Sanpei Shirato

Writing

Sanpei Shirato

Born — Died

1932-02-15 — 2021-10-08

Place of birth

Tokyo, Japan

Known for

Writing

Credits

7 titles

A Japanese manga artist and essayist known for his social criticism as well as his realistic drawing style and the characters in his scenarios. He is considered a pioneer of gekiga. The son of the Japanese proletarian painter Toki Okamoto, his dream to become an artist equal with his father started when he became a Kamishibai artist. He is also known for his work published in the early issues of the manga anthology magazine Garo in 1964, which he began publishing so as to serialize his comic Kamui.

Known for

Kamui poster
6.1

A rebellious ninja in 17th century Japan takes refuge with a fisherman and his family.

Kamui

2009

Watari, the Ninja Boy poster
6.5

Adapted from Sanpei Shirato's classic manga, a legend unfolds as Watari, a young boy skilled in ninjutsu, takes on the corruption inside the Iga clan and avenges many unjustly killed ninja by the acts of Sandayu Momochi's scheming vice-leader.

Watari, the Ninja Boy

1966

Band of Ninja poster
5.0

The son of an assassinated feudal lord, in the Muromachi period, attempts to avenge his father's death and meets Kagemaru, a renegade ninja helping peasants and farmers rebel against Oda Nobunaga's regime, all depicted through an experimental form of filming pages from the original manga set to sound.

Band of Ninja

1967

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Ma Boroshi Majutsu-dan poster
NR

Kidnapped and rescued by a Ninja, Fujimaru has mastered martial arts over the years. Now he sets off on a journey to find his mother and also locate an old tome containing secret martial arts techniques.

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Ma Boroshi Majutsu-dan

1965

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Nazo no Arabiya Ningyou poster
NR

Kidnapped and rescued by a Ninja, Fujimaru has mastered martial arts over the years. Now he sets off on a journey to find his mother and also locate an old tome containing secret martial arts techniques.

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Nazo no Arabiya Ningyou

1964

Band of Ninja Pilot poster
5.0

An animated pilot film for Band of Ninja released to the public over three decades later on The Legend of Ninja Kamui DVD volume 7. The pilot film was created in 1969 as director Nagisa Ōshima was wanting to make a TV animation to build off his controversial film from 1967. The pilot was rejected by Shirato himself (the original comic creator the film was based on) and the plan was changed to animate Kamui Gaiden instead, a side story to the Kamui manga also created by Shirato. Though with this change, Ōshima did not partake in The Legend of Ninja Kamui's production.

Band of Ninja Pilot

1969

Behind the camera

Kamui poster
6.1

A rebellious ninja in 17th century Japan takes refuge with a fisherman and his family.

Kamui

2009

Watari, the Ninja Boy poster
6.5

Adapted from Sanpei Shirato's classic manga, a legend unfolds as Watari, a young boy skilled in ninjutsu, takes on the corruption inside the Iga clan and avenges many unjustly killed ninja by the acts of Sandayu Momochi's scheming vice-leader.

Watari, the Ninja Boy

1966

Band of Ninja poster
5.0

The son of an assassinated feudal lord, in the Muromachi period, attempts to avenge his father's death and meets Kagemaru, a renegade ninja helping peasants and farmers rebel against Oda Nobunaga's regime, all depicted through an experimental form of filming pages from the original manga set to sound.

Band of Ninja

1967

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Ma Boroshi Majutsu-dan poster
NR

Kidnapped and rescued by a Ninja, Fujimaru has mastered martial arts over the years. Now he sets off on a journey to find his mother and also locate an old tome containing secret martial arts techniques.

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Ma Boroshi Majutsu-dan

1965

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Nazo no Arabiya Ningyou poster
NR

Kidnapped and rescued by a Ninja, Fujimaru has mastered martial arts over the years. Now he sets off on a journey to find his mother and also locate an old tome containing secret martial arts techniques.

Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru: Nazo no Arabiya Ningyou

1964

Band of Ninja Pilot poster
5.0

An animated pilot film for Band of Ninja released to the public over three decades later on The Legend of Ninja Kamui DVD volume 7. The pilot film was created in 1969 as director Nagisa Ōshima was wanting to make a TV animation to build off his controversial film from 1967. The pilot was rejected by Shirato himself (the original comic creator the film was based on) and the plan was changed to animate Kamui Gaiden instead, a side story to the Kamui manga also created by Shirato. Though with this change, Ōshima did not partake in The Legend of Ninja Kamui's production.

Band of Ninja Pilot

1969

The Legend of Ninja Kamui: The Shell of the Sun and Moon poster
4.0

After working his way up from the oppressed peasant class, the rogue ninja Kamui must struggle to free himself from the iron fist of his own clan. He travels through all the country running from ruthless killers who have traveled to the ends of the Earth to destroy him. A feature film edit of the ninja anime of the same name, covering "The Shell of the Sun and Moon" arc.

The Legend of Ninja Kamui: The Shell of the Sun and Moon

1971