Takashi Nagasaki

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Takashi Nagasaki
Native name 長崎尚志
Born (1956-01-14) January 14, 1956 (age 68)
Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Other names Richard Woo, Big O, Garaku Toshusai, Keishi Edogawa
Occupation Author, manga writer, manga editor
Years active 1980–present
Awards Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (2005)
Seiun Award (2008, 2010)
Max & Moritz Prize (2014)
Saito Takao Award (2018)

Takashi Nagasaki (長崎尚志?, born January 14, 1956) is a Japanese author, manga writer and former editor of manga. He started his professional career at Shogakukan in 1980 and worked as an editor on the publisher's various manga magazines, including as editor-in-chief of Big Comic Spirits from July 1999 to 2001. Since becoming freelance, Nagasaki has worked as an author under various pen names, such as Keishi Edogawa (江戸川啓視?), Garaku Toshusai (東周斎雅楽?), Big O (ビッグ・オー?) and Richard Woo (リチャード・ウー?).

He is best known for his collaborations with Naoki Urasawa, such as Pluto (2003–2009) and Billy Bat (2008–2016). The Kobe Shimbun wrote that Nagasaki brought the concept of a producer into the manga industry, and in doing so "established a new relationship with manga artists."[1] Brian Ruh of Anime News Network described Nagasaki as the only editor who "has risen to the level of co-creator alongside the artist."[2]

Career

Due to his father's job, Nagasaki lived in Hiroshima from first to fourth grade.[3] Nagasaki joined publisher Shogakukan as an editor in 1980. He worked on their manga magazines Big Comic, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Big Comic Original and Big Comic Superior.[4] In the mid-1980s, he was editor to Takao Saito on Golgo 13.[5] Nagasaki is also one of the people credited for editing Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½.[6] In July 1999, he became editor-in-chief of Big Comic Spirits and held the position until leaving Shogakukan in 2001.[7]

Nagasaki first met Naoki Urasawa when he was assigned to be the editor of the newly debuting manga artist.[1] The two collaborate so frequently, that Nagasaki has been called Urasawa's "producer." However, Nagasaki said he does not call himself a producer and described his "workload" as being the same as a manga editor's. Although they continue to collaborate even after Nagasaki became freelance, they rarely socialize outside of work.[1] It was Nagasaki who came up with the premise for Urasawa and Kazuya Kudo's Pineapple Army (1985–1988).[8] Nagasaki was a co-author of Urasawa and Hokusei Katsushika's adventure series Master Keaton (1988–1994).[9] It was later adapted into a television anime and original video animation series between 1998 and 2000. From 1994 to 2001, Nagasaki collaborated with Urasawa on the story for the thriller Monster.[10] They co-wrote a companion novel titled Another Monster in 2002,[11] and the manga was adapted into an anime in 2004. The duo also collaborated together from 1999 to 2007 on the story for the science fiction mystery 20th Century Boys and its sequel 21st Century Boys.[12] The two series earned them the 2008 Seiun Award for Best Comic,[13] and won many other awards. Nagasaki was also one of the scriptwriters of the three live-action film adaptations of 20th Century Boys, released between 2008 and 2009.[14]

After becoming freelance in 2001, Nagasaki has worked as an author under his own name and various pen names, such as Keishi Edogawa, Garaku Toshusai, Big O and Richard Woo. He explained that he never intended to become famous as an author, and so felt that anything would be fine for a pen name.[15] With Urasawa, Nagasaki co-authored Pluto (2003–2009), a re-imagining of Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka. It won numerous awards including, the ninth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (2005),[16] an Excellence Prize at the seventh Japan Media Arts Festival (2005),[17] and the 2010 Seiun Award for Best Comic.[18] From 2006 to 2009, Richard Woo worked with Shinichi Sugimura on Dias Police: Ihō Keisatsu for Kodansha's Morning.[19] In 2016, the manga was adapted into a 10-episode TV drama and a theatrical film, and the duo created a short sequel arc subtitled 999-hen.[20] In 2008, Nagasaki and Urasawa began the mystery series Billy Bat in Morning. The manga won the 2014 Max & Moritz Prize for Best International Comic, before ending in 2016.[21][22] Also in 2008, Nagasaki and Urasawa took guest teaching posts at Nagoya Zokei University, where they taught "Modern Expression Course: Manga Classes" two to three times a year, although the class met every month.[23] That same year, Nagasaki teamed up with Seimu Yoshizaki for the female detective manga Deka Girl, which ran in Kodansha's Kiss Plus until August 2011.[24] In 2009, he created the two-part manga SQ with Kira for Shueisha's You.[25] Nagasaki wrote the historical novel Arutantahā Tōhō Kenmonroku Kitan for Kodansha's Pandora Vol.2 Side-B magazine,[26] before it was published as a standalone book in 2010.[27]

Nagasaki teamed up with Junji Ito and former diplomat Masaru Sato to create Yūkoku no Rasputin (2010–2012), based on Sato's personal experiences in Russia, for Big Comic.[28] To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Shogakukan, Nagasaki produced a 2011 picture book adaptation of Kosuke Hamada's story Red Oni Cries that was illustrated by Urasawa.[29] In April 2012, Shinchosha published the first novel in what would become Nagasaki's Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri Files franchise that follows a manga editor who solves mysteries. As of 2018, it is composed of three novels and two TV drama adaptations broadcast by Wowow that star Arata Furuta as the title character.[30] Richard Woo and Koji Kono's Kurokōchi ran in Nihon Bungeisha's Weekly Manga Goraku from 2012 to 2018. It was adapted into a 10-episode TV drama in 2013.[31] From 2012 to 2014, Nagasaki and Urasawa created Master Keaton Remaster as a sequel set 20 years after the original series.[32] Nagasaki reunited with Yoshizaki to create the science fiction detective series Usagi Tantei Monogatari (2012–2013) for Kodansha's Kiss.[33] At the end of 2012, Nagasaki started working with Michitsune Nakajima on Yamaterasu Code, which was serialized in Shueisha's Jump X until the magazine was cancelled in 2014.[34][35] As Richard Woo, he and Yoshizaki created Abracadabra: Ryōki Hanzai Tokusōshitsu in Big Comic Original Zōkan from 2014 to 2020.[36] The series earned them the 2018 Saito Takao Award.[37] Nagasaki has served on the award's final selection committee every year since.

Nagasaki wrote ZIG, illustrated by Tetsuya Saruwatari, for Shueisha's Grand Jump in 2017.[14] In 2018, Richard Woo began Himiko -Shinsetsu Yamataikoku-den-, about the ancient queen of the same name, with Mariko Nakamura in Big Comic Original.[38] The following year, he reunited with Kono to began Keibuho Daimajin in Weekly Manga Goraku.[39] Richard Woo created M no Shirushi -MacArthur Ansatsu Keikaku- in 2020 alongside Ryoichi Ikegami for Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior. It tells the story of a plot to assassinate Douglas MacArthur.[40] Nagasaki was one of the writers of the June 2021 film Character. It was adapted into a manga for Monthly Big Comic Spirits by Akira Iwaya in March, and Nagasaki wrote a novelization published in May.[41][42] He and Kōsuke Muku began the horror story Child from the Dark in Big Comic on November 25, 2021. It is based on Nagasaki's novel Yomi Nemuru Mori -Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri File-.[43]

Philosophy

Nagasaki has been involved in every aspect of manga creation except drawing, this includes planning, scenario writing, and advertising.[44] He said his level of involvement depends on what the editor and manga artist want.[15] It was while working as an editor, that a boss once called a manga story written by someone else boring and told Nagasaki to fix it. In addition to finding it faster to just write the story himself from the get-go, Nagasaki began to enjoy it the more he did it, until finally deciding to switch jobs from editor to manga author because he felt it would be more interesting.[15] He works on the condition that his story scenarios will not be changed, but will change them himself if a good suggestion is given.[15]

Nagasaki has stated that "creation is an evolution beyond imitation." Believing that no one thinks of something from scratch, he said that when one feels like they came up with a story on their own, it is actually them imitating without knowing it.[4] Nagasaki reads and watches a lot of novels and movies, which he analyzes as practice. He will watch half a film, try to predict the rest of the story, and then watch the remaining half to see if he was correct.[15] He said he does not get writer's block, but prefers to be given some kind of description of the intended manga instead of being told to "write whatever you want."[15] Noting how writing manga is different from writing novels, he said that the latter are evaluated and rewarded based on one finished book, but manga is rewarded for being interesting in the middle of its story.[4] In 2018, Nagasaki said he believed that the manga industry was shifting from "character-oriented" works to "story-oriented" ones.[45]

Nagasaki believes that the illustrating artist determines whether or not a manga will be a hit.[4] He described the artist as taking the lead role, while the author is the supporting role.[15] As an example, Nagasaki takes pictures to aid the illustrator as references.[44] If you compare manga to TV or film, Nagasaki said, "the original author is a scriptwriter. The editor is a producer, and the rest of the director, actors, cameras, and music are all done by a manga artist."[4] He explained that a boring scenario can still be made into a hit by a good artist.[4] Similarly, Nagasaki has also said that if the artist can not compose or divide frames well, it will create a boring work even if the scenario is good.[15] This is derived from something he learned from Takao Saito; "the basis for manga is composition." Meaning, even if your drawing is poor, readers will continue to read if you are good at composition.[15]

Works

Manga

As Takashi Nagasaki

Title Role and notes Year(s) Ref.
Master Keaton (MASTERキートン Masutā Kīton?) Co-author alongside Hokusei Katsushika and Naoki Urasawa 1988–1994 [9]
Monster (モンスター Monsutā?) Story co-producer alongside Naoki Urasawa 1994–2001 [10]
20th Century Boys (20世紀少年?) / 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年?) Story co-producer alongside Naoki Urasawa 1999–2006, 2007 [12]
Pluto (プルートウ Purūtō?) Co-author alongside Naoki Urasawa, based on Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka, supervised by Macoto Tezka 2003–2009 [46]
Shūsen no Lorelei (終戦のローレライ?) Dramatization, illustrated by Takayuki Kosai, based on the novel of the same name by Harutoshi Fukui 2005–2007 [47]
"Throw Toward the Moon!" (月に向かって投げろ! Tsuki ni Mukatte Nagero!?) Story co-producer alongside Naoki Urasawa 2006 [48]
Billy Bat (ビリーバット Birī Batto?) Co-author alongside Naoki Urasawa 2008–2016 [22]
Deka Girl (デカガール Deka Gāru?) Author, illustrated by Seimu Yoshizaki 2008–2011 [49]
SQ Author, illustrated by Kira 2009–2010 [25]
Yūkoku no Rasputin (憂国のラスプーチン?) Screenplay, written by Masaru Sato, illustrated by Junji Ito 2010–2012 [28]
Red Oni Cries (泣いた赤鬼?) Producer of the picture book, illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, based on Kosuke Hamada's story of the same name 2011 [29]
Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター Masutā Kīton Rimasutā?) Co-author alongside Naoki Urasawa 2012–2014 [32]
Usagi Tantei Monogatari (うさぎ探偵物語?) Author, illustrated by Seimu Yoshizaki 2012–2013 [33]
Yamaterasu Code (ヤマテラス・コード?) Author, illustrated by Michitsune Nakajima 2012–2014 [34]
ZIG Author, illustrated by Tetsuya Saruwatari 2017 [14]
King of Eden (エデンの王 Eden no Ō?) Author, illustrated by Ignito 2017–2019
Character (キャラクター?) Co-writer alongside Anna Kawahara and Akira Nagai, illustrated by Akira Iwaya 2021 [50]
Child from the Dark (闇の少年 Aida no Shōnen?) Author, illustrated by Kōsuke Muku, based on Nagasaki's novel Yomi Nemuru Mori -Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri File- 2021–present [43]

As Richard Woo

Title Role and notes Year(s) Ref.
Dias Police: Ihō Keisatsu (ディアスポリス 異邦警察?) Screenplay, illustrated by Shinichi Sugimura 2006–2009 [19]
Kurokōchi (クロコーチ?) Screenplay, illustrated by Koji Kono 2012–2018 [31]
Abracadabra: Ryōki Hanzai Tokusōshitsu (アブラカダブラ 〜猟奇犯罪特捜室〜?) Author, illustrated by Seimu Yoshizaki 2014–2020 [36]
Dias Police: Ihō Keisatsu 999-hen (ディアスポリス -異邦警察- 999篇?) Screenplay, illustrated by Shinichi Sugimura 2016 [20]
Himiko -Shinsetsu Yamataikoku-den- (卑弥呼 －真説・邪馬台国伝－?) Author, illustrated by Mariko Nakamura 2018–present [38]
Keibuho Daimajin (警部補ダイマジン?) Author, illustrated by Koji Kono 2019–present [39]
Shigatsu Ichi Nichi no Ema (四月一日のエマ?) Author, illustrated by Hitsuji Ikuta 2019
M no Shirushi -MacArthur Ansatsu Keikaku- (Mの首級 マッカーサー暗殺計画?) Author, illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami 2020 [40]

Under other names

Title Role and notes Year(s) Ref.
Purungiru -Ao no Michi- (プルンギル -青の道-?) Author as Keishi Edogawa, illustrated by Kwon Kaya 2002–2003
Iliad -Iliad Memorandum- (イリヤッド-入矢堂見聞録-?) Author as Toshusai Garaku, illustrated by Osamu Uoto 2002–2007 [51]
Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13?) Screenplay for chapters 429 and 555 as Keishi Edogawa, illustrated by Takao Saito 2003, 2015 [5]
Telekinesis Yamate TV Kinema Shitsu (テレキネシス 山手テレビキネマ室?) Author as Toshusai Garaku, illustrated by Seimu Yoshizaki 2004–2007
Zenith (ジナス?) Story co-producer as Big O alongside Satoshi Yoshida 2005–2008

Novels

Title Role and notes Year(s) Ref.
Another Monster (もうひとつのMONSTER?) Co-author alongside Naoki Urasawa 2002 [11]
Arutantahā Tōhō Kenmonroku Kitan (アルタンタハー 東方見聞録奇譚?) Author 2010[lower-alpha 1] [27]
Yami no Bansō-sha -Daigo Shinji no Ryōki Jiken File- (闇の伴走者―醍醐真司の猟奇事件ファイル―?)[lower-alpha 2] Author 2012 [53]
Yomi Nemuru Mori -Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri File- (黄泉眠る森―醍醐真司の博覧推理ファイル―?)[lower-alpha 3] Author 2015 [55]
Piledriver (パイルドライバー?)[lower-alpha 4] Author 2016 [57]
Henshū-chō no Jōken -Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri File- (編集長の条件―醍醐真司の博覧推理ファイル―?) Author 2018 [58]
Dragon Sleeper (ドラゴンスリーパー?)[lower-alpha 5] Author 2018 [60]
Kaze wa Zutto Fuite Iru (風はずっと吹いている?) Author 2019 [61]
Character Author 2021 [42]

Film

Title Role and notes Year(s) Ref.
Happy! Supervisor 2006 [62]
Happy! 2 Supervisor 2006
20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End Co-writer of the screenplay alongside Yasushi Fukuda, Naoki Urasawa and Yusuke Watanabe 2008 [63]
20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope Co-writer of the screenplay alongside Yusuke Watanabe, supervised by Naoki Urasawa 2009 [64]
20th Century Boys 3: Redemption Co-writer of the screenplay alongside Naoki Urasawa 2009 [65]
Character Co-writer of the screenplay alongside Anna Kawahara and Akira Nagai 2021 [66]

Notes

  1. ↑ Its first story was previously published in Pandora Vol.2 Side-B in December 2008.[26]
  2. ↑ Republished in 2015 as Yami no Bansō-sha -Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri File- (闇の伴走者―醍醐真司の博覧推理ファイル―?).[52]
  3. ↑ Republished in 2017 as Yamataikoku to Yomi no Mori -Daigo Shinji no Hakuran Suiri File- (邪馬台国と黄泉の森―醍醐真司の博覧推理ファイル―?).[54]
  4. ↑ Republished in 2018 as Kenkei Ryōki Hanzai Advisor Hisai Jūgo Piledriver (県警猟奇犯罪アドバイザー・久井重吾 パイルドライバー?).[56]
  5. ↑ Republished in 2020 as Kenkei Ryōki Hanzai Advisor Hisai Jūgo Dragon Sleeper (県警猟奇犯罪アドバイザー・久井重吾 ドラゴンスリーパー?).[59]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  61. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  62. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  65. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  66. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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