It seems that Monkey Punch, who passed away on the 11th of this month, was an honorary professor at Otemae University.
Here↓
Manga Production Major｜Faculty of Media and Arts｜Undergraduate and Graduate Schools｜Otemae University
On NHK’s “News Hot Kansai,” broadcast on the 17th, they reported that Monkey Punch had ties to Kansai and had been a professor at Otemae University.
Otemae University was featured on “News Hot Kansai”
It seems that in Heisei 17, as a professor at Otemae University, he personally established the Manga and Animation Course.（It is now the Manga Production Major in the Art Course of the Faculty of Media and Arts）
There was also a video of one of his classes, where he was drawing Lupin the Third on a whiteboard while speaking. It was a short clip, but you could really tell that the class was packed with valuable points to learn from him as an animation creator.
Apparently, he had just become an honorary professor this April, and Vice President Izawa of the university spoke about him with a pained expression.
Even after his health declined, Monkey Punch continued teaching classes by video call.
Impressions of Professor Monkey Punch
Two university instructors appeared and shared their impressions of Monkey Punch. I’ll write them down here.
“He wore sunglasses and might have seemed intimidating, but he was extremely serious about creating things, and his attitude of always pursuing something new left a very strong impression.”
“Inside the panels of his works, the compositions are like scenes from a movie, and there is still so much to learn from them today, so I really hope people will read them again.”
Finally
It seems the anime adaptation was first broadcast on TV in Showa 46.
I was born in Showa 53, and I remember often watching it on TV around noon after coming home from Saturday school when I was in elementary school.
I really loved the car chases. Even though he was a thief, we were always rooting for Lupin, weren’t we? The police were the enemy, after all. When you think about it, it was an incredible series.
Kids still watch it today, and anime that can be enjoyed even as generations change is truly wonderful. It makes me happy to feel like we can share the same values. Doraemon, Sazae-san, Crayon Shin-chan, Dragon Ball. Thank you, Lupin the Third!!
At Otemae University, which Nishinomiya can be proud of, Monkey Punch’s DNA is surely being carried on! If you’re aiming to work in anime, please check out Otemae University’s website.
