ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION.

Double piton.

"UFO ROBOT GRENDIZER RAIDS" began airing in France in 1978 and became so popular it made the news.

Its popularity hit Europe and the Middle East, introducing the world to Japanese robot anime.

Breast Fire!

"Mazinger Z" was the first anime featuring human-piloted robots.

It became a hit in Spain in 1978 and quickly spread to other Spanish-speaking countries.

These influential robot anime were based on manga by Nagai Go.

Nagai has released over 180 works across his 57-year-long career.

He also pioneered multi-media entertainment with his work on anime adaptations.

The French government recognized him with a cultural medal.

Global audiences will enjoy my work
as long as I value the fantasy inside me.

In "Devilman," a Japanese dark fantasy milestone,

Nagai shocked readers with imagery considered taboo at the time.

Humanity is cruel.

What's wrong with showing that in manga
when reality is far worse?

What is the driving force behind Nagai's creativity?

Join us as we go inside the artistry of Nagai Go,

the legendary creator whose manga and anime continue to inspire the world.

This is Nagai's workspace, located in Tokyo.

Original merchandise covers the room.

On his desk, a variety of pens.

78-year-old Nagai continues to release works in weekly and monthly magazines.

Here, he is inking his weekly serialization.

After graduating high school in 1964, Nagai decided to become a manga artist.

He started by visiting publishers with original works.

For the first two years,
I brought original works to publishers.

But it didn't lead to anything.

A fateful meeting turned things around for Nagai.

He was able to meet manga artist Ishinomori Shotaro.

Ishinomori was a popular manga artist who released nationwide hits like "Kamen Rider" and "Cyborg 009."

I showed him my rejected manuscripts.

Unlike the publishers, he told me
my works were already complete.

And he congratulated me for creating
manga and stories that felt brand new.

About two weeks later, I received a call
from Ishinomori's assistant.

"We're in trouble and need your help."

Once I went to assist Ishinomori-sensei,
I never left.

Before he knew it, Nagai had become Ishinomori's assistant.

There, the young artist learned how to create manga directly from a master.

Ishinomori-sensei creates
such soft lines.

I learned that he draws
with the pen at a very low angle.

And he drew so fast!
I copy his style when I'm in a rush.

But assisting a manga legend was not easy.

We were so busy we might only
get one day off a month.

When I did have a day off,
I drew original sci-fi manga,

but never had enough time to finish them.

That busy schedule led to Nagai changing his approach to manga.

I figured I could draw faster
with a comedic manga.

I was right.
The more I drew, the more ideas came.

In 1967, Nagai made his debut with a one-shot manga.

Soon after, he was selected for a weekly magazine serialization.

The comedy is about a swordsman and the women he tries to woo.

- Here's a kiss to say sorry.
- You don't have to...

Huh? Housewives, check this out!
Unbelievable suction power!

Although it was a success, one major manga artist contacted Nagai with concern.

A veteran comedic manga artist told me,
"You must not draw cruel things."

And, "Works for children
must not contain sexual affairs."

He even told the publisher
to drop my manga.

This solidified something inside of Nagai.

From my perspective,
it proved I was on his level

and he viewed me as a rival.

I decided to create what I wanted
regardless of what others said.

Nagai incorporated elements new to the comedic manga genre, like love scenes and sword fights.

The novelty of his work led to more and more offers.

- Are you awake, Jigoku-chan?
- A good morning kiss.

Natsume Fusanosuke has been studying Japanese manga history for 40 years.

He has released 18 books about manga, including Nagai's works.

Natsume says that Nagai's comedic sense was outstanding.

His works were all over the place.
He did whatever he wanted.

He had great comedic sense
and crazy ideas.

His ability to go completely beyond
expectations is quite incredible.

A serious scene
would suddenly become slapstick.

The gap between those extremes
made it funny.

It was fun to look at the world
from an upside-down perspective.

Looking at the world upside down.

That mindset led to "Shameless School."

Greedy and self-centered teachers cause trouble for the school students.

The comedy depicts the outrageous antics of these eccentric teachers and their students.

The students use extreme measures to combat their bizarre teachers.

Feels so good!

- The final launch!
- Soaring to the heavens feels pretty good!

At the time, teachers were
at the top of the school hierarchy.

I turned that upside down
and put them at the bottom.

Teachers and parents denounced "Shameless School" as having a negative impact on education.

Undeterred, Nagai continued to release new episodes.

With manga, you don't need to say
what can and can't happen. It's fantasy.

I have a rule that everything can exist
because I am creating a fictional world.

Nagai's stance of not bowing down to pressure increased his popularity even further.

After finding huge success with comedic manga, Nagai turned his focus to science fiction in the 1970s.

He eventually released his masterpiece, "Devilman."

"Devilman" remains popular to this day.

The latest exhibition was in 2023.

Fans from not only Japan but also from around the world attended the event.

I find it something that is very true is very disturbing.

And he also does it in a way that he confronts the issue rather than trying to avoid it.

"Devilman" is considered the originator of the dark fantasy manga genre and has 50 million copies in print.

Main character Fudo Akira merges with a demon to battle against a demon invasion.

He becomes "Devilman," fighting for the survival of the human race.

In the past, shonen manga were expected to have happy endings.

All you humans, go to hell!!

However, Nagai depicted the folly of humanity, going so far as to show its destruction.

Anno Hideaki, director of "Neon Genesis Evangelion," discussed "Devilman's" influence in his book.

My tastes are built on Nagai Go.
I cannot understate the impact
"Devilman" had on me.

Denying that impact would overturn
the very foundation my life is built on.

It starts off with
demons as the enemies,

but by the end,
the real enemy is humanity itself.

It completely turned the structure
of justice and evil on its head.

It was a turning point
for shonen manga.

"Devilman" is known for its large, striking panels.

The art looks like it scatters all over.

That style was rare before "Devilman,"
but it quickly became the trend.

If you look closely, you can see the thick outlines around the fists and body.

Nagai used a unique method of drawing.

Shaved bamboo is great
for drawing thick lines.

I also use Japanese brushes.

I test out different methods
searching for the strongest lines.

Unsatisfied with existing tools, Nagai created brushes that fit his style.

The secrets behind the birth of "Devilman" can be found in this notebook.

This is the notebook for "Devilman Saga," one of Nagai's serialized works.

It features character designs and simple details.

Just the basic details.

Once those are set,
I make up the rest as I go.

After creating a rough background for the characters, Nagai goes straight to drawing.

No storyboarding.

This the same method he used to create "Devilman."

Nagai's unique approach to manga made this possible.

I get into the character
like an actor would.

I can become anything, from a young girl
to a middle-aged man.

I'm good at switching characters.

Acting as the characters helps Nagai come up with surprising storylines.

If I get surprised when unexpected
characters do unexpected things,

the reader will, too.

It's quite simple.

Another iconic character is Akira's best friend, Asuka Ryo.

Asuka Ryo tells Akira about the demons and fights beside him.

However, Nagai changed the character during serialization.

Asuka Ryo was dominating the story.

Akira was the main character
but I felt Ryo was stronger.

That's why I turned Asuka Ryo into Satan.

After realizing the magnitude of Asuka Ryo's presence, Nagai made the character betray the hero.

That wasn't planned.

Near the end, I realized it would be fun
to make him Satan.

During its serialized run, Nagai shifted the story's focus to the darkness of the human mind.

This can be seen during the "Demon Hunt."

It's revealed that demons can disguise themselves as humans, causing humans to lose trust in each other.

Witch! Witch!
You monster of a witch!

Soon, the "Demon Hunt" leads to humans being killed, including those dear to Akira.

Devilman was betrayed by the ones he tried to protect.

Is this...
the true nature of those humans
I gave my all to protect?

The secret isn't that Devilman
is the only one who can transform.

It's that any human can transform
and take on demon-like properties.

A quiet boy suddenly has
the power to murder.

It's the same for someone getting drafted,
given a gun, and told to go to war.

The manga's extreme depictions were uncommon in the 1970s, so editors and staff opposed its publication.

But nothing stopped Nagai.

Humanity's inherent cruelty
is right there in our history.

Humans repeat cruelty over and over.

What's wrong with showing that in a manga
when reality is far worse?

In the final episode, Nagai depicts the result of humanity's folly.

The last cut in "Devilman" is a two-page spread.

Balls of light and angelic figures emerge from the horizon.

The scene contains Nagai's final message.

You know the angels at the end?

It's a metaphor for a nuclear explosion.

The message is that if we aren't careful,
nuclear war will break out,

and the world as we know it
will come to an end.

Rocket Punch!

Photon Energy Beam!

Nagai's artistry is not limited to manga, as seen with the anime "Mazinger Z."

In the TV anime, the main character, Kabuto Koji, pilots a giant robot against an army of evil robots.

Toys based on the show were huge hits, too.

This led to a giant robot anime boom in Japan, sponsored by toy manufacturers.

Nagai Go created
the giant robot anime genre.

It was a more defined genre.

He built a market triangle that included
manga, TV anime, and merchandise.

Nagai's hit ended up creating a market
for Japanese robot anime.

Not just manga!

This scene from "Mazinger Z" was groundbreaking for the robot anime genre.

Pilder, on!

Kids fell in love with the idea of a new type of hero that pilots and fights with robots.

I grew up with Tezuka Osamu's "Astro Boy."

I always wanted to create
a new robot manga.

I didn't want to be a copycat,

so I only made it when I was confident
it was something brand new.

Nagai came up with the idea for "Mazinger Z" while he was out on the town.

I was waiting at a traffic light.

Suddenly, I imagined an irritated car
growing legs and walking over traffic.

I could visually see it.

I thought, "Why don't I make a robot
that can be controlled like a car?"

This is Nagai's initial design for "Mazinger Z."

It originally featured the hero riding a motorcycle and piloting a robot.

Getting the anime on TV proved difficult.

At the time, robot anime
felt out of date.

Nobody took me seriously
when I proposed the idea.

Nagai decided to pitch his idea for "Mazinger Z" to an anime production company.

The plan was to get the anime approved first,

and use that to convince publishers to make a serialized manga.

Katsumata Tomoharu directed the "Mazinger Z" anime 52 years ago.

He told us his first impressions of the project.

I had a feeling it would be a hit.

A young boy piloting a giant robot
was brand new.

Viewers felt like they were pilots, too.

That separated it from other works.

This is the color guide for "Mazinger Z."

Nagai based it on Western armor to emphasize the metal material.

He also replaced the motorcycle with a hovercraft that could dynamically fly and dock with the robot.

However, the anime was contingent on a manga serialization.

Nagai negotiated for the mixed-media project with publishers directly.

He had nothing to lose.

Publishers never thought about
collaborating with TV like that.

Manga was manga and TV was TV.
They were viewed as completely different.

I desperately tried to convince
the chief editor

if he didn't give the okay,
the anime wouldn't air.

He eventually caved in and said,
"Well, let's try it just once."

Nagai's passion persuaded the editorial department.

The manga serialization began two months before the anime.

Katsumata focused his energy into creating realistic, appealing robots.

The sense of scale
was the biggest priority.

I used low angles and placed objects
to make the robots look bigger.

That was the focus.

Nagai's design and Katsumata's team turned "Mazinger Z" into a hit anime.

Ratings exceeded 30%, and some toys sold over 700,000 units in one year.

"Mazinger Z" aired in Europe, Central and South America, and the Middle East.

Spain even created a ten-meter-tall robot statue!

Bwaystarrs, from Oman, became obsessed with "Mazinger Z" at the age of 8.

In our time, in the 1990s, it was really popular with my friends in childhood.

Nowadays there are so many cartoons, but I keep this one as my favorite.

It was exciting for me.

Actually, "Mazinger" opened my imagination to the far future.

Nagai continued to work on mixed-media content using manga and anime.

The idea of mixed-media projects didn't exist in the 1970s.

Nagai was the only manga artist who could pull it off.

Most manga artists
did not listen to sponsor requests.

But Nagai was different.

The latest "Mazinger Z" animated film is in production, 52 years after the series began.

"Grendizer U" is a reboot of "UFO ROBOT GRENDIZER RAIDS."

Nagai's works continue to be loved across generations.

I can only draw 1/5 of what I used to,
so I want to do more collaborations.

I want to become a better producer

and make high-quality works
with new creators.

Across 57 years, Nagai has released over 180 works, and his passion remains undiminished to this day.

I can't imagine doing anything else.

Even if I stopped receiving work,
I would still draw manga as a hobby.

In 2009, the Nagai Go Memorial Museum
was built in his hometown.

January 1, 2024.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake
hit Wajima, Ishikawa.

The Nagai Go Memorial Museum
burned down.

January 10, 2024
Nagai posted this message on social media:

I am appalled and heartbroken by the gap
between the landscape of my hometown
and the one in my memories.

As for the museum, some exhibits
were probably damaged.

But I'm an active manga artist.
Even if some of my work was lost,
I can always create more.

— Nagai Go.