{"product_id":"biography-hiroshi-kaizuka-1938-2023","title":"Biography | Hiroshi Kaizuka (1938–2023)","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHiroshi Kaizuka (1938–2023)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHiroshi Kaizuka was a Japanese mangaka active from the late 1950s to the early 2000s, known for his energetic storytelling and for shaping the early style of shōnen manga.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKaizuka was already drawing manga with classmates during middle and high school. After graduation, he tried a regular job but quit after just six months, deciding that drawing manga was what he truly wanted to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe made his professional debut in 1957 with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKojiki to Tonosama\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (“The Beggar and the Lord”), a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003ekashihon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e manga published by Tokyo Kotobuki Shobō. A year later came his big breakthrough: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKurikuri Pitcher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, serialized in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOmoshiro Book\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (Shūeisha). This lively baseball manga, packed with eccentric rivals and impossible pitches, became a huge hit and helped shape the template for sports manga. It ran for more than 6 years and filled nearly 20 volumes, an impressive accomplishment for the time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDuring the 1960s, Kaizuka became one of the most recognizable names in sports manga, refining the mix of determination, rivalry and humor that defined his style.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen \u003cem\u003eWeekly Shōnen Jump\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e launched in 1968, Kaizuka was invited to join its lineup of mangaka.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003eHe contributed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChichi no Tamashii\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (“Father’s Soul”) to the magazine’s first issue, but the pace of weekly serialization proved overwhelming, forcing him to take a short break. His spot was temporarily filled by newcomer Hiroshi Motomiya, whose \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOtoko Ippiki Gaki Daishō\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (“The Rowdy Leader”) soon became one of Jump’s early flagship series.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeyond baseball, Kaizuka also made his mark with two important aviation manga, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZero Fighter Red\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZero Fighter March\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, both set during the Pacific War but offering very different perspectives on the conflict.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eZero Fighter Red\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (1961–1966)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, published in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBōken Ō\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdventure King\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) by Akita Shoten, follows a group of Japanese fighter pilots who abandon their assigned mission, paint their Zero fighters red and continue the fight for Japan independently. Much of the series appeared as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003efuroku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, separate manga booklets included with the magazine, sometimes containing more than fifty pages of adventure. With its spectacular aerial battles and larger-than-life heroes, it became one of Kaizuka’s best-known war adventures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eZero Fighter March\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZero-sen Kōshinkyoku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) takes a more realistic and ultimately tragic approach. Following two brothers from their military training through their careers as fighter pilots, the story ends with both becoming kamikaze pilots and losing their lives. Its heartbreaking final pages, showing their mother sitting beside their grave, offer a striking contrast to the heroic adventures of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZero Fighter Red\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Where one celebrates the courage and independence of its fictional pilots, the other reminds readers of the very real human cost of war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom 1972 to 1975, Kaizuka illustrated \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJūdō Sanka\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (“Hymn to Judo”) for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeekly Shōnen Sunday\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, written by Ikki Kajiwara. The series ran for 16 volumes and was adapted into a television anime in 1974. During the later Shōwa and Heisei eras, Kaizuka turned toward educational and historical manga, including a ten-volume series on Chinese history and a biography of Kasuga no Tsubone, the influential Edo-period noblewoman and advisor to shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu, both published by Shūeisha.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKaizuka also fostered a strong creative community. Through his self-published journal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, he collaborated with artists such as Jirō Tsunoda, Yasumi Yoshizawa and Toshio Shōji, several of whom had trained as his assistants. He also inspired a devoted fan base: readers founded the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMiracle A Fan Club\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (ミラクルA友の会), named after one of his popular series, which even produced its own newsletter, a rare show of fan enthusiasm for the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 2020, the town of Onjuku hosted a major retrospective exhibition of his work, one of the earliest and most significant manga exhibitions ever organized in Japan. The show displayed over a hundred volumes and original pages, celebrating Kaizuka’s long career at a time when large-scale manga retrospectives were still in their early years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKaizuka continued to create and oversee reprints of his classic stories well into the 1990s and 2000s. He passed away in 2023, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire readers and fellow mangaka alike.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hiroshi Kaizuka","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54408368030024,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0799\/6974\/7272\/files\/kaizuka_bio_1.png?v=1793016807","url":"https:\/\/sultansofmanga.com\/products\/biography-hiroshi-kaizuka-1938-2023","provider":"Sultans of Manga","version":"1.0","type":"link"}