Shàngbān Zújīn Tàiláng #13

Shàngbān Zújīn Tàiláng, known internationally as Salaryman Kintaro, was created by Hiroshi Motomiya and serialized in Weekly Morning beginning in 1994. The series chronicles the life of Ryutarō Kintarō, a former bosozoku gang leader who transitions into the corporate world of construction. Issue #13 belongs to the peak period of the manga's initial run, reflecting the cultural anxieties of 1990s Japan as the nation grappled with the economic stagnation following the asset price bubble.

Motomiya’s art style is characterized by bold, kinetic linework that emphasizes the physical intensity of his protagonist, even in office settings. The series was highly successful, garnering the Kodansha Manga Award in 1996 for its unique blending of gritty street tropes with the bureaucratic structure of the salaryman archetype. The design of these volumes served as a bridge between traditional action manga and social commentary, cementing Kintaro as a symbolic figure of resilience for the Japanese working class during a decade of industrial uncertainty.