by A project to adapt the popular manga “Hirayasumimi ” by Keigo Shinzo, which has sold over 1.1 million copies worldwide, has been launched. It has been decided that the work will be adapted into an anime and a live-action drama. Additionally, a new illustration, drawn by Shinzo, has been released to coincide with the adaptation.
“Hirayasumimi” is a comic that has been serialized in Shogakukan’s ” Weekly Big Comic Spirits ” since April 2021. It won the grand prize at the “Kagayake! Bros Comic Awards 2021” and won the Best Serialized Comic Award at the Lucca Comics & Games 2024, Europe’s largest pop culture festival held in Italy in 2024.
This work tells the story of 29-year-old freeter Hiroto Ikuta, who has no permanent job, no girlfriend, and no worries about the future. By chance, he inherits a single-story house from a neighborhood grandmother for free and starts living with his 18-year-old cousin, Natsumi Kobayashi. People who are struggling with life issues such as work, relationships, and vague anxieties about the future gather around him. Before they know it, Hiroto becomes a warm and comforting presence for them.
The live-action drama will be broadcast this fall in the NHK “Yorudora” time slot, which is known for its succession of popular dramas. The animation will be produced by Production I.G., which also made the movie and anime series “Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction Zensho”.
Regarding the film adaptation, Shinzo commented with joy and expectation, “I’m thrilled that it’s being made into an anime and a drama!! I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product!!” In addition to the announcement of the film adaptation, a newly drawn illustration by Shinzo was also released.
The illustration depicts a smiling Hiroto jumping in the garden of his one-story house, while Natsumi sports a proud look on her face. The visuals, with watercolor bleeding and white coloring, give the work a texture and warmth that can only be achieved through complete analog.
