is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Hiruta. It was serialized in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''

Weekly Shōnen Magazine is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...

'' from 1982 to 1994, with its chapters collected in 59 volumes. It was followed by two sequel series: ''Shin Kōtarō Makaritōru!'', serialized from 1995 to 2001, with its chapters collected in 27 volumes, and ''Kōtarō Makaritōru! L'', serialized from 2001 to 2004 and collected in eight volumes. In 1986, ''Kōtarō Makaritōru!'' won the 10th

Kodansha Manga Award is one of Japan's major manga awards. The event is sponsored by publisher Kodansha. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga in its third iteration since 1977. Categories The award was originally called the until 1968. In 1970, it was ...

in the ''shōnen'' category.

Characters

;Kōtarō Shindō :A high-school-aged karate prodigy who is descended from a long line of ninja. Although a fighting genius, he lacks common sense and inhibitions, but has a strong sense of justice. He is frequently in trouble with school officials, and often attempts to steal girls' underwear, especially his friend Mayumi's. He is very protective of his long hair, his collection of stolen underwear, and Mayumi. ;Mayumi Watase :Captain of the 7th Discipline Squad, Mayumi is Kōtarō's childhood friend and main romantic interest. She is the only person who is able to keep Kōtarō under control. Although not as skilled as Kōtarō, she is proficient in the basics of karate and judo. She is also a member of the school's Decency League, in spite of Kōtarō's disapproval. ;Teruhiko Tenkōji :A bald samurai who patrols the school as the enforcer of the Decency League. He initially appears to be an enemy of Kōtarō, but as the series progresses he gradually becomes his main rival and best friend. He comes from a traditional upper-class family and has an ''iinazuke'' (fiancée chosen by his parents) named Sayoko. He is highly sensitive about mockery of his baldness, and maintains that his head is actually shaved. He is the only character in the series whose fighting ability is equivalent to Kōtarō's, though they have never fought on genuinely even terms, and it is implied that both of them are reluctant to do so, in case it jeopardises their friendship.

Publication

Written and illustrated by Tatsuya Hiruta, ''Kōtarō Makaritōru!'' was serialized in

's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''

'' from August 25, 1982, to August 10, 1994. Kodansha collected its chapters in 59 volumes, released from January 20, 1983, to December 14, 1994. A sequel, titled , was serialized in the same magazine from September 7, 1994, to January 31, 2001. Kodansha collected its chapters in 27 volumes, released from March 16, 1995, to March 16, 2001. A third series, , was serialized in the same magazine from May 16, 2001, to August 7, 2002. It was then transferred to ''

Magazine Special was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kodansha and first launched with a cover date of September 5, 1983. Its audience demographic is geared toward younger teenage boys, and contents tend to be predominantly sports stories and high ...

'', where it was published from December 18, 2002, to July 20, 2004; the series remains incomplete due to the author's poor health. Kodansha collected its chapters in eight volumes, released from October 17, 2001, to October 15, 2004.

Other media

Kōtarō was featured as a playable character in ''

Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, making it ...

'' and ''

'' 2009 crossover game '' Sunday vs Magazine: Shūketsu! Chōjō Daikessen'' released for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

(PSP).

Reception

In 1986, ''Kōtarō Makaritōru!'' won the 10th

for the ''shōnen'' category.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kotaro Makaritoru! 1982 manga 1995 manga 2001 manga Kodansha manga Martial arts anime and manga Ninja in anime and manga Shōnen manga Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (Shōnen)