.png)
Taizan 5: Creator of Dark, Emotional Shonen Manga
Table of Contents
Introduction: Who Is Taizan 5
Taizan 5 (タイザン5, read “Taizan Five”) is a Japanese manga artist best known as the creator of Takopi’s.png)
@taizan_5
Original Sin and The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins. Under this pseudonym he has published dramatic, character-driven shōnen manga that often blend cute, watercolor-like art with very dark, psychological storytelling. His work gained international attention in 2022–2023 for tackling heavy themes (bullying, family trauma, etc.) in a shōnen magazine context. (Taizan 5’s real name and identity are not publicly known.)
Career and Biography
Taizan 5 began publishing manga in 2020. His very first one-shot, Hymn (讃歌), was submitted to Shueisha’s Jump Rookie! web platform in September 2020 and won the editor’s “Expectation Award” for that month. In October 2020 he entered a short political manga Dōjin Seiji into a Weekly Young Jump contest, earning an honorable mention in the politics category. These early successes led Taizan 5 to Shueisha’s Jump+ online magazine. In early 2021 he published two acclaimed one-shots on Shōnen Jump+ – Hero Complex (Feb 2021) and Kiss Shitai Otoko (July 2021) – which quickly became popular reads on the platform.
Just a few months later, in December 2021, Taizan 5 launched his breakout series Takopi’s Original Sin on Jump+. This 16-chapter web-manga was an immediate hit; by one account it circulated over a million copies and became the first Jump+ series ever to exceed two million views per day. Takopi’s Original Sin earned critical acclaim and in 2022 won the Manga Kingdom Tottori Award at the 51st Japan Cartoonists Association Awards. In fact, Taizan 5’s profile rose so quickly that Shueisha even created a special “Taizan 5 Manga Award” in September 2022, with Taizan serving as a judge. In November 2022 his second major series, The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins, began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Taizan 5 has noted in an interview that before his debut he “tried to watch as many movies as possible,” repeatedly viewing favorite films like Trainspotting (1996) and The Two Popes (2019) to study storytelling. (He is also active on social media under @taizan_5.) In addition to his two serials, he wrote more one-shots such as Hymn, Dōjin Seiji, Hero Complex, Kiss Shitai Otoko, and the 2024 sports-themed one-shot Hanareta Futari (all published digitally by Shueisha).
Major Works
Takopi’s Original Sin
Takopi’s Original Sin (タコピーの原罪, Takopī no Genzai) is a science-fiction/horror web-manga serialized on Jump+ from Dec 10, 2021 to Mar 25, 2022. It spans 16 chapters compiled in 2 volumes.
 |
| Shizuka From Takopi's Original Sin |
The story follows Shizuka Kuze, a 9-year-old girl who is bullied at school and suffers abuse at home, and Takopi, a small pink alien from a peaceful “Happy Planet.” Takopi crash-lands on Earth hoping to spread happiness, and befriends Shizuka by giving her happy-gadget gifts. However, Takopi soon learns the harsh realities of Shizuka’s life: her classmates (especially a girl named Marina) bully her mercilessly, and her parents are divorced. A pivotal scene reveals that Shizuka’s previous suicide deeply affects Takopi. Determined to save her, Takopi begins using a time-travel gadget to alter events, leading to tragic and shocking consequences (including the death of the bully
Marina, who is revealed to be a victim of her own abusive home). Other characters include Shizuka’s loyal dog Chappy, the family’s single mother and divorced father, and various classmates and neighbors.
In genre and style Takopi’s Original Sin mixes upbeat, cute visuals with extremely dark themes. Officially it’s tagged as dystopian sci-fi and horror, and it has been praised for blending “easy-to-appeal and wholesome-looking” watercolor art with an “in-depth” and often brutal story. Central themes are bullying, child abuse, suicide, and mental health. Fans and reviewers note that the manga deliberately lulls readers with its pastel colors and friendly alien premise, only to “hit you on the face with sorrow” when the violence and sorrow unfold. One blogger described the anime’s first episode as “harrowing” and “ruthless, unforgiving, and completely cruel” in its depiction of childhood trauma.
Reception: The manga was a breakout hit. It won the 51st Japan Manga Artists Association “Manga Kingdom Tottori Prize” in 2022, and by its conclusion Shueisha reported over 1 million copies in print. Fans have celebrated its emotional depth, with many calling it a modern masterpiece of dark drama. In December 2024 an anime adaptation was officially announced, generating excitement (see Adaptations below).
The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins
The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins (一ノ瀬家の大罪, Ichinose-ke no Taizai) is Taizan 5’s next major series. It ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from Nov 14, 2022 to Nov 6, 2023 (issues #50/2022 through #49/2023), compiled in 6 tankōbon volumes. Genre tags include “drama” and “suspense”. The story centers on the Ichinose family – father Kakeru, mother Minako, teenage son Tsubasa, younger daughter Shiori, and grandparents Kozo and Sachie – all of whom miraculously survive a car accident. In the opening chapter, they wake up in the hospital with total amnesia, remembering nothing of their past. They return home together, only to discover that each family member harbors strange secrets about their previous life. As Tsubasa and Shiori slowly recover memories, they uncover hidden relationships, lies, and betrayals among parents and siblings.
This manga is a home-drama mystery. While it begins with a common shōnen setup (family/school life), it quickly takes a psychological turn: the amnesia conceit forces the characters and reader to question who everyone really is. Themes include family bonds, forgotten trauma, guilt, and the nature of forgiveness. Notable characters besides the Ichinose family include Tsubasa’s classmates and friends (such as Naoki Azuma) who become involved in the unfolding drama.
Reception: The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins was highly anticipated as Taizan 5’s new Jump serialization. It even debuted on the cover of Weekly Shōnen Jump (taking the slot usually reserved for flagship series like One Piece), underscoring its prominence. Critics and fans have praised its clever twists and mature tone; one review called it a “new kind of dramatic story” that reinvents familiar shōnen tropes. (It was simultaneously published in English on Shueisha’s Manga Plus and Viz’s digital Jump in late 2022.) While it hasn’t received the high-profile awards of Takopi, it built a devoted following for its blend of family drama and suspense.
Other Works and One-Shots
Before and between his serials, Taizan 5 wrote several popular one-shot manga:
-
Hymn (讃歌, Jump Rookie!, Sept 2020) – his debut one-shot on Shueisha’s Rookie platform.
-
Dōjin Seiji (同人政治, Tonari no Young Jump, Oct 2020) – a politically-themed one-shot that won a Young Jump contest honorable mention.
-
Hero Complex (Feb 12, 2021, Shōnen Jump+) – a superhero-themed one-shot, exploring sibling relationships.
-
Kiss Shitai Otoko (July 17, 2021, Shōnen Jump+) – a romantic one-shot.
-
Hanareta Futari (July 26, 2024, Shōnen Jump+) – a special sports manga one-shot created for the music duo YOASOBI’s new song.
These stand-alone stories all showcase Taizan’s signature style of mixing quirky, upbeat premises with emotional depth. For example, Hero Complex depicts two brothers and explores what it truly means to be a “hero,” while Kiss Shitai Otoko deals with unrequited love in a youth setting. Each one-shot found a strong readership online; the Shōnen Jump+ site promoted them as “popular reads” upon release. (Shueisha has since collected some of these works in anthologies.) These earlier works helped build Taizan 5’s fanbase and demonstrate his range beyond the two long serials.
Manga Style and Themes
Taizan 5’s manga style is distinctive for its contrast between art and story. Visually, he often uses a soft, almost childish watercolor look and cute character designs. Narratively, however, his plots are mature, cerebral, and often harrowing. TV Tropes aptly notes that his “signature style” mixes “easy-to-appeal and wholesome-looking watercolor art” with “very dark and in-depth storytelling”. His works also tend to be genre-busting: for example, Takopi’s Original Sin combines science fiction, time-travel, horror and dystopian elements around a schoolyard drama, while The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins is a domestic family story infused with suspense and mystery.
Common themes in Taizan 5’s work are: bullying and its effects, family trauma, and mental health struggles. Both of his serials deeply explore how children cope with abuse and neglect. Takopi’s is about a bullied girl and an alien who wants to save her, spotlighting the pain of suicidal despair. Ichinose Family’s is about a family forced to confront past sins they’ve forgotten, examining guilt and forgiveness. In interviews Taizan 5 has cited watching many movies (like Trainspotting) to study storytelling, suggesting his influences come as much from cinema as from manga.
He writes in shōnen style (aimed at young teens) but pushes into psychological drama. In short, Taizan 5 creates shōnen manga with emotional weight: think childhood innocence twisted by real-world cruelty. Many readers describe his works as psychological drama/thrillers, and indeed his plots often involve mysterious twists and time loops to deepen the emotional impact. The juxtaposition of childish imagery (pink aliens, school scenes) with grim themes is a deliberate hallmark. As one fan reviewer put it, the bright art lulls you into a false sense of security before the story “unapologetically” takes a sharp, dark turn.
Adaptations (Anime/Live-Action)
As of mid-2025, anime adaptations are in the works but no live-action films or dramas have been announced. In December 2024 it was announced that Takopi’s Original Sin would receive an anime adaptation. This became a 6-episode original net animation (ONA) produced by studio Enishiya (with TBS overseeing production). The anime premiered on June 28, 2025, streaming worldwide on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Abema, and Crunchyroll. (A creditless opening theme “Happy Lucky Chappy” has been released, reflecting the series’ emotional tone.) Taizan 5’s direct involvement in the anime is not detailed in sources, but as the original creator he is credited and likely consulted. The voice cast includes popular seiyuu for the main characters (e.g. Reina Ueda as Shizuka) in promotional videos.
In contrast, The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins has no anime or live-action adaptation confirmed as of now. It did receive a short “voice comic” (vomic) adaptation of its first chapters in early 2023, where voice actors narrate the manga panels online. But no full animated series or live-action drama has been announced. (Fans have speculated about future anime potential now that the manga is complete, but no official news exists.)
Neither of Taizan 5’s works has been turned into a live-action TV series or movie. (This is not surprising, as even many blockbuster manga have no such adaptations.) If in the future a live-action version is planned, details would be posted on official Shueisha or Jump news sites – but to date none have.
Fan Community and Influence
Taizan 5’s work has inspired a passionate fan community. Numerous fan pages and wikis (for example the Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins Wiki and TV Tropes) catalog his stories in detail and discuss theories. Online forums (like Reddit’s r/manga and Twitter) often rank Takopi’s Original Sin as a favorite “dark manga” or quote its shocking scenes. Fans frequently comment on social media about how the series made them emotional or discuss hidden clues in the art. For instance, one fan reviewer described Takopi’s Original Sin as “a world of sorrow, misery, and oppression” through the eyes of children, highlighting how even the gentle color palette hides deep cruelty.
In interviews and blog posts, Taizan 5 has emphasized realism and empathy. In one Q&A he noted that growing up around “harsh realities” influenced his desire to tell stories that feel true to life, even if they’re heartbreaking. He has said he aims to give each character genuine motivations – the bully Marina, for example, is later revealed to suffer from her own traumatic home life. This focus on empathy has endeared him to readers: many fans have remarked that even characters who do terrible things are given understandable human reasons.
Taizan 5 also interacts with fans via social media. His Twitter account (@taizan_5) has hundreds of thousands of followers and he occasionally posts artwork or updates. After the anime announcement for Takopi’s Original Sin, fans rallied online with fan art of Takopi and Shizuka. The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins forum on MyAnimeList has lively discussions dissecting each chapter’s twists. In short, the fan community is active and often shares insights on Taizan’s psychological themes, eagerly analyzing every chapter and adaptation announcement.
Overall, Taizan 5 has become respected both in official manga circles and among fans for his unique blend of heartfelt drama and dark storytelling. He is frequently cited as a standout creator in recent Shōnen Jump lineups, and his works are referenced on many manga recommendation lists.
No comments:
Post a Comment