Takaya Yoshiki
Guyver

Guyver was published in Italy by Star Comics starting from 1994.

The protagonist, Shō Fukamachi, an introverted high school student, accidentally comes into possession of a sort of circular-shaped technological device. As the boy inadvertently touches a button, he activates it and is completely covered by what seems to be a kind of armor. In reality, it is an organic substance, an alien symbiote, that becomes a biological armor at his service.

Precisely because he is now in symbiosis with the armor, the boy will find himself unwillingly having to fight against a powerful criminal organization (Cronos) that aims to conquer the Earth, also using human guinea pigs transformed into monsters (an idea with a tominian flavor).

We have biotechnological armors, and a protagonist who is a reluctant hero opposing a super-powerful enemy; all the ingredients would seem to be there for a potentially intriguing story, yet it all goes bananas quite quickly. It ends up involving extraterrestrials, similar to certain talked-about elohim, and flattening initially interesting characters to insipidity.

Furthermore, the manga's development has become exasperatingly drawn out, with a snail's pace, and after forty years, no conclusion has been reached yet.

We asked the reasons for these editorial choices directly to the author whom we met at the Imperiale in Sanremo, in front of a plate of "midnight" sausages and a glass of Atomic Brewster.

Good day Mister ... excuse me, but what is the first name and what is the surname?

Un l'ho mai hapito manco io. Faccia lei, a sentimento.

How strange! How is it possible that you speak like a Livornese?

Gli è che tanto tempo fa il Giappone si chiamava Livorno, e di honseguenza si parlava tutti il livornese, in provinscia lo si parla tuttora.

Japan was called Livorno?!?

Si si. Then, by mistake, a Livornese, from the Livorno of Italy I mean, a certain Giuseppe Vespucci, nicknamed Geppone, because of his big size, arrived and got it in his head that he had discovered uncharted lands ... but it's a long story, I don't want to bore you.

Listen, can we talk about Guyver, if you agree. How did the idea for the manga come about?

For Guyver I got inspired by Ermete Viholomini

Never heard of him.

Un lo honosce? How is that possible? He's the greatest Japanese superhero! Far superior to Superman and Batman! He went around with a cockroach delagationalist mask. Always. Night and day. Never took it off, not even to go to the bathroom. So, his true identity has always remained a secret, not like those other two who in the end everyone knows who they really are.

But what did this Vicolomini do that was so special?

Well, for example, he had the power to defeat his opponents with self-esteem after poisoning them with words, or to win people over with the charm of the uniform while frequenting nudist beaches. Another of his powers was preparing a future of vegetables. But above all, he is the only living being able to rhyme with the word “fegato”.

Look, you're mistaken, it's Luludia who found the first rhyme with the word “fegato”.

Sto par de ciufoli! She stole it from Viholomini, the rascal! When they were going around like Batmanerrobin! Everyone knows! Have you ever tried asking her how she managed that feat? She always brings up the little stars, the little orchestras, the jewelry, the tralala ... you can't make heads or tails of it. Try! Try!

If the occasion arises, why not. Returning to Guyver, can you explain the reason for the very long development times?

I ran out of ideas a bit and took a little sabbatical period.

But can you tell us if the manga will ever reach a conclusion?

A few months ago, I did a search on Google: how to end a story about the battle between nasty aliens and humans with bio-armors in an original way. Just to see. The only result that came up was the site of a certain fanfulla ... gozzilla ... what the heck was the guy's name..., anyway, on the site I found a super long discussion suggesting apps to turn heartache into intestinal gas, others to make nice exclamation points without the need for blue pills, and then ads for sufficiency no.13 in tablets for protagonists of modern times, with a formula specially studied by Hosmopolitan, and to be used to consider anything a man says, and right at the bottom two suggested endings for my story. The first is an unexpected plot development: making Guyver the sequel to Handy Handy.

Handy Handy?

Handy Handy. With a C. That little blonde girl who carried a sci-fi jinx. The idea was to reveal towards the end that Al-hampfer, the meanie, is actually Handy Handy after a particularly troubled personal journey similar to that of Anakin Skywalker- I like the idea, but I still don’t know if I will use it.

And the second?

The second is the mayonnaise.

Then the alarm clock rang.