Jirō Taniguchi

[Thanatos]

Jirō Taniguchi is a mangaka very well known here in France, where he has received prizes for his mangas, but maybe not so much in the USA. I'm surely not the more indicated to speak about this autor, for I don't have read much of his works. But for the few that I have read, I can tell for sure one thing: he doesn't draw mangas, he writes poetry. No more, no less.

In fact, I just ended to read one of his most known work: "A distant neighborhood". It is the story of a 48 years old man, Hiroshi, who comes back to the time he was 14 years old. The story is at the same time very sad, very painful, but very soft too. You can sense the joy of being brought to the chilhood, and the life's regrets it brings back at the same time.

I will definitely read his other works, and for the ones who still don't know this autor, you must read his mangas. I'm sure you will not regret it .

[iceman57]

I met him personnaly in 2009 for an interview to include in my anime thesis work.
A really kind person.