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Ashita no Joe Creator Tetsuya Chiba Hospitalized
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
82-year-old manga creator Tetsuya Chiba revealed in a blog post on Wednesday that he started feeling unwell after summer ended this year, and several days ago he admitted himself to a hospital in Tokyo. Chiba stated that he started having abnormalities one after another in his heart valve, coronary artery, and throat. Chiba apologized for any trouble caused, and said he's steadily healing and plans to fully recover.
Chiba debuted as a manga creator in 1956. He is perhaps best known for his Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow's Joe) boxing manga, which ran from 1968 to 1973, and has remained a mainstay in Japanese popular culture for decades. The manga has inspired two television anime in 1970 and 1980, as well as two anime films in 1980 and 1981. Most recently, the manga's story was re-imagined in a new sci-fi setting with new characters in 2018's Megalobox anime, which credits the original manga as its origin. The sequel series for Megalobox, Megalobox 2: Nomad, premiered on April 4.
Chiba's Kaze no Yō ni manga inspired a 2016 anime film.
Most recently, Chiba has been posting the Akudama manga on his MANGA Day to Day Twitter account. The manga centers on everyday life in the midst of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He published the manga in Kodansha's Morning magazine in July 2020.
Image via Chiba Pro
Sources: Chiba Tetsuya's blog, Nikkan Sports
