Keisuke Itagaki

Keisuke Itagaki
板垣 恵介
BornHiroyuki Itagaki
(1957-04-04) April 4, 1957
Kushiro, Kushiro Subprefecture, Japan
AreaManga artist
Notable works
Baki the Grappler
Children3,[1] including Paru Itagaki
www.itgm.jp/html/jp/Main.html

Hiroyuki Itagaki (Japanese: 板垣 博之, Hepburn: Itagaki Hiroyuki; born April 4, 1957),[2] better known by the pen name Keisuke Itagaki (板垣 恵介, Itagaki Keisuke), is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his martial arts series Baki the Grappler (1991–1999) and its many sequels, which together have sold over 100 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series in history.[3] Itagaki lives in Fuchū, Tokyo, and has been a Musashi Province Fuchū Ambassador since 2014.[4] He is the father of fellow manga artist Paru Itagaki.[5]

Career

As a teenager, Itagaki admired karate master Mas Oyama and dedicated himself to working out.[6] He holds a second degree black belt in Shorinji Kempo.[7] Wanting a career where he would be praised for his physical regimen, Itagaki served five years in the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.[6][8] During his service he practiced amateur boxing and competed in the National Sports Festival.[6] Inspired by a line in Eikichi Yazawa's autobiography, Itagaki set out to become a manga artist at 24, after having been drawing since the age of three.[6] After struggling for five years, he entered Kazuo Koike's Gekiga Sonjuku in 1987, enrolling in both the manga artist and manga author (or gensakusha) courses.[6][9][10] Because he was already married with children at this point, he took the classes, which together cost ¥180,000, very seriously.[10]

Itagaki made his debut with Make-Upper in 1989, at the age of 32.[6][10] It ran in the magazines Young Shoot and Comic Shoot, published by Koike's Studio Ship. He began Baki the Grappler in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion in 1991.

In 1996, Itagaki began an adaptation of Baku Yumemakura's Garōden novel series. He also created the spin-off series Garōden Boy (2004). Since 1998, Itagaki irregularly publishes one-shots in the Waga Seishun no Narashino Dai-ichi Kūtei-dan series, based on his experiences in the Self-Defense Force, in the magazines Young Champion and Weekly Shōnen Champion.[11] A book collecting the four published at the time was released on January 1, 2023.[12]

Itagaki designed a special costume for Bruce Irvin in Tekken 5 (2004).[13]

In November 2010, Itagaki began Dogesen, a manga centered around dogeza, with his friend and fellow manga artist Rin Kasahara.[14] After coming up with the initial idea, Itagaki attended plot meetings and supervised, while Rin wrote and illustrated the work for Weekly Manga Goraku. However, disagreements resulted in the dissolving of the partnership in October 2011.[14] Rin continued the series under a modified title in a different magazine.[15] Itagaki began Daku Jotaro in the October issue of Play Comic. He wrote the manga, while Seisaku Kano illustrated it.[16] However, despite the second chapter announcing it would be moved to Young Champion, the series has not resumed. Instead, Itagaki decided to start a new manga with the dogeza theme.[14] He began Shaman in the December issue of Weekly Manga Goraku.[15] Ura Saikyō Dogeza (裏最強土下座), a book Itagaki wrote on dogeza, was published by Gentosha on September 26, 2013.[17]

Itagaki starred in the television show Itagaki Keisuke ga Iku! Saikyō Dōjō (板垣恵介が行く！最強道場), which was broadcast on BS-TBS on March 20, 2021. It follows as he visits dojos for various martial arts, including Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga.[18] He illustrated the para taekwondo section of the official programme for the 2020 Summer Paralympics and created the key visual for the 2021 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival.[19][20]

Works

  • Make-Upper (1989–1991)
  • Baki the Grappler (グラップラー刃牙, Gurappurā Baki; 1991–1999)
  • Garōden (餓狼伝; 1996–2010), adaptation of the novel series
  • Baki (バキ; 1999–2005)
  • Garōden Boy (餓狼伝BOY; 2004), side story of the novel series
  • Baki Hanma (範馬刃牙, Hanma Baki; 2005–2012)
  • Dogesen (どげせん; 2010–2011), planning and cooperation, written and illustrated by Rin
  • Daku Jotaro (濁ジョータロー; 2011), author, illustrated by Seisaku Kano
  • Shaman (謝男 シャーマン; 2011–present)
  • Baki-Dou (刃牙道, Baki-Dō; 2014–2018)
  • Bakidou (バキ道, Bakidō; 2018–2023)
  • Jiden Itagaki Keisuke Jieitai Hiroku ~Waga Seishun no Narashino Dai-ichi Kūtei-dan~ (自伝板垣恵介自衛隊秘録～我が青春の習志野第一空挺団～; 2023), collects four entries in Itagaki's Waga Seishun no Narashino Dai-ichi Kūtei-dan series
  • Baki Rahen (刃牙らへん; 2023–present)

References

  1. ^ "「範馬刃牙」原作・板垣恵介×島崎信長×大塚明夫の鼎談インタビュー公開ッッ！ 「地上最強の親子喧嘩編」TVオンエア記念". AnimeAnime.jp. December 25, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  2. ^ "京都国際マンガミュージアム開催展示「板垣恵介『刃牙(バキ)』シリーズ原画展」の開催" (in Japanese). Kyoto City Official Website. August 25, 2025. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  3. ^ "新アニメーションシリーズ『バキ』2018年6月25日より、NETFLIXにて先行配信スタート！ 2018年7月1日より、TOKYO MX1ほかにてTV放送開始" (PDF) (in Japanese). TMS Entertainment. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  4. ^ "2014年武蔵国 府中大使" (in Japanese). Tokyo Fuchu City. July 20, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  5. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (September 19, 2019). "Weekly Shonen Champion Reveals Baki, BEASTARS Creators Are Father-Daughter". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "漫画家・板垣恵介さんから20代のキミへ。自分の才能がわからないなら「他人の褒め言葉をキャッチする」。". Men's Non-no. July 1, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "『グラップラー刃牙』板垣恵介に『ザ・ファブル』南勝久も…体験したからこそ書けるリアリティ!? "驚きの経歴を持つ漫画家"3選". Futaman+ (in Japanese). March 17, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  8. ^ "Baki's Itagaki to Draw New 1st Airborne Brigade Manga". Anime News Network. August 15, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ "『刃牙』を30年以上描き続けられる理由を板垣恵介先生に聞いてみたッッッ". Aidem. June 9, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "【新春ビッグ対談】連載33年格闘漫画「刃牙」シリーズ板垣恵介×大宅賞作家・増田俊也". Nikkan Gendai. January 2, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  11. ^ "板垣恵介による自伝シリーズ「習志野第一空挺団」新作が23年ぶりに週チャンに登場". Natalie. September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  12. ^ "鉄拳5". Natalie. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  13. ^ "板垣恵介の自衛隊自伝マンガシリーズ、25年越しに単行本化". Bandai Namco Entertainment. January 6, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "「謝男 シャーマン」1巻刊行、板垣恵介インタビュー". Natalie. November 28, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  15. ^ a b "RIN「どげせんR」完結、土下座ブーム巻き起こした怪作". Natalie. January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  16. ^ "板垣恵介×叶精作の新連載、高嶺の花狙うナンパ師描く". Natalie. August 25, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  17. ^ "板垣恵介が土下座学を語り尽くす、新著「裏最強土下座」". Natalie. September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  18. ^ "板垣恵介が"地上最強"を求めて道場へ、神速格闘術や超実践型護身術に挑戦するTV番組". Natalie. March 18, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  19. ^ "東京2020パラリンピック公式本で里中満智子がバドミントン、板垣恵介がテコンドー描く". Natalie. August 6, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  20. ^ "板垣恵介「ゆうばり映画祭」キービジュアル描き下ろし、シネガーとメロン熊が対峙". Natalie. August 11, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.