Gringo (manga)

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Gringo


caption = Cover of "Gringo" volume 1 from the Osamu Tezuka Manga Complete Works edition
ja_name = グリンゴ
ja_name_trans = Guringo
genre = DramaInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Osamu Tezuka
publisher = Shogakukan
publisher_other = Kodansha
demographic = Seinen
magazine = Big Comic
first = flagicon|Japan August 10, 1987
last = flagicon|Japan January 25, 1989
volumes = 3
OEM =

nihongo|"Gringo"|グリンゴ|Guringo is a manga by Osamu Tezuka that began serialization in 1987 in the Shogakukan manga magazine "Big Comic".

Plot

In the year 1982, the Edo Shoji Corporation is a large Japanese trading company that has created a new branch in the fictional country of Cannibalia (or Kanivaria depending on how you transcribe it). Executive Director Yabushita assigns Hitoshi Himoto to be the head of the new South American office, which is an exceptional promotion for Hitoshi. Having joined the work force after his days of being a sumo wrestler, Hitoshi finds himself rapidly climbing the corporate ladder.

However, not long after he is assigned to South America, Director Yabushita suddenly resigns from the company. Apparently he was involved in a scandalous affair with a woman, and forced to leave after news of the affair had leaked out. This severely affects Hitoshi as he is then demoted and transferred to a different location in South America.

Hitoshi finds himself assigned to the city of Esecarta in the Republic of Santalna: a South American country that is in a state of political turmoil. Each day, the government soldiers fight with a rebel group of guerillas in the city streets. However, while reading some information at the Japanese embassy, Hitoshi learns of a certain metal that is indispensable to the manufacturing of electronics. This rare metal is actually mined at Mt. Montetombo in the Fego Province of South America. However, the mountain serves as the stronghold for the rebel guerillas, led by the fearsome José García.

Can Hitoshi make a name for himself in a dangerous land, working together with the people that know him as the "Gringo"? Political and Corporate intrigue and drama are all around in Tezuka's last manga.

Characters

*"Hitoshi Himoto:" An ex-sumo wrestler who now works for a major Japanese trading company: Edo Shoji. He is assigned to a new post as the head of the company's new branch office in the cith of Cannibalia, Reupblic of Rido, South America, then transferred to Esecarta.
*"Elen"
*"Rune"
*"Kazu Onigasoto"
*"Miho Togakushi"
*"José García" Leader of the group of guerillas that is fighting a war with the government in Esecarta, Republic of Santalna. His group controls the territory around the Fego Province which contains Mt. Montetombo.
*"Kondo"
*"Kumagai"
*"Pepe"
*"Ambassador Kageyama" A Japanese ambassador stationed in the Japanese Embassy within the Republic of Santalna.
*"Tomonaga"
*"Toto"

Unfinished work

Osamu Tezuka died on February 9th, 1989, leaving "Gringo" as one of his few unfinished works. It was still in serialization only a couple of weeks before his death. Oddly enough, the day Tezuka died was also the day Nobuyuki Wakaoji died.

The page for "Gringo" at TezukaOsamu@World claims that the protagonist was based on Nobuyuki Wakaoji, a Japanese businessman who was kidnapped in the Philippines in 1986 and released after four months of captivity [http://www.mahk.com/sc1617.htm] . This event was a major piece of shocking news that shook Japan. Because of this incident, many pieces of fiction came out depicting South America as a continent with many war torn countries.Fact|date=April 2008 For many, a Japanese businessman being sent to South America was like having a death sentence from their own company.Fact|date=April 2008

Other Manga

In the Osamu Tezuka Manga Complete Works release of "Gringo", one of Tezuka's short stories, "New Ryosaishii Koukenidan", was added at the end of volume 3.

References

ee also

*List of Osamu Tezuka manga
*Osamu Tezuka
*Osamu Tezuka's Star System

External links

* [http://en.tezuka.co.jp/manga/sakuhin/m109/m109_01.html "Gringo" manga page at TezukaOsamu@World] en icon
* [http://ja.tezuka.co.jp/manga/sakuhin/m109/m109_01.html "Gringo" manga page at TezukaOsamu@World] ja icon
* [http://en.tezuka.co.jp/manga/backlist/ku05/index.html "Gringo" manga publications page at TezukaOsamu@World] en icon
* [http://ja.tezuka.co.jp/manga/backlist/ku05/index.html "Gringo" manga publications page at TezukaOsamu@World] ja icon