Cast & creator
Kazuo Umezu
Best known for Gaki no Tsukai No Laughing Batsu Game, 吉祥寺だけが住みたい街ですか？, Long Love Letter
Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo, birth name 楳図一雄; born September 3, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He is also a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.
Also known as: 楳図 かずお, Kazuo Umezz
46
film credits
6
television credits
18
1965–2023 · acting roles
6.1
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (52)
Showing 52 of 52 credits
Gaki no Tsukai No Laughing Batsu Game
Guest
2003
吉祥寺だけが住みたい街ですか？
Kazuo Umezu
2016
Long Love Letter
Novel
2002
Cat-Eyed Boy
Writer
1976Cat-Eyed Boy
Comic Book
1976Cat-Eyed Boy
Creator
1976
Why Horror?
Self
2014
The Drifting Classroom
Policeman C (special guest)
1987The Drifting Classroom
Novel
1987The Drifting Classroom
Comic Book
1987
Makoto-chan
1980Makoto-chan
Creator
1980Makoto-chan
Comic Book
1980Makoto-chan
Theme Song Performance
1980
Yaji & Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims
Old Man
2005
Tamami: The Baby's Curse
Comic Book
2008
Drifting School
Author
1995
Tokyo Zombie
Akiyama / Prince
2005
Mother
Director
2014Mother
Screenplay
2014
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Death Make
Original Story
2005
Kaidan. Strange Stories of Japanese Ghosts
Himself
2023
The Curse of Kazuo Umezu
Original Story
1990
Gu Gu, the Cat
Umezu
2008
Tales of the Bizarre 25th Anniversary Spring Special: Popular Manga Artist Competition
Comic Book
2015
The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch
Taxi Driver
1968The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch
Original Story
1968
God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand
2006God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand
Novel
2006
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: House of Bugs
Original Story
2005
Monster Heaven: Ghost Hero
1990
Cat-Eyed Boy
Comic Book
2006
Evil Heart
Writer
1985
Hoodlum Soldier
1965
Gozamareji
2003
Monday Drama Land: Akuma-kun
1986Kazuo Umezu's Terror Zone: Horror!
1993Kazuo Umezu's Terror Zone: Horror!
Comic Book
1993
Monster Heaven
1986
Orochi - Blood
Comic Book
2008Orochi - Blood
Story
2008
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Snake Girl
Original Story
2005
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Diet
Original Story
2005
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: The Wish
Original Story
2005
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Present
Writer
2005Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Present
Original Story
2005
My Name is Shingo
Original Story
2016
A Remodeled Beauty
Original Story
1975
Baptism of Blood
Original Story
1996Gal 10 Island
Himself
1983Gal 10 Island
Director
1983Gal 10 Island
Writer
1983