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Shin Kibayashi, Gohoubi's Blue Fight Manga Ends
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
The youth martial arts drama centers on two young men — Ryōma Akai and Ikuto Yagura — who meet in a juvenile detention center. Their lives start to change when mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura introduces them to Breaking Down, a mixed martial arts tournament where juvenile delinquents around Japan fight one-on-one.
The manga launched in Kodansha's Young Magazine on October 11, and moved to YanMaga Web on April 12. The original story of the film and manga is written by Shin Kibayashi (Drops of God manga writer under his pseudonym Tadashi Agi), and Gohoubi draws the manga. YOAKE FILM is credited as original creator. Kodansha published the manga's first compiled book volume on January 20, and will release the third volume on July 4.
The original live-action film premiered in Japan on January 31. Takashi Miike (live-action Crows Zero, Crows Zero II, As the Gods Will films) directed the film, MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura and enterpreneur Yūji Mizoguchi are the executive producers.
Shin Kibayashi is a prolific writer who has written numerous manga under multiple pen names. Under his real name, he has written such manga as Kaze to Kaminari and Shima Kōsaku no Jiken-bo. Under his pseudonym of Tadashi Agi (which is a pen name for him and his sister Yuko Kibayashi), he is best known for the manga Drops of God. His other pseudonyms include Yuya Aoki (GetBackers), Ryō Ryūmon (Bloody Monday), Seimaru Amagi (Kindaichi Case Files original idea), and Yuma Ando (Psychometrer, Psychometrer Eiji, Sherlock Bones).
