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Kindaichi's Shin Kibayashi, Kosaku Shima's Kenshi Hirokane Launch Collaboration Manga

This year's 27th issue of Kodansha's Morning magazine is announcing on Thursday that Kenshi Hirokane (Kōsaku Shima series, Human Crossing) and Shin Kibayashi (Bloody Monday, The Knight in the Area, Drops of God, Kindaichi Case Files) are working together to launch a new manga series in the magazine's 38th issue on August 17. The manga is titled Shima Kōsaku no Jikenbo (Kōsaku Shima Case Files). The new series will feature Kōsaku Shima in an escape drama situation.

Since 1983, Hirokane has been depicting the corporate rise of a Japanese executive named Kōsaku Shima. With every change in job title the main character receives, the manga title also changes. The manga began under the name Kachō Shima Kōsaku (Section Chief Kōsaku Shima). Sequels include Division Chief Kosaku Shima, Managing Director Kosaku Shima, Executive Managing Director Kosaku Shima, Senmu Shima Kōsaku, President Kosaku Shima, and Chairman Kosaku Shima. Other manga spinoffs include Young Shima Kōsaku and Young Shima Kosaku Shunin-hen.

Chairman Kosaku Shima debuted in 2013, and the manga's eighth compiled volume shipped on April 21.

Kibayashi (under the pseudonym Seimaru Amagi) provided the original story idea for Yōzaburō Kanari and Fumiya Sato's Kindaichi Case Files manga. Kibayashi's other pseudonyms include Hiroaki Igano (The Knight in the Area), Ryō Ryūmon (Bloody Monday), Yuma Ando (Psychometrer, Psychometrer Eiji, Sherlock Bones), and Yuya Aoki (GetBackers).

Kibayashi also serves as the editor-in-chief of DeNA's Manga Box app.