Norakuro

Norakuro

English version of a 1937 Norakuro strip as published in the sixth Kramer's Ergot comics anthology.
のらくろ
Genre Comedy
Manga
Written by Suihō Tagawa
Published by Kodansha
Magazine Shōnen Kurabu
English magazine
Original run 1931 – 1981
Anime film
Private 2nd Class Nora-Kuro: Drill Chapter
Directed by Yasuji Murata
Written by Chuzo Aochi
Suihō Tagawa
Studio Yokohama Cinema Company
Released June 14, 1933[1]
Runtime 1 film reel
Anime film
Corporal Nora-Kuro
Directed by Yasuji Murata
Written by Chuzo Aochi
Suihō Tagawa
Music by Ryozo Sugita
Studio Yokohama Cinema Company
Released March 9, 1934[2]
Runtime 11 minutes
Anime film
Private 1st Class Nora-Kuro
Directed by Mitsuyo Seo
Written by Suihō Tagawa
Music by Asahiko Ochiai
Studio Seo Talkie Manga Labs
Released 1935[3]
Runtime 1 film reel
Anime film
Private 2nd Class Nora-Kuro
Directed by Mitsuyo Seo
Written by Suihō Tagawa
Music by Asahiko Ochiai
Studio Seo Talkie Manga Labs
Released 1935[4]
Runtime 2 film reels
Anime film
Nora-Kuro's Tiger Hunt
Directed by Mitsuyo Seo
Written by Suihō Tagawa
Studio Geijutsu Eiga Sha
Released 1938[5]
Runtime 10 minutes
Anime television series
Directed by Toru Murayama
Music by Hidehiko Arashino
Studio Eiken
Network Fuji TV
Original run 5 October 1970 – 29 March 1971
Episodes 26
Anime television series
Norakuro-kun
Directed by Masami Anno
Studio Pierrot
Network Fuji TV
Original run 4 October 1987 – 2 October 1988
Episodes 50

Norakuro (のらくろ) is a Japanese manga series created by Suihō Tagawa and published by Kodansha in Shōnen Kurabu. The titular protagonist, Norakuro, or Norakuro-kun, is a black and white dog. The name Norakuro is an abbreviation of norainu (野良犬, stray dog) and Kurokichi (黒吉, the name of the dog, literally meaning "black lucky").

Norakuro strongly influenced Machiko Hasegawa, the author of Sazae-san, who apprenticed with its author Suihō Tagawa, as well as Fullmetal Alchemist author Hiromu Arakawa.

There is an excerpt that appears in the sixth Kramer's Ergot comics anthology which is the only example of Tagawa's work published in English.[6]

History

In the original story, the central character Norakuro was a soldier serving in an army of dogs called the "fierce dogs brigade" (猛犬連隊 mōkenrentai). The strip's publication began in Kodansha's Shōnen Kurabu in 1931, and was based on the Imperial Japanese Army of the time.[6] The manga artist, Suihō Tagawa, had served in the Imperial Army from 1919 to 1922. Norakuro is gradually promoted from private to sergeant in the stories, which are humorous episodes.

Serialization of Norakuro stopped during the Second World War. After the war, due to the popularity of the strip, the character returned in various guises, including a sumo wrestler and a botanist.

Pre-war animated films based on the military Norakuro, and two post-war animated series of Norakuro, in 1970 and 1987, have also been produced. In the 1970 series, the voice of Norakuro was played by Nobuyo Ōyama, also known as the voice of Doraemon. During the 1980s and early 1990s Norakuro was the mascot of the Physical Training School (Tai-Iku Gakko) of the Japan Self Defense Force.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1933/bi002330.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1934/bj000870.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1935/bk004720.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1935/bk004730.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1938/bn005090.htm
  6. 1 2 Deppey, Dirk (September 25, 2006). "Kramers Ergot 6". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
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