Chikara, Aritake
Also known as 力有武 (Chikara Aritake)
Hello, My Name (in English) is…
In Japanese, “chikara arittake” means “every little bit of power”, a strong name for a guy who is as steady as a rock.
Distinguishing Features
Without a doubt, the easiest way to spot Chikara Aritake is by his distinctive cube-shaped nose.
Status: Minor Star (★)
The ubiquitous Chikara Aritake is a low-key but extremely talented support player. While he doesn’t have what it takes to be a star, he is essentially a stable guy whose appearance allows you to breathe a sigh of relief. He is a specialist at playing an almost infinite of minor parts, both good and evil, military and civilian, scientist and patient.
Tezuka Osamu himself went so far as to say, “I drew Chikara without really being aware of it,” which seems to indicate that his creator also recognized this stalwart stability. As such, his appearance list reads like an index of Tezuka’s manga works, and he frequently plays two or even three parts in the same story. While this might create some confusion for new readers, his presence is so neutral that he usually just fades, almost unnoticed, into the background.
Notable Roles
Chikara, like Oba Kamitaro and Afil, is a member of the “senior class” of Tezuka’s Stars, and he can trace his roots all the way back to the amateur work Lost World [Manuscript] (1945). While his professional debut came as “Dr. Chinchikurin’s assistant” in Golden Bat (1947), one of his most major appearances is as the pirate, “Luigi Bampa”, in Age of Adventure (1951-53). Of course those are just two of his multitude of bit parts.
Manga Appearances
If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!
1947
Golden Bat as “Dr. Chinchikurin’s assistant”
1948
The World of the Queen from a Thousand Years in the Future as “a Venusian”
Lost World as “a staff member of secret laboratory”
1950
Jungle Emperor
Ashiato Hot Spring
The Wonderful Journey as “the ship steward”
1951
The Moony Men [Manga Shonen] as “a researcher”
The Cactus Kid as “a passenger in the stagecoach”
The Age of Adventure as “Luigi Bampa”
1952
The Adventure of Rock as “one of the delegates at the Bird Men conference”
People with Pistols on their Heads as “Kazuma”
1953
The Monster of the 38th Parallel as “Hirate Zoshu”
1954
Wonder-kun as “a police officer”
Tales of Summer Grass as “Akino Hyoue”
Benkei as “a samurai”
Robin as “Ruri’s brother”
1955
Meteor Prince as “a member of the observatory staff”
Chief Detective Kenichi (“The Case of the Gorilla”) as “a police officer”
1956
Astro Boy (“Atlas”) as “a spectator at the robotting match”
Ms. Sunflower as “Rikizo”
Lion Books (“Space Airport”) as “Naruto
1957
The Kokeshi Detective Agency as “one of the staff at the amusement park”
Lion Books (“Multi-Eyed Devil”) as “a man crossing the border”
Lion Books (“The Crazy Border”) as “special police officer”
Pink Angel as “the guidance officer”
Whirlwind Z as “the torturer”
The Earth War
1958
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “a doctor”
The Film Lives On as “Yokogawa professional staff”
Super Taiheiki as “Chief Megumi”
Jungle Taro
1959
Astro Boy (“Secret of the Egyptian Conspirators”) as “an Egyptian fisherman”
Astro Boy (“Gademu”) as “the lighthouse keeper”
Mr. Akebono as “a staff member”
Zero Men as “Ricky‘s foster father”
Flowers and the Barbarian as “Ken”
Cave-in as “Iishi”
Kodama-chan
1960
Captain Ken as “Hoshino Ranch Hand” and “Medi Clinic staff”
The Devil Garon as “the military officer”
1961
The Ant and the Giant as “one of the villagers”
Number 7
The Strange Boy as “a pilot”
Astro Boy (“The Third Magician”) as “a police officer”
1962
Spirit of the Wild Rose
The Iron Road as “one of the members of the caravan”
S.O.S. from Space as “a member of the Space Rescue Centre staff”
1963
The Shinsengumi as “a samurai seeking shelter” and “Uchiyama Hikojiro”
The Eye of the Building as “a detective”
The Tornado Voyage
Big X
You’re the Last One! as “a teacher”
1964
Dove, Fly Up to Heaven
1965
Ambassador Magma as “a panicked bystander during the invasion of Earth”
Astro Boy (“Space Broadcast”) as “an employee of the Ministry of Science and Technology”
Wonder 3 as “a member of Phoenix”
1966
Flying Ben
1967
Phoenix (“Dawn”)
Astro Boy (“Past and Present”) as “an employee of the Ministry of Science and Technology”
1968
Goro of Hatchoike as “a member of the theatrical troupe”
Astro Boy (“The Man who Returned from Mars”) as “a pilot”
1969
General Onimaru as “Masakado’s subordinate”
Phoenix (“Karma”)
The Crater (“The Octagonal House”) as “a trainer”
Triton of the Sea
1972
1973
Black Jack (“Is there a Doctor?“) as “a doctor on the phone”
Black Jack (“Miyuki and Ben“) as “the station attendant”
Black Jack (“A Girl who became a Bird”) as “the station attendant”
Lion Books (“The Distant Planet”) as “a neighbour”
Microid S as “Maggie’s teacher”
1974
Black Jack (“Two Shujis”) as “the witness”
Black Jack (“Nadare”) as “a member of the rescue team”
Black Jack (“Dirtjacked”) as “the bus driver”
Black Jack (“The Sinking Woman”) as “the court reporter”
Black Jack (“Human Vegetable”) as “a member of the ship’s crew”
Black Jack (“Eyewitness”) as “a driver”
Black Jack (“Two Loves”) as “a driver”
The Jumbo as “the Captain”
Tiger Land
Lunatic Japan
1975
Black Jack (“Seat of Pleasure”)
Black Jack (“Amidst Fire and Ashes”) as “a mountain climber”
Black Jack (“Revenge”) as “a member of the detention centre staff”
Black Jack (“Hospital Jack”) as “a doctor”
The Three-Eyed One (“Mystery of the Three-eyed Family”)
Astro Boy (“Astro Boy II”) as “a government official”
1976
Black Jack (“Urashima”) as “a doctor”
Black Jack (“Little Devil”) as “Jun’s father”
Black Jack (“Timeout”) as “a citizen”
Black Jack (“Homesickness”) as “Yakeppachi’s father”
Black Jack (“Unexploded Bomb”) as “the balloon motorman”
Black Jack (“Cloudy, Later Fair”) as “the President of Maru Isao Bank”
Black Jack (“A Rapid Current”) as “the President of Maru Isao Bank”
Dr. Doronko
MW as “the prosecutor”
The Three-Eyed One (“Easter Island”) as “employee of the drug makers”
1977
Black Jack (“High and Low”) as “the Power”
Black Jack (“As He Wills”) as “the Captain”
The Three-Eyed One (“Mysterious Floating Debris”) as “an official”
The Three-Eyed One (“Godal”) as “an official”
The Three-Eyed One (“More”) as “the Captain”
The Three-Eyed One (“The Underground Capital”) as “a construction worker”
1978
Black Jack (“Helping Each Other”) as “a police officer”
Black Jack (“The Vanished Noise”) as “Tatagawa”
Black Jack (“The Kuroshio: A Memoir”) as “the wireless operator”
The Bridge of Korosuke as “the boy’s father”
1979
Mt. Monmon is Crying as “the workman who cuts down the tree”
Don Dracula (“The Wrong Dracula”) as “the passenger plane pilot”
1980
Black Jack (“Talk”) as “a doctor”
Unico [First Grader] as “a police officer”
1981
The Rainbow Parakeet (“Hamlet“) as “Inako Kogawa’s bodyguard”
The Rainbow Parakeet (“Peter Pan“) as “one of the cops on stage”
The Rainbow Parakeet (“R-U-R“) as “a detective”
1983
Black Jack (“Assembly Line Care”) as “a doctor”
1984
Kibando (“Wind Patterns”) as “a police officer”
1985
Yamanashi
Farewell, Night as “Jim Brown”
1986
Mid-Night
Atom Cat (“Pirate Treasure”) as “sailor”
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