture above) is personally one manga I’m shocked hasn’t been given an English launch. The 8-volume collection follows the story of a ronin (a wandering samurai with no grasp), and is one of many collaborations with author Eifuku Issei. While I’ve solely ever skimmed the pages of my very own non-English copies, it’s has some gorgeous paintings. Even except for the superbly etched violence and motion, the panelling and inventive course jogs my memory of previous well-known ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Now if solely we might get an English launch of this one…(trace trace if anybody from Viz is studying this)
Upcoming English releases
There’s loads on the horizon for followers of Taiyo Matsumoto. Previously talked about, there’s the thirtieth Anniversary version of Tekkonkinkreet being launched on November twenty eighth, 2023. GoGo Monster is getting a reprinted second edition, at the moment obtainable for pre-order and launched in Summer 2024.
Most thrilling although is his newest collection – Tokyo These Days – is getting an English launch from VIZ Media, beginning in January 2024! It follows a manga editor named Kazuo who all of the sudden quits his job, solely to find early retirement isn’t the approach to make up for his failures, and that the manga trade isn’t fairly carried out with him.
With manga being a wealthy medium of tales and artwork types, Taiyo Matsumoto has set himself aside along with his avant-garde drawings and introspective narratives that deeply resonate with readers worldwide. Whether you’re already a fan of his, or that is the first time you’ve ever heard of him, it’s not possible to disclaim that Matsumoto’s works are extra than simply manga: they’re merely artwork.
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