Author Takao Saito Golgo 13 manga Guinness World Records record for "most volumes published for a single manga series" on Monday when the 201st volume was released in Japan.
Osamu Akimoto crime comedy manga Katsushika-ku Kamearikouken-mae Hashutsujo (Kochikame) held the record when its 200th and final volume was published in 2006.
Furthermore, Saito reported that he is full of gratitude for his readers.
Golgo 13 is one of the works credited with popularizing the gekiga movement in Japanese comics, which emphasizes more realistic and dramatic works. Saito himself is surprised by the popularity of his series abroad, as it is firmly rooted in Japanese culture and the samurai.
Synopsis
Golgo 13 is not his real name. Neither is Duke Togo, Tadashi Togo, or any number of aliases he goes by. A man of mystery, not even the world's most prominent intelligence agencies can determine who Golgo really is, or exactly where he came from. But everyone agrees that his skills are nothing short of legendary. Armed with a customized M16, Golgo is willing to take any job for any agency, from the FBI to the KGB. He has completed every contract he has ever signed and will work for anyone who can meet his price. He is the greatest weapon and the greatest threat to any nation; no one is safe when they are in Golgo's sights.
Golgo 13 won the 21st Shogakukan Manga Award in the General category in 1975, the Grand Prize at the Japan Cartoonists Association Awards in 2002, and the Special Judges' Prize at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards in 2005.
Finally, the manga centered on the legendary assassin is the oldest still in publication. Saito launched the manga in Shogakukan in 1968. The story inspired two live-action films in 1973 and 1977, a 1983 anime, Golgo 13: Queen Bee, in 1998, and a 2008-2009 anime television series. Furthermore, Golgo 13 has even been adapted into games, such as Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode for Nintendo.
Source: Otakomu
