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Osamu Akimoto

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Osamu Akimoto
Native name
秋本 治
Born (1952-12-11) December 11, 1952 (age 71)
Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan
Pen nameTatsuhiko Yamadome
OccupationManga artist
GenreComedy
SubjectShōnen manga, seinen manga
Years active1976–present
Notable worksKochiKame
Mr. Clice
Black Tiger
Notable awardsShogakukan Manga Award (2005)
Kikuchi Kan Prize (2016)
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (2017)
Seiun Award (2017)
Medal with Purple Ribbon (2019)

Osamu Akimoto (Japanese: 秋本 治, Hepburn: Akimoto Osamu, born December 11, 1952) is a Japanese manga artist from Katsushika, Tokyo. He is best known for his long-running comedy series KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops, which was continuously published in Weekly Shōnen Jump for 40 years from 1976 to 2016. With 1,960 chapters collected into 201 tankōbon volumes, it held the Guinness World Record for "Most volumes published for a single manga series" from September 2016 to July 2021. The series has sold over 155 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series in history. Akimoto's other works include the action comedy Mr. Clice, which has been published irregularly since 1985, and the Western series Black Tiger (2017–2023).

Career

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Before becoming a professional manga artist, Akimoto worked at the animation studio Tatsunoko Production on series such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.[1][2] Akimoto made his manga debut with KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops (often shortened to Kochikame) under the pen name of Tatsuhiko Yamadome (山止 たつひこ) in 1976. He changed to using his real name in 1978, after the series reached its 100th chapter. The manga was continuously serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump for 40 years from 1976 to 2016 and has sold over 155 million copies,[3][4] making it one of the best-selling manga series in history. On December 31, 2016, Shueisha reprinted the Weekly Shōnen Jump issue that included the final chapter of Kochikame, marking the first time the magazine has ever been reprinted.[5] Kochikame has spawned a large media franchise that includes adaptations both animated and live-action; an anime television series, several animated films, a live-action film, live-action TV drama, and stage adaptations.[6]

In 1985, Akimoto started the action comedy series Mr. Clice, which follows the Japanese secret agent Jin Clice, who has the body of a woman but the mind of a man. It was originally serialized in Monthly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 2007, before being revived in Jump SQ. in 2017 and transferring to Jump SQ. Rise in 2018.[7][8]

In November 2010, Akimoto was one of several manga artists that held a press conference in opposition to Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths's Bill 156.[9] In February 2014, he drew the one-shot "Vocalo" which is set 50 years after the rise of Vocaloid technology and ran in the shōjo manga magazine Margaret.[10] The following year, Grand Jump published his "Allie, Shoot Your Gun" Western one-shot in January 2015.[11]

In addition to resuming Mr. Clice, Akimoto launched three new manga series in three different Shueisha magazines in 2017.[7] The Western Black Tiger was serialized in Grand Jump from the second issue of 2017, which was released in December 2016, until February 2023.[12] Finder: Kyoto Jogakuin Monogatari was serialized in Weekly Young Jump from February 2017 until March 2018. It follows a group of four girls at an all-female high school in Kameoka, Kyoto.[13] A "sequel" to Kochikame, Ii Yu da ne! ran in Ultra Jump from March 2017 to June 2019. Set in a bathhouse in Shitamachi, Gorō Kuma and his grandson are deeply moved when the Brazilian wife of Kuma's son arrives to save the bathhouse from having to close.[14]

In 2019, Akimoto published Akimoto Osamu no Shigoto-jutsu, an instructional book that explains how he used schedule management to serialize a successful manga for 40 years.[15]

Awards and accolades

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In 2005, Kochikame was one of two winners of the Special Judges Award at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards in 2005.[16]

With 200 tankōbon volumes, Akimoto and Kochikame held the Guinness World Record for "Most volumes published for a single manga series" from September 2016 to July 2021.[17][18] Also in 2016, Akimoto received the 64th Kikuchi Kan Prize for creating Kochikame for 40 years without breaks.[19] The following year, he received the Special Prize at the 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for the series, and the Seiun Award for Best Comic.[20][21]

In 2019, the Japanese government gave Akimoto the Medal with Purple Ribbon for his contributions to the arts.[22]

Works

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Assistants

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References

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  1. ^ "こち亀・秋本治氏　タツノコの思い出回想「相当すごい技術」". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). April 2, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  2. ^ "「ラフ∞絵」開幕！秋本治のボトムズや大河原邦男のクリィミーマミなど展示". Natalie (in Japanese). April 2, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  3. ^ "Osamu Akimoto's Kochikame Manga Ends on September 17 After 40 Years of Serialization". Anime News Network. September 3, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  4. ^ "Top 10 Shonen Jump Manga by All-Time Volume Sales". Anime News Network. October 23, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Weekly Shonen Jump Gets First Ever Reprint Thanks to KochiKame". Anime News Network. November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Shonen Jump's 'KochiKame' Manga Gets Stage Play to Celebrate 40th Anniversary". Anime News Network. December 3, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "KochiKame's Osamu Akimoto Publishes 4 New Manga in 2017". Anime News Network. September 15, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  8. ^ "Twin Star Exorcists Spinoff Manga Ends in 1st Issue of New Jump SQ. Rise Magazine". Anime News Network. April 16, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  9. ^ "Manga Creators' Panels on New Youth Ordinance Bill Streamed". Anime News Network. November 29, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  10. ^ "Kochikame's Akimoto Draws Vocaloid Shōjo One-Shot Manga". Anime News Network. January 5, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  11. ^ "Kochikame's Akimoto Draws 'Arii yo Jū wo Ute!' One-Shot". Anime News Network. January 4, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  12. ^ "秋本治の新連載がグラジャンで始動！女ガンマンを主人公にした西部劇". Natalie (in Japanese). December 21, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  13. ^ "Osamu Akimoto's Finder Manga Ends After 4 Chapters". Anime News Network. March 15, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  14. ^ "Kochikame's Osamu Akimoto Ends Ii Yu da ne! Manga on June 19". Anime News Network. May 18, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  15. ^ "Kochikame Creator Publishes 1st Business Tips Book". Anime News Network. September 15, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  16. ^ 小学館漫画賞 過去受賞作 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  17. ^ "Kochikame Earns Guinness World Record For Most Volumes Published For Single Manga Series". Anime News Network. September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  18. ^ "「ゴルゴ13」がギネス世界記録に認定、ちばてつやや高橋留美子らもお祝い". Natalie (in Japanese). July 18, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  19. ^ "Kochikame's Akimoto Wins Kan Kikuchi Prize". Anime News Network. October 13, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  20. ^ "Hana ni Somu Manga Wins 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize's Top Award". Anime News Network. April 25, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  21. ^ "Shin Godzilla Film, Kochikame Manga Win Seiun Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  22. ^ "KochiKame Creator Osamu Akimoto Wins Japan's Medal with Purple Ribbon". Anime News Network. November 2, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  23. ^ "Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Futaba-kun Change". Anime News Network. October 21, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
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