Photo: Georges Seguin (Okki) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Honestly, Go Nagai is one of those creators I think basically rewired what manga and anime could even be. The guy gave us Mazinger Z, the wild idea of a giant robot you actually climb inside and pilot, and that single concept spawned an entire genre. Then there's Devilman, which goes way darker and more tragic than anything aimed at kids has any business being, and Cutie Honey practically inventing the transforming heroine. He started out as a provocateur with Harenchi Gakuen, ruffling every respectable feather in the country, and never lost that fearless streak. What gets me is the sheer fearlessness, the willingness to draw human ugliness and sorrow head-on without flinching. A bottomless imagination that's still drawing, and I just have endless respect for it.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Overview
Go Nagai is a Japanese manga artist and screenwriter born on September 6, 1945, in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. He is the creator of landmark manga series including Harenchi Gakuen, Devilman, Mazinger Z, Dororon Enma-kun, and Cutey Honey, works that fundamentally shaped the landscape of Japanese manga and anime. Mazinger Z is widely credited as the origin of the piloted giant-robot genre, while Cutey Honey established the template for the transforming heroine. He received the Kodansha Manga Award in 1980.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Go Nagai
- Name (Japanese)
- 永井豪
- Reading
- ながい ごう
- Born
- September 6, 1945 (age 80)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rooster
- Origin
- Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
- Active years
- 1967 -
- Occupation
- Manga artist / Animator / Screenwriter / Film actor / Film screenwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Tokyo Metropolitan Itabashi High School
Awards & achievements
- 1980 — Kodansha Manga Award
3. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 207 (1981–2020)
- By year
- 1981: 1, 1989: 2, 1992: 1, 1993: 1, 2001: 1, 2004: 3, 2008: 1, 2018: 1, 2020: 1
- Debut work
- の・ようなもの
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Major work | Harenchi Gakuen |
| Major work | Abashiri Ikka |
| Major work | Devilman |
| Major work | Mazinger Z |
| Major work | Dororon Enma-kun |
| Major work | Cutey Honey |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B8%E4%BA%95%E8%B1%AA
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q551359
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-08-26
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Go Nagai born?
Born September 6, 1945 (age 80).
Where is Go Nagai from?
Go Nagai is from Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
What does Go Nagai do?
Go Nagai works as Manga artist, Animator, Screenwriter, Film actor, Film screenwriter.
How long has Go Nagai been active?
1967 -.
What is Go Nagai known for?
Notable works include Harenchi Gakuen, Abashiri Ikka, Devilman.
Manga artist — see all → · Animator — see all → · More people from Japan →