| Golgo 13 | |
.jpg) Firsttankōbon volume cover, featuring Duke Togo | |
| ゴルゴ13 (Gorugo Sātīn) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by |
|
| Published by |
|
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Big Comic |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | October 1968 – present |
| Volumes | 215(List of volumes) |
| Anime television series | |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Wada Yoshinori |
| Music by | Takeo Yamashita |
| Studio | Saito Production |
| Original network | TBS |
| Original run | 1971 |
| Episodes | 40 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Shunji Ōga |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Junichi Iioka |
| Music by | Daisuke Ikeda |
| Studio | The Answer Studio |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 11, 2008 – March 27, 2009 |
| Episodes | 50(List of episodes) |
| Manga | |
| Gunsmith Dave | |
| Written by |
|
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Magazine | Big Comic Zōkan |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | July 17, 2021 – present |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Manga | |
| Golgo Camp | |
| Written by | Yukio Miyama |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Magazine | MangaONE |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | August 28, 2021 –November 26, 2022 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Manga | |
| G no Idenshi: Shōjo Fanette | |
| Written by |
|
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Magazine | Big Comic Zōkan |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | July 15, 2022 –November 17, 2023 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Films andoriginal video animation | |
| |
| Video games | |
| |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Golgo 13 (Japanese:ゴルゴ13,Hepburn:Gorugo Sātīn) is a Japanesemanga series written and illustrated byTakao Saito, published inShogakukan'sseinen manga magazineBig Comic since October 1968. The series follows the title character, a professionalassassin for hire.Golgo 13 is the oldest manga still in publication, and itstankōbon edition was certified byGuinness World Records as thehighest number of volumes for a manga series. Before his death in 2021, Saito said that he wanted the manga to continue on without him; he had previously raised concerns that the manga may be unfinished after he passes away. The Saito Production group of manga creators will continue its publication with the assistance of theBig Comic's editorial department.
The series has been adapted into two live-action feature films, ananime film, anoriginal video animation, an anime television series and six video games.
With a cumulative total of 300 million copies in circulation in various formats, including compilation books, it is one of thebest-selling manga series. The manga won the 1975Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga and the Grand Prize at the 2002Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.
Golgo 13 is a professional assassin. His real name, age and birthplace are unknown and there is no consensus in the worldwide intelligence community as to his true identity.[2] Most of his jobs are completed through the use of a customized,scoped M16 rifle. His most frequently used alias is Duke Togo (デューク・東郷,Dyūku Tōgō), but he also goes by Tadashi Togo (東郷 隆,Tōgō Tadashi) and Togo Rodriguez (トーゴ・ロドリゲス,Tōgo Rodorigesu).
Duke Togo has a very quiet personality and will only talk when he needs to, he shows very little to no emotion when carrying out anassassination and is willing to kill anyone who will threaten to expose him. He accepts many different assassination jobs, from anyone who can afford his services. From simply shooting a violin string to taking out powerful organized crime bosses and political figures, these killings have often attracted retaliations against Golgo 13, even at one stage having the FBI, the CIA, and even the United States military out to kill him, causing Togo to always have to watch his own back and pay attention to his surroundings in order to stop other assassins and contract killers employed to kill him in often creative ways. Golgo 13 also employs many different people himself to assist him in his assassination jobs, such as in providing extra information on his targets to modifying his weapons, vehicles, and gadgets.
The name "Golgo 13" is a reference to thedeath of Jesus Christ.Golgo is short forGolgotha, the place ofJesus' crucifixion, while thenumber 13 is considered an unlucky number.[3] Also, Golgo 13's logo is a skeleton wearing acrown of thorns.
Duke Togo's past is a mystery. Although his Asian appearance suggests that he may be of Japanese origin, many of Golgo 13's stories have presented different speculations about his true identity while presenting contradictory information, leaving readers uncertain which information is true. It is known that he may be the biological father of many different children all over the world from the many sexual encounters he has had with women throughout the series, such as a four-year-old son named Joey from ex-Provisional Irish Republican Army fighter Catherine McCall.[4][5]
With respect to the character's age, a large number of stories are dated as they are centered around current events of the time. However, Golgo 13 himselfhas not aged significantly to account for these events. He has also suffered multiple injuries throughout the series, leaving many different scars on his body.[6]
Early on,Takao Saito developed a system where he created the page layout based on a script written by the editorial department. He also inked the main characters' faces, while assistants provided the backgrounds and other elements. He did extensive research to provide accuracy, especially when the plot dealt with technology.[7]Kazuo Koike was one of the writers on the series in the beginning.[8][9] AuthorYoichi Funado wrote approximately 30 stories forGolgo 13, three of which he later novelized.[10]Takashi Nagasaki was Saito's editor on the series in the mid-1980s, and later wrote two stories for the manga under the pen name "Keishi Edogawa".[11]
According toJason Thompson, severalGolgo 13 stories have not been reprinted for being "offensive or libelous". Thompson lists one from 1986 because of complaints from theIranian embassy in Japan, another from 1988 aboutmoney laundering in the Vatican, and one from 1989 about a Hollywood actor blackmailed when someone discovers he hasAIDS.[12]
In 2013, Saito stated that because he often worried about his manga being cancelled, he had an ending planned out that even included the panel layout. He said he had no idea whenGolgo 13 would end, claiming "The manga has continued so long that it is no longer the property of the author; it belongs to the readers."[13] Two years later,Big Comic's fourth issue of 2015 announced that the series was "heading towards its conclusion."[14]
Due to difficulties that arose from the restrictions implemented by the government to combat theCOVID-19 pandemic in Japan,Golgo 13 began its first hiatus in its 52-year history in May 2020.[15] It returned on July 7, 2020.[16]
Saito died ofpancreatic cancer at 84 on September 24, 2021.[17][18] According toShogakukan, Saito said before his death that he wanted the manga to continue on without him. The Saito Production group of manga creators continues its publication with the assistance ofBig Comic's editorial department.[19]
Written and illustrated byTakao Saito,Golgo 13 has been serialized in the monthly manga magazineBig Comic since its January 1969 issue, published in October 1968.[20] The chapters have been collected intotankōbon volumes byShogakukan andLeed Publishing, a spinoff of the author's own Saito Production,[12] since June 21, 1973.[21] As of December 2024, 215 volumes of thetankōbon edition have been published,[22] while thebunkoban edition has 173 volumes.[23]
In 1986, Leed Publishing released fourGolgo 13 stories translated by Patrick Connolly: "Into the Wolves' Lair", "Galinpero", "The Ice Lake Hit" and "The Ivory Connection".[12][24]
In 1989 and 1990, Leed andVic Tokai published two furtherGolgo 13 comic books, "The Impossible Hit" and "The Border Hopper", as part of the promotion for twoGolgo 13 video games.[12] The comics were released to the US public via a mail-in offer with the purchase of the games and were later even found packaged with the video games. Each issue contained one complete story and had nothing to do with the storylines of the video games themselves.
In 1991, Leed Publishing andViz Media publishedThe Professional: Golgo 13, a three-part mini-series.[12]The Professional was a re-printing of "The Argentine Tiger", a story where Golgo is hired by the British Government to assassinate the reportedly dead ex-president of ArgentinaJuan Perón.
In 2006,Golgo 13 was brought back by Viz as part of their Viz Signature collection. The stories are picked from the forty-year history of the manga, and do not necessarily represent the original's order of publication. A total of thirteen volumes were published, with the thirteenth volume being published on February 19, 2008. Each volume ends with an editorial commentary onGolgo 13 as a cultural phenomenon in Japan.[6]
A spin-off manga titledGunsmith Dave (銃器職人・デイブ) and focusing on the character Dave McCartney began serialization in the August special issue ofBig Comic on July 17, 2021.[25] The spin-off ended its "first season" on May 17, 2022,[26] and resumed on February 17, 2024.[27] Saito and Saito Production are credited with creating the manga.[28] Its first volume was released on September 30, 2022.[29] As of January 30, 2025, two volumes have been released.[30]
A second spin-off,Golgo Camp (ゴルゴCAMP) created by Yukio Miyama, was launched on Shogakukan'sMangaONE app on August 28, 2021.[31] It is a gag comedy and follows Golgo 13 at a modern-day campsite.[32]
A third spin-off,G no Idenshi: Shōjo Fanette (Gの遺伝子 少女ファネット), was serialized for eight chapters inBig Comic Zōkan from July 15, 2022, to November 17, 2023.[26][33][34] It focuses on the French junior high school student Fanette, who has Golgo's genes.[35] Its chapters were collected in two volumes, released on May 30, 2023, and February 29, 2024.[36][37]
Toei Company produced a live-action film simply titledGolgo 13 in 1973, directed byJunya Sato and starringKen Takakura as Duke Togo andPouri Banayi as Catherine Morton. It was filmed entirely in theImperial State of Iran with an entirelyPersian supporting cast. It was followed byGolgo 13: Assignment Kowloon in 1977, directed by Yukio Noda, which replaced Takakura withSonny Chiba. In 2011, production company Davis Film obtained the American film rights toGolgo.[38]
The firstGolgo 13 anime series aired onTBS in 1971 for 40 episodes. In November 2023, it was reported that the series, allegedly lost for many years, was found and would be broadcast on television for the first time in over 50 years. Selected episodes were broadcast onBS-TBS, under the titleGolgo 13 Selection, on December 10–17, 2023.[39][40] The series' episodes started streaming onAmazon Prime and other streaming services in Japan on December 29, 2023, premiering the first ten episodes. Ten more episodes have been released at the end of each month, with all 40 episodes available by the end of March 2024.[41][42]
Golgo 13: The Professional, known simply asGolgo 13 in Japan, is a 1983 animated featured film. Golgo 13's voice is provided byTetsurō Sagawa in the Japanese version, andGregory Snegoff inStreamline Pictures' English dub. It incorporatesCGI animation, which was in its infancy at the time. This is most notable in the scene where army helicopters circle around Dawson Tower and attack Golgo as he climbs toward Dawson's office on the top floor.
Golgo 13: Queen Bee is anoriginal video animation that was released in 1998.Tesshō Genda provides the voice of Golgo 13 in the Japanese version, while in the English version, he is voiced byJohn DiMaggio.
AGolgo 13anime television series was produced by The Answer Studio. The series aired onTV Tokyo and other stations from April 11, 2008, to March 27, 2009, for 50 episodes.[43]Hiroshi Tachi provides the voice of Golgo 13. The series was licensed bySentai Filmworks, with the first DVD released on July 13, 2010.[44] In English, Golgo is voiced byDavid Wald.
The anime aired in North America on theAnime Network on Demand channel.[45] It is also aired on television in the Philippines by TV5 and in South Korea by Animax Korea.[46]
The first opening theme song is "Take the Wave" by Naifu for the first 25 episodes, and the second is "So Far Away" byPinc Inc for the remaining. The first ending theme song for the first 12 episodes is "Garasu no Haiwei (Highway of Glass)" bydoa,[47] while "Yume no Hitotsu" byGarnet Crow is used for episodes 13–25. The third ending theme is "Sono Egao Yo Eien ni" byAiko Kitahara for episodes 26 to 38,[48] and the final ending song is "Mou Kimi wo Hitori ni Sasenai" byU-ka Saegusa in dB from 39–50.
Severalvideo games based onGolgo 13 have been released:
There was also anLCD game based onGolgo 13 released only in Japan byPopy in 1982, as well as severalpachinko and pachislot machines released in Japan between 2001 and 2017,[50] one of which receiving a simulator port for the PlayStation in 2002.
A version of Golgo 13's signature weapon, the scoped M16, was released in the Japanese version ofAlliance of Valiant Arms as a usable weapon.[51]
In addition, the title character has appeared in a number of TV commercials in Japan, includingNEC[52] andLotteBlack Black.[53] There was also aradio drama featuringMasane Tsukayama as Golgo 13.
AnAirsoft gun has been made byTokyo Marui based on the rifle Golgo 13 uses.[54] A figure based on Golgo 13 was released on August 25, 2009.[55][56]
Golgo 13 won the 21stShogakukan Manga Award in the General category in 1975, the Grand Prize at the 2002Japan Cartoonists Association Awards, and the Special Judges Award at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards in 2005.[57][58] With the publication of volume 201 in July 2021,Golgo 13 was certified as holding theGuinness World Record for "Most volumes published for a single manga series."[59] OnTV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series,Golgo 13 ranked 36th.[60]Golgo 13 is one of the works credited with popularizing thegekiga movement in Japanese comics, which strives for more realistic and dramatic works. Saito himself is surprised by his series' popularity overseas, because it is firmly rooted in Japanese culture and samurai. He cited the timing of when Golgo actually takes his shot as an example; "It evokesiaidō [the martial art of drawing one's sword and mimicking a deadly blow]. It is the same movement and the same shape. I love Japanese samurai stories and that is why, unconsciously, Golgo moves like a samurai. That is why I thought foreigners wouldn't understand the story."[61]
By March 2021,Golgo 13 had over 300 million copies in circulation in various formats, including compilation books, it is thesecond-best-selling manga series and the top-sellingseinen manga series in history.[62]
Anime News Network's Carl Kimlinger compared Saito's work on the series to the novels ofJohn le Carré andFrederick Forsyth, as the stories are "dark, meticulously constructed [and] painstakingly realistic".[63] Leo Lewis of theFinancial Times wrote that "Unsmiling, misogynist and inexorable, [the character] is a literary cousin ofJames Bond without the scene-softeners ofMoneypenny,M,Q or exploding fountain pens."[61] TheDaily Vanguard called Duke "a badass, something like a cross betweenDirty Harry andMetal Gear Solid'sSolid Snake."[6] JC DuBois of Dragon's Anime has criticized those who say that most of Golgo 13's hits are impossible to do since there are problems that would prevent him from shooting straight such as the wind or with thecoriolis effect, saying that the "whole mystique ofGolgo 13 is that he's just that damn good. He CAN make those shots—and he can do it with one shot."[64]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
