Childhood and Early Career
Let’s start with the basics – Yoriichi Shokuhô was born on March 31, 1938, in Tokyo, Japan. He was the youngest of three sons born to Noriko and Tadashi Shokuhô, a lawyer.
As a child, Shokuhô was interested in art and was good at drawing cartoons. His father, however, was not supportive of his son’s artistic interests and wanted him to pursue a career in law. To keep his son’s passion alive, Tadashi Shokuhô enrolled his son in tennis lessons.
Later, Shokuhô took up golf as well, but he was never good at it. Shokuhô studied at Waseda University, where he majored in English. After completing his studies, Shokuhô got a job as a freelance cartoonist at a Tokyo publishing company. During this time, he also worked as a freelance cartoonist for a Japanese newspaper.
In the late 1960s, Shokuhô left his job at a publishing company to pursue a career in the manga. He had no formal training, but he was determined to become a famous mangaka. Soon, Shokuhô began contributing to Weekly Shonen Magazine as a freelance cartoonist. He also drew illustrations for various books, including children’s books.
Devil’s Comb manga series
Shokuhô created the manga series Devil’s Comb in 1968 for Weekly Shonen Magazine. The manga follows the life of Rikiya, a young medical student who is severely injured in a car accident.
As he lies on his deathbed, he is visited by a mysterious man who offers him the power to “recover” from any injury he had. The manga follows Rikiya as he falls in love and makes important decisions during his final days.
Akuma no Gusha anime adaptations
Devil’s Comb was also turned into an anime series in 1978 by Tokyo Movie Shorin. This anime TV series aired for 42 episodes and was later released as a VHS video in 1980. The anime is available for streaming on several video-on-demand services, including Amazon Prime and Hulu. Devil’s Comb was also adapted into an animated play by the Nippon Budokan in 1994 and toured across Japan for three years.
Noriaki Inagaki novels
The series chronicles Rikiya’s journey to “redemption” through his encounters with demons. Apart from Akuma no Gusha and Akuma no Gusha Tanjô, Shokuhô has also authored a few other manga series. Nenpû revolves around a group of schoolchildren who help each other solve various problems.
Akuma no Gusha Live-Action Adaptation
Yomi, the studio that released the film, declared bankruptcy to make matters worse. This cancellation of the film came as a shock to the people who had already purchased the tickets for the film.
Current Financial Status and Future Plans
Shokuhô continues to work as a manga artist, but he has not published any new manga series since the late 1990s. He also stopped publishing his manga in 1971. He plays golf at a local golf club every Sunday.
Apart from his passion for golf, Shokuhô also supports various charities. He donates his earnings from selling off Devil’s Comb-related merchandise and Akuma no Gusha-related pins and stamps. In 2018, Shokuhô sold his home in Tokyo for $550,000.
He currently lives in a rented apartment in Kaede city, Tokyo. His monthly rent costs $1,000, which he pays off with his manga-related royalties.
Bottom line
Yoruichi Shokuhô’s net worth is around $3 million. With such a modest salary, it isn’t surprising that he lives a frugal lifestyle. Apart from his home in Tokyo and his rented apartment, he doesn’t own any other property or cars either. Yoruichi-shi has created several famous manga series, including Devil’s Comb and Akuma no Gusha, which are among the most popular manga in Japan.
Apart from his professional career as a mangaka, Shokuhô also devotes time to playing golf and supporting various charities. With a dedicated approach to his work, it isn’t surprising that Shokuhô continues to make a living from his career as a mangaka.
