A Special Selection for the 55th Anniversary from Manga Legend Daijiro Morohoshi: "Gen" Has Been Released
Daijiro Morohoshi, one of the most original and impressive pens in the manga world, is crowning his 55th year in his artistic career with a very special work. The new selection titled "Gen" (Maboroshi), which hit the shelves on May 11th under the Chikuma Bunko label, brings together 15 short stories personally selected by the master author from the works he has penned throughout his career spanning over half a century. This special anthology offers a comprehensive look into Morohoshi's dark, mythological, and surreal world.
Stepping into his professional career in 1970 with "Junko Kyokatsu", Daijiro Morohoshi made a name for himself especially with the Tezuka Award he won in 1974 for his work "Seibutsu Toshi" (Bio City). The artist is known for blending Japanese folklore, ancient mythologies, and a Lovecraftian sense of horror with his unique, uncanny drawing style. Referred to as the "mangaka's mangaka" in the manga world with cult series such as "Yokai Hunter" and "Mudmen", Morohoshi is known for his experimental narrative that goes beyond mainstream patterns.
Morohoshi's influence is not limited to readers but has also been a source of inspiration for giant names in Japanese popular culture. Famous director Hayao Miyazaki stated that while creating the film "Princess Mononoke", it carried deep traces of Morohoshi's "Mudmen" series, and even confessed that at one point he wanted Morohoshi to draw the "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" manga. Similarly, names such as Hideaki Anno, creator of "Neon Genesis Evangelion", and musician Haruomi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra) have frequently expressed that they were influenced by the artist's surrealist vision.
