Fujio Akatsuka: The Genius Bakabon and His Three Mothers

**Fujio Akatsuka: The Genius Bakabon and His Three Mothers** (赤塚不二夫伝―天才バカボンと三人の母) is a biography by Takashi Yamaguchi, released on September 14, 2019.

It covers the career of Fujio Akatsuka, and the three motherly-type women he had in his life; his mother Riyo, his first wife Tomoko, and his second wife Machiko.

## Overview

*Strong, weak, clean, dirty ...
All human beings are as they are
This is the story of a genius and his "mothers" who affirmed his life.
All about Fujio Akatsuka who loved these three mothers.*

*The genius, Fujio Akatsuka. Akatsuka was like an unprotected infant. Three "mothers" understood him, supplemented him, supported him, and raised a genius.*

*His own mother, Riyo, raised four children, including her eldest son of 10 years old (Akatsuka), and brought them back from Manchuria. She gave him the opportunity to come in contact with manga and supported Akatsuka, who wanted to become a manga artist.*

*His first wife, Tomoko, worked as an assistant and wife as he worked on his career hit "Osomatsu-kun". She raised the professional manga artist Fujio Akatsuka.*

*His second wife, Machiko, was there when he became alcoholic and suffered from cancer. Akatsuka, who had fallen to the bottom, was revived by her efforts as a caring wife, and her life was connected to his.*

*This is the unknown story of Fujio Akatsuka, glimpsed through the three mothers.*

- Summary by publisher

This book spans from Akatsuka's younger years in returning to Japan from Manchuria, where he tried to publish "Diamond Island", to the highs and lows of his career and life and how his love and interactions with his mother and wives intersected with each milestone. The one-shot "The End of Unagi-Inu" caps off the book as an extra.

## Chapters

### 1: The Real Mother, Riyo

Akatsuka's childhood with his mother up to his Tokiwa-so days are covered in this chapter.

### 2: The Former Wife (Moto-nyo), Tomoko

The encounter of Tomoko and Fujio is revisited, followed by her early assistance in his career, the breakout hits of "Osomatsu-kun" and "Akko-chan's Got a Secret!", the birth of Rieko, and the deterioration of their marriage. Machiko Suzuki is also covered in the chapter, due to Tomoko's part in arranging for her and her former husband to be married, along with Tomoko's own remarriage and her battles with cancer.

### 3: The Current Wife (Ima-nyo), Machiko

Machiko's chapter spans from her first meeting with Akatsuka, to the matchmaking and marriage, her role as the president of Fujio Productions, and her life and times with Akatsuka through the 1990s to the early 2000s. "The Collapse of the Sheeh! Religion" and the shelved "Nobody Knows a Great Person" are highlighted, as well as Akatsuka's battles with cancer and brain injuries.

### 4: Departures and Remnants

The final portion covers Akatsuka's years in a vegetative state, with Machiko's resolution to stick by him until her own death, followed by the passings of both the manga-ka and his former wife within days of one another. The immediate family left, Rieko, must make a resolution to continue going on strong as the president of Fujio Pro and honoring her late parents.