News

Hiroshi Motomiya's Salaryman Kintaro Manga Classic Gets 2 New Live-Action Films

Hiroshi Motomiya's manga classic Salaryman Kintaro is inspiring two new live-action films. The first film, titled Salaryman Kintaro Akatsuki-hen (Salaryman Kintaro Dawn), will open on January 10, while the second film, titled Salaryman Kintaro Sakigake-hen (Salaryman Kintaro Vanguard), will open on February 7. Nobuyuki Suzuki (Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Revengers) plays the titular Kintaro Yajima in the films.

Ten Shimoyama (live-action SHINOBI - Heart Under Blade, Erased) is directing the film, with scripts by Shinichi Tanaka (A Turtle's Shell Is a Human's Ribs).

The Manga Planet service describes the manga's story:

Retired ex-bike gang leader of the "Hasshu" Kintaro Yajima leaves his hometown where he worked as a fisherman until his wife, Akemi, passed away. With his son, Ryouta, they go to Tokyo, where Kintaro would start with his new job: a salaryman. Now, the question is: would Kintaro be able to handle the office work and office politics being a salaryman brings?

The manga has been running on and off in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine since 1994. Motomiya restarted the series as a web manga in April of 2005, and has launched several spinoff series in Weekly Young Jump since 2009. Motomiya's latest work on the manga is titled Salaryman Kintaro Gojūsai (Salaryman Kintaro 50 Years Old), which ran in Weekly Young Jump from 2015 to 2016.

NTT Solmare's ComicFriends Facebook-based service briefly offered the manga in English, but the service closed in 2012. Manga Planet is releasing the original manga in English.

Veteran actor Katsunori Takahashi played the role in a popular 1999 film directed by Takashi Miike, as well as in a four-season 1999-2004 television drama series. Masaru Nagai played the role in a live-action series that ran from 2008 to 2010. The manga also inspired a 2001 anime series that Arts Magic released in North America.

Source: Comic Natalie