Matt Schley
October 22, 2013 
Takashi Yanase, the creator of the beloved children’s manga Anpanman, has died at the age of 94.
Anpanman, though not well known abroad, is a true phenomenon in Japan. The manga, about a superhero made of bread, began its run in 1973 and has been an integral part of childhood for generations of Japanese children. The anime series, which premiered in 1988, has also been running continuously since.
Anpanman’s main feature may be his ability to break off pieces of his bread-based head and feed them to hungry souls. Yanase reportedly was inspired to create such a superhero based on his experiences as a young person in starvation-ravaged, World War II-era Japan.
Yanase retired temporarily a few years ago, but went back to work on Anpanman when he heard the series was helping cheer people up in Japan’s earthquake-hit region in 2011.
Since its debut, Anpanman introduced over 1,700 new characters, setting a Guinness World Record.
Will Anpanman continue to help people in need and fight the evil Baikinman (“Germ Man”)? No doubt. But he’ll never be quite the same without his creator.
Source: Washington Post
This story originally ran in the 10/22/13 issue of the Otaku USA e-News
e-mail newsletter. If you’re not on the mailing list, then you’re reading it late!
Click here to join.
Related Posts
