“At the crossroad in my life, I didn't know which way to go. I just mindlessly choose a random direction... then, after regretting my decision I tried to retrace my steps. However, without even realizing it the sun had already set.”
-Kurosawa
Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa, or Legend of the Strongest Man Kurosawa (not to be mistaken for Onanie Master Kurosawa) is a masterful tragic comedy manga written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, the original creator of well-known works such as Kaiji, Ten, and Akagi, which tells the magnificent tale of a middle age man going
...
through a midlife crisis, named Kurosawa.
When it came to life Kurosawa was dealt a bad hand, he was born with appalling looks, an enormous chin as well as an unsightly, crooked nose. Throughout his life Kurosawa made one bad decision after another, leading him to become an emotionally unstable, lonely, and unpopular middle aged construction worker with no friends or family. Kurosawa's legend begins when none of his coworkers remember that it is his 44th birthday. Kurosawa drowns his sorrows in booze and curses his fate until he has an epiphany. After 44 years of cheering for others Kurosawa wants to be able to applaud his own achievements, make friends, and find love.
After Kurosawa and his conflict are introduced the manga places its focus on Kurosawa attempting to become popular at his work place and collecting the remnants of his youth by pursuing various ambitions. Unfortunately, due to Kurosawa's socially awkward nature he makes very little progress to achieving his goals and his many attempts at recognition end in him only becoming loathed and rejected by his peers. Eventually through his antics Kurosawa begins to make some progress and gains respect from others, however in order to truly achieve his goals he must overcome his most tragic flaw, his age. Kurosawa's tragic flaw is what separates him and his story from that of others, in manga such as Welcome to the NHK, and Watamote the characters face similar problems to Kurosawa in the sense that they too are in some way socially awkward and are at times rejected by their peers, but unlike Kurosawa these characters have their whole life ahead of them, while Kurosawa is at the end of his rope.
In order to reach his goals Kurosawa must fight social norms and stand up against oppression from those who resent him, with nothing but his bare hands and strong will. Through his journey Kurosawa evolves from a depressed social misfit into something much more, an admirable man willing to face his problems head on with an assertive and fearless attitude. Due to his eventual fearlessness the manga draws a parallel between Kurosawa and samurai, when push comes to shove both are willing to fight to the death for what they believe. Kurosawa's gradual progression as a person is enduring to say the least and invokes very strong emotions from the reader, giving them a reason to root for Kurosawa in spite of his flaws as a person.
Speaking of flaws, Kurosawa is a very flawed human being, he constantly gets drunk, gets into fits of rage, has lustful fantasies, and gets into fights. These short comings only add a layer of complexity to Kurosawa's character, making him vulnerable despite his muscular body. Kurosawa drinks to run away from his problems, he gets into fits of rage because he can't properly communicate with others, he has lustful fantasies because he is a 44 year old man who has not been in a romantic relationship, and he gets into fights with punks because they pick on the weak, something that Kurosawa can't stand.
Through it's masterful storytelling Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa manages to blend elements of comedy and tragedy effortlessly as the manga constantly throws around jokes that revolve around Kurosawa's condition as well as his attempts at popularity, normally adding humor to a work like this would not bear fruitful results and disengage the reader, but in the case of Kurosawa the comedy not only fails to take anything away from the emotional aspects of the story, but also offers a large dose of wit and personality to the work as a whole.
As I previously mentioned Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa was written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, and from a visual standpoint he did a fantastic job, Nobuyuki Fukumoto has a very distinct art style and if you have read or watched any of his other works you should be very familiar with what I'm referring to. Fukumoto's characters are typically very unattractive with distinct features such as large noses and long faces. This art style strongly resonates with Kurosawa's story more so than any of Fukumoto's other works as Kurosawa as a character embodies Fukumoto's visual style. Just like in his other works Fukumoto does at times break away from this style when either presenting a visual metaphor or making a joke, these scenes in which the art style changes a bit are a breath of fresh air and at times even add to the comical elements.
Nobuyuki Fukumoto is also well known for his ability to evoke heavy emotions through his character monologues, In Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa Fukumoto delivers some of his most powerful speeches, filling panel after panel with the raw and passionate feeling of Kurosawa. These monologues are one of the strongest points of this manga and bring Kurosawa's struggle down to a personal level, it’s very clear to the reader that Fukumoto could strongly relate to Kurosawa and perhaps went through some of the experiences he did.
Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa is one of the most powerful and inspirational manga I have ever read and is my favorite work of fiction, so there is a level of bias behind some of my words, but in spite of that I feel as though Kurosawa is masterful in almost every way and deserves more praise than it gets.
UPDATED: 4/26/2015 after first reread
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Legend of the Strongest Man Kurosawa, The Legend of a Strongest Man Japanese: 最強伝説黒沢 More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 11
Chapters: 90
Status: Finished
Published: Jan 2003 to Sep 2006
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Big Comic Original Authors:
Fukumoto, Nobuyuki (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #3002 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #697
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Jan 4, 2014
“At the crossroad in my life, I didn't know which way to go. I just mindlessly choose a random direction... then, after regretting my decision I tried to retrace my steps. However, without even realizing it the sun had already set.”
-Kurosawa Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa, or Legend of the Strongest Man Kurosawa (not to be mistaken for Onanie Master Kurosawa) is a masterful tragic comedy manga written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, the original creator of well-known works such as Kaiji, Ten, and Akagi, which tells the magnificent tale of a middle age man going ... 
Feb 28, 2014
Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa is an outstanding manga by Nokuyuki Fukumoto of Kaiji and Akagi fame, telling a story about a man named Kurosawa and his quest to find his place in the world. Throughout its 70 something chapters it gives some of the most touching and bizarre moments, all revolving around the titular strongest man. I begin the review by saying that this Legend of the Strongest Man is one of the best manga I've ever read.
Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa, or as its known in English as The Legend of the Strongest Man Kurosawa, tells the story of Mr. Kurosawa, a 44 year old single, overweight ... 
Oct 27, 2010
Preface (Please don’t read)
And now it’s time for another amazing (half ass) review from the world renowned and now famous (in his head) Daimyo. In our last segment we reviewed blank. Indeed blank and blank’s characters will always hold a pace in my heart. This time around we’ll be reviewing a personal favorite of mine Fukumoto Nobuyuki’s Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa (Legend of the strongest Man, Kurosawa). And now I know they’ll be those among you who will ask what’s the occasion? Why is the elusive and super rare Pokémon Daimyo making such an appearance? A review even!? Well I can calmly say that it ... 
Jul 19, 2011
If I only have my first sentence to grab your attention then read this. This is probably the most real, hilarious, sad, scary, disgusting and exciting manga I have read in about 3 years.
Do not let the art scare you away if it isn't your style. I wont necessarily call this a review. I don't want to summarize it because I couldn't do the story justice. But I will say that this story takes an unlikely character and turns them into a hero. An awkward, dirty, old, fat, ugly hero in need of anger management and alcoholics anonymous. Please read this entire (11 volume) series. ... 
Mar 31, 2023 Recommended Well-written 
Once, in 1865, while filing the popular "Proust Questionare", Laura Marx asked her father "what's your idea of happiness?", to which the man, today known as the father of modern socialism, responded that happiness is "to fight".
I kept thinking about this anecdote through the evening, after having re-read the last chapters of Kurosawa these last few days. The reason being that, if the question was asked to Kurosawa, I belive he'd respond with the same answer. To fight admirably. To fight admirably against your opressor, against the cruelty of this world. To have empathy, to realize your self imposed weakness and to surpass them, not through ... 
Dec 15, 2014
Fukumoto Nobuyuki’s work has a strange appeal. It is so bizarre, yet buried within the self-deprecating eccentricity is a boundless love and understanding for humanity in all its ugliest forms. He gets people. His writing is wild and somewhat unrefined, but his capacity for creating relatable, engaging characters is impressive, to say the least. And so it is with Legend of the Strongest Man Kurosawa, where in spite of a few pitfalls, great characterization blends with powerful, sweeping statements about society and life to create an unorthodox, volatile, yet ultimately touching story.
Kurosawa is a construction worker and alcoholic in his 40s, living alone in his ... 
May 19, 2023 Not Recommended Funny 
STORY: 4
Kurokawa is an average worker who feels he has not accomplished anything in his life. He is grumpy, awkward, envious and shy. His story is a succession of painful moments as he fails at being respected, attracting women or making friends. And the rest is frustration as he keeps comparing himself to others or his idea a what a great man is. That is, until the moment he gets to use violence! The whole story supports the character's new-found use of violence to 'take your fate into your own hands' and celebrates his 'putting your life on the line' to the point of kitsch. The story ... 
Feb 12, 2017
TL;DR A wonderfully well made tragicomic manga that has an exquisitely unique art style that may not be enjoyed by many, an extraordinarily realistic and funny main character and touching themes. I thoroughly suggest reading this to everyone who wants to enjoy a silly yet meaningful manga.
First review I'm making bla bla bla, don't be too harsh with me 'n' all. So, Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa, a manga written by Nokuyuki Fukumoto, what do I think about it? This masterpiece truthfully hit me really hard, I've read a lot of manga (perhaps by this website's standards I might have not read a lot of it, but eh) ... 
Mar 1, 2015
Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa is an offbeat seinen comedy about a 44 year old construction worker with no family, no friends, no girlfriend, and basically no prospects. It touches on a lot of themes that will be familiar to many people, and brings a maturity and thematic depth to a classic shonen formula.
Story: 6/10 The story itself is fairly straightforward and inspiring, following Kurosawa as he seeks to become more accomplished in the eyes of others. The storytelling is funny and smart, and the story has some thematic depth as well. The main issue comes from the fact that, like many shonen manga, it follows a general ... 
Jan 31, 2021
This is a masterpiece from its concept, deepening, characters, the simple way in which the author shows reality is moving and terrifying at certain times, we realize very early that this is not a shounen where the protagonist will leave a situation with a simple feeling of anger or love. Here the character's life is like that of our parents. It is how our life will be or it already is, it is cold and hard, but we always find our way to solve our problems ... sometimes not. All that Kurosawa sought at the beginning of the work were common desires, such as women,
...
Sep 10, 2021
"Always fear regret more than failure."
// Story /// Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa is a story of a man which his life has been in vain. He has not achieved what many people already have (looks like he has been sleep for his whole life!) and it's time to C H A N G E. Very admiring story of a man which tries his hardest to climb the path of success trough hardship of life and all its circumstances to come within it to become a better version of himself and someone that other be proud of. Through this path, Kurosawa has to deal with really tense situations and ... 
Aug 4, 2021
"Am I as admirable as this ant?"
I hope to someday look back at my life and say "yes". One of few works of fiction to make me genuinely laugh and cry in the span of several chapters. It hits hard because of how real it is- fictional battles of heroes with superpowers can't come close to Kurosawa's struggles because people like him really exist in our world. Furthermore, I was reading the manga when I was working part-time in construction, feeling the same as Kuro did at the begininng of the manga- it amplified the feels even more. The ending is wonderfull, you will not be ... 
Feb 8, 2019
Strongest Legend Kurosawa is a manga about a 44 year old man, which already strikes it apart from most manga/anime - it's almost muscle memory at this point for me to write high schooler/young man. In any case, it's about our titular character, who's a 44 year old labourer, barely getting by. His large build leads others to mistake him for a brute, and so he has no friends at work, nor a girlfriend or wife. One day, he brings it upon himself to be the changed man he always wished he were, and so begins his endeavour to attempt to become an accomplished and
...
Nov 9, 2015
*Note* This is less of a conventional review, and more of a analysis/my overall thoughts on this piece.
Do you ever wonder what your purpose is in life? If you don't have anyone in your life to care for or vice-versa, is living even worth it? As for a quick synopsis, Legend of the Strongest Man, Kurosawa written by (Nobuyuki Fukumoto) features our titular character experiencing a hard-hitting mid-life crisis. Kurosawa has been living an ordinary blue collar lifestyle for the latter half of his life. As a man who's just turned 44, Kurosawa has decided he's had enough of being unpopular among his co-workers and will ... 
Dec 24, 2021
I just finished marathon reading Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa and I must proclaim this manga has reached GOAT level status for me. It's the story of a middle-aged construction worker with no friends or family, who one day decides to become a better person. Despite encountering a setback or failure in almost every chapter, Kurosawa grows to become a confident, compassionate, optimistic man who earns the respect of his peers and the adoration of strangers.
This is the kind of story that makes you want to fix your shitty sleeping schedule, go to the gym regularly, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Life rarely ... 
Feb 28, 2018
Man I wish I had gotten around to this manga sooner. SMK has been around for a while now and when something becomes a hit even in niche circles I feel like it takes away some mystery from the work cause you go in knowing what's it about and why people loved it but Kurosawa has so much to offer that I sure hope more people give it a try.
Starting point of the manga is the lowest point for its protagonist. Kurosawa is old, poor, unattractive, doesn't have any family or friends and he loses the last shreds of hope he had for having a ... 
Jan 4, 2022
When I first started this manga I felt so weird and i didn't know which direction it was going to go to but after I finished reading it I was so happy about how the story had gone. After reading this a person who has no hopes will feel much more inspired. This manga will teach you a lesson about life and it's absolutely worth it! It had from very funny moments to very depressing moments too but the author gave his message out to people about life! The artwork wasn't the best but it still wasn't too bad in my opinion. If you want
...
Jan 12, 2022
Another fantastic manga by Fukumoto, Nobuyuki. Over the course of reading Fukumoto's manga he has definitely impressed me time and time again with his top tier story writing. Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa is no exception because it is a dark and twisted comedy with amazing story telling and real world insights. Reading SDK was fun and interesting, it stands out amongst his works. Kurosawa is a relatable man and a tough SOB. I love the way he illustrates and pens Kurosawa's depression and anxieties. Kurosawa's views and problems are realistic and pretty relatable. SDK is a tough read, the story is rough and downright screwed up.
...
Dec 11, 2022
An unparalleled masterpiece in slice of life brutality.
A story about a man trying to be popular, getting respect, maybe get a family; all simple goals that never cross people's minds until it's far too late. The future is scary, being an adult is scary in many prospects; not achieving anything noteworthy, not having a family or loved ones to care about you, money always being an issue. The brutality seeps through every page of this lonely man's life, how he manages to deal with it with constant monologues about diverse elements of his life. Kurosawa is the good ending to all those characters that start ... 
Aug 13, 2022
These damn Kurosawas get my heart each time. I've read upto vol 5 but it's just too good.
There are more than 7 billion people that live eat breath have dreams sleep die love hate cry and cheer (cba w the grammar). It's like a rat race of fear and desire. Tho being trapped in a prison like that is extremely painful being at the lowest. Our 44 year old bitchless MC starts to understand how his years have been wasted, he lacks social skills (maybe why this manga hits home), he works in a dead end job which he is unable to climb. Its as depressing ... |
