Sasuke (manga)

Sasuke
20th tankōbon volume cover published by Seirindō, featuring Sasuke
サスケ
GenreAction, Drama, Historical[1]
Manga
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published by
MagazineShōnen
Original runJuly 1, 1961 – March 1, 1966
Volumes20
Anime television series
Produced byKazuo Otomo
Written byJunji Tashiro
Music byMasafumi Tanaka
StudioTCJ
Licensed by
Original networkTBS Television
Original run September 3, 1968 – March 25, 1969
Episodes29
Manga
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published byShogakukan
ImprintShōnen Sunday Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
Original runJuly 20, 1968 – May 25, 1969

Sasuke (Japanese: サスケ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sanpei Shirato. It was serialized in Kobunsha's Monthly magazine Shōnen from July 1961 to March 1966. A remake ran in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from July 1968 to May 1969. In 1963, the manga, together with Shirato's other series Seton's Wild Animals, won the 4th Kodansha Children's Manga Award.

TCJ produced a 29-episode anime television series adaptation that aired between September 1968 to March 1969 on TBS Television. The series was licensed for North America by AnimEigo.[2]

Plot

The story takes place in Japan at the beginning of the 17th century Edo period following the political chaos of the Sengoku period. At the time, a particularly powerful lord, Ieyasu Tokugawa, was about to take over the reins of the country. Other feudal lords fought against him, linked to Hideyori Toyotomi, including Yukimura Sanada and his ninja clan. The cream of crop of this fearsome clan were the so-called sarutobi warriors, reputed to be invincible. Despite the mastery of these warriors, the struggle for power had taken a turn favorable to Tokugawa, with his victory over his enemies and the killing of Sanada. Tokugawa instructs his right-hand man Hanzo Hattori to hunt down all the Sanadas who survived the clash, especially the sarutobi, who for him were a terrible threat. Hattori, commander of the Iga ninja clan, starts a manhunt, destined to end only when the last remaining Sanada is dead.

Among the survivors of Yukimura Sanada's clan was Daisuke Ozaru, the most fearsome of the sarutobi. Ozaru had a wife and a son, named Sasuke. Following a clash, Ozaru is injured and after a great deal of trouble, manages to return to his house disguised as a traveller. The hitmen who are chasing him catch up with him and manage to kill his wife. Little Sasuke is shocked by the death of his much-loved mother, especially because he does not know that the traveler who arrived that evening is his father, and he now thinks he is alone. Ozaru, for his part, cannot reveal his true identity. Father and son go on a dangerous but educational journey, wandering around Japan. Sasuke slowly learns from his father all the sarutobi techniques, as he encounters various opponents along the road.

Media

Manga

Sasuke on the supplement cover of Shōnen May 1965 issue (left), and on main cover of No. 32 Weekly Shōnen Sunday, August 1968 (right), art by Sanpei Shirato

Written and illustrated by Sanpei Shirato, Sasuke was serialized in Kobunsha's Monthly magazine Shōnen in two periods with a total of 55 installments.[3] The first period was published from July 1 1961[4][5] to February 1, 1965.[6][7] The second period was published from the magazine's May 1, 1965 issue[8][9] and finished in the March 1, 1966 issue of Shōnen.[10][11]

Several publishers published the series in long term, first Seirindō published 20 tankōbon volumes as rental from July 1962 to 1965; Shueisha published 15 volumes from September 30, 1966, to April 30, 1967; Akita Shoten published Shirato's Comics anthology from December 25, 1969, to November 10, 1970, in eight volumes; Kodansha published 15 volumes from January 30, to August 5, 1974; Shogakukan republished the series four times in new edition, first, from May 10, 1990, to December 10, 1990, in eight bunkoban volumes, the second time, in ten volumes from December 10, 1995, to April 10, 1996, and in nine volumes from October 14, 2005, to June 9, 2006.[12] It was republished again in a new edition from June 30, 2009, to October 10, 2009, by Akita Shoten.[13][12]

At the same time as the anime adaptation aired, a remake of Sasuke manga by Shirato himself was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday with a total of 42 installments.[3] The manga first appeared on July 13, 1968,[a] and its first installment was published in the magazine's August 1968 issue on July 20, 1968.[b] The series finished its final installment in the issue published May 25, 1969.[19][20]

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by TCJ aired from September 1968 to March 1969 on TBS Television, with a total of 29 episodes.[21][22] A Blu-ray containing all 29 episodes of the series was released in two volumes from January 26, to February 23, 2018.[23]

On February 10, 2025, AnimEigo announced they had licensed a Sasuke anime series for a North American Blu-ray release with an English dub.[2] It was released on October 14, 2025.[24]

Reception

In 1963, the manga, together with Shirato's other series Seton's Wild Animals, won the 4th Kodansha Children's Manga Award.[25][26][27]

Notes

  1. ^ It appeared in the magazine's 31st issue of 1968 (cover date July 28),[14] which was released on July 13.[15]
  2. ^ It started in the magazine's 32nd issue of 1968 (cover date August 4),[16][17] which was released on July 20.[18]

References

  1. ^ サスケ. Mangapedia (in Japanese). Voyage Group. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "AnimEigo Announces Black Jack OVAs, Romeo's Blue Skies, Vampire Princess Miyu HD, Sasuke". Anime News Network. February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b サスケ. asa8.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  4. ^ 少年 1961年 表示号数7. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 21, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Shōnen (in Japanese). No. 7. Kobunsha. 1961. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  6. ^ 少年 1965年 表示号数2. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Shōnen (in Japanese). No. 2. Kobunsha. 1965. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  8. ^ 少年 1965年 表示号数5. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Shōnen (in Japanese). No. 5. Kobunsha. 1965. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  10. ^ 少年 1966年 表示号数3. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Shōnen (in Japanese). No. 3. Kobunsha. 1966. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  12. ^ a b サスケ 作品の変遷. asa8.com (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  13. ^ 「白土三平選集」全16巻予約でイラスト手ぬぐいが. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 1, 2009. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  14. ^ 週刊少年サンデー 1968年 表示号数31 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 21, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 30. Shogakukan. 1965. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024. 第31号は7月13日(土)
  16. ^ 週刊少年サンデー 1968年 表示号数32 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 25, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday. No. 32. Shogakukan. 1968. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  18. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 31. Shogakukan. 1968. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024. 第32号は、7月20日(土)発売!!!
  19. ^ 週刊少年サンデー 1969年 表示号数22 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 21, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 22. Shogakukan. 1969. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  21. ^ サスケ （全29回） (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  22. ^ サスケ. Mangapedia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  23. ^ 白土三平原作のアニメ「サスケ」放送開始50周年を記念したBlu-ray発売. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 26, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  24. ^ "AnimEigo to Release Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope, Alien Nine Anime". Anime News Network. August 9, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  25. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 26, 2021). "Manga Creator Brothers Sanpei Shirato, Tetsuji Okamoto Pass Away of Pneumonia 4 Days Apar". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  26. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (October 26, 2021). "Kamui Manga Author Sanpei Shirato and His Brother Tetsuji Okamoto Passed Away". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  27. ^ 「カムイ伝」「サスケ」白土三平さん８９歳で死去…作画手がけた弟も４日後に (in Japanese). yomiuri.co.jp. October 27, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
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.