Asaki Takamori (高森 朝樹, Takamori Asaki, September 4, 1936 – January 21, 1987), known by the pen names Ikki Kajiwara (梶原 一騎, Kajiwara Ikki) and Asao Takamori (高森 朝, Takamori Asao), was a Japanese author, manga writer, and film producer. He is known for the work about sports and martial arts, with images of heroic young men with the occasional fine details as he moves from one topic to another. He considered Tiger Mask and Star of the Giants to be his life's work.[1]
Biography
The son of an illustrator and editor, Takamori was a notorious juvenile delinquent with an interest in fighting. After World War II, his family moved to Tokyo, where he jumped schools until landing a job as a novelist at 17. He adopted the pen names Ikki Kajiwara and Asao Takamori, since he was writing for rival magazines at the time.[2]
He was married to Atsuko Takamori two times and had three sons and two daughters with her. While they were divorced, in 1979 he married Taiwanese singer Pai Bing-bing and in 1980 fathered a daughter, Pai Hsiao-yen, who was murdered in 1997. Their marriage was dissolved the next year after he engaged in an extramarital affair and committed domestic violence. Pai Bing-bing had to return to Taiwan and raised Hsiao-yen as a single mother.
On May 25, 1983, Kajiwara was arrested for injuring Toshikazu Ishima, deputy director of the Monthly Shonen Magazine. He was released on bail after two months in detention. On March 14, 1985, Kajiwara was sentenced to two years in prison with a three-year reprieve.
On January 21, 1987, Kajiwara died at the age of 50.
Works
Manga
All listings are as Ikki Kajiwara unless otherwise specified.
^Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy Helen. (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: Revised & Expanded Edition. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN978-1-933330-10-5.
Bakuman manga by Tsugumi Ohba, chapter 5, page 16–17. It is mentioned there that, by the time he was working on Ashita no Joe, Kajiwara was working in five series at the same time (Joe included).
