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For those who have not yet readTaiyo Matsumoto’smanga or seen the anime film Studio 4°C created forTekkonkinkreet, his work may come across as inaccessible, depending on any given work. The artist and writer has been actively publishing his work since 1989 while snatching up coveted awards likethe Shogakukan Manga Award forSunnyand two Eisner Awards, considered the Oscars of comics, for the localizations ofTekkonkinkreetandCats of the Louvre. Matsumoto is indeed a fascinating, multifaceted creator, and beyond his works, which have won awards, it’s fascinating to see the styles in which he thrives.
Still, the fascination with Matsumoto’s work spreads westward with new additions from his bibliography courtesy of VIZ Media, most recently with submissions such as an anniversary edition ofTekkonkinkreet, Tokyo These Days, and a reprintedGoGo Monster. These three series offer a fascinating spectrum of narratives Matsumoto can weave, showing excellence in limited series and stories running for multiple years.
While Matsumoto’s work may occasionally be difficult to grasp, it’s culturally significant, with artists includingthe team behindHigh LevelcitingTekkonkinkreetas an inspiration, and an example ofa manga creator whose success is not defined by anime hype.
Taiyo Matsumoto Deals with Interpersonal Themes
Adults and Children Trying to Survive Modern Society
Even in the aforementioned case studies,much of Matsumoto’s storytelling rests on how his characters react to the world and society.InTekkonkinkreet, the story focuses on Black and White, two orphan children in the massive, dystopian city of Takaramachi, where the two are especially co-dependent and lost without one another. InTokyo These Days, mangaka interact with one another and professionals in the business, coping with the stress of finding success, appeasing their editors, and maintaining their audiences.GoGo Monsterfeatures two main characters who adjust to social anxiety and alienation differently.
The result is a wildly fascinating read on all three counts, anddepending on what the audience may be going through, it may be distinctly relatable in some cases.Tekkonkinkreetshows Black and White as a dichotomy of different ways in which a neurodivergent child with amazing abilities behaves in a violent, uncaring society.GoGo Monstershows Yuki, a child growing increasingly detached from his fellow first-grader students, and IQ, a child with such intense social anxiety that he wears a box on his head, which affects his options in schools willing to accommodate him.
Alienation is a theme that runs strongly in these series, like how White is separated from Black and feels lost and incapable of functioning without him or how Yuki is uninterested in everyday small talk between his classmates. Much ofGoGo Monsterrevolves around Yuki’s relationship with the “Other Side” and how it compels him throughout the physical world, with IQ recognizing this dissonance yet relating to it due to his difficulties.Tokyo These Daysfeatures mangaka who are increasingly disillusioned with their craft due to their industry and audience’s demands. This recontextualizes and validates mundane human experiences as relatable.
While Taiyo Matsumoto’s series have sometimes been adapted, most of his works have not, and it makes sense to an extent, as some don’t translate to the screen.
Matsumoto’s Manga Don’t Always Need Anime
A Prolific Body of Work Thriving on the Page Versus the Screen
One common demand of the manga-reading industry is whether a series will be adapted into an anime, seen as a marker of success. While Taiyo Matsumoto’s series have sometimes been adapted, most of his works have not, and it makes sense to an extent, as some don’t translate to the screen.Tekkonkinkreethas an excellent anime film,Ping Pongis one of the best sports anime on Crunchyroll,andBlue Springeven got a live-action film. Yet, stories likeGoGo Monsterare surreal, and their artistic quirks, especially in the Summer chapter,work better as a reading experience than an anime.
GoGo Monster’sclimax involves a long sequence in a heavily obscured, darkened view of Yuki’s exploration of the Other Side, more focused on the character’s sudden deprivation.
Yet, this doesn’t stop Matsumoto from being an internationally recognized creator who consistently produces work. Beyond multiple awards like the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and decades of other industry accolades,Tokyo These Daysjust released its second volume in North America, with its third coming in Fall 2024.Matsumoto is also producingwork in the present, withMukashi no Hanashiin circulation since 2020 inBig Comic Superior. But, unsurprisingly, his work is less accessible to typical readers, not just because many of his stories are sold to the seinen demographic.
Tokyo These Days Is a Commentary on the Manga Industry
Art Versus Commercial Product
Matsumoto’s second-most recent manga,Tokyo These Days,focuses on creators in the manga industry, including its protagonist, Kazuo Shiozawa, who contemplate their place as artists. While this isn’t as relatable to the typical reader, it is a meta-commentary explaining the positions and struggles of those who create stories in an increasingly dominant format over other comic media. This includes prevailing fears about print media’s future in chapter #1, and the unreasonably high expectations for its creators which can drain them of their passion, as mentioned in chapter #5. EvenAkira Toriyama has highlighted these flaws in the industry.
Tokyo These Daysdoesn’t have the same surreal or artistic obscurity ofTekkonkinkreetorGoGo Monster, trading them instead for a clear-cut humanist experience. People should consider reading it for its commentary,a creator relaying his experiences with the human condition and how it affects his work fundamentally, both good and bad. In chapter #7, Matsumoto shows one creator who accidentally lets one of his cats out. In the distress of finding and rescuing his pet, he also learns his manga is getting a series order, overwhelming him with joy. Complicated emotional storytelling can still include happiness in its spectrum.
Taiyo Matsumoto Balances Creative Integrity with Industry Expectations
An Auteur Mangaka
Matsumoto’s ability to consistently get bold, grounded storytelling out in a world obsessed with the next big manga spectacles to read is impressive. His work, even though sometimes featuring different themes and degrees of surreality, is thoroughly recognizable compared to other mangaka, earning him a reasonable auteur status. Auteur projects, in filmmaking terms,put greater focus on the lead creative mind of a projectthan perhaps the industry expectations and genre definitions behind other stories, with a recognizable style and uncompromising presentation, with Matsumoto being a strong example.
I went through many difficulties when I was creating Tekkonkinkreet, but your continued readership makes it all worthwhile.
-Taiyo Matsumoto, for the 2007 Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White release
While this means that stories likeTekkonkinkreetandGoGoMonsterare occasionally tougher to grasp thanTokyo These Days, it is also a worthwhile insight into Matsumoto’s thoughts and motivations. It’s a valuable examination of any creative mind’s difficulties,especially in a field constantly pushing bold new ideas and having persistent, long-running sales juggernauts,with this crunch plaguing anime too.
But more than anything else,Taiyo Matsumoto’s work reminds readers that manga, like other creative media, is an art form after all discussions on sales, popularity, and anime adaptation potential and that its commentary is just as valuable.
