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Historical Manga Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Gets TV Anime, 2nd OAD

posted on by Egan Loo
Tomokazu Seki, Akira Ishida, Yū Kobayashi star in story about prisoner's return to society

This year's 23rd issue of Kodansha's ITAN magazine announced on Friday that a television anime of Haruko Kumota's historical manga Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū (Shōwa Genroku Era Comic Storytelling) has been green-lit. The seventh manga volume is already bundling a "Yotarō-hen Zen-pen" (Yotarō Arc Part I) original anime DVD (OAD) on March 6, 2015. A second OAD, "Yotarō-hen Kō-pen" (Yotarō Arc Part II), will ship with the eighth manga volume on August 7, and the television anime will debut after the second OAD.

The first OAD will star Tomokazu Seki as Yotarō, Akira Ishida as Yakumo, and Yū Kobayashi as Konatsu. The next issue of ITAN will announce the cast and staff for the television anime on February 6.

The story of the original anime DVDs revolves around a mature prisoner who was released on good behavior during Japan's Showa Genroku era (1960s to early 1970s). He is called Yotarō by others, a term that means an "anti-hero" or a "dim-witted man." When he returns to society, he starts a new life in rakugo (comic storytelling). Touched by Yakumo's role as the "grim reaper," he asks the master to take him in as an apprentice.

Kumota began the manga in ITAN in 2010, and the series received the "Best General Manga" prize at the 38th Kodansha Manga Awards, and was also honored with the Excellence Award at the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards. The manga was also nominated for the 17th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize last year.


Sources: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, ITAN

Update: Story synopsis corrected. Thanks, DavidShallcross


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