Gringo (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a manga
by Osamu Tezuka
that began serialization in 1987 in the Shogakukan
manga magazine Big Comic
.
ese trading company that has created a new branch in the fictional country of Cannibalia (or Kanivaria depending on how you transcribe it). Executive Director Yabushita assigns Hitoshi Himoto to be the head of the new South America
n office, which is an exceptional promotion for Hitoshi. Having joined the workforce after his days of being a sumo wrestler, Hitoshi finds himself rapidly climbing the corporate ladder.
However, not long after he is assigned to South America, Director Yabushita suddenly resigns from the company. Apparently he was involved in a scandalous affair with a woman and forced to leave after news of the affair had leaked. This severely affects Hitoshi as he is then demoted and transferred to a different location in South America.
Hitoshi finds himself assigned to the city of Esecarta in the Republic of Santalna, a South American country that is in a state of political turmoil. Each day, the government soldiers fight with a rebel group of guerrillas in the streets. However, while reading some information at the Japanese embassy, Hitoshi learns of a certain metal
that is indispensable to the manufacturing of electronics
. This rare metal is mined at Mt. Montetombo in the Fego Province of South America. However, the mountain serves as the stronghold for the rebel guerrillas, led by the fearsome José García.
Hitoshi attempts to make a name for himself in a dangerous land, working together with the people that know him as the "Gringo". Political and corporate intrigue and drama are all around in Tezuka's last manga.
died on February 9, 1989, leaving Gringo as one of his few unfinished works. It was still in serialization only a couple of weeks before his death. The page for Gringo at TezukaOsamu@World claims that the protagonist was based on Nobuyuki Wakaoji, a Japanese businessman who was kidnapped in the Philippines
in 1986 and released after four months of captivity. This event was a major piece of shocking news that shook Japan. Oddly, the day Tezuka died was also the day Nobuyuki Wakaoji died.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
that began serialization in 1987 in the Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
manga magazine Big Comic
Big Comic
is a semimonthly seinen manga magazine published since 1968-02-29 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired with sister magazine Big Comic Original, going on sale in the weeks...
.
Plot
In 1982, the Edo Shoji Corporation is a large JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese trading company that has created a new branch in the fictional country of Cannibalia (or Kanivaria depending on how you transcribe it). Executive Director Yabushita assigns Hitoshi Himoto to be the head of the new South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n office, which is an exceptional promotion for Hitoshi. Having joined the workforce after his days of being a sumo wrestler, Hitoshi finds himself rapidly climbing the corporate ladder.
However, not long after he is assigned to South America, Director Yabushita suddenly resigns from the company. Apparently he was involved in a scandalous affair with a woman and forced to leave after news of the affair had leaked. This severely affects Hitoshi as he is then demoted and transferred to a different location in South America.
Hitoshi finds himself assigned to the city of Esecarta in the Republic of Santalna, a South American country that is in a state of political turmoil. Each day, the government soldiers fight with a rebel group of guerrillas in the streets. However, while reading some information at the Japanese embassy, Hitoshi learns of a certain metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
that is indispensable to the manufacturing of electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
. This rare metal is mined at Mt. Montetombo in the Fego Province of South America. However, the mountain serves as the stronghold for the rebel guerrillas, led by the fearsome José García.
Hitoshi attempts to make a name for himself in a dangerous land, working together with the people that know him as the "Gringo". Political and corporate intrigue and drama are all around in Tezuka's last manga.
Characters
- Hitoshi Himoto: An ex-sumo wrestler who now works for a major Japanese trading company: Edo Shoji. He is assigned to a new post as the head of the company's new branch office in the cith of Cannibalia, Republic of Rido, South America, then transferred to Esecarta.
- Elen
- Rune
- Kazu Onigasoto
- Miho Togakushi
- José García: Leader of the group of guerillas that is fighting a war with the government in Esecarta, Republic of Santalna. His group controls the territory around the Fego Province which contains Mt. Montetombo.
- Kondo
- Kumagai
- Pepe
- Ambassador Kageyama: A Japanese ambassador stationed in the Japanese Embassy within the Republic of Santalna.
- Tomonaga
- Toto
Unfinished work
Osamu TezukaOsamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
died on February 9, 1989, leaving Gringo as one of his few unfinished works. It was still in serialization only a couple of weeks before his death. The page for Gringo at TezukaOsamu@World claims that the protagonist was based on Nobuyuki Wakaoji, a Japanese businessman who was kidnapped in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in 1986 and released after four months of captivity. This event was a major piece of shocking news that shook Japan. Oddly, the day Tezuka died was also the day Nobuyuki Wakaoji died.