Line #128 Creator/IkkiKajiwara


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ikki_kajiwara.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Manga/{{Bakuman}} Turn every drop of your blood into ink!]]'']]
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4	Ikki Kajiwara (梶原一騎), born Asaki Takamori (高森朝樹, September 4, 1936 -- January 21, 1987) and also known as Asao Takamori (高森朝雄) was a manga writer, novelist and film producer mostly known for being the TropeCodifier of the HotBlooded [[Main/GamingAndSportsAnimeAndManga sports ''manga'']] and the FightingSeries genres, two genres which, notoriously, "The Father of ''Manga''" Creator/OsamuTezuka stayed away from[[note]]They would eventually collaborate on the first ''Manga/TomorrowsJoe'' anime adaptation, animated by ''Creator/MushiProductions''[[/note]]. His family includes his youngest brother, [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]] and fellow mangaka Hisao Maki, and his second ex-wife, Taiwanese celebrity Pai Bing-Bing, whom he fathered his sixth child with, Pai Hsiao-Yen, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Pai_Hsiao-yen who was the center of a tragic incident]]. ('''Reader discretion is advised.''')
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6	His career started [[TheFifties in 1953]] when he was 17 years old, when he submitted a boxing novel, ''Shōri no kage ni'', to a shonen magazine. He would continue publishing novels and stories until the late sixties - however, his popularity would explode after writing sports ''manga'' in TheSixties, most notoriously the enormously successful baseball ''manga'' ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' -- it started his most successful era, where he managed to write simultaneously many classics for different publishers, like ''Manga/TomorrowsJoe'', ''Manga/TigerMask'', ''[[Main/JapaneseDelinquents Yūyake Banchō]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} Judo Icchokusen]]'', ''[[Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling Giant Typhoon]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/{{Kickboxing}} Kick no Oni]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} Niji o Yobu Ken]]'' or ''[[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball Akaichi no Eleven]]''... And that's not even [[ArchivePanic half of them]].
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8	TheSeventies would be the decade where karate-themed works would dominate his input, most notoriously the incredibly successful ''manga'' ''Karate Baka Ichidai'', written with the consent of [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} Kyokushin Karate]] founder Masutatsu Oyama, the series' protagonist and a personal friend of Kajiwara. However, disputes between Oyama and Kajiwara about issues like the ''manga'''s [[ChangingOfTheGuard new protagonists]] or film adaptation income would gravely strain their relationship for life. It's also on this decade when Kajiwara would ultimately capitalize on his fame and contacts with wrestlers and martial artists to work as a match promoter, like in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling's famous "[[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours style vs style]]" matches [[note]]During the late 70s-early 80s, Kajiwara tried to create his own wrestling promotion without success - that was the closest thing to accomplishing it[[/note]]. These would culminate on 1980's Wrestling/AntonioInoki vs. Willie Williams match, which Kajiwara heavily pushed in his manga ''Shikakui Jungle'' as the climatic real-life showdown between his two specialities, ProfessionalWrestling against UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} -- nowadays, despite its surrounding controversy[[note]]While the match was very probably a worked shoot, the tension between karate and pro wrestling factions was very real, and secondhand accounts tell of possibilities of a brawl from any side if the match hadn't a rushed and semi-satisfactory ending. Indeed, in one of the alleged explanations of the latter "Inoki Confinement Case", Kajiwara was responsible of gathering karatekas to threaten Inoki when the wrestler was annoying some Karate organizations with his attempts to create his own Kansui-ryu style[[/note]], it's considered in Japan to be one of the most important professional wrestling matches of all time and one of their predecessors to UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts.
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10	Kajiwara's focus also expanded to cinema, as he went to be an independent film producer after seeing the [[CashCowFranchise success]] of many of his ''manga'''s live-action adaptations, like ''Bodyguard Kiba'', ''Ai to Makoto'' or ''Karate Baka Ichidai'': his films were mainly low-budget but highly successful karate/martial arts documentaries, and to a lesser extent, dramas written by himself.
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12	However, by the late '70s-'80s, he was seen as an outdated author[[note]]ironically, some of his most-known works were on a {{revival}} phase, namely ''Tiger Mask II'' and the ''Tomorrow's Joe'' anime continuation[[/note]] and his prolific output slowed down, until he was imprisoned in 1983 after a violent event that brought to light [[BrokenPedestal violent incidents of his past]] and made him an Main/{{Unperson}} to Japanese media[[note]]Kajiwara was arrested on charges of assault to the editor of ''Monthly Shōnen Magazine'', although the police allegedly wanted him for drug-related charges, such as his stimulant addiction or dealing cannabis to close contacts. Following revelations included Kajiwara's forced confinement of Antonio Inoki or his manager Hisashi Shinma (over unpaid ''Tiger Mask'' royalties or a karateka's feud, depending on who tells the story), attempted assault at a [[HostClub hostess]] and a friend's ghostwriter, mistreatment to some artists (notably, to first ''Karate Baka Ichidai'' illustrator Jiro Tsunoda, who had a falling out -- the Kajiwara brothers' response was to send him their scripts [[{{Workaholic}} as late as a week or a day before]] the ''manga'''s publication), or his obvious ties with the Yakuza among others[[/note]]. Finally, in 1987, and with a much more relaxed output partly caused by his failing health, he died of pancreatitis [[DiedDuringProduction while writing what would become his final works]]. His work wouldn't be [[VindicatedByHistory critically reevaluated]] until the mid-'90s.
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14	Notable artists influenced by him include [[Manga/YawaraAFashionableJudoGirl Naoki Urasawa]], [[Manga/BakiTheGrappler Keisuke Itagaki]], [[Manga/{{Kinnikuman}} Takashi Shimada]] or Creator/MasamiKurumada (who was artist Kou Inoue's assistant during ''Samurai Giants''), and he was even name-dropped several times on ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'' He was also a huge influence on the FightingGame genre on the '80s and early '90s, specially on the ''VideoGame/HiryuNoKen'', ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' or the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' series.
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16	Many of his less popular works can be found in Japanese for free [[https://www.sukima.me/book/free/ here]], searching for his name or under the Group Zero (グループ・ゼロ) category.
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18	----
19	!!Works with their own pages:
20	* ''Manga/TomorrowsJoe'' (あしたのジョー / ''Tomorrow's Joe'', 1968-1973 -- ''Magazine/ShonenMagazine'') (as Asao Takamori)
21	* ''Manga/TigerMask'' (タイガーマスク, 1968-1971 -- ''Bokura'' / ''Shōnen Magazine'')
22	** ''Tiger Mask Nisei'' (タイガーマスク二世, 1980-1983 -- ''Shōnen Popy'' / ''Zōkan Shōnen Magazine'')
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24	!!Other notable works:
25	* '''Champion Futoshi''' (チャンピオン太, 1962-1963 -- ''Shōnen Magazine''): Kajiwara's first notable work. Futoshi "Dai" Daito, a small boy talented in many sports, joins the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance under Wrestling/{{Rikidozan}}'s tutelage and [[ProWrestlingIsReal fights against many heel villains]]. It was cancelled after Rikidozan's murder, and followed in 1964 by the memorial ''manga'' ''Nitoryu Rikidozan'' and the successor ''Senkan Toyonobori'' (Submarine Toyonobori), featuring the titular wrestler who was predicted to be Rikidozan's successor - sadly, he wasn't as successful, so neither was the ''manga''. Drawn by Tatsuo Yoshida, one of the founders of Creator/TatsunokoProduction, who also collaborated with Kajiwara in the boxing ''manga'' ''0-sen Champion'', aviation ''manga'' ''Ōzora Sanshirō'' and the judo-themed follow-up ''Harris Mu-dan''.
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27	* '''Shin Senkan Yamato''' (新戦艦大和 / ''New Battleship Yamato'', 1963-1964 -- ''Shōnen Gahō''): A flying Battleship Yamato and its crew defend Japan from the American MadScientist that commissioned it in WWII to TakeOverTheWorld. Mostly remembered today for the titular ship's resemblance to [[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato the famous anime that would come out ten years later]]. Drawn by Tetsuya Dan, a pulp novel artist.
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29	* '''Kyojin no Hoshi''' (巨人の星 / ''Star of the Giants''[[note]][[DoubleMeaningTitle Can also be read as]] ''Hoshi of the Giants''[[/note]], 1966-1971 -- ''Shōnen Magazine''): Hyuma Hoshi, a frail and impoverished boy, is harshly trained by his father Ittetsu (himself an ace baseball player before a WWII injury) to become the best baseball pitcher in Japan and one of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yomiuri_Giants Yomiuri Giants]]' best stars [[PyrrhicVictory at all costs]]. This work, which immediately became one of the ''manga'' industry's biggest hits, [[TropeCodifier singlehandedly codified]] the 60s-70s ''[[GamingAndSportsAnimeAndManga spokon]]'' ("'''Spo'''rts" + "''Ki'''kon'''''" / ''perseverance'') ''manga'' genre, which focused on tropes like [[TrainingFromHell extremely sadistic physical and mental training]], ascetic devotion to self-improvement, near-quixotic self-sacrifice, isolation from friendships and other percieved weaknesses, obsessive rivalries, physics-defying [[SignatureMove signature moves]] and tragic endings. Drawn by Noboru Kawasaki, also known for ''Inakappe Taishō'' and ''The Song of Tentomushi'' -- his other major work with Kajiwara was '''Otoko no Jōken''' (男の条件 / ''Qualifications of a man'', 1968-1969 -- ''Magazine/ShonenJump''), a drama about a poor boy [[SelfMadeMan struggling to become]] a ''manga'' artist, which was heavily referenced by ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}''
30	** '''Shin Kyojin no Hoshi''' (新巨人の星 / ''New Star of the Giants'', 1976-1977 -- ''Yomiuri Weekly''): ''Kyojin no Hoshi''[='=]s much less popular sequel. After dissappearing from the public eye since a career-ending injury, an adult Hyuma Hoshi unexpectedly returns to the Giants as a pinch hitter/runner, and later as a pitcher with his uninjured arm. Unlike most of his old colleagues and rivals, Hyuma seems to be cursed to live a life fully dedicated to baseball -- will he take his body to harmful extremes with the help of his father, just like in the past? Drawn once again by Noboru Kawasaki, whose style became more complex. Recieved a StealthSequel in '''Kyojin no Samurai Honoo''' (巨人のサムライ炎 / ''The Samurai Flame of the Giants''[[note]]or "Honoo, the Samurai of the Giants"[[/note]], 1979-1980 -- ''Yomiuri Weekly''), drawn by Joya Kagemaru, where Hyuma acts as the titular baseball player Honoo Mizuki's coach.
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32	* '''Yuuyake Bancho''' (夕やけ番長 / ''Sunset Bancho'', 1967-1971 -- ''Bōken Ō'' & ''Magazine/ShonenChampion''): Chuuji Akagi is transferred to a school overtaken by a [[Main/JapaneseDelinquents delinquent gang]], mostly formed by members who excel at the many sports clubs there. Akagi, predictably enough, slowly manages to defeat the gang and become an excellent athlete, but there's one of Kajiwara's first tragic endings[[note]]Akagi, after beating up his rivals, gets good enough at sports to be admitted into a prestigious sports high school, which is his only way to progress from an empty victory. However, an accident caused by one of Akagi's friends abruptly ends his athlete career, and the guilt makes his friend suicidical.[[/note]]. Notable for being one of the very first delinquent-based ''manga'', a year before the rival hit [[Magazine/ShonenJump Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daishou]] came out. Drawn by Toshio Shoji, who would later make ''Cycle Yaro'', the UrExample of cycling ''manga''.
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34	* '''Judo Icchokusen''' (柔道一直線 / ''Judo Straight Line'', 1967-1971 -- ''Shōnen King''): A [[UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} judo-based]] ''manga'' where the protagonist beats other Japanese and foreign ''judoka'' with outlandish techniques. It was adapted into a popular TV show, mostly known today for being the SpiritualPredecessor of the Series/KamenRider TV show. Drawn by Shinji Nagashima, who also did in the same year with Kajiwara the [[SpyFiction spy]] ''manga'' ''Chōsensha AAA'', and would later become one of the pioneers of the ''{{Seinen}}'' demographic -- although Nagashima would abandon ''Judo Icchokusen'' halfway after creative differences, and the much less known Yuruzu Saito (best known as Dynamite Tetsu) would step up [[WrapItUp to end it]].
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36	* '''Giant Typhoon''' (ジャイアント台風, 1968-1971 -- ''Shōnen King''): A {{Kayfabe}} ''manga'' about [[Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling Giant Baba]]'s life and his matches against wrestlers as Wrestling/AntoninoRocca, [[Wrestling/VonErichFamily Fritz von Erich]], Wrestling/BuddyRogers, Wrestling/BrunoSammartino or Killer Kowalski. It’s something of an auto-AlternateCompanyEquivalent to '' Manga/TigerMask'', since both of them were created by the same writer-artist team (Ikki Kajiwara as "Asao Takamori" & Naoki Tsuji) during the same years, although for different publishers. Naoki Tsuji, also known for ''Zero-sen Hayato'' and ''Bakuhatsu Goro'', would become another of Tatsunoko Production's founders.
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38	* '''Kick no Oni''' (キックの鬼 / ''The Kick Demon'', 1969-1971 -- ''Shōnen Gahō''): Kajiwara (as Asao Takamori)'s first ''manga'' [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory based on a real-life martial artist]], kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura. It follows his trials to prove [[UsefulNotes/{{Kickboxing}} Japanese kickboxing]]'s superiority to UsefulNotes/MuayThai. The anime adaptation gained a huge following in Brazil under the name "''Sawamu, o Demolidor''". Drawn by Kentaro "Ken" Nakajo, who would become one of Kajiwara’s most faithful artists and one of his closest friends (both of them had similar reputation as tough big guys [[DaEditor feared by their coworkers]]).
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40	* '''Niji wo Yobu Ken''' (虹をよぶ拳 / ''Fist calling a rainbow'', 1969-1971 -- ''Bōken Ō''): A [[CompanionShow fictional counterpart]] to ''Kick no Oni'', this time starring a schoolboy that learns karate and pretty much follows Sawamura's kickboxing training and Muay Thai duels. Mostly remembered today as the SpiritualPredecessor of ''Karate Baka Ichidai'', and the start of Kajiwara's obsession with Karate - in fact, Masutatsu Oyama is credited as an advisor. Drawn by Jiro Tsunoda, who would go on to do many occult-themed ''manga'' after falling out with Kajiwara.
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42	* '''Akakichi no Eleven''' (赤き血のイレブン / ''Red-blooded Eleven'', 1970-1971 -- ''Shōnen King''): One of the first notable ''manga'' about UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball, ten years before ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa'' hit big time, and before the Japanese audience knew much about the sport. Drawn by Mitsuyoshi Sonoda (of ''Akatsuki Sentoutai'' fame. He also drew Kajiwara's ''Seishun kyūjō'', ''Hinotama Racer Kamikaze'' and ''[[Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons Captain Scarlet]]'' in 1967), who was infamous within the industry for being rather unreliable despite his talent -- as was somewhat expected, he had to be replaced later by the virtually unknown Shosuke Fukaoji.
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44	* '''Karate Baka Ichidai''' (空手バカ一代 / ''A Karate-Crazy Life'', 1971-1977 -- ''Shōnen Magazine''): Kajiwara's major work during the seventies, right after his work on ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' ended. It's a work [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory very loosely based on]] Masutatsu Oyama's life, from his training to develop full-contact karate to the foundation and expansion of the Kyokushin organization and his disciples, while they meet/fight against famous boxing, judo, wrestling, muay thai, savate, capoeira and kenpo practicioners (and bulls). It turned karate into a household martial art, and made Kajiwara and Oyama close friends... Until the ''manga'' was [[{{Retool}} retooled]] after a change of artists because [[PostScriptSeason Oyama's life had already been completed]], and it started focusing on Kyokushin disciples such as Hideyuki Ashihara more than on Oyama, which helped the ''manga'' recover from its slump -- and to create [[ArrogantKungFuGuy an ideological split]] inside the Kyokushin organization. Drawn By Jiro Tsunoda (first half) and Joya Kagemaru (second half): the former abandoned the ''manga'' after falling out with the Kajiwara brothers (and to deepen the wound, Oyama would push Tsunoda to draw a new manga based on himself, after being disenchanted by the Kagemaru part), and the latter would go on to become a regular Kajiwara collaborator.
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46	* '''Samurai Giants''' (侍ジャイアンツ, 1971-1974 -- ''Shōnen Jump''): The DenserAndWackier SpiritualSuccessor to Kajiwara’s own ''Kyojin no Hoshi'', though it never managed to be as popular as its predecessor – in fact, it only got renewed at the last minute by the anime adaptation’s acceptable audiences. Unlike ''Kyojin no Hoshi'''s protagonist, the one from ''Samurai Giants'' shares more AntiHero traits with Kajiwara’s [[Manga/TomorrowsJoe Joe Yabuki]], right down to his ending. It’s also Kajiwara’s most successful ''Shōnen Jump'' ''manga''. Also known for having Creator/MasamiKurumada as one of the assistants to artist Kou Inoue (whose work is mostly baseball ''manga'') during the run.
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48	* '''Judo Sanka''' (柔道讃歌 / ''Judo Eulogy'', 1972-1975 -- ''Magazine/ShonenSunday''): The even more over-the top SpiritualSuccessor to ''Judo Icchokusen'', with a story [[SelfPlagiarism more similar to]] ''Yuuyake Banchou'' and ''Samurai Giants''. One of Kajiwara’s biggest hits on ''Shōnen Sunday'', although parodied by Creator/GoNagai on his own ''Oira Sukeban'' [[TakeThat on the same magazine at the same time]]. Drawn by Hiroshi Kaizuka, one of the earliest ''Magazine/ShonenJump'' mainstays.
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50	* '''Bodyguard Kiba''' (ボディガード牙, 1972-1974 -- ''Weekly Sankei''): A fictional DarkerAndEdgier counterpart to ''Karate Baka Ichidai'' in the vein of other contemporary {{Gekiga}} works such as ''Manga/Golgo13'', about the titular bodyguard's karate-filled adventures involving hitmen and mafia. More known for starting one of Creator/SonnyChiba's earliest famous film roles. Drawn by Ken Nakajo. Followed by '''Shin Bodyguard Kiba: Karate Jigoku-hen''' (新ボディガード牙カラテ地獄変 / ''New/True Bodyguard Kiba: Hell Karate Story'', 1974-1977), also drawn by Ken Nakajo.
51	** '''Shin Karate Jigoku-hen''' (新カラテ地獄変 / ''New Karate Hell Story'', 1978-1982 -- ''Weekly Sankei''): A prequel to ''Bodyguard Kiba'' about the life of Kiba’s karate teacher, who is very loosely based on Masutatsu Oyama. Probably Kajiwara’s most infamous DarkerAndEdgier work, reveling in [[BloodierAndGorier bloody]], [[StrawMisogynist misogynistic]] and [[SexIsEvil sex-filled]] tropes – that said, the ''Karate Jigoku-hen'' series is one of his longest works. Drawn by Ken Nakajo and Joya Kagemaru. It would be followed by '''Seihen Karate Jigoku-hen''' (正編カラテ地獄変, 1982-1983), cancelled after Kajiwara's arrest and also drawn by Ken Nakajo and Joya Kagemaru.
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53	* '''Ai to Makoto''' (愛と誠 / ''Ai and Makoto'', or ''[[DoubleMeaningTitle Love and Truth]]'', 1973-1976 -- ''Shōnen Magazine''): A ''manga'' about a [[Main/StarCrossedLovers star-crossed]] Main/InterClassRomance. Kajiwara’s most successful [[RomanceNovel manly romance]] ''manga'', and a SpiritualSuccessor to 1970-72's '''Taiyo no Koibito''' (太陽の恋人 / ''Lovers of the Sun''). It garnered him with critical acclaim, since Kajiwara was mostly seen as a one-note sports author until then. It was so popular that it was adapted into a live-action drama, a film trilogy and a AffectionateParody film by Creator/TakashiMiike[[note]]Miike was also responsible for many DirectToVideo Kajiwara adaptations in his early career, namely a ''Bodyguard Kiba'' trilogy and ''Ningen Kyoki''[[/note]]. Drawn by Takumi Nagayasu, best known overseas for drawing ''Manga/TheLegendOfMotherSarah''.
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55	* '''Ore to Kaneyan''' (おれとカネやん / ''Me and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaichi_Kaneda Kaneyan]]'', 1973-1975 -- ''Shōnen King''): Yet another ''manga'' about a boy working to be a baseball star, but not as successful as ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' or ''Samurai Giants''. Unlike Kajiwara’s other baseball ''manga'', which are associated with the Yomiuri Giants, this one was made to promote the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiba_Lotte_Marines Chiba Lotte Marines]]. Drawn by Takeshi Koshiro, Kajiwara's longest-lasting artist (from 1963 to 1985), although most of their collaborations were unsuccessful.
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57	* '''Kurenai no Choushensha''' (紅の挑戦者 / ''Crimson Challenger'', or ''Kurenai the Challenger'', 1973-1975 -- ''Shōnen Magazine''): The SpiritualSuccessor to both ''Kick no Oni'' and to a lesser extent ''Tomorrow's Joe'' (and released shortly after the latter ended), the plot follows an ex-football star who takes up kickboxing to defeat Garuda ([[ArrogantKungFuGuy the “god” of Muay Thai]] and a powerful authority on Thailand on the level of the King), thanks to the training of an impoverished and [[HandicappedBadass peg-legged]] but sadistic Karate master who is obsessed on defeating Garuda. Also the last title where the pseudonym "Asao Takamori" was used. Drawn by Ken Nakajo.
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59	* '''God Arm''' (ゴッド・アーム, 1976-1977 -- ''Shōnen Sunday''): Probably Kajiwara's most unusual work, a collaboration with artist Jiro Kuwata (of ''Manga/EightMan1963'' fame) done to capitalize on [[{{Toku}} Tokusatsu]]’s enduring fame. It’s about a karateka revived by an [[StupidJetpackHitler evil neonazi organization]] and turned an incredibly strong superhuman that saves the world against mechanical contraptions, beasts, robots, aliens and {{Kaiju}} made of monuments. It was planned to be Kajiwara’s next big hit after ''Karate Baka Ichidai''[='=]s temporary slump, but it never made it anywhere.
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61	* '''Kakuto-shi Roma no Hoshi''' (格闘士ローマの星 / ''Fighting Rome Star'', 1976-1977 -- ''Shōnen Champion''): Another unusual Kajiwara work, about a [[GladiatorGames roman gladiator]] fighting under [[UsefulNotes/{{Nero}} Emperor Nero]]’s reign that turns to Christianity for love. It features tropes like ''Kyojin no Hoshi'''s TrainingFromHell, an evil villain organization who sends fighters to one of their own ex-members like ''Manga/TigerMask'' and a Main/InterClassRomance like the one from ''Ai to Makoto''. As might be expected, it features huge amounts of [[ArtisticLicenseHistory historical anachronisms]]. Drawn and partially written by Masami Fukushima, known for his unusual drawing style featuring [[HeroicBuild exaggerated muscle anatomy]].
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63	* '''Shikakui Jungle''' (四角いジャングル / ''Square Jungle'', 1978-1981 -- ''Shōnen Magazine''): A StealthSequel to ''Karate Baka Ichidai'', expanding the chronicles of Kyokushin Karate with (mostly) real kickboxing and pro wrestling events. It starts with a karateka wanting to avenge his brother’s death from the hands of kickboxer Benny Urquidez, but it gradually transforms into a [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory pseudo-documentary]] of Japan’s then-ongoing martial arts matches, such as Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling’s “style vs style” matches (It helps that Kajiwara was [[RealLifeWritesThePlot heavily pushing some of the matches and producing documentaries out of them]]). Drawn by Ken Nakajo.
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65	* '''Pro Wrestling Superstar Retsuden''' (プロレススーパースター列伝 / ''Biographies of Pro-Wrestling Superstars'', 1980-1983 -- ''Shōnen Sunday''): One of Kajiwara’s last notable ''manga'', where he goes all-out in creating [[{{Kayfabe}} fictional biographies]] for wrestlers as [[Wrestling/SatoruSayama Tiger Mask]] (whose gimmick Kajiwara lent to NJPW to great success, while cross-promoting his Tiger Mask revival), the [[Wrestling/TerryFunk Funk]] [[Wrestling/DoryFunkJr family]], Wrestling/StanHansen, Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher, Wrestling/AndreTheGiant, Wrestling/KarlGotch, Wrestling/RicFlair, Wrestling/HulkHogan, Wrestling/BruiserBrody, [[WeUsedToBeFriends Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki]], Mil Mascaras, Tiger Jeet Singh, and The Great Kabuki. Drawn by Kunichika Harada, who would go on to do ''manga'' based on real life events after Kajiwara's writing style. It was suddenly halted after Kajiwara’s arrest, much like all his other ongoing ''manga''.
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67	* '''Otoko no Seiza''' (男の星座 / ''The constellation of a man'', 1985-1987 -- ''Weekly Manga Goraku''): An unusually easy-going autobiography of Kajiwara’s own life, from his family relationships and his work with many ''manga'' publishers, to his controversial relationship with wrestlers and martial artists. Kajiwara's most notable work after his arrest, although it was sadly unfinished for the author's death. Drawn by Kunichika Harada of ''Pro Wrestling Superstar Retsuden'', who would volunteer to work with Kajiwara [[UndyingLoyalty even after his infamous scandals]], and dedicated decades later his comeback ''manga'' at age 62 to Kajiwara.
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69	* ''Manga'' adaptations of WesternAnimation/TheKingKongShow, Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons, Literature/MobyDick and Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo.
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71	* Fictional novel/''manga'' biographies of baseball players[[note]]Masaichi Kaneda, Shigeo Nagashima, Sadaharu Oh, Lou Gehrig, Creator/BabeRuth[[/note]], boxers[[note]]Fighting Harada, Piston Horiguchi, Kazuo Takayama[[/note]], wrestlers [[note]]Wrestling/LouThesz, Wrestling/AntonioInoki[[/note]] and sumo ''rikishi'' [[note]]Wakanohana, Toyonobori[[/note]].
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73	!!Media adaptations:
74	[[AC:{{Series}}]]
75	* ''Champion Futoshi'' (1962-1963, Creator/FujiTelevision + Nippon Art Film Company -- 26 ep.)
76	* ''Judo Icchokusen'' (1969-1971, [[Creator/ToeiCompany Toei]] / [[Creator/TokyoBroadcastingSystem TBS]] -- 92 ep. + extended episode film)
77	* ''Taiyo no Koibito'' (1971, Toei / [[Creator/TVAsahi NET]] -- 13 ep.)
78	* ''Ai to Makoto'' (1974-1975, [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie]] / [[Creator/TVTokyo Tokyo 12 Channel]] -- 26 ep.)
79	* ''Tenkaichi Omono-den'' (1976-1977, Creator/{{Daiei}} / Tokyo 12 Channel -- 26 ep.)
80
81	[[AC:{{Anime}}]]
82	* ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' (1968-1971, Tokyo Movie -- 182 ep. + 4 [[CompilationMovie compilation movies]])
83	** ''Kyojin no Hoshi [Tokubetsu-hen]: Mouko Hanagata Mitsuru'' (Kyojin no Hoshi [Special Edition]: Hanshin Tigers' Hanagata Mitsuru) (2002, Tokyo Movie -- 13 ep., ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion alternate cut]])
84	** ''Kyojin no Hoshi [Tokubetsu-hen]: Chichi Ittetsu'' (Kyojin no Hoshi [Special Edition]: Ittetsu the father) (2007, Tokyo Movie -- 13 ep. ''Kyojin no Hoshi''-''Shin Kyojin no Hoshi II'' alternate cut)
85	* ''Yuuyake Bancho'' (1968-1969, [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo TV Douga]] -- 26 ep. aired on 156 10-minute segments)
86	* ''Tiger Mask'' (1969-1971, Creator/ToeiAnimation -- 105 ep. + 3 compilation movies)
87	* ''Kyojin no Hoshi tai [[Anime/AstroBoy Tetsuwan Atom]]'' (Kyojin no Hoshi vs. Astro Boy) (1969, Tokyo Movie + [[Creator/ShinEiAnimation A-Productions]] + Creator/MushiProductions -- TV Special)
88	* ''Tomorrow's Joe'' (1970-1971, Mushi Productions -- 79 ep. + compilation movie)
89	* ''Akakichi no Eleven'' (1970-1971, Tokyo TV Douga -- 52 ep.)
90	* ''Kick no Oni'' (1970-1971, Toei Animation -- 26 ep. + 1 [[CompilationMovie extended episode film]])
91	* ''Karate Baka Ichidai'' (1973-1974, A-Productions -- 47 ep.)
92	* ''Samurai Giants'' (1973-1974, A-Productions -- 48 ep. + 2 extended episode films)
93	* ''Judo Sanka'' (1974, Tokyo Movie -- 27 ep.)
94	* ''Shin Kyojin no Hoshi'' (1977-1978, Tokyo Movie -- 52 ep. + 2 extended episode films)
95	** ''Shin Kyojin no Hoshi II'' (1979, Tokyo Movie -- 23 ep.)
96	* ''Tomorrow's Joe 2'' (1980-1981, Tokyo Movie -- 47 ep. + compilation movie)
97	* ''Tiger Mask Nisei'' (1981-1982, Toei Animation -- 33 ep.)
98	* ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' (1982, [[ProducedByCastMember Sankyo Movie]] -- animated film)
99	* ''Shin Karate Jigoku-hen'' (1990, Deck + Creator/StudioHibari -- 2 [[OriginalVideoAnimation OVA]])
100
101	[[AC:{{Film}}]]
102	* ''Tomorrow's Joe'' (1970, Nikkatsu)
103	* ''Bodyguard Kiba'' / ''The Bodyguard'' (1973, Toei)
104	** ''Bodyguard Kiba: Hissatsu Sankaku Tobi'' / ''Karate Killer'' (1973, Toei)
105	* ''Ai to Makoto'' / ''The Legend of Love & Sincerity'' (1974, Shochiku / Geiei)
106	** ''Zoku: Ai to Makoto'' / ''The Legend of Love & Sincerity: Continuation'' (1975, Shochiku)
107	** ''Ai to Makoto: Kanketsu-hen'' / ''The Legend of Love & Sincerity: Conclusion'' (1976, Sankyo Movie / Shochiku)
108	* ''Kenka karate kyokushinken'' / ''Champion of Death'' / ''Karate Bullfighter'' (1975, Toei)
109	** ''Kyokuskin kenka karate burai ken'' / ''Karate Bear Fighter'' (1975, Toei)
110	** ''Karate Baka Ichidai''/ '' Karate for Life'' (1977, Toei)
111	* ''Wakai kizoku-tachi: 13-kaidan no Maki'' / ''13 Steps of Maki: The Young Aristocrats'' (1975, Toei)
112	* ''Koibito misaki'' (1977, Shochiku)
113	* ''Karate Daisenso'' / ''Karate Wars'' (1978, Sankyo Movie -- original story written and produced by Ikki Kajiwara, starring Hisao Maki)
114	* ''Shikakui Jungle: Kakutōgi sekaiichi'' (1978, Sankyo Movie / Shochiku -- {{Documentary}})
115	** ''Shikakui Jungle: Gekitotsu Kakutōgi'' (1979, Sankyo Movie / Shochiku -- Documentary)
116	** ''Shikakui Jungle: Kakutōgi Olympics'' (1980, Sankyo Movie / Shochiku -- Documentary)
117	* ''Ningen Kyoki: Ai to ikari no ring'' (1992, Maxam -- [[DirectToVideo V-cinema]])
118	* ''Bodyguard Kiba'' (1993, Creator/{{KSS}} -- V-cinema)
119	** ''Bodyguard Kiba: Shura no Mokushiroku'' / ''Bodyguard Kiba 2: Apocalypse of Carnage'' (1994, KSS -- V-cinema)
120	** ''Bodyguard Kiba: Shura no Mokushiroku 2'' / ''Bodyguard Kiba 2: Apocalypse of Carnage 2'' (1995, KSS -- V-cinema)
121	* ''46-okunen no koi'' / ''Big Bang Love, Juvenile A'' (2006, "46-okunen no koi Partners" -- Based on ''Shonen no Elegy'' from Ato Masaki, a pen name for Kajiwara brothers' collaborations)
122	* ''Tomorrow's Joe'' (2011, Toei)
123	* ''Ai to Makoto'' / ''For Love's Sake'' (2012, Kadokawa / Toei)
124	* ''Tiger Mask'' (2013, ARK Entertainment)
125
126	!!''Ikki Kajiwara's'' works provide examples of:
127	* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: When not exaggerating and outright inventing the life of many martial artists and professional wrestlers, Kajiwara was frequently guilty of portraying martial arts incorrectly, such as ''Karate Baka Ichidai'''s infamous UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}} (which was supposedly a fighting style fought mostly in handstand position), claiming that that Creator/BruceLee was a Kyokushin Karate student, or that kickboxer Benny Urquidez's martial art was a military American fighting style named "[[ShapedLikeItself Martial Arts]]".
128	* CreatorsOddball: ''God Arm'' may keep the author's focus on karate, but his [[{{Toku}} Tokusatsu]]-themed superhero antics make it an unusual work among his sports ''manga''. It helps that the artist, Jiro Kuwata of ''Manga/EightMan1963'' fame, tends to do sci-fi works much more than Kajiwara does.
129	* DiedDuringProduction: His last work, the autobiography ''Otoko no Seiza'', was forcibly stopped after his death. It helps that in 1983, four years before his death, he was diagnosed with necrotizing pancreatitis after decades of alcohol abuse - to all accounts, he lived longer than it was predicted.
130	* ForeignRemake: ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' had a [[UsefulNotes/{{Cricket}} cricket]]-themed foreign remake, a [[IndianMedia Indian]]-Japanese cartoon coproduction named "''[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suraj:_The_Rising_Star Suraj: The Rising Star]]''", released more than 40 years after the original series.
131	* {{Nepotism}}: [[invoked]] Kajiwara heavily pushed his own brother Hisao Maki into fame, from trying to make him an important figure in the Kyokushin organization (and indirectly in ''Karate Baka Ichidai''), co-creating ''manga'', and even starring on some of Kajiwara's films. To be fair, Maki had a minor hit of his own with ''Waru'' (drawn by the same artist of the first half of ''Karate Baka Ichidai'', who later had an unpleasant falling out with the brothers), but most of his stuff is derivative of Kajiwara's mid to low-tier work, and after his brother's death he was responsible for churning out Kajiwara tributes and BMovie / ''manga'' [[{{Sequelitis}} sequels]] of questionable quality to [[CoattailRidingRelative some of his most known works]].
132	* OddFriendship: He was drinking buddies with the "King of Gag ''Manga''" Creator/FujioAkatsuka, who worked on the polar opposite genre of Kajiwara's dour, incredibly serious drama, and outright admitted to Akatsuka that he admired his work on the gag genre since [[CannotTellAJoke he had no talent to do it]]. The two would appear as [[CelebrityVoiceActor cameo voice actors]] in ''Anime/TheMysteryOfMamo''.
133	* OnlyBarelyRenewed:[[invoked]] ''Samurai Giants'', ''Kyojin no Hoshi'''s SpiritualSuccessor, was almost cancelled from Magazine/ShonenJump - thanks to the anime adaptation made two years later, it managed to survive for another year.
134	* ProductionPosse: ''Judo Icchokusen'''s TV adaptation (made by Creator/ToeiCompany) was responsible for the creation of a studio within Toei after disputes with union-affilated workers, the ''Toei Ikuta Studio''. This studio would be later responsible for almost every major [[{{Toku}} Tokusatsu]]-related work during the seventies, like the first five ''Franchise/KamenRider'' shows or Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger / Series/JAKQDengekitai.
135	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
136	** Ikki Kajiwara planned to create his own wrestling promotion in the late 70s-early 80s, “Dai Nihon Puroesu”, with sumo wrestlers Takamiyama Daigorō and a pre-fame Chiyonofuji as the main stars, among other [[Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling AJPW]] / [[Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling NJPW]] talent. It didn’t work out for stakeholder-related issues. He, however, managed to work briefly as a promoter / booker of martial arts and ProfessionalWrestling matches.
137	** ''Otoko no Seiza'' was meant to be Kajiwara's last ''manga'' work, since he wanted to focus on his lifelong dream of being a successful novelist. Needless to say, it would become his last work in any medium.
138	** Creator/ToeiCompany almost produced a ''Kyojin no Hoshi'' ''anime'' after various TV channels failed to reach a licensing agreement, but finally media conglomerate Yomiuri Shimbun (owners of the ''Yomiuri Giants'', the series' starring team) decided to fund it. However, instead of the ''Giants'', it would have starred the Toei-sponsored ''[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Nippon-Ham_Fighters Toei Flyers]]'', itself one of the minor opposing teams in the series.

Context Creator / IkkiKajiwara