The Works of Yoshihiro Tatsumi

The Works Of Yoshihiro Tatsumi

 

Often referred to as the father of alternative manga or Gekiga, Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s passing leaves a real gaping hole in the manga and comic world altogether. Like other greats of his generation, he managed to help forever change manga, showing a darker side to it, one often with sinister undertones, flirting with noir and real human drama. It's easy to see how deep an impact Tatsumi's works have made today.

       Manga had been around a while when Yoshihiro Tatsumi would begin his career in the field, although he would open it wide, leave space for a deep, adult pondering existence come to life. His career would be in good company as other legends such as the God of manga Osamu Tezuka would broaden the craft of comics plunging into dark and elaborate stories. Often Tatsumi's short works would depict stories of greed, violence, sex, betrayal and lies. He would find influences in Noir and Anti-hero related characters in both books and films, something incorporated in stories as he depicted his country with a critical eye for detail, adding perspective on something other than what could be found in usual stories whether comics or novels especially those from the west.

 

 

      In the beginning many of YoshihiroTastumi’s works were short contained stories but even then they would often be dismal views of humanity, hopeless character that fell through a hole of their own wickedness or were simply devoured by the true essence of the city. One of his longer stories Black Blizzard shows a pianist who was wrongfully imprisoned shackled to a murderer, now on the run after a train was derailed from an avalanche, both on the run, the story definitely pays home to noir films and books that had come to influence his work. In the story you see the contrasts to them and yet the circumstances are the same, it’s a great insight into the way Tatsumi made his characters, defeated individuals, wicked or innocent many would crack under the pressures of modern life. It is something you will see in many of his stories, all having the same gritty feel whether it had to do with themes involving crimes or more of a psychological downfall for those that tried to live in the Tokyo that Tatsumi now found himself living in.

Often people put Tatsumi’s works on a separate genre than other manga, many who don’t read manga in America but recognize his works would say how different it is from the manga aimed at younger audiences or less adult, outside of the themes that Tatsumi’s works represent, if they only knew. In fact manga has indeed been influenced by this Geigka style and if those that normally don’t read manga explored they would see it was such, how even manga that they believe are aimed at younger audiences maybe because a particular appearance it has could have complex adult themes, themes that he helped to introduce into manga. As mentioned before it is true that his path into drawing and writing would be much like Osamu Tezuka whose early works such as Astro Boy would give ways to dark themes and showcase his versatile and intricate storytelling. What may vary in their storytelling is that the destined self-destructive characters that are males and the mocking aspects of women is what some may say lead to a story without a particular moral.

 

      More like a voyeur into the everyday life that exists, Tatsumi might not have said as much but it could very well be this is how life has become. An indeed the pressure of life in Japan after the war was great, old values and the progression into a new age for the country can be seen in the dark conscience that lies within as they fought for domination.  So it’s easy for people to look at Yoshihiro Tastsumi’s works and find that they are a far cry from the manga that they see line the shelf. Perhaps because what’s on the surface calls to them like American works, influences that Tatsumi had but it is also a gateway for comics from Japan, as reading his works may give you an insight you couldn’t find in historical books or textbooks. In fact many manga that show insight into culture in Japan or capture stories in that light, Seinen and Geigka had Yoshhiro Tastumi’s influence to thank for it definitely. It is often for this reason that his voice has always demanded attention in the story telling.

     In another work Hell,  one of my favorites, a photographer who does the unthinkable to keep a secret hidden of an image he took of a imprint of ash seared into the wall of what seems at first as a son comforting his mother but he would discover was actually the son killing his mother. That story had been one of my first introductions to the author and has lingered in my mind ever since. There are many of other stories such as these that come from works like Abandon the Old In Tokyo, Goodbye, and The Push Man and Other Stories. Other stories that showcase the themes of sex, frustration, greed, and lies. His main characters that were male had usually an unimpressive appearance to them or sometimes they simply captured the average man’s appearances, the individuals that lived in this world.

 

    Anyone who has frequented the comics/manga area of a bookstore or an anime/manga/hobby store would have seen his most famous work in the United States and that would be the wonderfully behemoth sized autobiographical “A Drifting Life.” A book that Yoshihiro Tatsumi wrote and drew of his life as a mangaka for decades. In fact for those that would feel that they couldn’t absorb the perspectives and meanings of the artist and his struggles may actually want to read his other works and perhaps they would see why some find it to be a wonderful capstone to his great career. 

     I say this because some tend to find it hard to read the stories whether it’s the fantasies of these working class man of the women that seem like mere sexual objects or how the woman may seem manipulative and at other times down right disturbing and yet Tatsumi had that way of penetrating the brain to reveal the things that aren’t so nice in our minds at times, many should remember what he was trying to capture post Japanese culture, he enjoyed the grittier side of stories and the most psychological, exploring an aspect that many hadn’t in this form of comics. Somehow A Drifting Tale seems to be able to show another side of his talent, even as it showcases his struggles there’s something inspiring to be found when reading it. Harnessing the other aspects of the human mind and heart.

      Yoshihiro Tatsumi was for many readers, my self-included, someone who illuminated not only the city of Tokyo and Japan in Post War Japan but one of the aspects of the human heart and psyche. It helped to give an insight into life today and has not become irrelevant but only more relevant with every passing year. Whether a gritty or sexual tale or the desperation of a stranger that would have gone overlooked otherwise, even if from someone who isn’t always a morally redeemable character much like his protagonists,  it shows a storytelling that will open your mind to what comics and manga can be and showcase how great a genius Yoshihiro Tatsumi was.