"Kinnikuman," the iconic manga that's been thrilling fans for 45 years, still packs a punch with its hilarious and action-packed stories. It remains a massive hit in Japan, truly a cross-generational phenomenon.
On June 10, Yoshinori Nakai, the drawing half of the legendary manga duo "Yudetamago" (the creators of "Kinnikuman"), made a rare TV appearance on TV Tokyo's "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan" (literally "Good Fortune! Anything Appraisal Team"). During the show, he spilled the beans on "Kinnikuman"'s creation process and answered some burning questions from fans.
The moment Nakai-sensei walked out, "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan" host Koji Imada exclaimed, "Wow, this is incredibly rare! Nakai-sensei on TV!" Nakai chuckled, "Yeah, I really don't make many public appearances."
Imada then gushed, "I bought 'Kinnikuman' when it first started serialization in 'Jump' as a kid!" He excitedly added that this conversation was incredibly special to him.
Fellow host Akira Fukuzawa couldn't resist asking a question that's probably been on everyone's mind: "Can I ask a really silly question?" He pointed to his forehead, miming the character, and asked, "Why did you decide to put the character 'Niku' (肉) on his forehead?"
Nakai-sensei chuckled as he recalled, "Actually, 'Kinnikuman' was originally a manga drawn by Takashi Shimada when he was in fifth grade." He then added, "Back then, he couldn't write the 'kin' (筋) character from 'kinniku' (筋肉, meaning muscle), so he just named it 'Kinnikuman' (キン肉マン)."
Nakai-sensei dropped another bombshell: "But actually, at first, Takashi Shimada couldn't even write 'niku' (肉)! The manga was originally titled 'Kinnai-man,' haha!" This revelation sent the studio into fits of laughter.
Later, when they decided to submit the manga to "Weekly Shonen Jump" and were redesigning the character, Takashi Shimada suggested, "How about we just put the 'niku' (肉) character on his forehead?" And that's how it became the iconic design we know today.
During the show, Fukuzawa delved deeper, asking, "It feels like Nakai-sensei probably spends more time actually drawing the manga, right?" Nakai responded with a wry smile, "Are you really going to make me say it out loud? (laughs)"
However, he quickly added, "But Shimada also works incredibly hard on the story and plot. We just have different roles."
Of course, Yoshinori Nakai's appearance on "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan" wasn't just for a chat; he was there to get one of his prized possessions appraised: an authentic autograph from The Beatles! Apparently, a hotel server asked them to sign a piece of paper back in 1961, right when they were starting out. Nakai-sensei snagged it at an auction in Harajuku about 35-36 years ago for around 250,000 yen, and it usually sits in his studio as his "energy source."
Nakai himself estimated its value at what he paid for it: 250,000 yen. Given the abundance of fake Beatles autographs out there, the actual appraisal result sent the entire studio into cheers—it was valued at a whopping 2,000,000 yen!
Expert Yasuhiro Honda confirmed that not only was the autograph genuine, but it was also a rare "full name" signature, making it incredibly valuable. The paper itself was hotel stationery from a hotel in southern England, and The Beatles had performed at a nearby theater on November 17, 1963, allowing the signature to be precisely dated to that period.
Who knew Nakai-sensei was also a collector of such precious artifacts? This rare TV appearance not only gave fans a peek into his valuable collection but also offered a fascinating glimpse into the quirky origins of "Kinnikuman."