The manga this week
Hinemosu-Notari-Nikki (Diary of a laid-back life)
By Tetsuya Chiba (Shogakukan)
This year marks 50 years since manga weekly Shukan Shonen Magazine began serializing author Tetsuya Chiba's "Ashita no Joe" (Tomorrow's Joe). The boxing manga, with a story written by Asao Takamori, is Chiba's most important work -- a shining example of postwar-era manga.
This year is also significant due to the publication of Chiba's first book containing episodes of a new work in 18 years -- a delightful treat for long-time fans.
The work, featuring episodes from his daily life and past, has been compiled from a series of four-page color manga currently running on the back pages of Big Comic magazine.
Shigeru Mizuki's final work, "Watashi no Hibi" (My daily life), ran on the exact same pages. Perhaps it is Mizuki's departed soul that led the nearly retired Chiba -- already 79 years old -- to pick up his pen again.
To put it bluntly, I approached this manga with the mind-set that I wouldn't much care if it lacked substance, because anything by the old master deserves a read.
However, I was quickly enthralled. While the drawings in the beginning are relatively light and simple, they become more detailed and meticulous as you progress, with the colors more complex and intricate.
The best episode of the series so far is Chiba's depiction of his boyhood in Mukden, Manchuria (now Shenyang, China). After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Chiba family were forced to live a harsh life while escaping from China. He has already depicted this episode of his past in works such as "Yaneura no Ehonkaki" (Picture book artist in the attic). But in this week's manga, it is more impressive, thanks in part to the full-color illustrations.
You can tell when the artist was more and more focused on his work through his use of smaller panels. Chiba's use of panel space lies at the heart of his work. To capture subtle nuances and emotions, he follows each small action of a character in a scene, adding details as the small panels progress. This technique is his forte, and was used frequently in "Joe." Another of Chiba's signature techniques is the way he draws certain scenes like long shots, which require larger panels.
To please his old fans, Chiba has "re-created" a famous scene from "Joe" in this manga. The scene depicts a boxing match between the lead character and his rival, Toru Rikiishi.
"Joe" stands apart as Chiba's seminal masterpiece, but he should not be judged on that work alone. For example, in the world of 1950s girls' manga, Chiba was the first to feature a tomboy as a protagonist -- a character who is far from the model student and even revolts against boys. "Shidenkai no Taka" (Falcon of Shidenkai) from the 1960s was acclaimed for championing an anti-war message at a time when heroic battle manga were highly popular.
For me, all of Chiba's works are interesting. I sincerely hope the Hinemosu series goes on to have a long life so that even younger people unfamiliar with Chiba in his heyday are encouraged to pick up his past masterpieces.
Ishida is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior writer whose areas of expertise include manga and anime.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
