GeGeGe no Kitarō
The change of his manga from aimed at children to more 'literary' "gekiga" manga started with the "yōkai" manga "Dororo" in 1967. This "yōkai" manga was influenced by the success of and a response to Shigeru Mizuki's "GeGeGe no Kitarō". Simultaneously, he also produced "Vampires" that, like "Dororo", also introduced a stronger, more coherent storyline and a shift in the drawing style. After these two he began his true first "gekiga" attempt with "Swallowing the Earth". Dissatisfied with the result, he soon after produced "I.L.". His work "Phoenix" began in 1967.