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Manga Creator Kazuo Umezu Stars in First Documentary (Updated)
posted on by Egan Loo
Kazuo Umezu, the 73-year-old horror manga pioneer who created Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan, and Cat Eyed Boy, will star in his first documentary film which will open on November 23. Gwashi! Koike Umezu Desu (Gwashi! This is Kazuo Umezu) is named after the trademark "Gwashi!" pose of the title character in the Makoto-chan manga. The manga's red-and-white color scheme also inspired Umezu's candy-cane-colored house, which was the source of controversy with some of his neighbors. Kōji Itō, a staffer on Umezu's official website, is making his directorial debut with the film. Itō started filming "the little-known side of Umezu" three years ago, including Umezu's own "Makoto-chan Dance" and the interior of his "Makoto-chan House."
Umezu will begin hosting an instructional television series called Chūkōnen mo Guwashi! Umezu Kazuo no 4-Koma Manga Nyūmon (Gwashi Even When You're Middle-Aged! Kazuo Umezu's Four-Panel Manga Primer) for manga-drawing on November 5. Viz Media published Umezu's Drifting Classroom, Cat Eyed Boy, and Orochi: Blood in North America. IDW Publishing printed Reptilia, and Dark Horse Comics handled his Scary Books series.
Source: Sports Hochi, Tokyograph
Update: Title corrected. Thanks, TokyoGetter.
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