Mitsuteru Yokoyama facts for kids

Mitsuteru Yokoyama (born June 18, 1934 – died April 15, 2004) was a famous Japanese manga artist. He was born in Kobe, Japan. His name was originally spelled a bit differently but sounded the same. Yokoyama created many popular manga and anime series.

Some of his most well-known works include Tetsujin 28-go (also known as Iron Man 28), Giant Robo, and Sally the Witch. He also made manga versions of classic Chinese stories like Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Early Life and Becoming a Manga Artist

Mitsuteru Yokoyama grew up during World War II. His family moved to Tottori Prefecture for safety during the war. He went to junior high and high school in Kobe.

When he was in high school, Yokoyama was very impressed by Osamu Tezuka's manga, Metropolis. This made him want to become a manga artist himself. He even started sharing his own comics in high school.

After finishing high school, he got a job at a bank. But he really wanted to draw manga. So, he quit his job after less than five months. He then found a new job in the publicity department of a movie company in Kobe. This job gave him more free time to work on his manga dreams.

Yokoyama's Manga Career Takes Off

Yokoyama began his career as a manga artist with a book called Otonashi no Ken (Sword without Sound). This work even caught the eye of the famous manga artist Osamu Tezuka.

In 1955, his manga series, Shirayuri Koushinkyoku (White Lily March), was published in a magazine called Shōjo for the first time.

A year later, in 1956, he started publishing Tetsujin 28-go in a magazine for boys. This happened after he left his job at the movie company. Tetsujin 28-go became incredibly popular, just like Tezuka's Astro Boy. When it was made into an animated TV show, it was a huge success. This success allowed Yokoyama to become a full-time manga artist. He then moved to Tokyo that same year.

In 1964, he started his own company called "Hikari Production." Because of his experience with movies, he was very good at creating popular stories. He made many hit comics and anime shows in different styles. These included Iga no Kagemaru, Akakage, Sally the Witch, Giant Robo, and Babel II.

Later, he started focusing on historical stories. He drew manga based on Chinese and Japanese history. His works Suikoden (Water Margin, 1967–1971) and Sangokushi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, 1971–1987) were very important in this new part of his career.

In 1991, Sangokushi won a special award from the Japan Cartoonist Association. An animated version of Sangokushi was also shown on TV.

Mitsuteru Yokoyama passed away on April 15, 2004, at the age of 69.

Yokoyama's Unique Manga Style

Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga are known for their well-planned stories and detailed worlds. He liked to keep his characters' feelings a bit hidden, making them seem strong and serious. While he mostly drew serious adventure stories, he also created some comedies.

Many people say that while Osamu Tezuka helped create the way Japanese comics are drawn, Yokoyama helped set up the different types of Japanese comics and anime we see today. Unlike some artists who don't like their stories changed, Yokoyama was open to his works being made into anime or live-action shows (Tokusatsu).

Here are some examples of the different types of stories he created:

• Tetsujin 28 and Giant Robo helped start the Mecha (giant robot) anime and manga style.
• Iga no Kagemaru and Kamen no Ninja Akakage were popular ninja manga. They showed ninjas with amazing fighting skills and helped create a "ninja boom."
• Sally the Witch and Princess Comet were some of the first magical girl manga and anime. These are stories about girls with special powers.
• Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi is a historical story. It is based on real historical events and famous historical novels.
• Babel II is a science fiction comic about a character with supernatural powers.

His Influence on Other Artists

Mitsuteru Yokoyama's work inspired many other manga artists. For example, Katsuhiro Otomo, who created the famous manga Akira, said that Akira has a similar overall story to Tetsujin 28-go. Some characters in Akira are even named numbers 25, 26, 27, and 28 as a tribute to Tetsujin 28-go.

Another artist, Hirohiko Araki, who created JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, said that he was influenced by Yokoyama's serious and intense style. Araki mentioned that the idea of his character Jotaro Kujo wearing his school uniform in the desert came from Yokoyama's Babel II. He also said that if he were to redraw Stardust Crusaders, he would base the "Stands" (special powers in his manga) on Tetsujin 28-go.