Tako
Also known as タコ (Tako)
Hello, My Name (in English) is…
Tako is the Japanese word for “octopus”.
Distinguishing Features
With his completely bald head, round, beady eyes’ and small “O-shaped” snout, Tako is the spitting image of his namesake! Besides his face, he is sometimes depicted as having octopus legs threaded through his sleeves instead of his hands.
Status: Minor Star (★)
Despite being a minor background character, Tako’s strange and visually striking appearance often jumps off the page. A true veteran of the Star System, he is usually cast as the oddball in character in any group of villagers, passengers, or crooks, on occaision, he will fill-in with a small role as a cook, an assistant, a postman, etc.
Although he made his debut all the way back in The World of the Queen from a Thousand Years in the Future (1948), his career is one of the longest, with appearances in both Say Hello to Bookila! (1985) and Atom Cat (1986-87).
Sometimes known as “Shuriken Throwing Octopus”, his knife-throwing prowess is on display in The Jungle Kingdom (1948), Metropolis (1949), and The Wonderful Journey (1950), where he started using a unique “one leg in the air” pose that he copied from the 1943 Sino-Japanese co-produced movie The Signal Fire Rises in Shanghai.
Manga Appearances
If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!
1948
The World of the Queen from a Thousand Years in the Future as “a man in the crowd”
The Jungle Kingdom as “one of the thieves”
King Rocket as “a cook”
1949
Angel Gunfighter as “an engineer”
Metropolis as “the Chinese swordsman”
1950
The Wonderful Journey as “the Chinese cook”
1951
Next World as “a Buddhist priest”
Pippy as “a gang member”
1952
A Man From Mars as “the priest”
1955
Chief Detective Kenichi as “the Chinese magician’s assistant”
1956
Astro Boy [‘Robot Bombs’] as “one of Mason‘s minions”
Lion Books (“Space Airport”) as “one of Lamp‘s minions”
1958
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “one of the people listening to Hegeoyagi‘s prediction”
Super Taiheiki as “Kizuroku‘s assistant”
1960
I am Sarutobi! as “one of the soldiers fishing”
1962
Brave Dan as “the ship’s cook”
1965
Ambassador Magma as “a member of the human resistance”
1967
Dororo (“The Misery Chronicles”) as “the monk serving gruel”
Dororo (“Hell Screen”) as “the man serving the tea”
1970
Phoenix (“Resurrection”) as “Dinosaur Dept. Store staff”
1971
The Transparent Brain as “the Shinto priest”
Lion Books (“One Hundred Tales: Wandering”) as “a ronin”
1972
Lion Books (“Mother River”) as “a member of the Ichimura Yoko Theatrical troupe”
Lion Books (“Dorodarake March”) as “a reporter”
1973
Black Jack (“On a Snowy Night”) as “a member of the rescue party”
1974
Black Jack (“Two Shujis”) as “one of the priests”
Black Jack (“White Lion”) as “the mailman”
1975
Black Jack (“Emergency Shelter”) as “the President’s secretary”
The Lower Angel as “a laborer”
1976
Black Jack (“Vibration”) as “a passenger on the bullet train”
Black Jack (“A Rapid Current”)
1977
Black Jack (“Downpour (part 2)”) as “one of the islanders”
The Three-eyed One (“Moa, the Mysterious Bird”) as “one of the sailors”
Teneke March as “one of the villagers”
1978
Black Jack (“Bath of the Floating World”) as “one guests at the public bath”
Phoenix (“Civil War”) as “a samurai”
1981
The Rainbow Parakeet (“Peter Pan“) as “one of the drug smugglers”
1985
Say Hello to Bookila! (“Why Studio 13?”) as “a staff member at the TV station”
Say Hello to Bookila! (“The First Attack”) as “a staff member at the TV station”
1986
Atom Cat as “a member of the smuggling ring”
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