To celebrate Weekly Shonen Jump‘s 25th anniversary, Shueisha decided to create a new style event to promote it’s history for the fans. The name of the event was called “Weekly Jump Multi World” and was a exhibition that was held in the Tokyo Dome Prism Hall between July 28th through August 15th, 1993. The event cost 700 yen for admission and guests were able to receive as special booklet which highlighted some of the items on display. The booklet was never available for sale directly. Over 48 authors provided new illustrations and congratulatory messages for this anniversary and are documented in this booklet and this is one of them. To help provide context to this profile that was captured in 1993, we have included some additional information to supplement the transcription and rough English translation.
| Name | Koichi Endo (えんどコイチ) |
| Date of Birth | September 28, 1956 |
| Birthplace | Niigata Prefecture |
| Blood Type | B |
| Debut Work | “Field Trip Day” for Weekly Shonen Champion in 1981 ’81年『遠足の日』(週刊少年チャンピオン) |
| 1st Jump Serialization | “Tsuide ni Tonchinkan” 『ついでにとんちんかん』 |
| Additional Info | Has created “Shinigami-kun” and “Tsuide ni Tonchinkan.” He draws a wide range of stories from heartwarming to gags. 代表作は『死神くん』『ついでにとんちんかん』など。ほのぼの感動モノからギャグまで幅広い世界の作品を描く。 |
To celebrate Weekly Shonen Jump‘s 25th anniversary, Koichi Endo provided this illustration and comment, which have been roughly translated below:
日本に来た外国人は、日本人の大人がマンガを読んでいることにおどろくそうであるが、それだけ日本のマンガは大人の鑑賞にたえうるものであるということです。
また、戦争を放棄した国である平和な日本の象徴のひとつとしてマンガがあると思っています。
25年前子供だった読者がずーっと読者でありつづけることは、とてもすばらしいことだと思います。
これからも、今の読者がおじいさんになっても読まれる雑誌であってほしいと願います。
Foreigners who visit Japan are often surprised to see Japanese adults reading manga, but I think this shows how Japanese manga can connect with even adults.
I think manga is one of those symbols of peace for Japan, a country that has renounced war.
It’s wonderful to think that children from 25 years ago have continued to be readers ever since.
I hope this magazine will continue to be read even when they become grandfathers.
He also provided this shikishi for the event from his series, Tsuide ni Tonchinkan:
The article ends with a description of the manga. The story is based around a group of 4 high-school characters, a Phantom Thief, a Kung-fu master, a mechanic, and a psychic.
The following is some additional information about Koichi Endo and his works that were not detailed in the page for the Jump Multi World 1993 booklet.
Koichi Endo’s debut work, Field Trip Day won the 9th “Fresh Award” as an honorable mention. The oneshot was then published in issue 33 in 1981 of Weekly Shonen Champion. This oneshot would later be republished in the 4th volume of Tsuide ni Tonchinkan. The story itself also then has many elements similar to his first serialization Shinigami-kun.
Shinigami-kun started it’s serialization in Fresh Jump magazine in the June 1983 issue. From that starting issue, Koichi Endo’s author comment was the following, which has the following rough translation:
心にのこる筰品をかきたいと思ってます。これからも応援してねっ!!
I want to create a memorable story. Please continue to support me!!
This Shinigami-kun series would continue until the June 1987 issue in the magazine. It would then have a continuation starting in the February issue of Fresh Jump in 1988 until January 1989 where it then moved into Monthly Shonen Jump starting in the February 1989 issue. The series would continue in Monthly Shonen Jump until the August 1990 issue. In 2014 the manga series would get a Live Action TV adaptation.
While the Shinigami-kun series was on-going the Tsuide ni Tonchinkan series started originally as 2 oneshot stories in Weekly Shonen Jump 1984 issues 49 & 50. The Tsuide ni Tonchinkan series would then start with a full serialization in the 14th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump in 1985 and continue for 210 chapters, ending in issue 22 in 1989. A 43 episode anime series was also broadcast in Japan in 1987 & 1988. Starting in 1991, the series continued in the Monthly Shonen Jump magazine under the title Miracle Tonchinkan (ミラクルとんちんかん) for a total of 4 volumes and ending in 1996. Additionally there was a one volume spin-off called Original Quest (オリジナルクエスト) that was also published in Monthly Shonen Jump magazine.
