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Manga Creator Go Nagai, Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Inducted Into Order of the Rising Sun
posted on by Egan Loo
The ministry will hold a ceremony celebrating the awards on November 11.
Nagai debuted as a manga artist in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi and went on to create many classic and genre-defining works, including Cutie Honey, Devilman, Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and Harenchi Gakuen. In recent years, he has continued to pen new spinoffs, such as his ongoing Devilman Saga manga. He has also serialized the autobiographical Gekiman! manga about the creation of his various notable titles.
Horii was born in 1954 in Hyogo, and he won a game programming contest from Enix in 1982. The first Dragon Quest game debuted in 1986. The collective Dragon Quest series has since sold over 83 million units worldwide. The series has become a common cultural touchstone in Japan, with its designs, monsters, and mechanics referenced and parodied in numerous works, and serving as the archetypal role-playing game in Japanese culture. Horii received a commendation from Japan's Commissioner for Cultural Affairs last year.
Composer Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Nausicaä, My Neighbor Totoro) received the same honor last year.
Update: Nagai's studio Dynamic Production posted his response to the honor later on Monday. Nagai said it was a great honor to be recognized for the life calling he has pursued for nearly six decades since childhood. He also noted that the anime adaptations of his works have been popular not just in Japan but overseas as well, and that he has visited over 20 countries as a result.
Source: Yomiuri via Hachima Kikō
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