‘The Glass Castle’ Manga Artist Dies at 97 of Age

[Sportschosun reporter Kim So-hee] Manga artist Masako Watanabe, regarded as a pioneer of Japanese shojo manga, has died. The late artist, who opened new horizons in girls’ manga with works including ‘The Glass Castle,’ died at the age of 97.

Kyodo News reported on the 13th that Masako Watanabe died of age-related causes on the 3rd. A native of Tokyo, she drew attention from the 1960s onward for works that delicately portrayed relationships between women and their families, and won readers’ affection with shojo manga about girls’ dreams, love and inner conflicts.

Watanabe made a name for herself in the 1960s with works such as ‘The Girl of the White Horse’ and ‘Mother,’ which explored the bonds between mothers and daughters and between sisters. Her works depicting girls’ romance and love against Western settings were particularly well received. She is credited with expanding the expressive range of girls’ manga at the time and establishing a distinctive artistic world of her own.

‘The Glass Castle,’ published in the early 1970s, is considered one of her signature works. It explored the duality of good and evil within its characters, adding depth to the story. Going beyond simple romance, it captured the complexities of human psychology and desire, leaving a strong impression on readers.

‘The Glass Castle’ was never officially published in South Korea, but pirated editions are said to have circulated. Regardless of its official publication status, the work was widely discussed among readers who encountered it and went on to be regarded as a classic of Japanese shojo manga.

Masako Watanabe also ventured beyond shojo manga and explored other genres. With ‘Saint Rosalind,’ she showed new possibilities for manga combining suspense and horror, and broadened her artistic world by drawing on a range of subjects and narratives.

‘The Plum in the Golden Vase,’ her manga adaptation of the Chinese classic novel, is also one of her major works. It was serialized in a Japanese manga magazine for many years, from 1993 to 2011, and gained popularity. The work is considered a testament to Watanabe’s ability to sustain her creative career over many years and move across eras and genres.

Her achievements in the manga world also drew attention alongside her creative work. Watanabe won the Shogakukan Manga Award for ‘The Glass Castle’ in 1971, and in 2002 received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award from the Japan Cartoonists Association.

In 2006, she became the first Japanese woman manga artist to receive a decoration: the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. The honor recognized her contributions to the Japanese manga industry through her work.

From delicately depicting girls’ love and dreams to exploring good and evil within the human heart, suspense and horror, and adaptations of classical literature, Masako Watanabe developed a wide-ranging body of work. Her death is expected to prompt an outpouring of grief from the manga industry and readers, as she leaves her mark on the development of Japanese shojo manga.

Reporter Kim So-hee yaqqol@sportschosun.com

원문보기(View Original Korean Article)