Masaya Tokuhiro
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga artist working for various magazines within the Shueisha
lines, including Weekly Shōnen Jump
and Super Jump. Born in Ōtoyo
in the prefecture of Kōchi
on March 1, 1959, he originally got notice from a placing entry in the 17th Akatsuka Award
for his story in 1982. His first series, , soon followed, running between 1983 and 1985 in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly established him as not only a gag manga artist but one who balanced in dramatic elements into his stories as well. His most well known work, (a bizarre take on Edgar Rice Burroughs'
famous jungle hero Tarzan
), became a Weekly Shōnen Jump staple during its run between 1988 and 1995. At the same time as his Weekly Shōnen Jump success, he also had a successful series in Super Jump by way of , running between 1986 and 1990. Other notable more recent series in the seinen
magazine include and , which is his most recent and current series.
Tokuhiro incorporates many of his loves in his stories, including guns, bodybuilding
and muscular physiques (for both males and females) as well as Shorinji Kempo
.
One of the few assistants he has used in his work was a young Eiichiro Oda
, who has admitted to taking many of the ideas and styles from Tokuhiro but has had little contact with him since those days.
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
lines, including Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
and Super Jump. Born in Ōtoyo
Otoyo, Kochi
is a town located in Nagaoka District, Kōchi, Japan. It is the only municipality in Shikoku where over 50% of the population is aged over 65.-Geography:...
in the prefecture of Kōchi
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
on March 1, 1959, he originally got notice from a placing entry in the 17th Akatsuka Award
Akatsuka Award
The is the name of a semi-annual award presented to humorous manga cartoonists by the Japanese publisher Shueisha. The award has been given since 1974 and it aims to reward new manga artist in the comedy manga category. Its counterpart award, Tezuka Award, awards new manga artists in the Story...
for his story in 1982. His first series, , soon followed, running between 1983 and 1985 in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly established him as not only a gag manga artist but one who balanced in dramatic elements into his stories as well. His most well known work, (a bizarre take on Edgar Rice Burroughs'
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
famous jungle hero Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
), became a Weekly Shōnen Jump staple during its run between 1988 and 1995. At the same time as his Weekly Shōnen Jump success, he also had a successful series in Super Jump by way of , running between 1986 and 1990. Other notable more recent series in the seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
magazine include and , which is his most recent and current series.
Tokuhiro incorporates many of his loves in his stories, including guns, bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
and muscular physiques (for both males and females) as well as Shorinji Kempo
Shorinji Kempo
was established by as a system for self-improvement and training in Japan in 1947 based on Shaolin kungfu ....
.
One of the few assistants he has used in his work was a young Eiichiro Oda
Eiichiro Oda
is a Japanese manga artist, best known as the creator of One Piece.-Early life:As a child, Oda was inspired by Akira Toriyama's works and aspired to become a manga artist. He recalls that his interest in pirates was probably sparked by the popular TV animation series titled Vicky the Viking...
, who has admitted to taking many of the ideas and styles from Tokuhiro but has had little contact with him since those days.