Yoshihiro Togashi

In this Japanese name, the family name is "Togashi".
Yoshihiro Togashi
Born Togashi Yoshihiro
冨樫 義博
April 27, 1966 (1966-04-27) (age 45)
Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Occupation Manga artist
Nationality Japanese
Period 1986 to present
Genres Fiction
Subjects Shōnen manga
Notable work(s) YuYu Hakusho
Hunter × Hunter
Notable award(s) Tezuka Award (1986)
Shogakukan Manga Award (1993)
Spouse(s) Naoko Takeuchi (1999–present)
Children 2

Yoshihiro Togashi (冨樫 義博 Togashi Yoshihiro?, born April 27, 1966 in Yamagata Prefecture[1][2]) is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades. He is perhaps best known for writing and illustrating the YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter series, both of which have been published in the popular Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Togashi is married to Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Born in Shinjō, Yamagata, Togashi began drawing manga casually in his first to second year of elementary school.[1][2][3] In high school, Togashi joined the fine-arts club; he later enrolled at Yamagata University where he studied education in the hope of becoming a teacher.[1] During college he submitted some of his manga work to Weekly Young Jump, published by Shueisha.[1][2] In 1986, at age 20, he authored a manga titled Buttobi Straight (ぶっとびストレート?) for which he received the Tezuka Award, the most prestigious award for new comic artists in Japan.[3][4][5] Another manga by Togashi titled Jura no Miduki (ジュラのミヅキ?) was an honorable mention in Shueisha's annual Hop Step Award Selection magazine in 1987.[6] After having given up his goal of becoming a teacher, Togashi was contacted by an editor of Weekly Shōnen Jump during his senior year of college, who asked him to move to Tokyo.[2]

Career

Togashi's earliest published works for Shueisha included Ōkami Nante Kowakunai!! (狼なんて怖くない!!?, lit. I'm Not Afraid of the Wolf!!), a collection of comedy manga short-stories. Weekly Shōnen Jump published some of the stories prior to a tankōbon release in 1989. Between 1989 and 1990, Togashi authored Ten de Shōwaru Cupid (てんで性悪キューピッド?, lit. Altogether Wicked Cupid), a four-volume romance manga involving the relationship between a normal, human boy and a beautiful, devil girl.

In 1990, Togashi made a name for himself with his next series YuYu Hakusho (幽☆遊☆白書?, lit. Poltergeist Report). Based on his interests in the occult and in horror films, the plot features the character Yusuke Urameshi, who is killed and brought back to life as an "Underworld Detective". The manga, which lasted 175 chapter over 19 tankōbon from 1990 to 1994, went on to sell 49,000,000 copies in Japan, earned Togashi a Shogakukan Manga Award in 1994, and received a hit anime adaptation.[7][8] In 1995, he created Level E (レベルE?), a science fiction-comedy manga. Comprising three volumes, it was first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1995 and ran until 1997.[9][10][11] Level E was adapated into an anime television series in 2011.[12]

Togashi's next major series Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター?), an action-adventure manga, began serialization in 1998. The story revolves around the protagonist Gon Freecss, a young boy in search of his father, who is a legendary, elite member of society called a "Hunter". This manga also performed very well commercially, with the first 20 volumes selling nearly 55,000,000 copies in Japan as of August 2011.[13] In 2008, Togashi tied with One Piece author Eiichiro Oda as the fifth favorite manga artist from a poll posted by the marketing research firm Oricon.[14]

Personal life

Togashi married Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist of Sailor Moon, in 1999.[1][2][4] The two were introduced at a party hosted by Kazushi Hagiwara in August 1997. The following year, Takeuchi assisted Togashi for short time by adding screentone to his manga Hunter × Hunter.[15] Togashi and Takeuchi were married on January 6, 1999. In attendance for the ceremony were several fellow manga artists and voice actors from both the Sailor Moon and YuYu Hakusho anime series.[16] The couple has two children and have collaborated on a children's book titled Oobo— Nu— Tochiibo— Nu— (おおぼーぬーとちぃぼーぬー?), which Takeuchi wrote and Togashi illustrated.[3][17][18] Togashi is good friends with Masashi Kishimoto, the author of Naruto.[19]

Togashi enjoys board-game-style video games and bowling with his family. He also likes watching horror movies, and considers Don't Look Up and Dawn of the Dead his favorites. Togashi cites visual effects designer H. R. Giger as a major influence.[3] Togashi suffered from an immense amount of stress while working on YuYu Hakusho, which caused him inconsistent sleep patterns and chest pain.[20] Togashi has taken numerous breaks in recent years while writing Hunter × Hunter, the first of which was due to illness.[21][22][23][24][25][26] On March 29, 2011, Togashi and his fellow manga artist posted messages on the official Shōnen Jump website in support of the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[27]

Works

Manga

Other

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Vol.13[巻頭インタビュー冨樫義博 [Vol.13 The First Page Interview Yoshihiro Togashi]"] (in Japanese). Yamagata River and National Highway Office. Archived from the original on 2005-04-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20050426022307/http://www.thr.mlit.go.jp/yamagata/u-zen/013/13_p01.html. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Fujie, Kazuhisa and Wyman, Walt (2005). YuYu Hakusho Uncovered: The Unofficial Guide. Tokyo, Japan: DH Publishing Inc. pp. 11–2. 
  3. ^ a b c d Togashi, Yoshihiro (2003). "Interview: Yoshihiro Togashi". Shonen Jump (San Francisco, CA: Viz Media) 1 (5). ISBN 0-71486-01847-6. 
  4. ^ a b "SHONEN JUMP: Yoshihiro Togashi". Shonen Jump. http://shonenjump.viz.com/whatisjump/jumpartist/index.php?bid=15. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  5. ^ Togashi, Yoshihiro (October 1989). 狼なんて怖くない!! [Ōkami Nante Kowakunai!!]. 1. Shueisha. p. 145. ISBN 4-08-871336-2. 
  6. ^ a b ホップ☆ステップ賞 Selection [Hop Step Award Selection]. 1. Shueisha. March 15, 1987. p. 69. 
  7. ^ "Atari and Funimation Expand Relationship with New Publishing Agreement; Atari to Produce Video Games Based on FUNimation's Yu Yu Hakusho Hit Anime." (Press release). Beverly, MA: Business Wire. May 15, 2003. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-101809014.html. Retrieved 2010-09-08. 
  8. ^ "小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 [Shogakukan Manga Award: Past winners]" (in Japanese). Shogakukan. http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html. Retrieved 2007-08-19. 
  9. ^ "レベルE/1 [Level E/1]" (in Japanese). Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-872071-7&mode=1. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  10. ^ "レベルE/2 [Level E/2]" (in Japanese). Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-872072-5&mode=1. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  11. ^ "レベルE/3 [Level E/3]" (in Japanese). Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-872073-3&mode=1. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  12. ^ "Yoshihiro Togashi's Level E Manga Gets Anime in 2011". Anime News Network. October 25, 2010. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-10-25/yoshihiro-togashi-level-e-manga-gets-anime-in-2011. Retrieved 2010-11-13. 
  13. ^ "『HUNTER×HUNTER』日本テレビ系にてアニメ化決定！ [Decision by NTV to animation Hunter × Hunter!]" (in Japanese). Famitsu. August 2, 2006. http://www.famitsu.com/news/201108/02047760.html. Retrieved 2011-09-04. 
  14. ^ "Oricon: Nana's Yazawa, DB's Toriyama are Most Popular". Anime News Network. March 4, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-04/oricon-nana-yazawa-db-toriyama-are-most-popular. Retrieved 2010-09-05. 
  15. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (January 1999). "武内直子姫の社会復帰ぱーんち!!(Round 2) [Princess Naoko Takeuchi's Return to Society Punch!! (Round 2)]" (in Japanese). Young You (Shueisha). 
  16. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (March 1999). "武内直子姫の社会復帰ぱーんち!!(Round 4) [Princess Naoko Takeuchi's Return to Society Punch!! (Round 4)]" (in Japanese). Young You (Shueisha). 
  17. ^ Togashi, Yoshihiro (December 25, 2009). 名前 [Name]. Hunter × Hunter. 27. Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-870065-6. 
  18. ^ "おおぼーぬーとちぃぼーぬー [Oobo— Nu— Tochiibo— Nu—]" (in Japanese). Kodansha. http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3245365. Retrieved 2009-12-06. 
  19. ^ Kishimoto, Masashi (December 4, 2009) (in Japanese). NARUTO―ナルト―[秘伝·皆の書]オフィシャルプレミアムファンBOOK. Naruto. Japan: Shueisha. pp. 74–81. ISBN 978-4-08-874834-4. 
  20. ^ Togashi, Yoshihiro (1994) (in Japanese). Yoshihiro Togashi Speaks. ヨシりんでポン![Yoshirin de Pon!]. pp. 13–4. 
  21. ^ "Hunter X Hunter on Hiatus". Anime News Network. November 16, 2005. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-11-16/hunter-x-hunter-on-hiatus. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  22. ^ "Hunter X Hunter Interupted". Anime News Network. February 12, 2006. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-02-12/hunter-x-hunter-interupted. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  23. ^ "Hunter X Hunter Manga Put on Hold in Japan Again". Anime News Network. February 10, 2007. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-12-10/hunter-x-hunter-manga-put-on-hold-again. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  24. ^ "Hunter X Hunter Manga to Restart on October 6". Anime News Network. August 27, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-08-27/hunter-x-hunter-manga-to-restart-on-october-6. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
  25. ^ "Sailor Moon's Takeuchi, Hunter X Hunter's Togashi Have 2nd Baby (Updated)". Anime News Network. December 24, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-12-24/sailor-moon-takeuchi-hunter-x-hunter-togashi-have-2nd-baby. Retrieved 2010-04-09. 
  26. ^ "Hunter X Hunter Manga Put on Hold in Japan Again". Anime News Network. May 31, 2010. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-05-31/hunter-x-hunter-manga-put-on-hold-in-japan-again. Retrieved 2010-09-05. 
  27. ^ "ジャンプのマンガ家から被災者のみなさまへのメッセージが続々届いてます [A message to the victims from the authors of Jump manga]" (in Japanese). Shueisha. March 29, 2011. http://www.shonenjump.com/j/message/. Retrieved 2011-05-07. 
  28. ^ センセーは年下!! [The Teacher is Younger!!]. Ten de Shōwaru Cupid. 4. Shueisha. March 24, 1994. p. 169. ISBN 4-08-871674-4. 
  29. ^ "HUNTER×HUNTERハンター協会公式発行ハンターズ・ガイド [Official Hunter × Hunter Guide]". Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-873701-6&mode=1. Retrieved 2009-12-06. 
  30. ^ "幽・遊・白書 公式キャラクターズブック 霊界紳士録 [YuYu Hakusho Who's Who Underworld Character Book]" (in Japanese). Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-873732-6&mode=1. Retrieved 2009-12-04. 
  31. ^ "冨樫義博 幽・遊・白書画集 [YuYu Hakusho Illustrations]" (in Japanese). Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-873733-4&mode=1. Retrieved 2009-12-04. 
  32. ^ "｢アイシールド21｣の村田雄介氏が執筆した、週刊少年ジャンプ公認の｢漫画の描き方｣マンガ、ジャンプコミックス｢ヘタッピマンガ研究所R｣(集英社)が6月3日(金)に発売! ["Eyeshield 21" was written by Dr. Yusuke Murata, Weekly Shōnen Jump's official "ow to draw manga" comics, Graphic Novels "Hetappi Institute Comics R" (Shueisha), June 03 (Friday) released!]" (in Japanese). Dream News. June 3, 2011. http://www.dreamnews.jp/?action_press=1&pid=0000033227. Retrieved 2011-07-10. 

External links