Beyond Madness and Despair - Kazuo Umezu's February 1975

Beyond Madness and Despair - Kazuo Umezu's February 1975

Kazuo Umezu was active in the Japanese manga world in the 1970s in a variety of genres such as horror, science fiction, and gag. Especially, his masterpiece "Drifting Classroom" (serialized from 1972 to 1974) had just made a strong impact on readers in 1975. During this period, Umezu was already widely recognized as a leading figure in horror manga, and his unique style had been established.

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### 1975 Historical Background and Kazuo Umezu's Influence
In the mid-1970s, Japan was going through a period of high economic growth after the war, and social unrest was increasing due to pollution problems and the oil shock (1973). Also, before the end of the Vietnam War (April 1975), the values of the entire society were changing with the end of the student movement in Japan. It is thought that the atmosphere of these times also influenced Kazuo Umezu's works.

For example, in "Drifting Classroom," elementary school students who are suddenly transported to the devastated world of the future are depicted fighting with their friends and trying to adapt to the hopeless environment in order to survive. This can be interpreted as an allegorical work reflecting the environmental problems and social unrest of the time. Also, in 1975, the occult boom was continuing, and interest in supernatural phenomena and spiritual things was growing. Umezu's works also gained support in this trend and established a new trend in horror manga.

--- Umezu's works were supported by these trends and established a new trend in horror manga.

### Kazuo Umezu's style and his works in 1975
Umezu's horror manga were not only "scary", but also had a depth that questioned the readers with social issues. For example, themes reflecting the social situation of the time can be seen in "Drifting Classroom", such as the helplessness of adults and the irony of a controlled society. On the other hand, his gag works also gained popularity, and in the late 1970s, "Makoto-chan" (started in 1976) became an explosive hit.

In 1975, Umezu was in a transitional period where he was mainly serializing horror works, but was gradually moving into gag manga as well. In his later masterpiece "Makoto-chan", Umezu's unique "gwashi" pose became so popular that it became a social phenomenon, and the exaggerated expressions and surrealistic direction that he cultivated in his horror manga were utilized in its basis.

--- "Gwashi-chan" has become so popular that it became a social phenomenon.

### Umezu Kazuo's position in 1975
At this time, Umezu had already established himself as a major manga artist, but 1975 can be said to be the "transition period from horror to gag" in his career. It was a time when he was taking the next step forward while establishing his reputation as a master of horror manga. It could be said that his works were not merely entertainment, but also served as a mirror reflecting the social issues and changing values of the 1970s.

It is unclear which of Kazuo Umezu's works were mentioned in this file, but given the historical background, it is highly likely that the social impact of "Drifting Classroom" and his popularity as a horror writer were being discussed. The year 1975 was also an important transitional period as he moved on to his next masterpiece, Makoto-chan.