World-renowned manga author and illustrator and Doraemon co-creator Fujiko Fujio A passed away on the morning of Thursday, April 7. According to Anime News Network, Fujiko was found collapsed outside of his home in Tokyo. By the time authorities arrived on the scene, Fujiko had already passed away. At present, the cause of death has not been released. Fujiko was 88-years old at the time of his passing.
It's not an understatement to say that the world of manga would not be the global phenomenon that it is today without the hard work, dedication, and effort of Fujito. Fujito was a member of the initial group of authors and artists who came of age during the 1950s and 1960s, and are widely seen as the creator of the modern Japanese manga industry. As a child, Fujito, whose real name is Motoo Abiko, met Hiroshi Fujimoto, who like him, was also interested in cartoons and comics. After some initial success drawing and submitting comics to local periodicals, Fujito moved to Tokyo and took up residence at Tokiwa-so, the apartment complex well-known for serving as the original home base for some of the biggest and most influential mangaka at the time.
While there he reconnected with his childhood friend Hiroshi and the two decided to collaborate under the joint-pen name of Fujiko Fujio. In 1969, the duo released the children's manga Doraemon. The manga ran from 1970 to 1996, becoming one of the best-selling manga in the history of comics. Over the last two years, the manga has made an amazing comeback as the go-to series for Japanese children forced to stay home due to pandemic lockdown procedures, according to Kyodo News. In 1973, the manga was adapted into an anime further spreading its influence. Indeed, the third anime series, which began in 2005 is still running. Needless to say, like Disney's Mickey Mouse, Doraemon became a staple of Japanese entertainment.
In addition to Doraemon, Fujiko also created a number of other successful manga series including Ninja Hattori-kun, and Kaibutsu-kun, both of which went on to spawn their own anime-movie-toy franchises, much like Doraemon. All three manga follow a similar storyline, i.e. they follow the adventures of children who are not living up to their potential until they are befriended by a superpowered individual. In Doraemon, that individual was the alien robot cat, while in Ninja Hattori-kun, and Kaibutsu-kun, the individuals were a ninja and popular monsters characters including Dracula and the Wolfman.
In the 1980s, creative differences led to a split in the creative partnership between Abiko and Fujimoto. Afterward, Abiko adopted the pen name Fujiko Fujio A, while Fujimoto adopted the pen name Fujiko Fujio F. Fujimoto passed away in 1996. Their legacy, Doraemon, has and continues to influence countless manga authors and illustrators who watched the manga as children.
Source: ANN, Kyodo News