Leiji Matsumoto | |
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松本零士 | |
![]() Matsumoto signing books at the Geneva book fair in May, 2014 | |
Born | Akira Matsumoto (松本晟, Matsumoto Akira) January 25, 1938 Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan |
Nationality | Japanese |
Known for | character design, illustration |
Notable work | Space Battleship Yamato, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999 |
Awards | Order of the Rising Sun[1] Ordre des Arts et des Lettres[2] |
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Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士, Matsumoto Reiji, born Akira Matsumoto 松本晟, January 25, 1938 in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.[3]
Space opera[]
Matsumoto is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato. His style is characterized by tragic heroes; tall, slender, fragile-looking heroines with strong wills and in some cases, god-like powers; and a love of analog gauges and dials in his spacecraft.
Career[]
Leiji Matsumoto in 2008.
Matsumoto made his debut under his real name, Akira Matsumoto, in 1953. His wife is shōjo manga artist Miyako Maki (better known as the creator of the doll Licca-chan, the Japanese equivalent of Barbie).
Matsumoto had his big break with Otoko Oidon, a series that chronicled the life of a rōnin (a young man preparing for university entrance exams), in 1971. In 1972 he also created the mature-themed dark comedy Western seinen series, Gun Frontier, for Play Comic magazine, which ran from 1972 - 1975. Around the same time he started a series of unconnected short stories set during World War II, Senjo Manga Series, which would eventually become popular under the title The Cockpit.
He was involved in Space Battleship Yamato (1974) and created the highly popular series Space Pirate Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999 (both 1977). In 1978, he was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for Galaxy Express 999 and Senjo Manga Series.[4] Animated versions of Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999 are set in the same universe, which spanned several spin offs and related series, most notably Queen Emeraldas and Queen Millennia.
Matsumoto supervised the creation of several music videos for the French house group Daft Punk, set to tracks from their album Discovery. These videos were issued end-to-end (making a full-length animated movie) on a DVD release titled Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.
About two dozen bronze statues – each perhaps four feet tall – of characters and scenes from Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999 were erected in the downtown area of Tsuruga in 1999.[5] Each statue includes a plaque at its base explaining the character, and featuring Matsumoto's signature.
Himiko, a water bus of Tokyo Cruise Ship designed by Leiji Matsumoto
Matsumoto worked with Yoshinobu Nishizaki on Space Battleship Yamato (known outside Japan under various names but most commonly as Star Blazers).[6][7] Matsumoto created a manga loosely based on the series, and the Yamato makes cameo appearances (sans crew) in several of his works including the Galaxy Express 999 manga.
A recent work by Matsumoto called Great Yamato featuring an updated Yamato had to be renamed Great Galaxy due to legal issues with Nishizaki.[8][9][10][11] As of 2009, Matsumoto and Nishizaki were working on independent anime projects featuring the acclaimed Space Battleship Yamato, with the conditions that Matsumoto cannot use the name Yamato or the plot or characters from the original, and Nishizaki cannot use the conceptual art, character or ship designs of the original.[12] Since Nishizaki's death in 2010, it is uncertain whether these restrictions will continue to apply.
On August 2014, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his debut, Matsumoto launched the manga Captain Harlock ~Jigen Kōkai~ (Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage), illustrated by Kōichi Shimahoshi, in the pages of Akita Shoten's Champion Red magazine.[13] Dimensional Voyage is a retelling of the original 1978 Space Pirate Captain Harlock manga. It had been licensed in the U.S. by Seven Seas.[14]
Matsumoto is one of the 'Frontier Ambassadors' of Koriyama City (Fukushima Prefecture).
Health[]
On 15 November 2019, Matsumoto suffered severe respiratory problems and collapsed during an event in Turin, Italy, for the 40th anniversary tour celebrating the Captain Harlock anime adaptation. He was taken in hospital in critical condition, and had a breathing tube inserted after he was checked into the emergency unit.[15] However, he was considered to be out of danger two days later.[16]
List of works[]
Name | Year(s) | Role(s) | Reference(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Arcadia of My Youth | 1982 | Story | |
Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX | 1982-1983 | Story | |
Arei no Kagami | 1985 | Story | |
Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage | 2014 | Story | |
Cosmo Warrior Zero | 2001 | Story | |
Dai-yojo-han series | 1970–1974 | ||
Fairy Hotaruna | |||
Fire Force DNAsights 999.9 | |||
Galaxy Express 999 | 1977–1981 | Story | |
Great Galaxy | |||
Great Yamato No. Zero | 2004-2007 | Story | |
Gun Frontier | 1972–1975 | Story | |
Harlock Saga | 1998-1999 | Story | |
Insect | 1975 | ||
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem | 2003 | Production Supervisor |
|
Kousoku Esper | 1968–1970 | ||
Machinner series | 1969–1970 | ||
Maetel Legend | 2000 | Story | |
Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Mytyl's Adventurous Journey | 1980 | Character Designer |
|
Mystery Eve | 1970–1971 | ||
Otoko Oidon | 1971–1973 | ||
Ozuma | 2012 | Story | |
Planet Robot Danguard Ace | 1977–1978 | Story | |
Pu Pu | 1974 | ||
Queen Emeraldas | 1978-1979 | Story | |
Queen Millennia | 1980-1983 | Story | |
Saint Elmo – Hikari no Raihousha | 1986 | Credited | |
Senjo Manga series | 1973–1978 | ||
Sexaroid | 1968–1970 | ||
Space Battleship Yamato | 1974 | ||
Space Pirate Captain Harlock | 1977–1979 | Story | |
Space Symphony Maetel | 2004-2005 | Producer | |
Starzinger | 1978–1979 | Story | |
Submarine Super 99 | 1970-1972 | Story | |
The Cockpit | 1993 | Story | |
The Galaxy Railways | 2003-2007 | Producer | |
The Ultimate Time Sweeper Mahoroba | |||
Tiger-Striped Mii |
- Great Galaxy (formerly Great Yamato)
- Harlock Saga Der Ring des Nibelungen
- Queen Millennia (aka Queen of 1000 Years)
- Starzinger (part of the Force Five anthology series, as Spaceketeers) (1978–1979)
- The Ultimate Time Sweeper Mahoroba (manga)
- Planet Robot Danguard Ace (part of the U.S. Force Five anthology series, as Dangard Ace; 1977–1978)
References[]
- ↑ "Leiji Matsumoto, Shigeru Mizuki Earn Government Honors – News". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Celebrated Manga Author Leiji Matsumoto Honored With Prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres At The Rank Of Knight". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "牧美也子のプロフィール". allcinema. 1935-07-29. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ 小学館漫画賞:歴代受賞者 . Shogakukan. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Friday, May 1 Tsuruga, Japan". Starblazers. Archived from the original on 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Leiji Matsumoto 1978 Interview". StarBlazers.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20120321124108/http://www.starblazers.com/html.php?page_id=305. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ↑ "Leiji Matsumoto 1976 Interview". StarBlazers.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20120312080651/http://www.starblazers.com/html.php?page_id=303. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ↑ 宇宙戦艦ヤマト事件判決. law.co.jp . Retrieved 2008-07-20.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Yamato dispute arises again". Anime News Network. 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "Cosmoship Yamato Part 1: The Leiji Matsumoto Manga". StarBlazers.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20110105145353/http://www.starblazers.com/html.php?page_id=171. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ↑ "Cosmoship Yamato Part 2: The Leiji Matsumoto Manga". StarBlazers.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20120314162937/http://www.starblazers.com/html.php?page_id=173. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ↑ "Leiji Matsumoto: A Tribute". StarBlazers.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20091002032527/http://www.starblazers.com/html.php?page_id=301. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ↑ "Leiji Matsumoto to Launch New Captain Harlock Manga". Anime News Network. 18 July 2014. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-07-18/leiji-matsumoto-to-launch-new-captain-harlock-manga/.76806. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Seven Seas Licenses Captain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage Manga". Anime News Network. 11 January 2017. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-01-11/seven-seas-licenses-captain-harlock-dimensional-voyage-manga/.110910. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ Leiji Matsumoto, malore a Torino: il papà di Capitan Harlock è grave
- ↑ Torino, migliorano condizioni Matsumoto, sveglio e cosciente il creatore di Capitan Harlock
External links[]

- Official website (in Japanese)
- Leiji Matsumoto at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Leiji Matsumoto at the Internet Movie Database
- Leijiverse the world of Leiji Matsumoto
- Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
- Leiji Matsumoto manga and anime at Media Arts Database (in Japanese)
- Ozma interview
- Ozma interview with Asahi Shimbun
Template:Leiji Matsumoto Template:Space Battleship Yamato
Shogakukan Manga Award – Shōnen | ||
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1970s | Poe no Ichizoku and They Were Eleven by Moto Hagio (1975) • Captain and Play Ball by Akio Chiba and Ganbare Genki by Yū Koyama (1976) • Galaxy Express 999 and Senjo Manga series by Leiji Matsumoto (1977) • Dame Oyaji by Mitsutoshi Furuya (1978) • Toward the Terra and Kaze to Ki no Uta by Keiko Takemiya (1979) | |
1980s | Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi (1980) • Dr. Slump by Akira Toriyama (1981) • Miyuki and Touch by Mitsuru Adachi (1982) • Musashi no Ken by Motoka Murakami (1983) • Futari Daka and Area 88 by Kaoru Shintani (1984) • Hatsukoi Scandal and Tobe! Jinrui II by Akira Oze (1985) • Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin by Yoshihiro Takahashi (1986) • Just Meet and Fuyu Monogatari by Hidenori Hara (1987) • B.B. by Osamu Ishiwata (1988) • Ucchare Goshogawara by Tsuyoshi Nakaima (1989) | |
1990s | Mobile Police Patlabor by Masami Yuki (1990) • Ushio and Tora by Kazuhiro Fujita (1991) • Ghost Sweeper Mikami by Takashi Shiina and Yaiba by Gosho Aoyama (1992) • YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi (1993) • Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue (1994) • Major by Takuya Mitsuda (1995) • Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M by Masahito Soda (1996) • Ganba! Fly High by Shinji Morisue and Hiroyuki Kikuta (1997) • ARMS by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and Ryōji Minagawa (1998) • Monkey Turn by Katsutoshi Kawai and Hikaru no Go by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata (1999) | |
2000s | Detective Conan by Gosho Aoyama and Cheeky Angel by Hiroyuki Nishimori (2000) • InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi (2001) • Konjiki no Gasshu!! by Makoto Raiku (2002) • Yakitate!! Japan by Takashi Hashiguchi and Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (2003) • Bleach by Tite Kubo (2004) • Wild Life by Masato Fujisaki (2005) • Kekkaishi by Yellow Tanabe (2006) • Ace of Diamond by Yuji Terajima (2007) • Cross Game by Mitsuru Adachi (2008) • Sket Dance by Kenta Shinohara (2009) | |
2010s | King Golf by Ken Sasaki (2010) • Nobunaga Concerto by Ayumi Ishii (2011) • Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa (2012) • Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic by Shinobu Ohtaka (2013) |