Tatsuo Yoshida (吉田 竜夫, Yoshida Tatsuo, March 6, 1932 – September 5, 1977) was a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, as well as anime pioneer who founded the animation studio Tatsunoko Production as a businessman and the original author of many anime works.[1][2][3]
As the first president of Tatsunoko Production, Yoshida supported the dawn of Japanese animation by producing numerous hits such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Hakushon Daimaō, and The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee.[2][4]
He took on challenges that other animation studios did not, such as insisting on producing his own original animation that was not based on manga or novels, or creating American-style animation.[4][5][6]
Character designs were also drawn in Yoshida's style, with a solid skeleton and intricate lines that were drawn with precision, influenced by American comic books, rather than the simplified, less-linear style that was mainstream in Japanese animation at the time, and this became the origin of Tatsunoko's designs.[4][5][6][b]
Biography
Born in Kyoto in 1932 as the eldest son of the Yoshida family, Tatsuo grew up in the hardship of war-torn Japan.[1]
His parents died shortly after the war, and he became a self-taught artist at an early age, supporting his family by drawing illustrations for newspapers and magazines and sketches for Kamishibai (paper plays).[7]
After working for a local newspaper in Kyoto, he moved to Tokyo and began his career as a novel illustrator and E-monogatari[c] artist.[7]
He made his debut in 1954, and after teaming up with Ikki Kajiwara in 1955, he continued to work mainly with him.
Around 1960, Yoshida changed his career to manga artist. His Champion Futoshi with Kajiwara and Shōnen Ninja-butai Gekkō, which he drew alone, were hits, and both were adapted into TV dramas. In particular, Ninja-butai Gekkō was broadcast for two years and a movie was produced, playing a role in Japan's ninja boom.
In October 1962, Yoshida founded Tatsunoko Production[d] with his two younger brothers, Kenji Yoshida, who managed his manga, and Toyoharu Yoshida (a.k.a. Ippei Kuri), who was working as a manga artist, and became its first president.[8][9]
Initially, Tatsunoko was established as a production company specializing in manga, managing manga copyrights and assistants, but as Yoshida became interested in anime, the company began producing anime.[2][10]
In 1965, Tatsunoko Productions' first anime Space Ace was aired.[4][6]
The second anime, Mach GoGoGo, an animated racing series, was aired in Japan and then shortly after in the U.S. under the title Speed Racer, where it achieved resounding success.[7][e]
On September 5, 1977, he died of liver cancer.[12]
After his death, the presidency was taken over by his younger brother Kenji (from 1977 to 1987; chairman since 1995), followed by Ippei Kuri (since 1987), but they both left the company in 2005 when Tatsunoko became a subsidiary of major toy manufacturerTakara.
Ichiro Miyagawa (original story) / Tatsuo Yoshida (manga)
Super Giant
Bokura (Kodansha)
August 1959 issue - June 1961 issue
Manga version of Japan's first Tokusatsusuperherolive-action movie Super Giant. After being adapted into a comic by Jiro Kuwata, Daiji Kazumine, and Masamichi Yokoyama, he wrote an original story for the manga.
A car racing manga, which, along with Mach Sanshirō, was the basis for Tatsunoko Productions' anime Mach GoGoGo.[13]
Minoru Kume (story) / Ippei Kuri (art) / Tatsuo Yoshida (composition)
Mach Sanshirō
Weekly Shōnen Magazine (Kodansha)
1960 No. 8 - 1961 No. 52
A motorcycle racing manga, which, along with Pilot A, was the basis for Tatsunoko Productions' anime Mach GoGoGo.[13] The radio drama adaptation was produced under the sponsorship of Kodansha and Tohatsu, the leading Japanese motorcycle manufacturer at the time.
Tatsuo Yoshida & Tatsunoko Production
Mach GoGoGo
Shōnen Book (Shueisha)
June 1966 issue - May 1968 issue
Comic adaptation of Tatsunoko Productions' anime work of the same title.
While Ippei Kuri's manga of the same title is the original work of the Tatsunoko Productions' anime Judo Boy (a.k.a. Kurenai Sanshirō), this is a comic adaptation of the same anime.
Tatsuo Yoshida & Tatsunoko Production
The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee
Comic adaptation of Tatsunoko Productions' anime work of the same title.
Anime
[1] Space Ace] (1964-1966) - Original story, episode director
Mach GoGoGo (1967-1968, also known as Speed Racer) - Original story, producer, production, lyrics[h]
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972-1974, dubbed and re-edited as Battle of the Planets and G-Force: Guardians of Space in North America[7]) - Original story, character design, production
^However, it was difficult for other animators to follow his drawings, creating problems with the studio's schedule. Therefore, it was decided to include comedy animations designed with simple lines in the production rotation, and as a result, the range of Tatsunoko's style was broadened.[4][5][6]
^ abNovel-like book with a high percentage of illustrations.
^ The studio's name has a double Japanese meaning of "Tatsu's child" and "sea dragon", which was the inspiration for its seahorse logo.
^At the time, Japan was still broadcasting in black and white, but Tatsunoko produced Mach GoGoGo in color from the beginning for broadcast in the United States.[9]
^Episodes 1-36. He died during the broadcast, so Kenji Yoshida took over the role, but his name remained in the credits.
^ abHe died just before the broadcast began, but his credits remained the same.
References
^ abc"2044年03月06日 (日) - 今日は何の日?" [Sunday, March 6, 2044 - What day is it today?]. CDJournal Web (in Japanese). CD Journal Co., Ltd. March 3, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
^ abc"マンガ、特撮はすぐ浮かぶけど? アニメ界で「神様」と呼ばれる偉人とは" [Everyone can immediately think of great figures called "Gods" in the manga and Tokusatsu worlds, but what about in the anime world?]. Magmix (in Japanese). Media Vague. May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
^ abcdefKawabe, Minako (September 21, 2022). "タツノコプロ60周年の軌跡【前編】創立から3年経って完成した第1作『宇宙エース』" [Tatsunoko Productions 60th anniversary trajectory [Part 1] The first work “Space Ace” completed 3 years after its founding]. News Post Seven (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
^ abcMotoki, Kurata (July 30, 2017). "「ハクション大魔王」「タイムボカン」「Infini-T Force」……タツノコプロ創立55年の軌跡をたどる特別展が開催中!" ["Hakushon Daimaou", "Time Bokan", "Infini-T Force"...A special exhibition tracing the history of Tatsunoko Production's founding 55 years is currently being held!]. GetNavi (in Japanese). ONE PUBLISHING Co., Ltd. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
^"タツノコプロ元社長・吉田豊治さん死去 83歳 『ガッチャマン』『みなしごハッチ』『マッハGoGoGo』などに参加" [Former president of Tatsunoko Production, Toyoharu Yoshida, dies at age 83. Participated in "Gatchaman, "Orphaned Hatch, "Mach GoGoGo", etc.]. Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. July 20, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
^ abKikuchi, Takeaki (October 15, 2017). "みなしごハッチ、ガッチャマン…タツノコプロ55周年「アニメ経験者は一人もいなかった」" [Orphaned Hatch, Gatchaman...Tatsunoko Productions 55th Anniversary Not a single person had experience in anime]. Aera (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
^"小学館漫画賞：歴代受賞者" [Shogakukan Manga Award: Previous winners]. Shogakukan Comics (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
