View source for Daijiro Morohoshi



{{Infobox person
| name          = Daijiro Morohoshi
| birth_name     = Morohoshi Daijirō<br />{{nihongo2|諸星 大二郎}}
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1949|7|6}}
| birth_place    =  [[Karuizawa, Nagano|Karuizawa]], [[Nagano Prefecture]], Japan
| nationality   = Japanese
| other_names   = Morohoshi Yoshikage<br />{{nihongo2|諸星 義影}}
| known_for     = ''Yōkai Hunter'', ''Saiyū Yōenden''
| occupation  = [[Manga artist]], illustrator, writer
| awards      = [[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]] (2000)
| spouse        = 
| children      = 
| website       = 
| years_active  = 1970–present
| footnotes     =
| employer      = 
| height        = 
}}
{{Anime and manga}}
{{nihongo|'''Daijiro Morohoshi'''|諸星 大二郎|Morohoshi Daijirō|born July 6, 1949, in [[Karuizawa, Nagano|Karuizawa]], [[Nagano Prefecture]], Japan}} is a Japanese [[manga artist]].
He is well known for [[science fiction comics]], [[allegorical]] comics and [[Horror fiction|horror]]/[[Mystery fiction|mystery]] comics based on [[pseudohistory]] and [[folklore]].
The indirect influence by [[Cthulhu Mythos]] also appears here and there in his works.

==Biography==
Morohoshi grew up in [[Adachi-ku]], Tokyo.
After graduating from high school, he worked for the Tokyo metropolitan government for three years.

In 1970, Morohoshi made his professional debut with his short story {{nihongo|"Junko Kyōkatsu"|ジュン子・恐喝|Junko, blackmail}} in ''[[COM (manga magazine)|COM]]''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=SFE: Morohoshi Daijirō |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/morohoshi_daijiro |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=sf-encyclopedia.com}}</ref> In 1974, his short story {{nihongo|"Seibutsu Toshi"|生物都市|Bio City}} was selected in the 7th [[Tezuka Award]]. His breakthrough came in the same year, when he started publishing the series {{nihongo|''Yōkai Hunter''|妖怪ハンター|Demon Hunter}} in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=メディア芸術データベース |url=https://mediaarts-db.artmuseums.go.jp/id/M544597/ |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=mediaarts-db.artmuseums.go.jp}}</ref> He published {{nihongo|''Ankoku Shinwa''|暗黒神話|Dark Myth}} and {{nihongo|''Kōshi Ankokuden''|孔子暗黒伝|Dark Biography of Confucius}} in the same magazine afterwards. In 1979, he published the ''Mud Men'' series in ''[[Monthly Shōnen Champion Zōkan]]''.

In 1983, he published {{nihongo|''Saiyū Yōenden''|西遊妖猿伝|Journey to the West: Monster monkey's Commentary}} (The Monkey King and other Chinese Legends) based on ''[[Journey to the West]]'' in [[Futabasha|Futabasha’s]] ''Super Action''. This work won him the grand prize of the fourth [[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]] in 2000.

==Style and themes==
Morohoshi takes inspiration from ancient history, mythology and folklore, influenced by the essays of [[Tatsuhiko Shibusawa]]. ''Yōkai Hunter'' revolves around archeologists discovering strange incidents around Japan, ''Mad Men'' shows myths from [[Papua New Guinea]] clashing with modernity and ''Saiyū Yōenden'' is based on the classic Chinese fantasy novel ''[[Journey to the West]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=後藤護 |date=2021-09-30 |title=Daijiro Morohoshi's KOCHUTEN; an essay on Manneristic Comics - TOKION |url=https://tokion.jp/en/2021/09/30/manneristic-comics/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information |language=en-US}}</ref>

His drawing style is inspired by Western artists such as [[Salvador Dalí]], whom he cites as his favourite painter, but his work also includes references to [[Hieronymus Bosch]], [[Francisco Goya]] and [[Giorgio de Chirico]].<ref name=":0" />

Morohoshi's style is perceived as unique in the manga industry. In a roundtable discussion between Morohoshi, [[Yukinobu Hoshino]] and [[Osamu Tezuka]], Tezuka said that he could not imitate Morohoshi's painting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Strange Worlds and Stranger Dreams |url=http://www.ceiling-gallery.com/blog/2015/4/4/morohoshidaijiro |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=Ceiling Gallery |language=en-US}}</ref> For this reason, manga critics have considered him to be part of a [[New Wave (manga)|New Wave]] of manga artists in the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Mizumoto |first=Kentarō |date= |title=「ニューウェイブ」という時代 |url=http://www.big.or.jp/~solar/comics/newwave.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030123005700/http://www.big.or.jp/~solar/comics/newwave.html |archive-date=January 23, 2003 |access-date=July 25, 2023 |website=Sora Tobu Kikai}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Morohoshi has been a key influence to two important anime directors of the 1980s and 1990s, [[Hayao Miyazaki]] and [[Hideaki Anno]]. Miyazaki mentioned that he was strongly influenced by Morohoshi. His 1997 film ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'' has references to ''Mud Men''.<ref name=":1" /> When [[Kentaro Takekuma]] interviewed Miyazaki, he said that he actually wanted Morohoshi to draw ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga)|Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]''.<ref>pages 135 at the March 2008 issue of ''Eureka''</ref> According to [[Toshio Okada]], who was a former representative director of [[Gainax]], Hideaki Anno always said that he wanted to apply the scene where a giant appeared in Morohoshi's {{nihongo|"Kage no Machi"|影の街|Shadow Town}} to his work, and his hope was realized in ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''.<ref>January 10, 1997, [[NHK]]-BS ''Manga Yawa'' featured ''Boku to Furio to Kōtei de''</ref>

His style has inspired also musicians. Morohoshi's ''Mud Men'' triggered [[Haruomi Hosono]] of [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]], and Hosono wrote "The Madmen" for the album ''[[Service (album)|Service]]''. Hosono said that his production company misspelled "Mudmen" with "Madmen".<ref name=":1" />

His work has gained some international attention since the 2000s. Manga of his have been translated into French<ref>{{Cite web |title=MOROHOSHI Daijirô |url=https://www.manga-news.com/index.php/auteur/MOROHOSHI-Daijiro |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=manga-news.com |language=fr}}</ref> and Spanish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daijirô Morohoshi |url=https://satoriediciones.com/escritor/daijiro-morohoshi/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=satoriediciones.com}}</ref>

==Awards==
{{awards table}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1974
| style="text-align:left;"| "Seibutsu Toshi"
| The 7th Tezuka Award
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 1992
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Boku to Furio to Kōtei de''
| The excellence prize of The 21st [[Japan Cartoonists Association Award]]
|{{won}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Morokai Shii: Ikairoku''
| The excellence prize of The 21st Japan Cartoonists Association Award
|{{won}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2000
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Saiyū Yōenden''
| The grand prize of the 4th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize
|{{won}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2008
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Shiori to Shimiko''
| Excellent prize of the 12th [[Japan Media Arts Festival]] Manga section
|{{won}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2014
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Uriko-hime no Yoru, Cinderella no Asa''
| Award for the Media Arts division at the 64th Annual [[MEXT]] Art Encouragement Prizes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-03-14/japanese-government-honors-ghibli-suzuki-voice-actress-nana-mizuki|title=Japanese Government Honors Ghibli's Suzuki, Voice Actress Nana Mizuki|date=14 March 2014|work=[[Anime News Network]]|access-date=14 March 2014}}</ref>
|{{won}}
{{end}}

==Selected works==
===Manga===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Title
!Year
!Notes
!Refs
|-
|''Yōkai Hunter'' (妖怪ハンター)
|1974
|serialized in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]''
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|''Mud Men'' (マッドメン)
|1975–1982
|serialized in ''[[Monthly Shōnen Champion]]''
|
|-
|''Ankoku Shinwa'' (暗黒神話)
|1976
|serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''
|
|-
|''Kōshi Ankokuden'' (孔子暗黒伝)
|1977–1978
|serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''
|
|-
|''Saiyū Yōenden'' (西遊妖猿伝)
|1983–present
|serialized in ''[[Super Action]]'', ''Comic Action Character'', ''[[Comic Tom]]'', ''[[Morning (magazine)|Morning]]'' and ''[[Morning two]]''
|
|-
|''Gojōden'' (碁娘伝)
|1985–2001
|Serialized in ''Comi Comi'', ''[[Manga Action]]'' and ''[[Comic Tom Plus]]''
|
|-
|''Mumenboku Taikō Bōden'' (無面目・太公望伝)
|1988–1989
|Serialized in ''Comic Tom''
|
|-
|''Morokai Shii'' (諸怪志異)
|1988–2005
|Serialized in ''Manga Action''
|
|-
|''Kaijinki'' (海神記)
|1990–1991
|Serialized in ''Comic Tom''
|
|-
|''Boku to Furio to Kōtei de'' (僕とフリオと校庭で)<ref>This title was inspired by "[[Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard]]".</ref>
|1991
|Serialized in ''Manga Action''<br />Published by [[Futabasha]] in 1 vol.
|
|-
|''Shiori to Shimiko'' (栞と紙魚子)
|1995–2008
|Serialized in ''[[Nemuki]]''<br />Published by [[Asahi Shimbun Shuppan]] in 6 vol.
|
|-
|''Shikaban Chōrui Zufu'' (私家版鳥類図譜)
|2000–2002
|Serialized in ''Morning''<br />Published by [[Kodansha]] in 1 vol.
|
|-
|''Trude-obasan Grimm no yōna monogatari'' (トゥルーデおばさん グリムのような物語)
|2002–2005
|Based on [[Brothers Grimm]]<br />Serialized in ''Nemuki''<br />Published by Asahi Sonorama in 1 vol.
|
|-
|''Shikaban Gyorui Zufu'' (私家版鳥類図譜)
|2004–2006
|Serialized in ''[[Bessatsu Morning]]'' and ''Morning''<br />Published by Kodansha in 1 vol.
|
|-
|''Snow White Grimm no yōna monogatari'' (スノウホワイト グリムのような物語)
|2006
|Based on Brothers Grimm<br />Published by [[Tokyo Sogensha]] in 1 vol.
|
|-
|''Aka Sakana no Umi'' (悪魚の海)
|2010–2011
|Serialized in ''[[Ultra Jump]]''
|
|-
|''Uriko-hime no Yoru, Cinderella no Asa'' (瓜子姫の夜・シンデレラの朝)
|2013
|Serialized in ''Nemuki+''<br />Published by [[Asahi Shinbunsha]] in 1 vol.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=瓜子姫の夜・シンデレラの朝 |url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M407195 |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Media Arts Database}}</ref>
|-
|''BOX - Hako no Naka ni Nanika Iru'' (BOX -箱の中に何かいる)
|2015–2017
|Serialized in ''Morning''<br />Published by Kodansha in 3 vol.
|
|-
|''Morohoshi Daijirō Gekijō'' (諸星大二郎劇場)
|2017–Present
|Serialized in ''Big Comic Zōkan-gō''<br />Published by Shogakukan in 4 vol. (as of March 2023)
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=諸星大二郎劇場の既刊一覧 {{!}} 【試し読みあり】 – 小学館コミック |url=https://shogakukan-comic.jp/book-series?cd=46684 |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=shogakukan-comic.jp |language=ja}}</ref>
|}

===Novels===
*''Kyōko no Kyō wa Kyōfu no Kyō'' (2004)
*''Kumo no Ito wa Kanarazu Kireru'' (2007)

===Illustrations for books===
*''Rōkō ni Ari'' (Author: [[Ken'ichi Sakemi]])

==Adaptations==
===Film===
*''[[Hiruko the Goblin]]'' (1991, Film Director: [[Shinya Tsukamoto]])
*''Kidan'' (2005, Film Director: Takashi Komatsu)
*''Kabeotoko'' (British title: ''The Wall Man'') (2007, Film Director: Wataru Hayakawa)

===TV drama===
*''Fukushū Club'' (1991, [[Fuji Television]], in ''Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari'')
*''Shiro'' (1992, Fuji Television, in ''Yo nimo Kimyo na Monogatari'')
*''Shiori to Shimiko no Kaiki Jikenbo'' (2008, [[Nippon Television]])

===Radio drama===
*''Saiyū Yōenden'' (1989)
*''Zoku Saiyū Yōenden'' (1990)
*''Yumemiru Kikai'' (2000)

===OVA===
*''Ankoku Shinwa'' (''The Dark Myth'') Chapter 1/Chapter 2 (1990)

===Video games===
*''Ankoku Shinwa: Yamato Takeru Densetsu'' (1988)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{LCAuth|no2008081924|Daijirō Morohoshi|2|ue}}
*[http://www.ne.jp/asahi/techno/ostra/morohoshi/morobooks.html List of works] at ne.jp/asahi
*[http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1991/do000940.htm ''Hiruko/Yōkai Hunter'' (movie)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629091122/http://book.geocities.jp/yasukenyan/ Daijiro Morohoshi Museum]

{{Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Morohoshi, Daijiro}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos writers]]
[[Category:Japanese horror artists]]
[[Category:Japanese horror writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Manga artists from Nagano Prefecture]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Daijiro Morohoshi|access_date=2026-03-01}}