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lead=yes was a prolific Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), Lady Snowblood (with Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–3) and Crying Freeman (with Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–8), which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Lone Wolf and Cub, and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. In 1992 he himself produced a Lone Wolf and Cub film, which starred Masakazu Tamura. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.
In the 1970s, Koike was exceptionally prolific, working on dozens of manga series. Notable collaborations from this period include Secretary Bird with Monkey Punch (1970), a story with Kazuo Umezu (1973), and Hanappe Bazooka with Go Nagai (1979-82). He also founded Studio Ship (later Koike Shoin) in 1972 as a production house and publisher.
Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans. In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga. He has also written mahjong manga, as he himself is a former professional mahjong player.
Koike's later works included the long-running Auction House (with Seisaku Kano) and Yume Genji Tsurugi No Saimon, a novel serialized in the Mainichi Shimbun with illustrations by Rumiko Takahashi. His manga output slowed in the 21st century as he focused on teaching and writing theoretical books on character creation. In the early 2000s, he wrote a Wolverine story for Marvel Comics. Kazuo Koike to Write Wolverine In 2011, Koike announced his intention to write a magical girl manga series titled Maho Shojo Mimitsuki Mimi no QED. Kazuo Koike to Write a Magical Girl Manga , Oppliger, John (November 11, 2011), AnimeNation
On April 17, 2019, Kazuo Koike died due to pneumonia at the age of 82. His death happened just five days after the death of fellow prolific manga artist Monkey Punch on April 11, who also died of pneumonia and who Koike considered his rival in the Weekly Manga Action magazine.
Sexuality and eroticism are frank and frequent elements in Koike's narratives, ranging from consensual passion to depictions of sexual violence. Series like Wounded Man and I Ueo Boy are, as scholar Joe McCulloch writes, noted for their fusion of rage and eroticized intensity, while Lady Snowblood uses its protagonist's sexuality as a calculated weapon for vengeance.
His content often served a larger purpose of social critique. Works like I Ueo Boy and Mad Bull 34 are infused with a spirit of social anger and anarchic rebellion, featuring anti-heroes who violently reject corrupt systems of power, reflecting, according to McCulloch, the tense, protest-heavy atmosphere of 1970s Japan in which Koike rose to prominence.
Notable graduates:
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