Tomio Umezawa -- Kodoku no Uta（孤独の唄）/Kokoro no Uta（ココロの唄）

 

from TV Tropes

A sad day for manga artists and fans as the news has come out about the passing of veteran Fujiko A. Fujio（藤子不二雄Ⓐ）at the age of 88 today.

Fujiko A. Fujio was born Motoo Abiko（安孫子素雄）in Toyama Prefecture and along with fellow manga artist, Fujiko F. Fujio（藤子・F・不二雄）, they were the duo known as Fujiko Fujio (藤子不二雄) collaborating on projects such as the very popular "Obake no Q-Taro" （オバケのＱ太郎）but the two also worked on separate solo works.

Fujiko A. Fujio didn't just do the cute stuff either. He also came up with the comically dark "Warau Salesman"（笑ゥせぇるすまん...The Laughing Salesman） which began as a one-shot in 1968 known as "Kuroi Salesman"（黒イせぇるすまん...The Black Salesman） that spooked his editor. But he was able to get it published between 1969 and 1971 in a weekly manga magazine.

I actually first saw the first anime adaptation of "Warau Salesman" when it was a regular segment of a TBS nighttime variety show, "Gimme A Break"（ギミア・ぶれいく）in 1989. From the episodes that I saw, it was all about Fukuzo Moguro（喪黒福造）, a stout, ever-grinning and waddling fellow in black suit and hat who granted wishes to those who needed help. But before one can say "Be careful what you wish for", the requester/victim invariably gets greedy and ends up in even worse shape. As one commenter has said, there is a certain Rod Serling touch to this relatively modern take on Aesop's fables, but I also think that considering the slightly sadistic punishment that is doled out at the end, Moguro might even be another variant of Loki in the Marvel Multiverse. In the original 1989 anime, he was played by the late seiyuu and actor Tohru Ohira（大平透）.

Apparently in the first run of the anime between 1989 and 1992 (a more recent anime came out in 2017), there was no theme song although there was that squawking oboe music that introduced Mr. Moguro each episode. However, for the specials and any reruns, "Warau Salesman" did get its opening and ending themes in one single released in March 1993. The opening theme was "Kodoku no Uta" (Song of Isolation) was performed by actor and enka singer Tomio Umezawa（梅沢富美男）, who I had known only for his big 1982 hit of "Yume Shibai"（夢芝居）.

Written by Fujiko A. Fujio and composed by Kaoru Ito（伊藤薫）, this was Umezawa's 15th single and it's done as this grand karaoke-friendly kayo which starts out as waddling as the main character himself, before the singer continues along a slightly spooky melody, finally transitioning to a full-blown orchestral enka/Mood Kayo refrain, perhaps a tad tongue-in-cheek. Fujiko's lyrics seem to describe each of the self-pitying sad sacks that Moguro encounters and "cures".

Lyricist, composer and singer all get together again for the coupling song and ending theme "Kokoro no Uta" (Song of the Heart) which goes back into the Great Japanese Songbook of the past to pick out what sounds like a folksy pop arrangement of the 1970s or early 1980s. It's most definitely Umezawa but I also get some strong Takuro Yoshida（吉田拓郎）vibes from it. In fact, it sounds so upbeat that it feels like there is a disconnect between "Kokoro no Uta" and the episode.

My condolences to Fujiko's family and associates. But I am hoping that the artist has happily rejoined his old partner, Fujiko F. Fujio who passed away in 1996, and might be having a drink in some cosmic izakaya.