Eiichi, Fukui

Also known as 福井英一 (Eiichi Fukui)

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Since he is based on a real-life person, Eiichi Fukui’s name has no special meaning in Tezuka’s manga.

Distinguishing Features

You can spot Eiichi Fukui by his 3-peak forward-pointing hair style, his small dark, round eyes, and his slightly protruding chin.

Status: Minor Star (★)

Born on March 3, 1921, Eiichi was the real-life manga artist of a popular judo-themed manga.  Despite an occasionally heated rivalry, he was a friend of Tezuka’s who, somewhat infamously, died of karoshi (‘overwork”) on June 26, 1954 while putting the finishing touches on a manga supplement with a tight deadline.

However, Fukui Eiichi was also a minor Star who appeared in several of Tezuka’s manga works – usually as the happy-go-lucky, friend or acquaintance.

Notable Roles

Although he first appeared in Mr. Cactus (1951-54), he is probably best-known for his role as Razumikhin, the well-meaning friend that Judge Porfiry uses to track down Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment (1953).  He also starred alongside fellow real-life friendly rival Noboru Baba – in silhouette only – as the “anonymous” manga artists in Manga Classroom (1953).