Doberman Detective
Encyclopedia
, also known as The Doberman Detective, is a hardboiled
manga
series written by Buronson and drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. It was serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Jump
manga anthology from 1975 (Issue 39) throughout 1979 (Issue 48) and was originally collected in a 29-volume tankōbon
edition. A later aizōban edition was published, as well as a bunkoban edition, which compressed the number of volumes to 18. The manga was also adapted into two live-action feature films (one of them directed by Kinji Fukasaku
and starring Sonny Chiba
) and a TV series.
's special crimes division, which handles serious criminal cases. His gun of choice is a customized .44 Magnum
-caliber Ruger Blackhawk
. Even though Kano and his co-workers are criticized by the media and society, he doesn't mind the criticism at all. Even though Kano has no pity for serious criminals, he holds a gentle respect for children and elderly people, as well as former criminals who want to redeem themselves from their past behavior.
At the beginning of the manga, the only members of the Special Crimes Division were Kano himself and Superintendent , but they would gradually be joined by additional members such as Detective , a gang specialist who was transferred to Shinjuku from Osaka; female detective ; and from America, female detective . While the series had a hardboiled atmosphere, it gradually became more light-hearted during the title's four-year run.
in Japan on July 2, 1977. The film was directed by Kinji Fukasaku
and starred Sonny Chiba
as .
. The police comes to the conclusion that its the work of a pyromaniacal serial murderer. The murder victim is identified as Mayumi Tamaki, a native of Ishigaki, Okinawa
. As the investigation unfolded, her former boyfriend, a former rider of a motorcycle
named Chōei Mikawa emerged as a suspect
. But Kano did not agree Mikawa is the suspect. Kano started conducting the investigation himself to search the real criminal person.
etc
affiliates in 1980. 22 episodes were produced, which aired from April 7 throughout October 27. Other than the main character, Joji Kano (portrayed by Toshio Kurasawa), very few elements from the manga were adapted to the series. In the TV series, Kano was a member of a motorcycle cop unit.
film was released by Gaga Communications in 1996 starring Riki Takeuchi
in the title role.
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written by Buronson and drawn by Shinji Hiramatsu. It was serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
manga anthology from 1975 (Issue 39) throughout 1979 (Issue 48) and was originally collected in a 29-volume tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
edition. A later aizōban edition was published, as well as a bunkoban edition, which compressed the number of volumes to 18. The manga was also adapted into two live-action feature films (one of them directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Kinji Fukasaku
was a Japanese film actor, screenwriter, and best known as a celebrated and innovative filmmaker. He was born in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan, and died in Tokyo, from prostate cancer...
and starring Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
) and a TV series.
Manga
The protagonist of the story is , a detective employed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police DepartmentTokyo Metropolitan Police Department
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department serves as the police force for the entire Tokyo metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a superintendent general, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission and approved by the prime minister.The Metropolitan Police, with a staff of more...
's special crimes division, which handles serious criminal cases. His gun of choice is a customized .44 Magnum
.44 Magnum
The .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
-caliber Ruger Blackhawk
Ruger Blackhawk
The Ruger Blackhawk is a 6-shot or 8-shot, single-action revolver manufactured by Sturm, Ruger. It is produced in a variety of finishes, calibers, and barrel lengths.-History:In the early 1950s, Westerns were popular in movies and television...
. Even though Kano and his co-workers are criticized by the media and society, he doesn't mind the criticism at all. Even though Kano has no pity for serious criminals, he holds a gentle respect for children and elderly people, as well as former criminals who want to redeem themselves from their past behavior.
At the beginning of the manga, the only members of the Special Crimes Division were Kano himself and Superintendent , but they would gradually be joined by additional members such as Detective , a gang specialist who was transferred to Shinjuku from Osaka; female detective ; and from America, female detective . While the series had a hardboiled atmosphere, it gradually became more light-hearted during the title's four-year run.
First film
A live-action film version of Doberman Deka (English title:Detective Doberman) was released theatrically by ToeiToei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
in Japan on July 2, 1977. The film was directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Kinji Fukasaku
was a Japanese film actor, screenwriter, and best known as a celebrated and innovative filmmaker. He was born in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan, and died in Tokyo, from prostate cancer...
and starred Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
as .
story
The burned remains of a young woman discovered in Shinjuku, TokyoShinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
. The police comes to the conclusion that its the work of a pyromaniacal serial murderer. The murder victim is identified as Mayumi Tamaki, a native of Ishigaki, Okinawa
Ishigaki, Okinawa
Ishigaki is an island west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group. It is within the City of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago...
. As the investigation unfolded, her former boyfriend, a former rider of a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
named Chōei Mikawa emerged as a suspect
Suspect
In the parlance of criminal justice, a suspect is a known person suspected of committing a crime.Police and reporters often incorrectly use the word suspect when referring to the...
. But Kano did not agree Mikawa is the suspect. Kano started conducting the investigation himself to search the real criminal person.
cast
- Sonny ChibaSonny Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
as - Janet HattaJanet Hatta-Biography:Her father is an American and her mother is Japanese. After working as a stewardess for Japan Airlines, she entered acting. She briefly used the name . In 1981, she married Kōichi Tabuchi, who at that time played baseball for the Seibu Lions, and retired from acting. The couple later...
as Miki Harukaze (singer) - Eiko Matsuda as Kosode Murasaki
- Takuzō KawataniTakuzo KawataniTakuzo Kawatani was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 56 films between 1967 and 1995.-Selected filmography:* Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War * Empire of Passion -External links:...
as Hideyoshi Kinoshita - Hideo Murota as Jirō Takamatsu (officer of Shinjuku)
- Kouichi IwakiKouichi Iwakiis a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for Minami he hashire, umi no michi o!.-Filmography:*The Doberman Cop *Minami he hashire, umi no michi o! *Family *Kikoku...
as Chōei Mikawa - Nenji KobayashiNenji Kobayashiis a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 23rd Japan Academy Prize for Poppoya.-Filmography:* Captain Ultra * The Doberman Cop * Hokuriku Proxy War * Message from Space...
as Katsuo Kōyama (Mikawa's friend) - Seizō FukumotoSeizo Fukumotois a Japanese actor.Born February 3, 1943, he entered acting at age 15 in Kyoto, the capital of Japanese cinema. A specialist in film and television jidaigeki set in the Edo period, he most often plays a ronin, but in his hundreds of appearances he has taken nearly every role. His forte is...
as one of Hidemori's follower - Hiroki MatsukataHiroki Matsukata, real name is a Japanese actor. He is the son of jidaigeki actor Jūshirō Konoe and actress Yaeko Mizukawa and has a younger brother Yūki Meguro who is also an actor....
as Kaiji Hidemori (YakuzaYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
and Miki's manager)
etc
TV series
A TV series based on the manga, titled , aired on TV AsahiTV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
affiliates in 1980. 22 episodes were produced, which aired from April 7 throughout October 27. Other than the main character, Joji Kano (portrayed by Toshio Kurasawa), very few elements from the manga were adapted to the series. In the TV series, Kano was a member of a motorcycle cop unit.
Second film
A straight-to-videoV-Cinema
Japanese is the direct-to-video industry that appeared in Japan in the 1980s. The term is a trademark of Toei Company but is widely used in the West to describe any Japanese direct-to-video release. In Japan the term used is...
film was released by Gaga Communications in 1996 starring Riki Takeuchi
Riki Takeuchi
is a Japanese actor best known for his roles in v-cinema yakuza movies.Takeuchi has starred in many yakuza films and action films, such as Dead or Alive by Takashi Miike...
in the title role.