2 inside stories about Rikiishi’s weight loss and death

Rikiishi Toru was the first man whom Joe couldn’t defeat.

He made Joe a boxer, a heartbroken wanderer, and the Oriental-pacific champion.

 

Rikiishi fascinated not only Joe but also many readers.

At the time of serialization, comics weren’t thought of as being for adults.
So, 'Ashita no Joe’ was called “the comic read by college students."

People say “Half of it was due to Rikiishi."

 

How was Rikiishi created, and why did he have to die regardless of having such popularity.

There were secret stories.

 

Author didn’t plan the legendary weight loss

'Ashita no Joe' was created by 2 persons.

The story was written by Takamori Asao, and cartoonist Chiba Tetsuya made it comic.

 

When Chiba received Takamori’s manuscript of the encounter between Joe and Rikiishi, he was unaware of the class of boxing.

Chiba designed Rikiishi big, from his image as a strong fighter.

 

Ashita no Joe (3) P148 (c)TakamoriAsao ChibaTetsuya 2012

 

Looking at the magazine, Takamori was surprised and in trouble.

Rikiishi was too big to fight against Joe in professional boxing.

Joe was small and was not strange in the flyweight class.

On the other hand, Rikiishi seemed to be in the welterweight.

Although Takamori was going to keep them fighting after they were released as destined rivals, ｗith such a large weight difference, they can’t be competitors in the official match.

 

He had no choice but to let Rikiishi lose a lot of weight.

 

Weight loss of Rikiishi and Joe. How many kilos? and how long?

Death of much-loved character Rikiishi

Rikiishi’s weight loss was a result that happened to turn out this way, but his death was due to the definite belief of the creator.

 

Chiba repeatedly says,

“Comics sometimes grow beyond the creators’ control.

The characters in them freely talk, behave, and die.

In such a situation, all we can do is just sketch them.

I hear their voice, watch their faces, and simply draw as they are."

 

Shadow of death

Also, at that time, this phenomenon occurred.

 

When Chiba looked at Rikiishi’s face, drawn by himself, he saw the shadow of death there.

He then found that this guy would die.

 

Turning point between a masterpiece and a poor work

Rikiishi was so popular that it surpassed protagonist Joe.

Because of this, the author Takamori and the artist Chiba received requests to keep him alive from the editors and the company of animation, and they knew that their readers didn’t want Rikiishi to die, of course.

 

However, Chiba insisted Rikiishi had to die, according to the shadow he saw.

“If we make him live while fearing reactions, 'Ashita no Joe’ will become a lie."

 

The author Takamori also was a creator of settle convictions who always said, “I will never write any unwilling stories for money."

He agreed with Chiba.

 

As you know, Rikiishi fell on the ring after he won the match against Joe, and never woke again.

 

Ashita no Joe (8) P210 (c)TakamoriAsao ChibaTetsuya 2012

Who killed Rikiishi?

Chiba? God? Rikiishi himself?

I don’t know, but something else lived in this comic and gave Rikiishi life, and then took away it.

Nobody could save him even the creators.

His fate might have been decided when he first appeared on the white piece of paper on Chiba’s desk.

Looking back at these two episodes, I think so.