今日のボヤキ3/10
今日のボヤキは皆さんが小さい頃に1度は読んだことがるであろう「かいけつゾロリ」についてです。
今年で35周年を迎え、私も小さい頃によく読んだなぁ...
いたずらやちょっとした悪いことが大好きな時期にぴったりの本で、読書が苦手でもなぜか読めてしまうなんてこともあったのではないでしょうか？
https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/21754752/
ゾロリは、もともとみづしま志穂先生作の「ほうれんそうマン」シリーズに登場する悪役でした。そのシリーズがしばらく休刊することになり、ゾロリを主人公とした「かいけつゾロリ」シリーズを私が作・絵ともに担当して書き始めることになったのです。『かいけつゾロリ』シリーズは、ゾロリがいたずらの王者を目指して修行の旅に出る設定にしました。
ゾロリのお供にイシシとノシシを加え、旅をしながら各地で悪いことをしようとしては失敗する水戸黄門の悪バージョンのような物語を書こうと考えました。
原先生のなかで特に思い入れのあるシーンはありますか？
『かいけつゾロリのてんごくとじごく』（2002年）で、ゾロリが小さい頃に亡くなったゾロリママと天国で再会するシーンです。
天国でママに再会したゾロリが“自分はずっとここにいる”と言い張るのですが、ママは彼にビンタをして
「だめ!! じぶんのうんめいはじぶんできりひらくのよ。ママはいまのゾロリちゃんといっしょにくらしてもうれしくないの。しっかりいきてから、ここにいらっしゃい。ママはいつまでもまっているから」
と追い返してしまいます。
このシーンは親世代へ、過保護にならずに子どもたちの力を信じて見守ってあげてほしいというメッセージを込めたつもりだったのですが、大人になった読者が、“読んだ時にすごく泣けた”“あの話は衝撃的だった”という当時の感想を寄せてくれるようになったんですよね。私の思いが子どもたちにも通じていたのだとわかり、すごく嬉しかったです。
私も小学校低学年から中学年にかけてよく読んでいたのを覚えています。
悪事をはたらいてもなかなかうまくいかず、悪いことをしているのに誰かを助けてしまったり、それに加え毎回の決死の大冒険はハラハラドキドキで楽しみ読んでいたように思います。
そんなかいけつゾロリでも、時に胸に刺さるシーンが出てきます。
この記事で作者が選んでいるシーンは私も鮮明に覚えています。
天国に先に行ってしまった母親と一緒に暮らしたいとゾロリに対して、母親も本当は一緒にいたい気持ちを我慢して子供を突き放すシーンは小さいながらにも感動したのを覚えています。
話の内容はいつも面白いものばかりですが、その途中で作者の熱いメッセージが子供にも感じられ、またその親に向けても刺さるものがあります。
今読み返すと、昔とは違った視点の何かを感じることができるのではないでしょうか。
English edition
Today's Blabbermouth
Today's blabbermouth is about "Kaiketsu Zorori," which I'm sure you must have read at least once when you were a child.
This year marks its 35th anniversary, and I used to read it a lot when I was little...
It was the perfect book for those days when you loved pranks and little bad things, and even if you were not good at reading, somehow you could still read it.
https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/21754752/
Zorori was originally a villain in the "Horenso Man" series by Shiho Mizushima. When that series was discontinued for a while, I began writing the "Kaiketsu Zorori" series with Zorori as the main character, with myself in charge of both writing and drawing. In the "Kaiketsu Zorori" series, Zorori sets out on a journey of training to become the king of mischief.
I added a boar and a boar as Zorori's companions, and I thought of writing a story like an evil version of Mito Komon, in which Zorori tries and fails to do bad things in various places during his travels.
Is there a scene that you are particularly attached to?
In "Kaiketsu Zorori no Tengoku to Jigoku" (2002), there is a scene in which Zorori is reunited in heaven with his mother, who died when Zorori was very young.
When Zorori reunites with his mother in heaven, he insists that he will always be here, but his mother slaps him and says, "I'm not going to leave you, I'm not going to leave you, I'm not going to leave you.
No! You must open your own destiny. I'm not going to be unhappy with you and Zorori now. Come back here when you're strong enough. Mommy will always be waiting for you.
The child is turned away.
This scene was intended as a message to parents to trust and watch over their children's abilities without being overprotective. I was very happy to hear that. It made me very happy to know that my thoughts and feelings had reached the children.
I also remember that I used to read the book a lot in the early and middle grades of elementary school.
I remember that even if I did something wrong, it didn't go very well, or I helped someone even though I was doing something wrong, and I enjoyed reading about the thrilling, deadly adventures that took place in each book.
Even in such a Zorori story, there are sometimes scenes that stick in your mind.
I vividly remember the scene that the author has chosen in this article.
I remember the scene in which Zorori wants to live with his mother, who has gone to heaven before him, but his mother, who also really wants to be with him, holds back and shuns the child, which touched me even though I was small.
The stories are always interesting, but along the way, the author's passionate message is felt by the child and also sticks with the child's parents.
Reading it again now, I am sure you will feel something of a different perspective than you did in the past.
