Gontaro Niguruma (荷車権太郎) is a gag work by Fujio Akatsuka and Fujio Pro, serialized for 4 weeks within Weekly Manga Action.
Overview[]
When Gontaro Niguruma comes to Tokyo from Niigata, he quickly finds a considerable gap between him and those who also board at the same home he's staying at, along with others in society that he encounters.
Being judged for his yakuza-like appearance and rough but simple nature causes him misery day by day, with things only becoming worse when his anger comes to a head. It would seem as if just about everyone in the city are just too cruel and not willing to accept him for looking different from the rest of them, as well...
The two men who give Gontaro Niguruma all sorts of trouble in this one-shot were modeled after two entertainers that Akatsuka had grown close to in this time; Kazuyoshi Morita aka Tamori, and George Tokoro (who would later go on to star in the Shimo-Ochiai Yakitori Movie by Akatsuka, as well as later playing Iyami in the 1985 Fuji TV Monday Dramaland adaptation of Osomatsu-kun).
Characters[]
Gontaro Niguruma[]
A large, hulking man with a monstrous face but a naive and nervous personality. However, if he is provoked, he can and will get tough with others, and this can result in some disaster. He is exactly 43 years old, and his measurements given as 170cm and 98kg.
He has feelings for the beautiful young woman named Asuka, though finds it hard to get close to her and he is ridiculed by the other men at the boarding home. Eventually, due to all the adversity and misunderstandings from society, he commits suicide by jumping off a skyscraper.
Morita[]
A young man with a perm hair style and shades. He is a smoker, which Niguruma is not and becomes aggravated by with such assumption. He and another man named Tokoro seem to make it their sole aim to make Niguruma's life full of torment and ridicule at the apartment.
Tokoro[]
A man with a ridiculous pompadour haircut. He participates with Morita in their terrible treatment of Niguruma. After his suicide, they are last seen at the apartment going over his belongings.
Asuka Kaminaga[]
A young woman with long, fair hair who Niguruma instantly becomes enamored with and flustered over when seeing her. Though she is kind, he ultimately cannot get close to her, and she is on his mind before he opts to end his life.
Serialization[]
- Weekly Manga Action: July 27-August 17, 1978
There are 4 chapters.
- 1. Arrival in Tokyo (上京)
- 2. Job Search (職探し)
- 3. Yojimbo (用心棒)
- 4. Collapse (崩壊)
Reprints[]
- Shogakukan: Digitized as part of the Fujio Akatsuka Complete Works DVD-ROM set, as well as available via print-on-demand service from ComicPark
- eBookJapan: 1 volume
External Links[]
- Read Gontaro Niguruma on eBookJapan (Japanese)