Echizen Gani

Also known as エチゼンガニ (Echizen Gani)

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Echizen was an old province of Japan, an area that is today the northern part of Fukui Prefecture. “Kani” means “crab”, and “Echizen Gani” is a colloquial name for snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) – specifically referring to males of this species.  They are considered a winter delicacy and are one of the region’s attractions.

Distinguishing Features

Echizen Gani is easy to spot by his very unique hairstyle, which bears a striking resemblance to a crab with large pincers almost coming out of his head.

Status: Minor Star (★)

As a reliable supporting Star, Echizen Gani has usually been cast in roles that benefit from a steady hand, such as a teacher, a doctor, or a stage manager.  In fact, his early interactions with Black Jack were shaped by his “by-the-book” mentality.  Although, at first, he was wary of the dark doctor’s lack of an actual medical license, he gradually came to respect and admire him.

Notable Roles

His stage name was established during is first appearance as the home room teacher in Lunatic Japan (1974) and was reinforced when he later appeared as the Director of “Echizen Hospital” in the Black Jack (1973-83) chapter “Burned Doll” (1974).  He has also appeared in Rainbow Parakeet (1981-82), the sci-if adventure Prime Rose (1982) and the short-story Spaceship Ringel Rock (1982).