Reading the Great Master Fujio Akatsuka

**Reading the Great Master Fujio Akatsuka** (赤塚不二夫大先生を読む) is the first "Serious Joke Analysis" research book by Hiroshi Nawa, covering portions of Fujio Akatsuka's career. It was released by Shakaihyoronsha on October 24, 2011.

The contents of this book were later updated and appended into the book "**The Genius Fujio Akatsuka and His Era: Akatsuka Manga Theory as a Cultural Heritage**" (天才・赤塚不二夫とその時代　文化遺産としての赤塚マンガ論), making up the first 4 of its 8 chapters.

## Overview

This book encompasses Akatsuka's early life and influences that kickstarted his manga career, and his accumulation of shojo and gag work that would lead to the explosive hits ofOsomatsu-kun, Akko-chan's Got a Secret!, and many others following in their wake. It also attempts to clear up any possible misunderstandings and rumors that may have circulated about Akatsuka and the Fujio Pro system, in order for fans to have the best understanding of his history. At least 180 titles are selected for discussion and analysis.

While the first four chapters encompass Akatsuka's body of work from the 1950s to the early 1970s, the fifth chapter is comprised of interviews with Fujiko Fujio A (Motoo Abiko) and Kenji Morita about Akatsuka's life and impact on post-war gag manga. Nawa also includes a bibliography at the end of the book, listing many "phantom works" by Akatsuka that have never seen reprint.

## Works Covered

### Osomatsu-kun

A special topic of the book in chapter 2. Nawa covers its origins in Shonen Sunday to the final outing in the 1980s, with many subjects to share throughout its lengthy publication history. Some subjects covered include:

* The inspiration behind Chibita
* Kenichiro Takai as an assistant for -kun, and his creations
* The 1966 Osomatsu-kun anime
* Akebono's best-selling "Osomatsu-kun Complete Works"
* Different popular settings that were employed in the series; Wild Western tales, period drama, among others
* Classic stories such as "Chibita the Safe-Cracker" and "An Aerial Swing of Friendship"
* Shonen King's revival effort of the series in the 1970s, and the difference in gag content
* The media mix effort in 1988 for the Studio Pierrot anime, and the Comic BomBom and TV Magazine revivals of the manga

### Akko-chan's Got a Secret!

The special topic of chapter 3. This section goes into Akko's own long history, and includes various subjects related to each serialization and the changes that happened over time. Some include:

* Write-ups of memorable stories such as "Be a Star!" and "Kankichi and the Silent Night"
* The evolution of Akko's transformation item from being a large mirror to a small one, and then a mirror compact
* The contrast of Akko's story style against Osomatsu-kun
* Revisions made to chapters for the 2nd Ribon run in 1968-1969
* Animated adaptations of Akko-chan and their further changes
* Nakayoshi's version of Akko-chan from 1988-1989
* The "Weekly Young" one-shot

### Extraordinary Ataro

The special topic of chapter 4. Some of the subjects covered range from:

* The setting of Batsugoro and Ataro as runners of Yao-Batsu
* Introduction of Dekoppachi into the manga, and the spinoff of The Flower of Dekoppachi
* Boss Kokoro's "modern gangster" nature
* Nyarome's popularity; the works of Cat's Eye News, Nyarome's Laboratory, *Dr. Nyarome*, and the *Nyarome* series ghostwritten by Akira Saito also receive brief mention.
* Introductions of Kemunpas, Beshi, and a strange little boy known only by his catchphrase of "Keko-tan of Hokkairo~!"
* The sudden cancellation of Ataro in Weekly Shonen Sunday, the follow-up of Gag + Gag, and brief revival works of Ataro in the 1990s

### 1950s

#### Chapter 1

* Beyond the Storm
* A Flash of Light on the Lake
* Storm Wharf
* Garden of the Heart
* When the Sun Sets in the Wilderness
* The Girl Who Disappeared
* White Angel
* Mother's Song
* Matsuge-chan
* Nama-chan
* Ohana-chan

There is also brief mention made of the works co-produced with Shotaro Ishinomori as "Asuka Izumi", and Akatsuka's involvement as part of U.MIA

### 1960s

#### Chapter 2

* Otasuke-kun (along with its spinoff of *2nd-Generation President Ichiro-kun*)
* Leave it to Chota
* Nonsensical NO.1
* Songo-kun
* Akatsuka-kun Can Do Anything and Chibita-kun
* Dayon-ojisan
* Fujio Akatsuka's Ganbarima Show
* You Love Me-kun
* The Mean Family and other "Family" works
* Thriller Professor and The Mean Professor

There are other titles that get short, tangential mention in relation to current events and Akatsuka's more radicalized gags such as Ostess Kariko and Radical 7th Years.

#### Chapter 3

* Kibimama-chan - Provides brief mention of Marippe-sensei and Sunset Angel, as previous "humanity tale" shojo works (albeit ones that were tie-ins to pre-existing live-action shows).
* Kyuhei and Sister - Also mentions its predecessor of Tenpei and Sister (and its own sequel White Kappogi).
* Yuki's Blue Eyes
* Good Morning with Mi-tan
* Kikanpo Gen-chan
* Rakugaki (1967) - Contains brief mentions of other works by this title; the original 1966 one-shot and the Yomiuri newspaper comic of 1975.
* Tamanegi Tama-chan - Contains an aside mention of the 1970s work Mame-tan
* Hennako-chan - 1967 version. The 1991 version is also mentioned in the same section.
* Jajako-chan - Brief mention is made of the 1974 "Jajako" one-shot.
* Hippie-chan
* One Woman among Men
* One Man among Women
* Tecchan is Back to Fighting
* Harenchi Masterpiece Series

#### Chapter 4

* The Genius Bakabon
* The 1960s Shonen King works of *What's Going On?*, Dekunobo of the Wilderness, The Chicken Family, *Urashima-kun*, and We are 8 Pro get a special section to themselves.
* The features of Akatsuka Gag Laughter Reserved Seating: Geba Geba Brothers, Dr. Geba Geba, and Oh! Geba Geba. The Shonen "Manga NO.1" feature of The Monkey's Foolish Guardman is also brought up, as a predecessor to the *Geba Geba*-type trio stories.
* Akatsuka's how-to feature of *Manga Graduate School*, with it being his and Kunio Nagatani's counterpart to Shotaro Ishinomori's famous *Introduction to Manga* book.
* Zurucho Has Come and *Chibita-kun: The Story of the Warm-Up Family,* along with short mentions of *Chibita's MomiMomi Story* and Teretere-ojisan

Bakabon is covered more in-depth in Nawa's follow-up book, starting it off with its own special topics. In this book itself, the Bakabon series transfer to Weekly Shonen Sunday and its mysterious pilot by Nippon TV Douga are covered.

The influence of Shigeru Sugiura on Akatsuka works is also noted, with Rerere and Odenkushinosuke brought up for comparison

### 1970s

#### Chapter 3

* I'm Kemugoro
* Oh! Ghost
* Nyan Nyan Nyanda
* Tuttle-kun
* Monster Ball Man
* Tsumannaiko-chan
* Naughty Angel

#### Chapter 4

* Bukkare\*Dan
* The Great Stupid Detective Kogoro Hakuchi - Akatsuka's 1966 work of Phantom Thief 1/2 Face receives an aside mention
* Spartako, with aside mention of Akatsuka's adaptation of The Blue-Eyed Delinquent
* Akatsuka's "Color Photo Comics" starring him and other people from the 1960s to 1970s, including *The Battle of Mappirima* and *Fujio Akatsuka's Parody Guerrilla*
* Karappe of the Wind
* I'm Violent Tetsu!, with an aside note on the earlier Shonen Jump 1968 one-shot *Apache-kun's Great Rampage*.

The development and dissolution of Akatsuka's short-lived Fuji Video Enterprise is also chronicled, along with the closure of Studio Zero (and its brief successor of Fuji Art Film).

## External Links

* Nawa's blog: "Fujio Akatsuka as a Cultural Heritage"- Features revised, republished sections of text from the book