Daijirō Morohoshi

is a Japanese manga artist. He is well known for science fiction comics, allegorical comics and horror/mystery comics based on pseudohistory and folklore. The indirect influence by Cthulhu Mythos also appears here and there in his works.

Biography Morohoshi grew up in Adachi-ku, Tokyo. After graduating from high school, he worked for the Tokyo metropolitan government for three years.

In 1970, Morohoshi made his professional debut with his short story in COM. In 1974, his short story was selected in the 7th Tezuka Award. His breakthrough came in the same year, when he started publishing the series in Weekly Shōnen Jump. He published and in the same magazine afterwards. In 1979, he published the Mud Men series in Monthly Shōnen Champion Zōkan.

In 1983, he published (The Monkey King and other Chinese Legends) based on Journey to the West in Futabasha’s Super Action. This work won him the grand prize of the fourth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2000.

Style and themes Morohoshi takes inspiration from ancient history, mythology and folklore, influenced by the essays of Tatsuhiko Shibusawa. Yōkai Hunter revolves around archeologists discovering strange incidents around Japan, Mad Men shows myths from Papua New Guinea clashing with modernity and Saiyū Yōenden is based on the classic Chinese fantasy novel Journey to the West.

His drawing style is inspired by Western artists such as Salvador Dalí, whom he cites as his favourite painter, but his work also includes references to Hieronymus Bosch, Francisco Goya and Giorgio de Chirico. For this reason, manga critics have considered him to be part of a New Wave of manga artists in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Legacy Morohoshi has been a key influence to two important anime directors of the 1980s and 1990s, Hayao Miyazaki and Hideaki Anno. Miyazaki mentioned that he was strongly influenced by Morohoshi. His 1997 film Princess Mononoke has references to Mud Men. According to Toshio Okada, who was a former representative director of Gainax, Hideaki Anno always said that he wanted to apply the scene where a giant appeared in Morohoshi's to his work, and his hope was realized in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

His style has inspired also musicians. Morohoshi's Mud Men triggered Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra, and Hosono wrote "The Madmen" for the album Service. Hosono said that his production company misspelled "Mudmen" with "Madmen". and Spanish.

Awards

The 7th Tezuka Award

The excellence prize of The 21st Japan Cartoonists Association Award

The excellence prize of The 21st Japan Cartoonists Association Award

The grand prize of the 4th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize

Excellent prize of the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga section

Award for the Media Arts division at the 64th Annual MEXT Art Encouragement Prizes Selected works Manga

Novels Kyōko no Kyō wa Kyōfu no Kyō (2004) Kumo no Ito wa Kanarazu Kireru (2007)

Illustrations for books Rōkō ni Ari (Author: Ken'ichi Sakemi)

Adaptations Film Hiruko the Goblin (1991, Film Director: Shinya Tsukamoto) Kidan (2005, Film Director: Takashi Komatsu) Kabeotoko (British title: The Wall Man) (2007, Film Director: Wataru Hayakawa)

TV drama Fukushū Club (1991, Fuji Television, in Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari) Shiro (1992, Fuji Television, in Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari) Shiori to Shimiko no Kaiki Jikenbo (2008, Nippon Television)

Radio drama Saiyū Yōenden (1989) Zoku Saiyū Yōenden (1990) Yumemiru Kikai (2000)

OVA Ankoku Shinwa (The Dark Myth) Chapter 1/Chapter 2 (1990)

Video games Ankoku Shinwa: Yamato Takeru Densetsu (1988)