A Message from Cobra: X68K User Buichi Terasawa

The men you drew were always cool. And you were, too... In memory of Buichi Terasawa.
Everyone admired the way of life of Cobra, the space pirate who lived freely, unbound by anything. Terasawa-sensei was a pioneer who introduced computer graphics to manga, and he was also an avid game user.
This time, I would like to trace the footsteps of “It’s undoubtedly him.” with all of you.

1. The Space Pirate of 1982

The first time I met Cobra was through the TV anime. Space Cobra, which began airing in October 1982, captured the hearts of elementary school students across the country. I was also enthralled by the appearance of an adult hero that stood apart from the children's anime of the time. I was the editor-in-chief of an elementary school newspaper back then, and I remember it being ranked second in a favorite anime survey, right after Urusei Yatsura.

I later learned of the manga version's existence, but the sexy bondage-style fashion offended my mother, and it was banned from being purchased. Because of that, I spent a year reading all 18 volumes at my local barbershop. There's no end to talking about Cobra, so I'll stop here...

2. The Man Who Was Crazy About PCs & Games

Buichi-sensei was a PC and game maniac. Starting with the purchase of a PC-9801 in 1984, he also bought a PC-8801 and an X68000. He even had a wild episode where he bought the legendary PC100 machine, used it for only a week, and then threw it away. If he had been an MSX user, he would have been perfect 😁
He also owned every game console and was such a maniac that he connected 10 of them using a selector. This article was from June 1991, so the fact that he had already purchased the latest model, the Neo Geo, is proof of his status as a gamer. His favorite games were Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Fire Emblem. Perhaps he liked works that felt like historical dramas? For a more obscure choice, he mentioned the hidden masterpiece RPG 'Mugen no Shinzou' (Heart of Fantasy). It makes me laugh to imagine him working hard at mapping.
The original 'Dimension Race' story involves traveling through different worlds, and I can't help but imagine Cobra playing an active role in the world of 'Mugen no Shinzou'.

In this interview from March 1989, he lists the X68K as his favorite computer. He apparently enjoyed playing games at his workplace. I would have loved to see the Cobra CG he made on this X68K.
When people think of Buichi-sensei, they generally have an image of him creating CG on a Macintosh, but that was much later; until then, he loved using domestic Japanese computers. I was moved to learn that he was a PC gamer just like us. There couldn't be a cooler X68000 user than him!
“There is! Right here.”

3. The Legend of Cobra: Legend of the Black Dragon King, March 1989

The CD-ROM2, the biggest feature of the PC Engine, was released in December 1988, but at first, almost no one paid any attention to it. Unfortunately, it was because no games were released that took advantage of the CD-ROM2's characteristics. My friend, the PC Engine owner, ended up endlessly playing 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' with Noriko Ogawa in 'No-Ri-Ko' 🤣 By the way, it was the world's first CD-ROM game software.

It was then that 'Cobra: Legend of the Black Dragon King' appeared like a savior. The pixel art and animation processing that incorporated the original work could be called a revolution in gaming. When I saw the demo in Akihabara, I was astonished by the visuals and the full voice acting by Yasuo Yamada.

4. The Legendary Cobra II: The Legendary Man, 1991

While Buichi-sensei was unable to spend much time on the game production for the previous title, he was fully prepared to serve as the general director for the next one. He achieved the monumental feat of not only writing the story and script but also drawing 500 storyboards and 3,000 original illustrations.Whoo!
Isn't this a Guinness World Record for an original author adapting their own manga into a game? Sensei was not only a pioneer of digital drawing, but he also breathed life into CD-ROM games.

Given these circumstances, many interviews with Buichi-sensei were published in game magazines for Cobra II. In all of them, you can see the sensei's extraordinary determination.

"This time, I made it with the exact same mindset as drawing manga. (Omitted) For me, it's the same as the 11th volume (a deluxe version) of the manga. It just so happens that this 11th volume is a CD-ROM."

That is how he described it. I have collected as much material from that time as possible, so I want you all to feel the passionate dedication that sensei poured into this game.

One piece of material I really wanted to preserve this time is the interview article between Buichi-sensei and Oji Hiroi of the Tengai Makyo series. It is a compelling read where they discuss everything from the possibilities of the CD-ROM, which was the latest technology at the time, to their outlook on the future of games.

While Legend of the Black Dragon was a sufficient masterpiece as one of the very first software titles for the CD-ROM2, I think you will understand by watching the footage that Cobra II is of a far higher level of perfection.

A look at the Cobra II production announcement event. Buichi-sensei looks very pleased, surrounded by Cobra Girls. With voice actor Yasuo Yamada also appearing, it must have been a luxurious atmosphere. Buichi-sensei was a man who was not only a creator of works but also a 'picture-perfect' figure himself.

5. Buichi-sensei Speaks at Length

An interview article from August 1989. The sensei talks about Dragon Quest. His sharp insights suggest that he is a true gamer. He also states, 'Games have the potential to express various things, just like literature or art. We must challenge ourselves with new attempts.' Perhaps this sentiment was the driving force behind the production of 'Cobra II: The Legendary Man'.
By the way, is the sexy foreign woman with the exposed buttocks displayed behind the sensei the model for Jane?

January 1994, an interview article from the year the PlayStation and Sega Saturn were released. At the beginning, he mentions CG production using the PC-9801 for 'Black Knight Bat' in 1985! Since it was still an early model PC-98, it only had 8 colors! It is truly a work of art. Apparently, he ended up submitting it by taking a photograph of the display.

https://x.com/BuichiGuild/status/1708518157944860897

In the 80s and 90s, computer CG was evolving at a tremendous pace. As a pioneer, he speaks passionately about the possibilities and challenges in various fields such as anime, e-books, and games. His complaints about CD-ROM games of that period and his words, 'Electronic publishing is something that must be done when considering the future of publishing,' feel heavy.

6. Cobra Electronic Games

Finally, as a bonus, here are some memorable electronic games from Cobra, two of which were released by Poppy. I have played both, and they are quite interesting. The maze-type one, in particular, has an extremely high difficulty level.
They were released during the anime broadcast period in '82, and the commercial where Nachi Nozawa lets out his signature Cobra-style lines was impressive.
'This one is a bit tough'
It was uploaded to YouTube, so please take a look.

⑦ What Buichi-sensei wanted to convey

In September 2023, Buichi-sensei departed for a distant, different dimension. Reading through many interview articles again, what I felt was that he did not distinguish between genres like manga, anime, and games, but rather viewed them as one of the ways to express his work. Perhaps that is where the origin of the teacher who loved games and computers so dearly lies.
Actually, it was only after he passed away that I learned he had suffered paralysis on his left side due to a brain tumor in 1998. The way he never showed that pain and charged forward alone toward the dreams he envisioned overlaps with the Space Pirate Cobra. Sensei, you are too cool! 🥹
I would like to once again pray for the repose of Buichi-sensei's soul.