Real Life Models for Sōji Yamakawa’s characters

Opinions on The Boy Champion 

When it comes to The Boy Champion, a young Ken Takakura would likely inspire the epic story’s titular hero Kensaku Imano (usually known as Shingo Makimura in the editions made during Sōji Yamakawa’s lifetime) from Spring 1946 onwards, at least for the postwar picture story. Something similar could be said for Kaoru Yachigusa, who was only fifteen when she inspired the hero’s ally Hiroko Kamachi (usually Suiko Yoshikawa in the older editions). 

From July 1949 until July 1961, action star and voice actor Tsutomu Yamazaki replaced Ken, thereafter being the second and definitive early model for Kensaku Imano. 

Lasting for seventeen years from August 1949 up until August 1966, occasional actress Misa Uehara was likely the second and definitive physical model for her. Joining her in March 1959 was the semi retired Midori Seki, who would largely replace her in September 1966 for both the 1974 retelling and the 1977-78 reprint of the first and most popular postwar variant. Being the longest running, fourth and only current physical model, Hiroko Isayama has pretty much replaced her predecessor from October 1980 onwards, mainly for both the ‘Return of the Boy Champion’ analysis and the 1984 Kadokawa reprint of its partial prequel.  

At least four legendary icons might have inspired both Sanpei Shirato’s and Jirō Tsunoda’s versions of Ken Imano and Hiroko Kamachi in their shared manga adaptation of the story. As for Hiroko, the artworks of both Sanpei and Jirō have her mostly be based on a mix of Midori Seki and Misa Uehara instead. The situation is otherwise different for Ken, because Sanpei’s artworks of the character are inspired more by Nobuo Kutsuna, while Jirō Tsunoda’s artworks of him are modelled more on a mix of him and Tsutomu Yamazaki. Shoji Nakayama inspired Jin Kosugi in turn. 

The 1963 and 1974 picture story retellings/continuations have Ken being modelled partly upon Nobuo Kutsuna, Daisuke Ban and Tsutomu Yamazaki to varying degrees, while Midori Seki partly inspired Hiroko in both retellings. From May 1979 until July 1986, Daisuke Ban fully replaced both Tsutomu Yamazaki and Nobuo Kutsuna solely as the hero’s longest running model up to that point. 

Since August 1986, Kentaro Shimizu is both the current and longest running model for Kensaku Imano. Although his fluctuating mental state and complicated personal life is often subjected to varying degrees of gossip, but as much as he is guilty for his ten crimes, he isn’t suitable for death row because there are human beings much scarier and more heinous than him. 

Despite all that, Shimizu is also the only one to stay as such, even after the deaths of both Sōji Yamakawa and Shotaro Ishinomori, as well as those of both Sanpei Shirato and his assistant brother Tetsuji Okamoto. 

For the future Light Novel+Picture Story+Manga versions of The Boy Champion, Kensaku Imano will always be modelled on the street smart but quite mentally unstable (and infamously fallible) pop star and straight to video actor Kentaro Shimizu. Hiroko will be modelled on action star Hiroko Kamachi. 

Models for the Kosugi family: Takiko Mizunoe for Bion Suzuka. Shin Tokudaiji for Jin Kosugi. Ken Uehara for Eisaku Kosugi. Izumi Ashikawa for Izumi Kosugi. Hiroki Matsukata for Yukiyoshi Kosugi. Kazuyo Sumida for Kazuyo Kosugi. 

Models for Hiroko’s relatives: Den Obinata for Tatsuo Kamachi. Masao Komatsu for Masao Kamachi. Hiroko Isayama for Hiroko Kamachi. Aiko Mimasu for Rumiko. Kojiro Hongō for Shotaro Makimura. Etsuko Shihomi for Yui Makimura. 

Models for the Tanaka family: Isamu Kosugi for Tomin Tanaka. Yoshie Kashiwa for Michiru Mitani. Tsutomu Yamazaki for Eiji Tanaka. Kyoko Enami for Hiromi Tanaka.

Models for the School Goers: Rikiya Iwaki for Kin Fubuki. Jun Fubuki for Yu Fubuki. Miyoko Asada for. Aki Mizusawa for Aki Yamamuro. Yutaka Mizutani for. Ran Ito for. Mari Amachi for Mari Tanaka. 

Models for the Komatsu family: Kyoji Sugi for Kyoji Komatsu. Hideyo Amamoto for Happei Komatsu. Chikako Miyagi for Chiemi. Yukihiko Sugi for Ryutaro Komatsu. Katsuko Wakasugi for Machiko. Ryu Kano for Ryuhei Komatsu.

Models for the villains: Kazuo Hasegawa for Akio Kuromitsu. Rika Fujie for Sae Kuromitsu. 

Opinions on Tiger Boy

For the postwar story, its version of Jun Kodama was inspired by Akira Kubo. However, Karisma was instead based on Françoise Arnoul of all people! A rarely seen Heisei portrait of Jun is also inspired by Takuya Kimura. 

For the upcoming Light Novel+Picture Story+Manga revision, its version of Jun Kodama will be modelled on So Okuno. Eiji Moriyama for. Kōichi Dōmoto for BlackWing. Kyomitsu Mizuuchi for Masao Nichihara. Satoshi Tsumabuki for Shotaro Imaizumi. Sota Fukushi for. Fuju Kamio for Manyu. Amogh Ashdhir for Vayu. Khushali Vyas for Shachi. Radha Bhagavati for Matangi. Yasufumi Terawaki for Eizo Kodama. Tomomi Okumoto for Yuji Kodama. Rin Asuka for Reiko Kodama. 

Opinions on Jungle Hunt

For Joe Moriyama himself in the strip that started a franchise, he was inspired by Koji Nakata from Osaka. As for his girlfriend Kate O’Connell, she was inspired by the late Joan O’Hara. 

Kyuuta Ishikawa’s manga adaptation of the strip has its versions of Joe Moriyama and Kate, inspired by Akira Kubo’s brother the late Ken Yamauchi and, for the first time, Irish film icon Brenda Fricker.

Both the 1968 picture story retelling and two succeeding reprints have Joe Moriyama usually being modelled on a varying mix of Koji Nakata and the late musician friends Ryūichi Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi, while Kate O’Connell is still modelled mostly on Brenda Fricker, but with other body parts from then newcomers Eilish O’Carroll and Alison Doody, rather than the first one, which awkwardly mimicked that of Joan O’Hara’s own in her youth. 

For Kenya Boy’s anime film adaptation, its version of Joe Moriyama is famously inspired by Super Sentai actor Junichiro Katagiri, whereas its version of Kate is, once again, inspired more often by Irish actress Alison Doody. The late Hiroki Matsukata inspired Daisuke Murakami, while Mara O’Connell was modelled on Joan O’Hara. 

For the upcoming Light Novel+Picture Story+Manga revisions of Jungle Hunt, Joe and Kate are going to be inspired mostly by soccer player Arata Izumi and recent major star Jordanne Jones. 

As for Joe, he’ll be inspired by Arata Izumi, Neel Sethi and Yu Uemura on physical terms. Whereas for Kate, she’s going to be vocally inspired fully by Jordanne Jones and Asaka Uchida, while still being bodily modelled partially on the retired actress Alice Fulks Khalsa, who also is, coincidentally, the most likely real life model for Naoyuki Konno’s internationally famed take on 009-1’s titular subject, Mylene Hoffmann. 

Recurring characters who are inspired by directors and actors; Hiroshi Arikawa for Shochu Moriyama. Hidetoshi Nishijima for Wataru Shiina. Seiyo Uchino for Daisuke Murakami. Danielle Galligan will inspire Mara O’Connell. Alison Doody for. Noboru Kaneko for. Russian Jewish Icon Nina Brodskaya for Galina Yelchin. Eva Birthistle is going to physically inspire Anann, even though Sharon Horgan will be the model for. Alison Doody will be  

Minor characters who are inspired by actors; Sophie Simnett. Dylan Moran. Hazel Doupe for Airmid O’Brien. Lara McDonnell. Horst Buchholz. Richard Sammel. Shoji Nakayama.