55 Saruwatari Tetsuya $@1nEOE/Li(B
Description
This article is from the Manga FAQ, by Steve Pearl starbuck@cybercomm.net with numerous contributions by others.
55 Saruwatari Tetsuya $@1nEOE/Li(B
Billed as manga's ``standardbearer of violence'', featuring super-realistic
art; stories are often poorly-constructed excuses for his trademark scenes of
extreme violence. Saruwatari is a big fan of US and Hong Kong action films.
(born 1959)
------------------------
Riki-Oh $BNO2&(B - written by Takajo Masahiko $@Bk>"@/I'(B, serialized on
Business Jump, 1988-90, 12 volumes @ Y500.
In the late 1990s, society is descending into ecological collapse and
totalitarianism. Most jails are run by corporations. Saiga Rikioh, 21,
finds himself in jail after taking out a yakuza leader (who killed his
girlfriend) - but he has studied Chinese internal martial arts, taught to
him by one of Chiang Kai-shek's former bodyguards. Rikioh has a hexagram
scar on his left hand, and his brother Nachi has a swastika scar. They
were the selected offspring of experiments conducted on a Jewish enclave
of Manchuria (established by the Japanese in WWII). Anyway, the story goes
on for another 10 or so volumes, concluding at the South Pole, where
Rikioh fights his father in the battle of Armageddon.
Unquestionably Saruwatari's best manga, definitely a violence/action manga
classic, made into OAVs and a category III Hong Kong film, The Story of
Ricky (both terrible). The story is fairly mature and thought-provoking,
at least compared to other mangas in the genre. Takajo Masahiko, the
author, has written other strong martial arts-based mangas, Hong Lang
$B9HO5(B and Lapis Lazuli $BN\M~(B, both on Young Sunday.
The Hard $@%6!&%O!<%I(B - serialized on Business Jump, 1991-present, 14
volumes @ Y500.
M60-toting Kenji Hado, known as ``the Hard'', pays his divorce bills by
working in the US as a bounty hunter. Masseria, a ruthless and ambitious
mafia boss, targets his family - starting with the Hard's father-in-law, a
Don in the NY mafia. Hard's aim, while poor when sober, increases to 100%
hit probability when drunk! This is Saruwatari's best original work. The
short story N.Y. Dust, in volume 12 of Riki-Oh, was the prototype for The
Hard.
Dogsoldier $@%I%C%0%=%k%8%c!<(B - serialized on Young Jump, 1987-91, 12
volumes @ Y500.
BAD POLICE - serialized on Shonen Champion, 1989, Y500.
DAN-GAN - written by Kaji Kengo $@3a8&8c(B, published by Studio Ship,
1986-88, 5 volumes @ Y510.
Ogon Taikaki $@2+6bB@9^5-(B story by Izawa Motohiko $@0fBt85I'(B, -
published by Futabasha, 1988, 480.
Jungle King $@%8%c%s%0%k!&%-%s%0(B - serialized on Bears Club, 1993, Y500.
Damned $@%@%`%I(B - serialized on Young Jump, 1992-3, 3 volumes @ Y500.
SOUL, 1985, 4 volumes @ Y460.
Tsukai Abare Bun-ya $BDK2w$"$P$l%V%s20(B - irregularly featured on Business
Jump Extra, 1992-present, Y500.
Gakko Tekken-den Tough $B9b9;E47}EA%?%U(B - currently serialized on Young
Jump, 1993-present, 7 volumes @ Y500.
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