Seki, Gohonmatsu

Also known as 関五本松 (Seki Gohonmatsu)

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Gohonmatsu Seki.

Distinguishing Features

You can usually spot Gohonmatsu by his tall, wide-shouldered, frame, chiseled good looks, and slightly dense facial expression.

Status: Primary Star (★★★)

As a hopeless drunk with a heart of gold, and a head of stone, Gohonmatsu is perfectly cast as the unlikeliest of heroes. His “rough around the edges” makes him an everyman archetype. As Frederik L. Schodt says in the foreword to the DMP edition of Swallowing the Earth, “in his tough yet gentle personality, he is a sort of Japanese version of Al Capp’s Li’l Abner – from the impoverished working-class, hard-living, with little education but lots of street smarts and charm, and often pursued by women.” (2009).

Notable Roles

Gohonmatsu Seki is the main protagonist of Swallowing the Earth (1968-69). He also made a few guest appearances in Black Jack (1973-83) as well as a few cameos here and there.