Matsuoka Masahiro reveals the manga he kept in his car into his 40s: Tsurumoku Dokushin Ryō

Matsuoka Masahiro, former TOKIO member, has revealed which manga has influenced his way of understanding love stories the most. During his appearance on NACK5's radio program Matsuoka Masahiro no Irodori Saitama Sentan, the 49-year-old actor talked about Tsurumoku Dokushin Ryō, a work he kept in his car until he was past 40.

It all came up while he was recalling a chat with friends about favorite manga. While the others cited classics like Fist of the North Star, Hana no Keiji, or Dragon Ball, this title by Kubonouchi Eisaku came to his mind. And not as a simple memory: Matsuoka championed it as the love story that has affected him the most.

The series follows Shōta, a young man newly hired at the Tsurumoku furniture factory, and his daily life in the dormitory for single employees. Among coworkers, parties, and entanglements, a romantic comedy takes shape with plenty of generational portrait.

"It beats Tokyo Love Story"

Matsuoka didn't hold back when comparing it to two benchmarks of Japanese fiction: Nanajūnin no Aki Monogatari and, above all, Tokyo Love Story. As he explained, neither of them has left as deep a mark on him as Tsurumoku Dokushin Ryō. "There aren't that many love stories in my life," he admitted before making that claim.

For him, the art is "abnormally beautiful" and the mix of romance and gags works perfectly. But there's something more: the awkwardness of relationships without cell phones or instant messaging. "Today you could send a LINE message or an email and confirm what the other person feels, but back then you couldn't. That discomfort brings out the best and the worst in human connections," he reflected.

A bedside manga since adolescence

The actor discovered the work in middle school and admits it served as life learning. "I didn't know anything about anything, and that was my biggest love story, the thing I admired most," he recalled. It seemed like an ideal world to him, so much so that he kept the volumes in his car until he was around 40.

That said, he doesn't think today's young readers can connect with the series in the same way. He argued it with an idea that also applies to music and film: the first impression you receive in adolescence is hard to surpass as an adult. He gave as an example the shiver he felt the first time he saw Castle in the Sky or Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, and said he's still chasing that feeling.

Although the work is available digitally, Matsuoka is clear: "I want to read it on paper." A full-blown declaration of love for a manga that, for him, remains sacred territory.

Did you know Tsurumoku Dokushin Ryō? Do you have a manga you've treasured since adolescence? Tell us in the comments.