Live-Action Hirayasumi Series Casts Amane Okayama – News

NHK announced on Thursday that Amane Okayama will play protagonist Hiroto Ikuta in the live-action series adaptation of Keigo Shinzō‘s Hirayasumi manga. NHK also revealed that Kana Matsumoto, Ema Kawawada, and Kōji Taktasuchi will direct the series, with scripts by Yoko Yonaiyama.

NHK will begin airing the 15-minute live-action version this fall, every day from Monday to Thursday at 10:45 p.m. (9:45 q.m. EDT) in the broadcaster’s “Yoru Dra” (Evening Drama) programming block.

Viz Media licensed the manga and began publishing it in May 2024. Viz describes the story:

At 29 years old, carefree Hiroto Ikuta doesn’t have a girlfriend, a full-time job, or a plan for the future—and he couldn’t be happier. Hiroto’s breezy attitude isn’t easy for everyone to understand, though. In a world filled with anxiety, confusion, and grief, Hiroto and the people around him are all just doing their best to figure out this thing called life.

Shinzō launched the manga in Shogakukan‘s Weekly Big Comic Spirits magazine in April 2021. Shogakukan published the manga’s ninth compiled book volume on Wednesday, and the series has over 1.1 million copies in circulation worldwide. The manga was nominated for the 15th Manga Taisho awards in January 2022, ranked #18 in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha‘s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook in December 2022, nominated for the 27th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in February 2023, and nominated for Best Continuing Manga Series in the 2nd American Manga Awards.

The manga is also inspiring an anime, with Viz Media co-producing the anime with Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd. Production +h. (The Orbital Children, Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction) is animating the project.

Denpa has also licensed Shinzō’s Holiday Junction collection of short manga. The book contains seven one-shot manga. Shogakukan shipped the book in Japan in July 2016.

Sources: NHK, Comic Natalie